Riding an AT with post operative spinal surgery.

[Burnsy]

Thought I'd throw this one past you guys considering the mileage you have under your belts...

Is anyone riding having had spinal surgery? Last year I had a double discectomy on my spine and so I looked at getting a 4X4 for some touring. As my first journey was going to be the western Sahara I bought a Niva so in the event of motor failure I could walk away with minimal loss. After driving it across to Eastern Europe and back I decided it wasn't for me. They're a bag of ****e and touring with a tin box just aint the same as two wheels.

So I'm now back and looking at two wheels again and considering an AT. Ats were the first bikes I looked at 18 months ago but after some deliberation I settled with the idea of getting a TA, however,..... this lack of power thing with TAs concerns me so I'm thinking maybe going for the bigger engined AT?

So, a double question really. Is anyone riding with post operative spinal surgery and which bike and model would you buy if you had £4K for a base model?

Tjhanks chaps and chappettes.....

Burnsy.

[peterb]

I suspect no-one can give you an answer . Its your back only you know if it is strong enough and if you are confident enough. Which bike is suitable is another thing, a smooth road is not like off-road (As you no doubt know )and standing on your pegs , big bumps etc will occur and are an additional strain as is picking the beggar up when you inevitably fall off.
No Bike suits everyone, i like it you may hate it. Its your back every consultant will probobly say No, basically its got to be upto your judgement.

[cbrpaddy]

I dunno mate. I've a dodgy back and at times when it was so bad I couldn't sit in a car (or even sit), etc, I always found riding the bike really helped. But note that this was on a Fireblade and Blackbird and the stretch to the bars used to take the weight off my back and the stretch itself helped.

I find the upright position on the AT and other trailies/tourer type things much much harder on the back. But this is just me, I guess it depends on what sorta back injury you have and I reckon your best bet would be to try very long test rides on various types of bike. HTH.

[Sharribee]

I've not had back surgery but do suffer, Don't know about the AT but the more upright position with Twinkletoes I find causes me much less back pain than the more sporty type bikes.

As cprpaddy says you need to try them out see which one suits you best

[Dee Duble Yuh]

I had a discectomy a couple of years ago. As peterb suggests, your back will be different from mine so what follows might not apply to you.

My surgeon suggested that I should a ride bike with a reasonable lean-forward position. Sports-tourers are ideal; cruisers are the worst. The Varadero fits the bill because it has a long saddle that allows me to slide back, away from the handlebars, when on the move. (At junctions I sometimes have to slide forward to reach the ground more easily.) Although I liked the Transalp, it seemed to hold me in a single position that was rather upright. I've not ridden an AT or Dommie.

When I ride off-road have I to stand - or at least crouch - on the pegs over the rough stuff. In fact even on poorly-maintained roads I have to do this.

I posted this in another thread:

Try altering where you sit on the saddle (slide forwards and backwards). Most importantly, think about your posture. Too many riders slouch in the saddle. Sit with your back straight, your body-weight distributed between butt, feet and hands, your hips rolled forwards, and your "tail" (coccyx) pointing towards the rear light not the footrests. It might feel a little unnatural at first, but if you persevere, you'll find that the air flows more cleanly, you can reach the bars more easily, you won't ache so much, and you'll avoid damaging your spine.

Move your body from time to time. Holding one motionless position will cause a build-up of lactic acid that makes muscles ache. This can be dispersed simply by moving your head when you look in the mirror, occasionally moving your shoulders and arms, wiggling your toes and so on.

[Dee Duble Yuh]

Should have added...

A heavy bike can actually be an advantage. It will be kicked around less over the bumps. Again, the Varadero scores here!

I'd also recommend you try a BMW R series. The Telelever/Monolever arrangement is incredibly supple (without causing wallows in corners). The R1100RS sports tourer is ideal; you can probably find one for £4000. There are probably R1100GSs for the same price too. Try one. If you can live with the image and unreliability (!) it might suit you.

[matthelliwell]

Thought I'd throw this one past you guys considering the mileage you have under your belts...

Is anyone riding having had spinal surgery?

Not me, but it may be worth talking to somebody from NABD to see what they've got to say.