Chiberia is over and we've had a beautiful couple of days in Chicago. So why not pull out the bicycle and take a ride? I haven't been on this bike in a few years. My husband inflated the tires and adjusted the seat. I rode to the corner and remembered why I stopped riding a bike. My knees! Oh, my poor knees. I really didn't expect that intense pain, since I've been walking daily on the treadmill and am up to two miles now, no incline. I am a month overdue for my cortisone shots in my knees, but I postponed that on purpose because it was bearable lately with my recent weight loss, and I wanted to time the next shots optimally for my trip to Italy in May. Between the excruciating knee pain and the seat killing my pubic bone, I realized that I need to shelve this idea until I drop at least twenty more pounds, probably more. :'( So... back to the treadmill today....

Sorry to hear about this. Just a thought: is your bike seat's height adjusted correctly? If it is too low, you will stress your knees when you peddle. When I first got back on my bike, I didn't realize this and it made for some painful rides. One of my friends saw a photo of my riding and told me that I needed to raise the seat a good 2 inches. He was right...now my rides (and knees) are great!

Just a thought: is your bike seat's height adjusted correctly?

Yeah, we tried to go higher, but then I couldn't climb on! It's the right height, it's just that my right knee especially is just plain shot. It makes me sad, because I really used to love my bike when I was younger, and it's so much more enjoyable than walking for me. But I'm not giving up. I do get the shots, as I said, and that gives some relief for months. Maybe a couple of weeks after the shots kick in I can try it again, and go buy one of those wide-butt comfort seats to prevent the groin pain. It was the "up-bent" position that had my knee screaming in pain, even with nearly no resistance. The fully extended position was relief. I just can't afford to damage the knee any further right now. Weight loss will help a lot, but I may still need knee replacement in a few years. UGH!