Hello from the UK. A good friend of mine is facing a hip replacement (arthritis) and needs to know as much as possible about how this will affect his cycling as he really does live for the bike. He's mid 50's and was an awesome rider in his prime and pretty darn good even now but the pain is getting really bad and he is uncertain about just what is possible after a hip replacement.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

RBR rocks!

Hello from the UK. A good friend of mine is facing a hip replacement (arthritis) and needs to know as much as possible about how this will affect his cycling as he really does live for the bike. He's mid 50's and was an awesome rider in his prime and pretty darn good even now but the pain is getting really bad and he is uncertain about just what is possible after a hip replacement.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

RBR rocks!

Have a look in the Letters or Advice column (or something along those lines) at Cycling News.com as I seem to recall absolutely loads of info about hip replacement from those who have had the procedure as well as comments from doctors. There was also discussion about the various materials that are available for said procedure and their pros/cons. I am sure if you do a search (at cyclingnews) you will find enough info for your friend so that he will be able to have a pretty positive outlook on the whole situation as most of the testimonials from hip replacement cyclists were very favorable. Also, I ride with a guy in his late-50's who had hip replacement in the summer of '03 and he was climbing up a storm a few months after his operation (granted his doctor had him on the trainer while my friend was already doing four hour rides!). These days I don't even remember he's had a hip replacement as his recovery has been so complete. All the best to your buddy and I have no doubt that he will be back on the bike and pain-free in a relatively short while.

Thanks for that and I'll give Cycling News a whirl.

8 pages gathered from Cycling News but any more info would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks and have a very Happy New Year.

In my profession I see alot of hip replacement patients, and while most of them are not athletes, a good number of them are. We had a mid-forties patient who was recovering nicely from a hip replacement that was a very avid cyclist. When he asked if he could ride again his doctor gave the go-ahead. There was a communication gap. The doctor was thinking exercise bike, the patient was thinking tearing up the road.
End result: a bad crash resulting in reinjuring an incompletely healed hip replacement. The new injury was much more severe, with much more extensive surgery needed to repair not only the hip but the leg as well. Cycling is not the only thing in doubt now.
There is definitely cycling life after hip replacement. Cycling is good for rehab. However, until your friend has been cleared for full activities, please tell him to limit the cycling to a trainer until his hip is completely healed. Then he can take up where he left off. Good Luck to him.