Unicycle rehabilitation for knee

I was thinking of this one:

But I will stick to my grandma-frame. I’m beginning to look like a grandma with my grey-white hair anyways. Grandmas also grow hair on their faces. :smiley:

:laughing: Just make sure not to let them grow on your teeth!

Be careful!! :angry:

:speak_no_evil_monkey:f-pulse:

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2nd version, because Google translated it so poorly:

After breaking my shoulder in a complicated accident in January this year, bad luck seems to be following me around. I postponed my vacation from January to September, and on the day I arrived, I went on a short tour with a 300-meter elevation gain and was happy that I was able to manage the climb pretty well. If only I had taken the normal road back down the mountain. But no, I had to take the direct route. The road had an increasingly steep incline at the beginning, until I had to jump off my unicycle and landed on the slope. Since my knee has been damaged since 1998 (I no longer have a meniscus and have cartilage damage, as well as a knee that wants to pop out of its socket), this was not good. I limped down into the valley and then spent two weeks on crutches. An MRI showed advanced wear and tear on my knee. The doctor said a new knee joint was not far off. Well, I’ll try without it for now. Physical therapy is progressing slowly, but I’m riding carefully again. I’ve now started on a 20" unicycle with 20x 3.0 tires, and today for the first time with 20x 4.0 tires. So that I don’t go too fast and don’t jump down from too high up. When I’m feeling better, I’ll switch to 24x 3.0, then 24x 4.0, then I’ll start with small 26" tires (x2.40) and work my way up to 4.0 there too. I really hope I can do it again. At the moment, everything is still very difficult for me. I can’t walk well or climb stairs. But hope dies last.

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:heart: :heart: :heart:

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Yes, exercise is everything. As strange as it may seem, riding a unicycle is probably the best therapy.

I feel with you all and want to help. I talk about the knowledge I gathered from life, what means I am working on it too as a life task. I keep it as rational as possible.
First I remind that scientific studies seem to proof the placebo effect. Here is a random article how the placebo effect cures cronic back pain.
I hate to explain it with money, but this way we understand it:
Know right now that you want to be rich and you are the person who wants to be rich and is in fact always poor.
Know right now that you are poor and you take the first job you’re offered and are poor.
Know right now that you are rich and you get to a job where you earn money.
Know right now that you can’t ride unicycle and you can’t.
Know right now that you can ride a unicycle to become a unicyclist.
Know that you are healed right now to become healed.
Know that you are free of symptoms right now to let them vanish.
In case problems don’t let you think/know, I give you the magical unicycler’s hand that scientists have proven to heal by the placebo effect. It cures every wound, source of pain, cronic or not right away.
:palm_down_hand:
And hey, thank you all to be here posting to our community.

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Thanks. I’m taking it step by step now. As I mentioned, I’m cautiously starting with a 20" unicycle. In December, I’ll try to switch to a 24" and slowly work my way up the tire thickness. It’s almost the same as when I learned to ride a unicycle as a child. From now on, I’ll probably only ride on wide, safe dirt roads and wear gel insoles to reduce the risk. I don’t want to get a new knee replacement and would like to postpone that time as long as possible. I always follow one principle: only ride as fast as you can run. I can’t run at the moment, so I’ll stick with a 20" one.

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Don’t you find it more strenuous riding on a small wheel. I understand you are slightly closer to the ground with the pedals, but also stepping off the back I find easier on larger wheels. With more rotations your knees get tired more quickly… ?

You say you ride on wide dirtroads. Don’t you have asphalted bike paths where you live?
The times my knees hurt are with failed free-mounts. Sometimes I hit them at first try but starting cold might require a few tries. Also with my trials, if I’ve been riding a bigger wheel before that.

The point is that I don’t have to jump as high or run as fast if I fall, because there’s almost no cartilage left, and no meniscus either, which cushions the bounce. This way, I can minimize the risk. Of course, it’s difficult at first to start with 20". I first rode with 20x 3.0 and felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. After three rides, though, it was already better, and I’d ridden a few kilometers. The most comfortable was the Johnny Watts 27.5x 4.0. A huge difference. Whatever. But it’s kind of nice to experience the “evolution” of unicycling again and to slowly improve. Besides, I can test one or two items from the shop range that I would otherwise never try, since I never actually ride 20". Now I’m wearing the CST BFT 20x 4.0. It rolls much better, but it’s harder to maneuver on side slopes. This allows me to recall all the tire “quirks.” It’s useful when I have to advise buyers.

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Im glad my knees are not at the stage yours are in. It sounds very painful. I am just so happy I decided to learn unicycling 10 years ago, it would be a nightmare if I’d have to stop because my knees cant handle it. I should prolly be sensible and not focus on UW or the BC wheel I just ordered. But it is very alluring to be able to ride them.
How bad do your knees have to be before doctors will recommend replacement? My doctor will no doubt suggest to stop unicycling, so I come with different ‘reasons’

It‘s funny, I too chose the 20“ for my first rides after a six week pause (though not knee related). Plan to soon try the 29“, though.

In general I find it the harder to dismount off the back, the bigger the wheel is - it’s certainly a harder impact for the leg, though technique plays an important role, too. And in case of my 20er the seat is quite low anyway (I use that uni to learn or practice tricks), so I can almost step off with a foot while still sitting on the seat. Almost.

I abuse my trials uni for longer distance rides, so the seat needs to be somewhat higher to keep it comfy, but is will always be low enough to be able to stand and start hopping.

When I get knee pain on a long distance ride, it helps simply to walk some time. With a trials uni that certainly means wheelwalk and a higher saddle is surely welcome :slight_smile:

Not all of us can wheel-walk though. I can’t even ride one-footed. too scary.