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Prostate Peddlers Open Day, Hertfordshire

User
Posted 29 Mar 2019 at 19:54

There's a group called Prostate Peddlers who are men with PCa who cycle together.

They have an open day on Saturday 13th April at the Musette Cafe in Aldbury Hertfordshire for anyone to come along and have a chat with other PCa patients over coffee/tea/cakes and venture out on a bike. It is aimed at every grade of cyclist from expert right through to not having cycled for 50 years and not even having your own bike (bikes are available).

Please let the organiser Charles Frost know (see Prostate Peddlers web page) so they have some idea of numbers expected.

I was made aware of this event by my consultant and I will be going along, but not having been before, I don't know exactly what to expect. 

Edited by moderator 12 Jul 2023 at 11:47  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 04 Apr 2019 at 01:26

I spoke with Charles, and he said this event is also suitable for those not interested in the cycling. In that case, make sure you come along for 10am when everyone will be in the cafe. He expects quite a number of people to stay behind in the cafe after the cyclists head off at 11am. He is also hoping a number of PCa medical professionals will be coming along, not just patients.

Edited by member 04 Apr 2019 at 01:26  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 14 Apr 2019 at 08:40

I thought I'd follow up after the event, which was yesterday.

It was a really great event, and I'm very pleased I went (it involved cancelling something else for me, but was well worth it). I'm guessing there were about 50 people there, but could have been more as not everyone was in the Musette Cafe (base camp) at the same time. These were mainly PCa patients, but also several PCa consultants, some family including children, and an exercise trainer. I got to meet a couple of the other consultants in the team who I might see during my treatment (and his family in one case), in addition to my current consultant.

The format was to all meet in the Cafe at the start. Apparently, there's sometimes a talk at that point by one of the medical staff, but with this being an open day and lots of new people, the talk was by Charles the main organiser, explaining what Prostate Peddlers do.

After that, we split into different ability groups. There were two groups for existing cyclists, a mountain bike group, and a road cycling group. There were also two groups for new cyclists, and some people stayed in the Cafe and didn't cycle. I'm normally a road cyclist, but as I'd brought my mountain bike along, I joined that group. I was wearing my tracking device, and checking that now, we did a 10.7 mile trek through the woods. It wasn't at all hard going - not everyone had mountain bikes, and there was even an electric bike on loan which a few people tried out during the trek. I consumed 750 kCals over the 2 hours, but there was nothing strenuous. There were a couple of stop offs, and we were going slowly enough to be talking with each other all the time - much of which was about PCa, but plenty of other conversations too, certainly about cycling and other exercise (we had a trainer in our group too). I believe the groups for new cyclists drove them up to the top of a nearby hill, and they cycled back down the country lanes to the Musette Cafe. These two trips were at different times, and some people might have done both of them.

As we arrived back at the Cafe, hamburgers were being cooked, which was very welcome.

Also, there was a 1km race on a timed exercise bike. When I had my turn, one of the consultants was in the lead at 1:34 for the 1km. I came in at 1:33, and no one else beat that, so somewhat to my surprise, I was the winner of a bottle of champange. (The consultant should get one too, as there was one for the best medic, and one for the best PCa patient, so he shouldn't be too annoyed if I see him at my next consultation;-)

The weather held out - just. It was a bit cold - I had to scrape the ice of my windscreen when setting out in the morning, and it was hovering around 6C most of the day, but there were some sudden dips in temperature. After the event finished and we were clearing away, we got a few mins of sleet/snow, but fortunately not during the cycling.

They plan to repeat this open day in the autumn, and then probably continue each spring and autumn. The Prostate Peddlers themselves meet up much more often than that, and I guess we'll be getting details as they hope many of us who came along for the open day will join. My consultant is also one of their key supporters, believing strongly that exercise is a very important part of the treatment for PCa, and it was he who originally made me aware of it, when I turned up to a consultation in my cycling gear.

User
Posted 12 Sep 2019 at 11:24

Saturday, 28th September, 2019

Prostate Peddlers are holding their second open day on Saturday 28th September at the Musette Cafe in Aldbury Hertfordshire for anyone to come along and have a chat with other PCa patients and medics over coffee/tea/cakes, and listen to a brief talk by expert speaker Professor Robert Thomas who will talk about Prostate Cancer, exercise and how the individual can help himself in the fight against the disease. After that, you can venture out on a bike. It is aimed at every grade of cyclist from expert right through to not having cycled for 50 years and not even having your own bike (bring your own bike if possible, and suitable clothing, but a limited number of bikes will be available for those who don't have their own).

Planned events
10-11 am. Arrive at the Musette Café. Have a coffee /tea/cakes and meet some Prostate Peddlers.
11-11:30 am. A brief talk by Professor Robert Thomas followed by a run through the day’s rides and agenda
11:30 onwards Accompanied rides through Ashridge Forest in two groups for ‘rusty/unfit riders’ and also for fitter riders.
13:00-14:30 Have a go at a timed ride on a stationary bike (prizes for being the fastest in category).
Talk to medical professionals and discuss your
situation with Prostate Peddlers.

I am unlikely to be the winner on the timed stationary bike for the second time, being too soon after my RT and HDR Brachytherapy, so the field is wide open for anyone else!

Please let the organiser Charles Frost know (see Prostate Peddlers web page) so they have some idea of numbers expected.

Edited by moderator 12 Jul 2023 at 11:48  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 29 Sep 2019 at 01:23

This was another fantastic open day run by Prostate Peddlers.

As predicted, I didn't win the timed stationary bike this time, only 7 weeks after my HDR brachy operation and 18% hemoglobin loss. However, I came joint 3rd which was pretty good, and also joint 3rd was my consultant!

Edited by moderator 12 Jul 2023 at 11:49  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 05 Nov 2019 at 23:06

Can anyone in the group recommend a prostate friendly bike seat as I’m 4 months post opp (inc nerve sparing) and looking to get back in the saddle 

thank you 

User
Posted 05 Nov 2019 at 23:50

First, check with your consultant if it's OK to cycle. Someone here was told by their surgeon that there was no point in doing nerve sparing if he went back on his bike, but I don't know what the timeframe for that was. In my case, I had external beam radiotherapy and HDR brachytherapy, so not the same considerations.

I bought this noseless saddle:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07R61NZ4V

However, it's not the fact that it's noseless, but more that it has nothing under the prostate at all. Takes a few rides to get used to it, get the angle and height right, and work out the seating position so you are supported on your pelvis, and it's not snagging your legs. However, I'm using it all the time now. With no nose, you can easily slip off sideways, but you quickly learn to keep yourself on using arm and leg muscles instead. It's well cushioned. Can't speak for longevity, but I've got two of them and done about 500 miles, and no sign of wear. They are cheap and probably won't last forever.

User
Posted 06 Nov 2019 at 21:14

Thanks for getting back to me I’ll have a look at one of those 

My Surgeon told me to go ahead but some advice online is to wait 6 months so I’m opting for the safer option and waiting till Jan

User
Posted 07 Nov 2019 at 00:26

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
Someone here was told by their surgeon that there was no point in doing nerve sparing if he went back on his bike, but I don't know what the time frame for that was.

That was Mr P and it was 6 months. John found it very frustrating at the time but when I checked it out on here, 6 months seemed to be fairly common. As Stu has found, some surgeons don't believe it makes any difference but others do give strong guidance and in the end, if J had been left with permanent ED or incontinence, he may forever have regretted not following the advice he had been given.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

 
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