total knee replacments

[Ken Shoemaker]

Hi folks, collecting some group intelligence.  Went to the surgeon with my X-rays and both of my knees are shot.  Doesn't seem to interfere with riding much yet but it does make living more of a challenge than I'd like.  It has made doing downhill things, like skiing or even walking down stairs, more challenging.  There certainly are worse age-related maladies such as, well, death and I'm glad that there is something that can be done to "fix it" and that thing is to have two total knee replacements.

I would like to be in a position to do PBP next year and since I've retired, we're spending a lot of time traveling involving transcontinental flights.  Not to mention living in England and France in addition to California.  We are very privileged and don't take any of it for granted but suffice it to say that I really am not looking forward to the downtime of having one knee replace much less having two done sequentially.  It seems that the minimum time to get on a plane is 3 months after a TKR to avoid things like DVTs and then there is the whole recovery aspect and post op of a major surgery.  The time spacing between two TKRs done sequentially seems to be about 6 months.

So *right now* my plan is to have both of them done at the same time in early June.  That way I can do a few brevets before the procedure to get a place for 2027 and have 14 months to recover before the big dance.  I expect that this would be good prep for the procedure, too, and then I hope I'd be in good enough shape to do a SR series to qualify next spring.

So, hive mind, is this crazy?  From what I've been reading and after talking to the surgeon, having both knees done at the same time is possible but makes for a longer and more challenging recovery.  I've read Chris Carmichael's blog on recovery from his knee replacement but most information about prep and recovery on-line applies to folks who don't seem to be in great shape.  Which isn't surprising given that most folks who have the procedure done are my age (read, not far past retirement age but not so old that death, while sad, is no longer tragic) and who haven't been able to do much physical exercise for a while since, well, they have bad knees and aren't lucky enough to have taken up randonneuring in their productive years.

I'm also wondering about the timeline and whether having both done at the same time would lead to a possibly worse long-term outcome.  If pushing the schedule and having both done at the same time would lead to a poorer result 10 years down the road, I'd probably make a different choice even if it sacrificed my PBP ambitions.  Maybe 6 times is enough and I should just talk with Bill and Lois to figure out how to volunteer with the ACP.  And, of course, I'd welcome any suggestions of preparation or resources for and therapy after TKR, either single or bilateral, for randonneurs.  I expect that cycling will be an excellent post-op therapy though from all I've read, it would be on a trainer for several weeks.

Thanking you all in advance for your comments!

Ken

btw, I'm planning on using Andrew Sah for the procedure.  He is based in Fremont, did a great job on replacing my wife's knee a few years ago and has also had excellent results for others to whom we've referred.  He claims to do more knee and hip replacement than anyone else in the California but even if not, he gets plenty of practice.  He has also suggested using Kinomatic (the company, not kinematic) who do a whole lower body CT scan to create a 3D model of the knees and lower body (hips to feet) which helps with alignment and lets the surgeon do the procedure in VR in advance to reduce the chance of surprises, streamline the actual procedure, and more accurately select and place the replacement bits.  The company claims, based on several years of trials, that this leads to better outcomes and especially quicker recoveries.  Their claims certainly sound plausible and I'm leaning to use them with Dr. Sah even though it isn't exactly cheap and it isn't covered by Medicare so if anyone has experience with them, if would be great to hear.

[Lois Springsteen]

Sorry you are facing this, Ken. I don’t really know anyone close that’s gone through new knees. My uncle had both done at once many years ago and he was pleased with the results. He had wrecked his playing football in high school and had many years of pain before the replacements. Medical care has only gotten better so hopefully it’ll work out well for you.

Lois

Lois Springsteen, CFP® 

831-227-6266

On Mar 8, 2026, at 4:51 AM, Ken Shoemaker <kds....@kdsworld.com> wrote:

Hi folks, collecting some group intelligence.  Went to the surgeon with my X-rays and both of my knees are shot.  Doesn't seem to interfere with riding much yet but it does make living more of a challenge than I'd like.  It has made doing downhill things, like skiing or even walking down stairs, more challenging.  There certainly are worse age-related maladies such as, well, death and I'm glad that there is something that can be done to "fix it" and that thing is to have two total knee replacements.

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[Gardner Duvall]

I have one non-rando cycling buddy who had a successful replacement, but his doctor would not let him stand on his pedals for a full year.  I had another rando buddy who rode some long distances afterwards but was never really able to fully recover and gave up our sport.  Good luck, G

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[Colin Moy]

Hi Ken,

I had one done in 2020, 6 mos of PT and spinning. Did my first 100k with lots of ice post ride.  Took a full year before a 200k and referring soccer games.

During 2023 PBP I developed  major inflammation and DNF.  Knee was not happy for another year and I developed arthritis lately may  from PBP or just old age. He said "you rode how many miles?"

Orthopedic surgeon didn't find any damage and it took a long recovery.  Good news 5 years post surgery, finished Hokkaido 1200.

Everyone's recovery and return to normal will be different depending on your underling condition. 1 year recovery to tackle PBP will be a challenge assuming a good recovery. I had 4 knee operations before TKR and could barely walk before I did it.  Recovery was the most painful out of all my operations, but a life changer.

Get an indoor trainer and be diligent with PT.

Good luck,

Colin

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[Mike Binnix]

My wife has had both knees replaced. She's not a randonneur but she has enjoyed a remarkable improvement in function, mobility and overall well being.  Hers were done serially about 3 months apart.  Full recovery took a year.  Your timeline seems very ambitious.  Your surgeon and physical therapist are probably in the best position to advise you on whether it's feasible and to guide you through it. If possible find a P.T. who is a cyclist or specializes in treating cyclists.  Get them on board BEFORE you set your sights on this and be prepared to listen closely when they offer encouragement and when they offer tough love.  Good luck.

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[Eric Keller]

I feel like PBP would be a stretch. But as far as recovery goes, I
suggest taking up swimming. I never would have done any randonneuring
without swimming, my knees were a mess.
Eric Keller
Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

On Sun, Mar 8, 2026 at 7:51 AM Ken Shoemaker <kds....@kdsworld.com> wrote:
>

[Hoyt Robey]

Would not do both knees together. I had one full knee done two years ago January. Doing half moon pedals on the stationary bike.  After a few weeks I was able to turn a full rotation Wowsers!  

  It put a lot of strain on the other leg. It was six months to ride a 200k and a full year to really get back to full strength. 

  I had been a distance runner for 25 years & an endurance cyclist for 23 years so I had some fitness before the surgery. 

  It was worth it but not as good as original equipment. I would spread a second knee at least a year apart if possible. 

Cheers,

Hoyt

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[William Beck]

I assume that your doc has advised that you need TOTAL knee replacements. But it might be worth making sure that you can't have a partial ( patellofemoral ) replacement. That's for when the cartilage behind the patella (kneecap) is shot, but the main cartilage is OK: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/patellofemoral-replacement/ That's not uncommon in cyclists. If the kneecap is misaligned (often due to genetics) and you pedal a lot then the patellofemoral cartilage gets worn away. The recovery is significantly faster than with a total knee replacement.

That's the case with me, so I may have that surgery in my future once the milder treatments (cortisone injection, gel injection, PT) stop working.

Bill Beck