After hard climbs, my triceps get sore. I lift weights in the off-season, but my painful triceps muscles come back every summer when I begin riding big hills. What's the solution?

I'm a roadie who discovered mountain biking as great off-season training. I lost 20 pounds since last fall and was determined to hit the road strong this spring.

Then I tangled with a car. Fortunately, I must have learned something from those mountain bike crashes because I didn't break anything. I'm anticipating a clean bill of health on my next visit to the doctor. How should I start training to make sure I don't lose the conditioning and strength that I gained over the winter? 

I'm 52 and ride 80-100 miles a week. Recently, I had a 7-hour surgery that will keep me off my bike and out of the gym for 4-6 weeks, possibly longer. I'm concerned that I will lose all of my fitness. Do you think it's okay to start training sooner?

Next Tuesday I go in for surgery on a ruptured disk. How soon until I can get back on my road bike? My surgeon says to ride the trainer for 6-8 weeks first -- but it's springtime in Virginia! How can I possibly put off riding until late June?

At Thanksgiving I broke my left leg in a neighborhood football game. Why a guy in his 50s was playing football is a separate issue! A plate and seven screws were used to hold the bone together. I did not need a cast, but currently wear a brace that flexes at the knee.

I'm not allowed to put weight on the leg but have been doing physical therapy to get back my range of motion. I can now do easy spins on an exercise bike. In two weeks I'll be able to put weight on the leg and start building its strength. 

What advice do you have to help me get back in shape? There's a local century ride at the end of April I'd like to do. Am I being overly optimistic?

I get a bruise on my lower lip after almost every ride. I can't figure out what causes it. No one is punching me! Any ideas? 

A saddle sore can ruin a ride. Even a tiny zit can begin to feel like you’re perched on a golf ball. Nearly as painful are crotch abrasions caused by shorts that bunch or have an irritating seam.  Even the pros, hardened by thousands of miles in the saddle, fall victim to what cycling author Arnie Baker, M.D., calls “crotchitis.” Fabled tough guys like Eddy Merckx and Sean Kelly had to abandon races when the pain became too great.  Most medical experts say that saddle sores are actually boils caused by skin bacteria that invade surface abrasions. Remedies have come a long way from the era when riders would put slabs of raw steak in their shorts to cushion the abraded area.  Of course, avoiding saddle sores is better than curing them (or ruining a good sirloin). Here’s how.

I've had problems with elbow tendinitis for years. Supporting my upper body on my road bike causes major flare-ups. I've raised the stem and tried aero bars, but neither worked well. Could the cause be a too-wide handlebar?

I got off my bike after a 70-mile ride and suddenly had a sharp pain along the outside of my right knee. It hurt so bad I could barely get my foot out of my pedal. I then struggled with this injury for a year before having it resolved. What do you think caused it, and how can I make sure it won't come back? I want to preserve my 20-year cycling career! 

I'm new to road riding after years of BMX racing and mountain biking. I get pain in my knee when I ride long and hard. It's the patella that hurts, not the tendon. What's the cause?

I'm 52 and have bad knees. My bike has double chainrings. When I hit big hills, is it better for my knees if I sit and push at a cadence of 55-60 rpm or stand and get it over with?

Two months ago, I started getting pain and stiffness behind my knee where the calf and hamstring muscles connect. It began after doing 9 hard, 5-minute intervals in big gears on the trainer. Last week after 2 very hilly races I could barely walk. Two physicians can't figure it out, but I suspect tendinitis. I've been using ice and NSAIDs but it still hurts. Any ideas?

For winter training, I use weight machines a couple of times a week for my core and upper body, but I've had difficulty with squats and leg presses. Even body-weight squats hurt my knees. Are there other ways to build my quads?

Now that it's warmer I want to shed my tights. But all of the experienced riders around here tell me to keep my legs covered. Is there a rule of thumb (knee?) for when it's safe to reveal my gams to the elements? 

I've had Achilles tendinitis for much of the season. My doctor said that I could ride TRAM (300 miles across Minnesota) but then I would have to stop cycling and deal with the problem. Is it possible to continue riding after TRAM? 

Recently I suffered from a frostbitten penis on a long ride in subfreezing temperatures. I wore heavy tights over cycling shorts. The worst part was explaining what happened to the female emergency room doc. What can I do to prevent this misery from happening again?