Bike Riding

[Delfene]

Morning all, had a stent fitted after a 90% blockage been found, will be 6 weeks on Wednesday, has anyone started riding a bike after 6 weeks please.

Thanks Del.

[Xcracerray]

Hi Delfene, I had a similar situation happen to me after one artery was 100% blocked another was 95% another was 90% and the last artery was 50%. I was doing a cyclocross race and on my last lap leading the race with no symptoms at all feeling really good and ready for my last big effort & I suffered a cardiac arrest. I was given CPR at the scene and had a total of 7 direct shocks from a community defibrillator with no avail. The bystanders working on me almost give up as they were totally exhausted and I was showing no sign of life. But they heard the alarm from the ambulance coming from a far they kept going until the paramedics arrived. Lucky for me the paramedics was able to bring me back & blue light me to hospital where I underwent emergency hart sergery and fitted me with 3 stents. After spending over 3 weeks in hospital I was fitted an internal defibrillator before I was allowed home. I have been on a lot of mediation and last November I decided it was time to get back on the bike which felt amazing but unfortunately it triggered my defibrillator and I got a blast while riding my MTB. After further tests I am still arrhythmia issues with my heart so I’m due to go back for more treatment on 21st sep I’m getting ablation treatment. Hopefully this will resolve my arrhythmia and allow me to get back on the bike again safely. In my opinion I would be back on the bike 6 weeks after 1 stent. But seriously take things really easy just a few miles at a time. Don’t be an idiot like me and try and go back to the level you were instantly. Small steps is the way forward.

Keep me posted and hope all goes well

Cheers Ray

[Delfene in reply to Xcracerray]

Thanks Ray I appreciate your advice, sounds like your a very lucky man hope all gets sorted.

Best ,

Del

[Delfene]

I bet they wasn’t hope your doing ok!!

[Grey24]

I had a stent fitted in my LAD at then end of 2019, at the age of 67, after suffering from angina for a few months beforehand. I attended rehab classes in 2020 until they we suspended in early March, which is when I got back on my bike. I took things carefully at first but I my target this year is to cycle at least 100 km/week, which so far I am managing to do. I think cycling is an excellent way of keeping active and all I would say is don’t push yourself too hard and listen to what your body is telling you.

[Delfene in reply to Grey24]

It was the bike riding that identified my problem as I was getting a Chest pain at the beginning of the rides but able to carry on for 15-20 miles!!

Thank for advice, I will aim small to start with..

[Delfene]

Fair point makes Sense I am probably been to cautious!! Thanks a lot dude and good look for marathon!!

[Barb6374]

I have an electric bike which I love going out on. We have a 2 mile beautiful flat beach and estuary with cycle paths. Since heart attack in December I m not allowed on it. Hopefully after my bypass I will be back out ASAP, miss it very much😀

[Delfene in reply to Barb6374]

Hope your bypass goes ok!!

[Barb6374 in reply to Delfene]

Thank you

[firstlight40]

Welcome to the group. Glad that it sounds like you had your stent done before major damage to your heart happened.

In general people here are advised to talk with their cardiologist as they will know what happened to your heart and any potential issues, including any issues with medication you might be on.

My experience was that angioplasty is stressful and 6 weeks is a good time to think about more exercise. For me I'm at the gym doing repeating resistance/cardio 12 weeks after my second set of stents.

I'd certainly take it easy cycling and ideally I would suggest going at a slow pace for first 15 minutes so your heart is warmed up. In cardiac rehab class we were taught how to spend time warming up, recognise exertion levels and encouraged to exercise at a safe level where we were slightly breathless but could still talk sentences in between breaths.

[Delfene in reply to firstlight40]

Thanks for the reply very helpful, i am still waiting for my follow up appointment with the cardiologist will hopefully be soon.

[Redcoco]

Cycling has turned out to be the best exercise after my surgery. Didn’t start until 12 weeks though. Have today that I wasn’t a bike rider before!!!!!

[Delfene in reply to Redcoco]

I have always loved the freedom of the bike it’s the best enjoy!!

[SteveJo]

Hi

I had a heart attack and 95% blocked artery fixed with a stent on 1st July. I am now out riding my bike - did a couple of short rides after 3 weeks and am now ramping up to 20 miles off road. No issues, and am just "listening to my body" as they keep telling me. For me its been more mental than physical simply learning to trust what the cardiologist has done for me.

Good luck!

Steve

[Delfene in reply to SteveJo]

Thanks Steve totally with you the bike keeps me sane!!

[Bellipan]

Hi Delfene, Like many others on this site I had a 'surprise' finding out that the indigestion symptoms I felt were due to a 95% blocked artery and required a stent fitting. At the time I was playing squash about 2-3 times a week, but the rehab advice of warm up, steady exercise pace and cool down, really doesn't fit with squash too well. For a while I was gutted not to play squash, but was, and still am, scared of causing a further issue, so have left the rackets in the bag. So I blew the dust off the bike and did a few solo rides to make sure all was well, then set about my pals telling them to have a go at cycling as well. Now there's 5 of us that go for a social cycle and it fits the bill perfect for getting in the cardio exercise, and obviously good for the head, getting out and about. The truth is it will never replace squash, but I'm out to make the best of exercise I can do without worrying I might keel over. But much like the other folk have said take it steady to begin with and build up, no need to overdo it early on.

[Delfene in reply to Bellipan]

Thanks Bellipan I was the same as you thought I had indigestion and lung infection how wrong I was!!

Like you I feel then biking is a perfect balance!! Good for the blood pressure to!!

Best,

Del

[Paulus70]

Hello Del,I had a stent placed in a 100% blockage in May last year and was riding my bike 4 weeks afterwards. My advice would be to take it easy at first with short rides and build it up from there. I also paid for a private stress test and was told to try and keep my heart rate under 130bmp.

I'm now riding 80km rides without any issues, albeit slower than I used to.

Hope this helps and good luck with your recovery

[Delfene in reply to Paulus70]

Hi Paulus glad to here your cruising with out any issues, thanks for message.

Del

[jrcsheffield]

Hi Delfene, following a blood clot in my heart, a major heart attack, with 35% ejection fraction, 3 stents and 3 strokes after a 40 mile ride on my EBike on March 28 this year, I got back on my indoor bike on May 28th.

I started off with a 10 minute gentle warm up (essential) 5 minute gentle ride (about a mile) then another gentle 10 minute warm down (really essential).

Slowly building every other day (take those days off) to about 10 miles in total then swapping onto EBike as I was bored off my head indoor biking!

There is formula that the cardiac folks have that takes into account your age, ejection fraction etc and gives you the maximum heart beat you MUST NOT EXCEED ever!

Handy to get this first if you can from them!

I am now doing 20 mile rides still on full turbo as my max heart beat has been assesed at 110bpm.

Next week I hope to enjoy a Coast & Castles 170 miles up the East caost with biking mates.

I n summary - take it steady you will get there!!

[Delfene in reply to jrcsheffield]

Thanks for reply will look into heart beat formula!!

Have a good spin on the east coast!!

Best,

Del.

[2o2olockdown in reply to Delfene]

Hi Delfene, Good luck with the return to the bike. The best advice is to ask your cardiologist or rehab team. Mine were always happy to help. Just make sure you use the formula for cardiac rehab and not the general training HR(max) of 220 - age. One I found from a medical site was 164 - (age x .7). That gives you the maximum and then calculate based on what training session you’re doing.

[Delfene in reply to 2o2olockdown]

Thanks for the info will incorporate to my return to biking..

[Franky17]

Hi take it easy make sure you got some water a phone and you spray,your body will tell you when to rest,enjoy the fresh air and the freedom

[Delfene in reply to Franky17]

Thank Franky17 can’t wait for the freedom!!

[Phil_London]

Sounds like you have already had a lot of good advise, with a single stent, like me, they seemed to be happy for me to strat reasonable exercise after 6 weeks, I was already doing long walks at 4 weeks. Riding is good I think it stresses tge heart less than when I run, I have 28 months post HA and 54 now, good luck but start low and keep hydrated. I took a BP monitor with me for a few weeks (bit OTT I know but wanted to be safe) just to check and a Garmin watch kept me monitored. I would say give it a go, you can stop if you feel uncomfortable and just keep pushing a little more each time.

[Delfene in reply to Phil_London]

Thanks Phil, I have been walking 2-3 miles most days since the stent and hitting hills and felt ok so it’s time to get riding again..I am thinking of getting a smart watch to Keep eye on heart rate which makes good sense!!

Best,

Del.

[Phil_London in reply to Delfene]

I found I have more energy after the stent, system operating better!! As for the smart watch it ki d of helped me through the earlier months, monitoring my HR, but after a while they take over your life if you let them. always pushing for more,(today ypu did 15000 steps great tomorrow 17000, and so on, tells you if you slept good or bad tells you just about everything They are brilliant and provide a lot of people good info and some good advise but can take over everything you do, I am at peace now, with my old mechanical watch and just put on the smart watch for excersise!!!

[Delfene in reply to Phil_London]

Thank Phil

Fair point i track all my walks etc on smart phone, i am not really that fussed on smart watch to be fair as you say it would be the constant checking etc, I monitor my blood pressure and pulse rate which is probably enough.

Best,

Del.