The Hiking Cyclist of the Dandenong Ranges

[JohnStrider]

Spoke to a pretty interesting guy the other day about his journey with hiking and how it led him into cycling. His name is Brendan Edwards and has his own blog. Long story short, he was a regular hiker for some time until he absolutely destroyed his achilles playing a casual game of squash. He spent 18 months doing rehab but it has never completely healed. It got to the point where he actually thought he'd never walk properly again, let alone hike again.

While these days he is restricted to shorter hikes, he was able to find the sport/hobby of cycling. One comment he made to me was not only was he able to go long distances in any one day, but he still got that same feeling of being short of breath that he used to get on long distance hikes.

I think what I took out of this interview with him is that while you can suffer physical setbacks, with time, there are ways around said setback where you can still get that same feeling of satisfaction. It's just in another form.

It also further confirms that the human body is capable of so much that we probably think.

The above just about covers off the article, but if you want to read it in its entirety, you can do so here: http://www.thehikingsociety.com.au/2016/11/23/the-hiking-cyclist-of-the-dandenong-ranges/

[RonK]

My story is similar - after years of walking and trekking my knees are worn out and arthritis has set in. I can't walk as much anymore but need to keep my joints moving - it's a matter of use it or lose it.

So I turned to cycle touring, which I equate to trekking with a bike. To that extent I still mostly use the same gear that I have acquired over the years.

The experience of cycling from place to place and setting up camp at the end of the day is much like my trekking experiences, and although the places I now visit are not quite as remote, it's easy to find routes away from people and traffic.

I still manage stretch my legs with the odd side trip, but they are getting fewer and shorter now.

And I still get the sense of freedom and escape, the enjoyment of the landscape, the satisfaction of the physical activity, and of course one of my greatest delights had always been the planning and the preparation.

And there is a massive worldwide fraternity of cycle tourists whose experiences one can draw from. You need look no further than crazyguyonabike.com to find hundreds of trip reports and journals.

The bonus is I can see a lot more country. An average day is around 70km, but I can double that if necessary.

These days I'm focused on exploring New Zealand back roads, but Tasmanian Trail, the Mawson and the Munda Biddi are all on my to do list.

[andrewa]

And, if you can't walk or cycle.....

http://www.redbull.com/au/en/adventure/ ... year-award

Saw this the other night. What a journey.

A

[JohnStrider]

My story is similar - after years of walking and trekking my knees are worn out and arthritis has set in. I can't walk as much anymore but need to keep my joints moving - it's a matter of use it or lose it.

So I turned to cycle touring, which I equate to trekking with a bike. To that extent I still mostly use the same gear that I have acquired over the years.

The experience of cycling from place to place and setting up camp at the end of the day is much like my trekking experiences, and although the places I now visit are not quite as remote, it's easy to find routes away from people and traffic.

I still manage stretch my legs with the odd side trip, but they are getting fewer and shorter now.

And I still get the sense of freedom and escape, the enjoyment of the landscape, the satisfaction of the physical activity, and of course one of my greatest delights had always been the planning and the preparation.

And there is a massive worldwide fraternity of cycle tourists whose experiences one can draw from. You need look no further than crazyguyonabike.com to find hundreds of trip reports and journals.

The bonus is I can see a lot more country. An average day is around 70km, but I can double that if necessary.

These days I'm focused on exploring New Zealand back roads, but Tasmanian Trail, the Mawson and the Munda Biddi are all on my to do list.

Love the mindset here, RonK. If you truly are passionate about the outdoors and you have the misfortune of suffering a physical injury that just won't go away, there are ways around it.

As you rightly pointed out, there are some disadvantages to not being able to go anywhere remote with your bike, but you're able to cover more ground than ever before and it's reasonably low impact. Just have to deal with the chaffing

[geoskid]

Oh gawd, I'm currently recovering from a complete Achilles tendon rupture, conservative treatment (no surgery, and another 4wks in moonboot), and have been led to believe that I will be able to resume Bushwalking (sometime).
I have been a bit anxious about it, but I guess you just have to deal with whatever eventuates.

[JohnStrider]

Oh gawd, I'm currently recovering from a complete Achilles tendon rupture, conservative treatment (no surgery, and another 4wks in moonboot), and have been led to believe that I will be able to resume Bushwalking (sometime).
I have been a bit anxious about it, but I guess you just have to deal with whatever eventuates.

Yep. In Brendan's case, he had to adjust. Instead of 20kms+ hikes, he can only go up to 15km hikes before his Achilles swells up. He regained his confidence that he would hike again when he visited the NT and did a couple of day hikes. That was his turning point.

[north-north-west]

... after years of walking and trekking my knees are worn out and arthritis has set in.

My arthritis is probably milder than yours, but I don't let it stop me walking. It just slows me down (mostly because I'm being ultra-careful not to trip and further damage the knees).
Plus, I find cycling harder on the knees than pack-carrying. Must be doing something wrong.

[RonK]

I know exactly what you mean NNW. I also have to take extra care walking to avoid aggravating my arthritis. Unfortunately osteo-arthritus is a degenerative condition so only gets worse over time. However I firmly believe that cycling more and walking less has actually slowed the degeneration and extended my walking career.

Cycling is a non-weight bearing activity so should be kind to your joints. If cycling makes your knees sore them it's likely that your bike is poorly fitted.

It is quite common to observe people cycling with the saddle way too low. This may be a security thing - many want to be able to put their feet flat on the ground while seated, but it leaves the knees at quite an acute angle and puts a lot of strain on them. A bit like doing many reps of squats does.

The geometry of a modern bike is such that it is simply not possible to reach the ground while seated if the saddle height is correctly adjusted. When you stop, you have to get off the saddle.

There are other bikes fit/size issues which can also aggravate the knees but saddle height is by far the most common one.

[neilmny]

In addition to an incorrectly set up bike is that a that a lot of riders pedal at too low a cadence. They try to use too big a gear. Using lower gears and learning spin takes a huge load off your legs. You just have to get used to it.

[north-north-west]

IIt is quite common to observe people cycling with the saddle way too low. This may be a security thing - many want to be able to put their feet flat on the ground while seated, but it leaves the knees at quite an acute angle and puts a lot of strain on them. A bit like doing many reps of squats does.

The geometry of a modern bike is such that it is simply not possible to reach the ground while seated if the saddle height is correctly adjusted. When you stop, you have to get off the saddle.

There are other bikes fit/size issues which can also aggravate the knees but saddle height is by far the most common one.

This is part of what I suspected - but when I bought the current bike it was set up for me by the chap at the shop (very reputable MTB store in Melbourne). I queried the low saddle and he said that was how MTBs were designed to be set up and ridden. And everyone I've seen out on similar bikes had similar set-ups.
Must get around to raising the saddle more and seeing how it goes. Of course, that will just aggravate the neck/shoulder issues . . .

[andrewa]

Oh gawd, I'm currently recovering from a complete Achilles tendon rupture, conservative treatment (no surgery, and another 4wks in moonboot), and have been led to believe that I will be able to resume Bushwalking (sometime).
I have been a bit anxious about it, but I guess you just have to deal with whatever eventuates.

Why is it being treated conservatively? The only patients I've had who've had conservatively treated Achilles ruptures have been 85yo plus, with lots of other medical comordities.

[neilmny]

NNW when you are sitting on the saddle with the pedal at the bottom of the stroke and your foot more or less flat your knee should still be slightly bent. If you have to rock side to side to pedal your seat is too high. You might be able to raise your head stem to overcome the neck and shoulder thing.

[north-north-west]

NNW when you are sitting on the saddle with the pedal at the bottom of the stroke and your foot more or less flat your knee should still be slightly bent.

That's what I learnt when I got my first bike some 50 years ago. Nice to know some things don't really change.

[RonK]

I queried the low saddle and he said that was how MTBs were designed to be set up and ridden.

A half-truth. A low saddle is useful for descents, particularly steep descents, to stop riders from pitching over the handlebars, but it's less than ideal otherwise.

It's true that some MTB riders compromised with a lower saddle height than is desirable. I never did, prefering to drop my bum off the back of the saddle when the going got steep, because I'm well aware of the physiological cost.

The recent trend is to use a dropper seat post which allows the saddle height to be adjusted instantly with the flick of a lever. They are expensive but I think well worth the investment to serious mountain bikers.

But if you are using an MTB as a general purpose bike there is no need for a dropper seat post and no reason not to adjust the saddle height correctly.

Many bike salesmen will happily tell such half-truths (and sometimes outright lies) in order to move store stock which may in reality be too small (not saying yours is too small, but it could be).

[Neo]

Ya ya. Good story. I'm in early days of wanting to be able to do overnighters aka 'leave on foot'. For now I'm still pursuing it but if the body doesn't agree then cycle touring may be the solution (or motorcycle).

[geoskid]

Oh gawd, I'm currently recovering from a complete Achilles tendon rupture, conservative treatment (no surgery, and another 4wks in moonboot), and have been led to believe that I will be able to resume Bushwalking (sometime).
I have been a bit anxious about it, but I guess you just have to deal with whatever eventuates.

Why is it being treated conservatively? The only patients I've had who've had conservatively treated Achilles ruptures have been 85yo plus, with lots of other medical comordities.

Hi Andrew,
The orthopaedic registrar suggested this. He did explain that there are 2 schools of thought and that current evidence doesn't support one method over another unless one is an elite athlete, in which case surgery is recommended. Apparently, the evidence for probability of re-rupture between the 2 methods of treatment is inconclusive. I don't know, but I have lost confidence in the public health system after I developed several pulmonary embolisms as a result of running out of clexane injections.
My foot is just a useless floppy thing at the moment, but I see the physio tomorrow, and I am going to ask questions!

[andrewa]

Ifs it's a public hospital thing, then it's cheaper to treat them conservatively!

I broke a little bone in my dominant wrist last year (scaphoid), and had a screw put in, and was able to continue to work throughout. If it had been treated conservatively with plaster cast, the outcome would no doubt have been the same, except that I would have been off work for 12 weeks, which is not that great for a solo GP! The reason why scaphoids generally don't get screws put in them in the public system is that the screw costs $600ish, plus it requires an operation.

I hope your Achilles doesn't become an "Achilles heel"!

A

[tom_brennan]

I had a complete achilles rupture when I was 32. I had surgery, and was back bushwalking in 4 months (and some fairly rough off track about 3 weeks later). Maybe that gives you a bit of an idea of potential timeframes.

[geoskid]

I had a complete achilles rupture when I was 32. I had surgery, and was back bushwalking in 4 months (and some fairly rough off track about 3 weeks later). Maybe that gives you a bit of an idea of potential timeframes.

Thanks Tom,
Yeah, does seem that surgery equates to quicker recovery. Not surprising, given that without surgery the 2 ends have to grow together initially. Damn. Physio asked what I want out of physio - I said "to go bushwalking again, don't care if I never do
*cough* Badminton again". Six months minimum.
Back to the spirit of the OP - going fishing tomorrow - taking kayak, 4days, 2 mates. Whilst hobbling around loading up, I did feel for those that love the outdoors and have no hope (for whatever reason) of ever getting back to it.
carp diem.

[Xplora]

I have also ruptured my achilles and can do all I did before. The fellow mentioned in the OP was most likely not treated well and it can be fixed. What I can tell you is that conservative treatment (no surgery) done the modern way will have the same recovery time and the same clinical outcome. The problem is many doctors lock the leg up in a cast for 12 weeks non weight bearing and that is the worst thing to do with or without surgery. Scientific medical studies conducted in England, Canada, NZ and Ireland have show a similar re-rupture risk to surgery and the same clinical outcome. Without surgery you can be walking in a boot within 4 weeks. This is the most important factor for a good recovery. I know of hundreds of fit and healthy people who have not had surgery for this injury and go back to everything they did before. The best help anyone could find is at www.achillesblog.com These are normal people and the accounts you can read of recovery give a pretty good idea of how varied the treatment is for this injury around the world.

[andrewa]

- going fishing tomorrow - taking kayak, 4days, 2 mates. Whilst hobbling around loading up, I did feel for those that love the outdoors and have no hope (for whatever reason) of ever getting back to it.
carp diem.

Presuming you don't have foot steering on the kayak!

A

[JohnStrider]

I have also ruptured my achilles and can do all I did before. The fellow mentioned in the OP was most likely not treated well and it can be fixed. What I can tell you is that conservative treatment (no surgery) done the modern way will have the same recovery time and the same clinical outcome. The problem is many doctors lock the leg up in a cast for 12 weeks non weight bearing and that is the worst thing to do with or without surgery. Scientific medical studies conducted in England, Canada, NZ and Ireland have show a similar re-rupture risk to surgery and the same clinical outcome. Without surgery you can be walking in a boot within 4 weeks. This is the most important factor for a good recovery. I know of hundreds of fit and healthy people who have not had surgery for this injury and go back to everything they did before. The best help anyone could find is at http://www.achillesblog.com These are normal people and the accounts you can read of recovery give a pretty good idea of how varied the treatment is for this injury around the world.

Cheers for the blog recommendation