Peony, Remember I'm not a medical doctor, so I can only give my experiences and those stories I've heard from others for what they're worth. I've had the same pains you describe, only on the right side, plus cramping in the hand, foot, and calf. Ouch! I just pushed through the cramping pain and it went away. There were times I thought I would scream on the road, but I suppose that would be very distracting to others. So I would start singing "To Dream the Impossible Dream" to myself and that got me through it. (I substitute "Nan" for "Man" in the song. Mind tricks.) For the other pains you describe, my general practitioner had xrays and a bone density scan done to see that there was no structural problem. Now I'm seeing a great physical therapist who determined that my hip bones were not aligned. I've been doing mid-glute exercises twice a day for the last four weeks and I expect that at tomorrow's session, he'll tell me I'm good to go. This is especially important as I am climbing a lot and need to add weight to my backpack in preparation for climbing Kilimanjaro this summer.

Re the bike. Most stationary bikes are difficult to adjust just a wee bit. Even a 1/4" difference in the height of the seat or tilt, or handlebar placement will change the physics of how the body works. I ride on my road bike, putting it on a Cycleops magnetic bike trainer that I got from Craigslist. First I took my bike to a great bike shop and had the fitter adjust it exactly for me. I've gone several thousand miles on this bike. No tandem, no Theracycle, no new equipment.

Soccertese, of course you can express all the skepticism you want! But the commitment is not financial to the extent that you describe. It does take a lot of determination and the willingness to set incremental goals and work steadily toward them. It's not for everyone.