The ACL Repair Blog Firsthand accounts of ACL surgery and recovery

I finally got my borrowed trainer yesterday and set it up in the garage (A trainer is a little device you can strap a bicycle into to make it a stationary bike). I was most surprised by how different the action felt than riding the stationary bike at PT. The seat height is different, but on a real bike you’re also in a more aggressive position with the pedals more directly below you than in front.

I rode for 10 minutes before i started getting a little sore and decided to get off. For starters I didn’t wear my bike shoes, but i think when i go back out today I will. It seemed that clipping in would help align everything in my knee more correctly.

So anyway here I am six weeks out from surgery. I can walk quite well, my range of motion is getting close (although i do still need to work on extension) and can ride a bike on a trainer. For me, getting on the trainer is a really big deal. Riding a bike has been such an integral part of my lifestyle for a long time and being away has effected mind and body in more ways than you’d think. Getting back on the bike is a huge step towards getting back in physical shape, but also a symbolic step back towards the freedom i feel when i’m riding.