# bike tweaks for hip arthritis



## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

My mildly arthritic hip only bothers me in certain sitting positions, especially when my torso and thighs form less than a 90 degree angle. Unfortunately one of those positions is sitting on my bikes. Just looking for ideas on hopefully minor bike tweaks and adjustments that I can try, short of buying a cruiser with a comfort seat, flowered basket and thumb bell. I already do various stretches and strengthening exercises, and almost all of my riding is on paved roads and gravel roads.


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

Not much you can do except

Ha injections
Hip replacement 

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

Thanks, I tried to make it clear I'm not looking for medical advice, just bike advice. But I will accept your "not much you can do" as a possible reality. I changed the title to make my question more clear


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

May take a while but 









THE ROLE of a BIKE FIT in CYCLISTS with HIP PAIN. A CLINICAL COMMENTARY


Hip pathology is common amongst athletes and the general population. The mechanics of cycling have the potential to exacerbate symptomatic hip pathology and progress articular pathology in patients with morphologic risk factors such as femoroacetabular ...




www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


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## d365 (Jun 13, 2006)

Find a pro bike fitter in your area. See what they say.

But if you just want to experiment...

Make sure your saddle isn't too high. Maybe try lowering it and sliding it forward a touch.

Change your saddle, maybe it doesn't work for you. SQlab Active saddle has some extra flex that might help... if the shape works for you.

Get a shorter stem, with more rise, to get into a more upright riding position... within reason.


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## CCSS (Apr 6, 2004)

Might sound counterintuitive, but get a singlespeed. You’ll spend a much greater percentage of time standing vs sitting and spinning in the exact same position. Less repetitive motion and a mire full body workout. I had surgery to repair labral tears and remove bone spurs in both of my hips (12 and 13 years ago). I now ride almost exclusively SS. So far so good 


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## rong7664 (Nov 15, 2021)

I fractued my C2 10 months ago and as I transitioned back to riding I found restrictons in my range of motion made riding difficult and awkward. The big issue was tilting my head back, which made me look at my front tire to about 10 feet in front of it. My solution was to put a higher rise bar on the bike, and it has helped a considerable amount. You stated that when your hip angle was <90 degrees you had a problem. This could be a partial solution for you.


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## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

Could always try shorter crank arms....less hip movement.....


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## hoolie (Sep 17, 2010)

It really helped my hips when I sold my jeep, it has a clutch, manual transmission. I also adjust my pickup truck seat really weird, for driving, but it seems to help my hip arthritis a lot. The back support really leaned back, the sit portion aimed downward (the opposite of a bucket seat). It keeps my hips/legs in a more open position. It’s like driving around in a BarcaLounger hahaha. Selling my singlespeed helped too.


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

Thanks for the ideas and experiences. Complicating matters is that several points below my hips aren't in the greatest shape either, espec that same side knee, so that limits what I can do. @hoolie, that's what I do with my office chair though not quite that far. I sometimes also slouch way down for a few minutes to "open" that torso-leg angle up. 

I think a more upright riding angle is probably in my future.


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## holdendaniels (Jul 25, 2005)

Ride an ebike, less wear and tear on your body, and lots of fun.


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## jimglassford (Jun 17, 2018)

I have bursitis in my right hip as well. My neighbor is a physician assistant and before that he was in Sports Medicine. He recommends Motrin (Ibuprofen) to control the inflammation. As for the riding style, I tried shifting my position when the joint bothers me, with no success. I did find that the more I rode, the better the joint felt.


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

ibuprofen/heating pads/fish oil/eliminating foods from your diet that cause inflammation


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## Oey12 (Aug 15, 2020)

I recently had my hip resurfaced. Unfortunately I hit a point that I simply could not bike anymore.

The only thing that helped alleviate the pain a little was raising the seat and point my foot out (arthritic leg) on climbs. However it’s not efficient and more importantly really has the potential of a serious ankle injury. Hence why I had to stop riding…


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## Pebisnutt (Sep 6, 2019)

Does it hurt more during your ride or after?

Since you mostly do paced and gravel roads, a suspension seatpost may do wonders in keeping you fresh. Redshift and came creek both make very well regarded models, I have an eesilk that I can share my opinion on 

An oval chainring could also help because it will engage muscles a little differently

Saddles with some flex in them, like sqlab or ergon, or brooks or Tioga prevent wear and tear and make riding easier 

I don't have hip arthritis but I do have lower back problems and a sacroiliac joint injury and those are all things that help me


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Get a proper bike fit if you can.


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

d365 said:


> Find a pro bike fitter in your area. See what they say.
> But if you just want to experiment...
> 
> Make sure your saddle isn't too high. Maybe try lowering it and sliding it forward a touch.


Unfortunately that would mess with my knee, which is even worse than my hip. Gotta have my seat up high and back...



CCSS said:


> Might sound counterintuitive, but get a singlespeed. You’ll spend a much greater percentage of time standing vs sitting and spinning in the exact same position. Less repetitive motion and a mire full body workout. I had surgery to repair labral tears and remove bone spurs in both of my hips (12 and 13 years ago). I now ride almost exclusively SS. So far so good


No money for new bikes...haha. But standing would mess with my feet, which are already a mess..lol...



rong7664 said:


> I fractued my C2 10 months ago and as I transitioned back to riding I found restrictons in my range of motion made riding difficult and awkward. The big issue was tilting my head back, which made me look at my front tire to about 10 feet in front of it. My solution was to put a higher rise bar on the bike, and it has helped a considerable amount. You stated that when your hip angle was <90 degrees you had a problem. This could be a partial solution for you.


I think this is definitely worth a try.



ladljon said:


> Could always try shorter crank arms....less hip movement.....


Ahhh, but I think my knee would not like that! It needs extension....Thanks though!



holdendaniels said:


> Ride an ebike, less wear and tear on your body, and lots of fun.


I'm going to get a piggy bank and start saving for one, but its a few years off.




jimglassford said:


> I have bursitis in my right hip as well. My neighbor is a physician assistant and before that he was in Sports Medicine. He recommends Motrin (Ibuprofen) to control the inflammation. As for the riding style, I tried shifting my position when the joint bothers me, with no success. I did find that the more I rode, the better the joint felt.


Yes, that applies to my knee, which I can barely bend enough to ride at all the first few spins but after 5-10 minutes it feels fine. But the hip...gets worse or stays the same the more I ride.



Hawgzilla said:


> ibuprofen/heating pads/fish oil/eliminating foods from your diet that cause inflammation


I've been gobbling Celebrex like m&m's and eat pretty healthy...there's always room for improvement though



Oey12 said:


> I recently had my hip resurfaced. Unfortunately I hit a point that I simply could not bike anymore.
> 
> The only thing that helped alleviate the pain a little was raising the seat and point my foot out (arthritic leg) on climbs. However it’s not efficient and more importantly really has the potential of a serious ankle injury. Hence why I had to stop riding…


Ugh, oh man that sucks. I can't imagine not being able to ride...because I can't hike anymore so its about all I've got



Pebisnutt said:


> Does it hurt more during your ride or after?
> 
> Since you mostly do paced and gravel roads, a suspension seatpost may do wonders in keeping you fresh. Redshift and came creek both make very well regarded models, I have an eesilk that I can share my opinion on
> 
> ...


It hurts while I'm riding, and feels fine the minute I get off the bike. My hip only hurts in certain sitting positions, so I'm not sure that seat changes will help unless position changes too. I can sit on a wooden box and be perfectly comfortable as long as my leg is extended. 



Crankout said:


> Get a proper bike fit if you can.


I think I'd have to go to an occupational therapist or something to get one...fixing one of my problems tends to aggravate another one. Gotta love getting old(er)!


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## 411898 (Nov 5, 2008)

Some of the things that some consider healthy may cause inflammation. Check online for a list of foods that are known to cause inflammation.


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

Hawgzilla said:


> Some of the things that some consider healthy may cause inflammation. Check online for a list of foods that are known to cause inflammation.


Oh yeah, I know. I have gout, so I eat very little in the way of inflammatory foods.


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## ladljon (Nov 30, 2011)

U shorten crank arms and raise seat: that will keep UR knees extended with less movement in hip flexors.....running 125mm on my road bike and 135mm on mtb and gravel bikes....OMG help ur self...


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## Horseshoe (May 31, 2018)

I don't have a solution, but I do find this interesting. I've had to largely give up powerlifting and most extended hiking due to arthritis, but can still bike pain free other than getting on and off. I suppose not all arthritis is creative equal, but if there is hope for me there is hope for you. I hope you find a workable solution.


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

ladljon said:


> OMG help ur self...


Not sure what exactly that means.


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## AndrewHardtail (Nov 2, 2021)

ladljon said:


> U shorten crank arms and raise seat: that will keep UR knees extended with less movement in hip flexors.


^This. With shorter crank arms and proper seat height, the seat to pedal distance is the same at the bottom of the pedal stroke as with longer cranks, but longer at the top of the pedal stroke so your hip doesn't have to close as far. Also raise the handlebars so that they're at least the same relative height to the seat as they were in the original seat position.

Remember that you have a bit less leverage, so you'll need to use lower gear for the same terrain compared to longer cranks.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

OldBlue950 said:


> My mildly arthritic hip only bothers me in certain sitting positions, especially when my torso and thighs form less than a 90 degree angle. Unfortunately one of those positions is sitting on my bikes. Just looking for ideas on hopefully minor bike tweaks and adjustments that I can try, short of buying a cruiser with a comfort seat, flowered basket and thumb bell. I already do various stretches and strengthening exercises, and almost all of my riding is on paved roads and gravel roads.


What @ladljon said. Crank length FTW.

I have some horrible hip issues, that I've been working through for a few years now, which involve my hips shifting then my muscles seizing because I went past a reasonable range of motion (hypermobility). They can get so bad that I cannot even walk.

Since going to 155mm cranks, that's made a HUGE difference for me. Even 160mm are too long for me (I have two sets of 160mm cranks I'm selling now), and it makes a huge difference. I'm 5'4" and I use them, and my husband is 5'10" and he's really happy with the 160mms.

I also had to change my fit to have my saddle flatter, and my handlebars more upright, and riding a shorter frame. Makes all the difference in the world for me being able to ride.


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

Hmph, OK interesting ideas. I think I'm already pushing the limits of seat height but shorter crank might help my crap knee as well as my hip.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

OldBlue950 said:


> Hmph, OK interesting ideas. I think I'm already pushing the limits of seat height but shorter crank might help my crap knee as well as my hip.


As someone who's had knee surgery, and with hip problems, it makes the biggest difference in my riding. Well that and making sure my pedals are wide enough.


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

How much you think I should shorten? I have 170s on my old Stumpy. I'd sure like to avoid buying multiples so I'd like to guess right the first time, haha.


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

Well this isn't looking good. I'm being told I may have to replace my entire drivetrain because of poor availability of shorter cranks for my bike. The only used ones I can find are 200 bucks, which is too much to pay for something that may not work.


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

The best way to find out what works is to pay attention to the position that hurts, usually a sharp pain, and work from there to eliminate that position.

But, a hip replacement is the best way.

I did mine last year, and i was mtn biking 4 month later, skied hard 6 months later.

It also fixed my knee problem, which got so bad that i was scheduling knee replacement.
Luckily my surgeon said to do the hip first, as it may fix the one.
It did.

In my case i had zero internal rotation and i was compensating with an the internal rotation coming from the knee, which was not happy. It was the skiing that really hurt. 

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## Danhikeski (Jun 30, 2021)

OldBlue950 said:


> Unfortunately that would mess with my knee, which is even worse than my hip. Gotta have my seat up high and back...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


All these reasons point to stretching in my mind, I have some hip issues, I worked thru them and don’t have any right now, knock on wood. A heel issue this spring was helped with stretching. I’m not old, but not young either, you could have that same problem


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## Wrongturn (Jul 17, 2016)

Arthritic left hip here. Right hip's great because it's been replaced with titanium, ceramic, and plastic. Shorter crank and no grains or dairy help to the point where I have no hip pain when riding bike. I had to replace the whole group set when shortening cranks from 175 to 165. It was worth it though because I upgraded everything and my bike is much nicer.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

OldBlue950 said:


> Well this isn't looking good. I'm being told I may have to replace my entire drivetrain because of poor availability of shorter cranks for my bike. The only used ones I can find are 200 bucks, which is too much to pay for something that may not work.


I have a used set of 160mm I’m selling for $150 shipped. 

While I understand it’s an experiment, it might be work, you can always turn around and sell it. Lots of demand in the short crank world.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

OldBlue950 said:


> How much you think I should shorten? I have 170s on my old Stumpy. I'd sure like to avoid buying multiples so I'd like to guess right the first time, haha.


170s are when i started noticing hip pain. I went down incrementally until 155mm, and I’ve been happy with them. I went back to 160mm recently, and that reintroduced the pain, which is why I’m selling my 160s. 

My husband likes 160mm, and he’s around 5’10”. I’m 5’4”, and we have the same bike inseam (29.5in), but he has longer femurs than me. 

Obviously it’s an experiment.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

In addition to shorter cranks, would a bike (like a fat bike) with a larger Q factor help? I'm not that familiar with the width of various setups, but maybe having your feet further apart would ease pressure.


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## jimglassford (Jun 17, 2018)

OldBlue950 said:


> Well this isn't looking good. I'm being told I may have to replace my entire drivetrain because of poor availability of shorter cranks for my bike. The only used ones I can find are 200 bucks, which is too much to pay for something that may not work.



I was out riding this morning and actually thinking of your situation. As I pointed out earlier, I have bursitis in my hip and was thinking of the responses I have read and they vary a lot. For me, if I tuck my knee in more toward the bike the better it feels. For others, it may feel better rotating the knee away from the bike. I think each of us with hip issues find different things help. 

For experimental purposes only, have you thought about visiting different fitness centers? The stationary bikes have several adjustments and you can play with seat height in a controlled setting. Try different brands of stationary bikes as each has a different geometry and maybe you can find a crank length, seat height and even handle bar reach/height that feels the best. That way, you are not just buying components for your bike and hope they help.


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## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

MSU Alum said:


> In addition to shorter cranks, would a bike (like a fat bike) with a larger Q factor help? I'm not that familiar with the width of various setups, but maybe having your feet further apart would ease pressure.


I have done this by finding the widest pedals I think has enough pins for me: the Daggas. Huge difference with those pedals too, shorter and wider for hip pain FTW.


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## OldBlue950 (Dec 1, 2016)

jimglassford said:


> I was out riding this morning and actually thinking of your situation. As I pointed out earlier, I have bursitis in my hip and was thinking of the responses I have read and they vary a lot. For me, if I tuck my knee in more toward the bike the better it feels. For others, it may feel better rotating the knee away from the bike. I think each of us with hip issues find different things help.


Unfortunately knee problems on that same side will limit my knee-in knee-out ability.



> For experimental purposes only, have you thought about visiting different fitness centers? The stationary bikes have several adjustments and you can play with seat height in a controlled setting. Try different brands of stationary bikes as each has a different geometry and maybe you can find a crank length, seat height and even handle bar reach/height that feels the best. That way, you are not just buying components for your bike and hope they help.


That is an idea.


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## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

Don't track your speed or distance. How you feel on the bike should determine how long and how hard you go. Stay away from the hills.

I had a really hard time pinning down a good saddle height because of how much "play" there was in my joints. I wasn't running a dropper back then but it would have been helpful.

Others have mentioned working on flexibility. I'd add to that having posture and gate assessment to address any muscle imbalances that might be contributing to the discomfort. Might not help at all or it could be a significant improvement and keep you in the game

Best luck


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

In 2020, I hooked something in the snow with my right ski tip and ultimately got a total hip replacement. I was on the bike to nowhere in a few weeks and began riding locally at 5 weeks. 

THR has hip prohibitions after surgery including not bending more that 90 degrees and it hurt and still does sometimes if I do. I had to lose the low semi crouched positions on my bikes by moving the bars up and back. There is no subsitute that will lessen the bend. You could move the seat all the way back but that could screw up other joints. I did this by substituting an adjustable angle stem and a higher rise handle bar for the original equipment. The adjustable stem weighs as much as a couple of beers, but worth the weight on a temporary basis.

After a year or so, I began to move the bars back to near where they were by slowly dropping the adjustable stem and gradually moved the bars down and forwards. I'm now back to the original stem and bars after a gradual fiddling with the position of the bars. That hip still can hurt a bit and always will.


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