by Gena Husman

Created on: March 21, 2009

Bicycling after Fifty-five (and a Total Hip Replacement)

I looked with dismay at the lycra stretch shorts I wore while bicycling in my early 30's and knew there was no chance I'd get them on again in this lifetime. I doubted that they would even fit my arm now. I'm not even sure why I'd kept them all these years. Wishful thinking, I guess. And that was when it struck me that taking up bicycling again, now in my mid 50's, would be a "whole 'nuther game." And it might not be pretty...at least not in the beginning. I wasn't even sure if they made bicycle clothing for aging baby-boomers. A look at all the bicycling magazines at the newsstand showed young men and women with sleek, beautiful bodies riding on bicycles similar to the ones we used to ride. There were no covers to indicate overweight aging baby-boomers might still want to ride bicycles and read these magazines, too. We were probably the first generation of cyclists that actually included large numbers of women riders. Women had been liberated, and sports and fitness were the rage. We all burned our bras and hopped on our drop-handlebar bicycles and rode with the guys. Now we are all older. True, some of us have aged better than others...but the urge to hop on a good bicycle still burns strong in many of us.

For some, a ride around the block with the grandkids might be enough. Others, having raised a family, may now have enough savings stashed to bicycle across Europe. In my case, painful arthritis and the subsequent hip surgery to relieve it had left me overweight and out of shape. I needed to lose weight and knew it would have to be a low-impact activity. Bicycling, a sport I had enjoyed as a young adult seemed like the ideal answer.

A few weeks after my total hip replacement, I asked my surgeon if I could ride a bicycle. After a slight hesitation he said yes, I should be able to-soon-and added a few dire warnings about seat height and not bending my leg too sharply. Of course, being February then, he didn't figure I'd be riding anytime soon, but our local bicycle shop was having its midwinter sale and I couldn't wait till spring to get a good deal. Cane in hand, I went out bicycle shopping.

Oh, the sleek machines with the drop-handlebars were still out there-leaner and meaner than I remembered from before-but I passed them by after one admiring look and set my sights on something I could actually get on and RIDE. I tried them all, and being a short woman with a healing hip, just getting on and off to try them for size was a chore. The shop owner, who had sold us our first "sleek" bicycles twenty years before, was now himself an aging baby-boomer, and patiently helped me on and off, not complaining as I leaned heavily on him for support and nearly ripped his shirt off. I settled for a docile-looking, women's step-through hybrid bicycle.

The hybrid is a new beast to me-not nearly as fast and sassy as my drop-handlebar steed of several years ago. It exudes a quiet elegance, and is dependable, comfortable, and kind. It has handlebars I can reach from an upright position that doesn't irritate the arthritis in my neck and shoulders. It has a wide, comfortable saddle that I can sit on for hours without squirming. And, it has shock-absorbers on the seat post and the fork, and wide tires so I can ride it off-road on bumpy gravel trails with minimal discomfort.

The more I ride it, the more I respect its laid-back demeanor and sensible styling. It invites you to ride it just for fun. It's a little like where I am in my life now-I don't have to prove anything to the rest of the world anymore. I have a new hip and a sensible bicycle...I'm happy. I'll just get a larger pair of shorts. And I doubt they'll be lycra.

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