What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
pwa
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Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by pwa »

I am only 60, but for years I have got my leg over the top tube by taking the raised foot just in front and under the nose of the saddle. The top tube is sloping and there is a lot of seat post showing, which helps. It is a technique which will probably ensure a standard touring bike remains my style of bike for a while yet, health permitting. And I have lovely very low gears on tap should I need them.
Oldjohnw
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Location: South Warwickshire

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by Oldjohnw »

Managing a crossbar is one problem have experienced. When fully loaded for camping it is a little more difficult.

I often do that old trick from childhood: scoot along with one foot on the pedal the swing the other over the saddle. A few inches of height is gained.
John
pwa
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Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by pwa »

Oldjohnw wrote: 26 Jun 2021, 7:09am Managing a crossbar is one problem have experienced. When fully loaded for camping it is a little more difficult.

I often do that old trick from childhood: scoot along with one foot on the pedal the swing the other over the saddle. A few inches of height is gained.
I think a sloping top tube makes it easier to do the foot in front of the seatpost thing. It works for me, at least for now.
Carlton green
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Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by Carlton green »

My thanks to all that have replied; many helpful and interesting comments and perspectives. I am hoping that the thread will run for a while and supply a wide range of information to support us all. So far my ‘take always’ from the posts include:

# Elderly actually means old in terms of calendar years and it’s a mistake to link the term with degrees of frailty. I’d made that mistake but I don’t think it will end up mattering in this thread.
# Calendar age (how elderly) and fitness are not particularly linked - well not for active cyclists. It’s not unusual to be cycling unaided in your late eighties or to benefit from e-assist at an earlier age. Ability versus age varies widely.
# Select and customise your bike by fitness not age: the elderly ride all types of bikes.
# Trikes can either help or be essential for those with particular additional disabilities. Trikes worth having have large wheels and are not inexpensive - mass market small wheel Trikes are best left alone. Large wheel Trikes ride best in delta form (two wheels at the back) and specialist cycle parts for them aren’t widely available. Trikes can be bulky, weight from only a few pounds more to a lot heavier than a decent Bicycle and be harder to store than Bicycles.
# Trikes (relative to bicycles) have a wide footprint on the road; amongst other situations that additional width is a factor to consider when sharing the use of narrow country lanes with cars and vans that take up all but a couple of foot of the road.
# Trikes have some dynamic stability issues (gleaned from the recent Pashley Trike thread). I suspect that a Recumbent Tadpole is the most dynamically stable of the Trike options but I also wonder about some of its visibility issues.
# Loss of the ability to use just two wheels happens to some riders, but it does not appear to be a common issue.
# Problems with worn out joints and arthritis type issues make putting power into the pedals difficult and similarly getting on and off a cycle might be an issue too. Commonly used solutions are further below.
# Typically able bodied elderly riders can throw their leg over the saddle - maybe over the handlebars too - but both variations on technique and reduced cross bar height /open frames help some other riders get onto their saddle.
(When I had back trouble and couldn’t throw my leg over a saddle a mixtie type frame (semi open / step through) allowed me to continue cycling.)
# If you can and do cycle high annual mileages then you’re fortunate, at the very fit end of the spectrum and your ‘cycle needs are similar to those of younger people. As in one response: “Stay fit... Stay young...”
# Have very low gears available to you, very low as in around 20”.
(My ‘touring bike’ currently has a ‘bottom gear’ of 33” (once thought low), it appears that at some point I’ll likely need to fit a triple chain-set (to get a granny ring) and a long arm derailleur.)
(My ‘three speed bike’ (Edit. 700c & currently geared down to 63”, 47”, 35”) will likely, over many years, become limited to shorter rides in not too hilly places - well that or fit e-assist to it.)
# ‘Obviously’ ride a suitably good bi or tri cycle. Note the difficulty in finding a good Trike and their spare parts issues.
# Electric assist is there for: hilly terrain at pretty much any age and for when the (once stronger) human engine can no longer push enough power into conventional gearing. Electric assist is both a ‘by choice’ and a ‘by necessity’ option.
# Electric assist isn’t cheap and isn’t a ‘Silver Bullet’; it adds weight and each bike or conversion kit is only as good or bad as the engineering that went into it. Select with care and before that consider how an ordinary bike might be made to work better for you.


The original question was too open, I’m pleased that it hasn’t got diverted beyond solo road ‘cycles. My intent was for this thread to be about keeping cyclists mobile as individual (solo) riders going about their daily business.

As the thread progresses I will try to correct and update this post to reflect additional information supplied. Well that and/or have a separate updated list later.
Last edited by Carlton green on 3 Jul 2021, 1:32pm, edited 11 times in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Jdsk
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Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by Jdsk »

Carlton green wrote: 26 Jun 2021, 8:45am ... many helpful and interesting comments and perspectives.
Agreed.

I don't think that has anyone has mentioned two-up HPVs... with or without electrical assistance...

eg Recent discussion of combined upright and recumbent tandem:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=145779

Jonathan
Grumpy-Grandad
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Joined: 2 Apr 2021, 11:25am
Location: Crewe, Cheshire

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by Grumpy-Grandad »

Chronic osteoarthritis makes walking or riding painful ..... until I bought an e bike ...... the assistance from the motor means I can ride almost completely pain free now :D
Steve
tatanab
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Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by tatanab »

Carlton green wrote: 26 Jun 2021, 8:45am Trikes can be bulky, not light and harder to store than Bicycles.
Clubman machines are not heavy, being about 4 to 5 pounds heavier than a COMPARABLE bicycle. Mine are in the range 30-32 lbs which compares with 27-28 lbs for my comparable bicycles. Utility tricycles can be twice that weight which may cause difficulty for some people in manhandling them around.
Typically able bodied elderly riders can throw their leg over the saddle
or handlebars. It can be easier to lift a leg forwards than to lean forwards and raise a leg backwards. Modern hidden brake cables are a great help here.
I’ll also have to accept that my three speed bike will eventually be limited to use in not hilly places - well that or fit e-assist to it.
Change the rear sprocket. I live in a hilly area and have changed the gearing on my 3 speed hub to give a top gear of about 65" for flat road riding which gives a bottom gear somewhere in the low 30s for winching it up the hills - it only goes short distances, maybe 8 miles. On my derailleur machines I've had a bottom gear of about 22" for the last 30 years for touring in mountainous areas.
Oldjohnw
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Location: South Warwickshire

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by Oldjohnw »

Great question, great answers and great summary. Thanks.
John
Carlton green
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Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by Carlton green »

Oldjohnw wrote: 26 Jun 2021, 2:35pm Great question, great answers and great summary. Thanks.
That kind comment is really appreciated. 👍 Thank you.

I hope that others will continue to add their experiences to the thread.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
ANTONISH
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Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by ANTONISH »

I'm 80 - last week on my touring bike for C2C.
This week on my road bike.
Next winter I'll be on my audax bike.
Oldjohnw
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Location: South Warwickshire

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by Oldjohnw »

ANTONISH wrote: 27 Jun 2021, 10:50am I'm 80 - last week on my touring bike for C2C.
This week on my road bike.
Next winter I'll be on my audax bike.
Love it.
John
ambodach
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Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by ambodach »

I have been unable to ride on 2 wheels for couple of years now due to balance problems and before that I had problems getting my leg over the saddle without something to lean on or a high verge to get a foot on.
I have now given up hope of getting on my several bikes but for the last couple of years have been using an Ice Adventure HD which keeps me on the road.
At age 87 in a couple of weeks I fancy e-assist on the trike for the steep hills we have around where I live but am so far resisting, tho' if a good used one turned up I would be very tempted.
Since I live at the top of a steep hill I transport it in my Peugeot Partner unfolded and ready to go.
I live in an area of mostly single track roads so at the moment with the tourist infestation I mostly go out early morning before they get up. So far as I was concerned lockdown was wonderful with almost deserted roads.
brianleach
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Location: Winchester, Hants

Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by brianleach »

I'm 72 and have converted my commuting/shopping bike to electric with a Cytronex conversion.

However the range is insufficient for any decent rides and the bike weighed about14 kgs before conversion. Therefore for the pleasure/touring rides I use either my normal road bike or my gravel bike which both weigh about 10kgs or my Galaxy which also weighs about 14kgs. (I know I'm lucky to have such a choice)

I had some heart issues a while back but a procedure seems to have sorted that and my doctor insists I keep riding.

Hampshire is hillier than you might think but I accept the fact that if my heart rate gets to 150 then I either need to take a break or walk the rest of the hill. Walking up hills has never been a issue. I find walking less tiring than spinning a high cadence in the granny gear!!

I suppose eventually I will need to spend a large amount of money to get an electric do-it-all bike with a sufficient range.
Carlton green
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Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by Carlton green »

brianleach wrote: 29 Jun 2021, 8:42am I'm 72 and have converted my commuting/shopping bike to electric with a Cytronex conversion.

However the range is insufficient for any decent rides and the bike weighed about14 kgs before conversion. Therefore for the pleasure/touring rides I use either my normal road bike or my gravel bike which both weigh about 10kgs or my Galaxy which also weighs about 14kgs. (I know I'm lucky to have such a choice)

I had some heart issues a while back but a procedure seems to have sorted that and my doctor insists I keep riding.

Hampshire is hillier than you might think but I accept the fact that if my heart rate gets to 150 then I either need to take a break or walk the rest of the hill. Walking up hills has never been a issue. I find walking less tiring than spinning a high cadence in the granny gear!!
It’s really helpful to hear about those that are struggling and about how they are managing to continue to ride.

All of the above is helpful but the heart rate monitoring is also a fresh angle on things too, another example of the way that folk cope with or make the best of less than perfect health.

For what little it’s worth I’m now a convert to walking up part or all of particularly challenging hills - I can’t understand why I used to be determined to flog up them. OK, I except that my bottom gear isn’t that low (33” IIRC) and that a change of gearing would see me having to walk less. As mentioned in an earlier post I’ll eventually ‘upgrade’ my gearing to manage harder hills better, but I really don’t mind the occasional get off and push and the simple gearing set-up that I currently have both works reliably and suffices for close enough all of the miles that I travel.

Some of the responses on the thread have shown older people doing fantastic things, they are great Beacons of what is possible and I obviously applaud their achievements. However, by chance I read this current contrasting / balancing thread of what some ordinary and health challenged cyclists are doing: (Comparing my Cycling Performance to Others) viewtopic.php?f=49&t=141150&start=15 . There appears to be little practical merit in competitively comparing ourselves to other riders, but there certainly appears to be a lot of merit in: having and recognising Beacons, accepting natural variations in ability, exploring how to make the best of what you have, and in being content with what you can both manage and enjoy.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
cyclop
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Re: What Cycles do the Elderly and those with Impaired Health Ride?

Post by cyclop »

I love these tales of older riders determined to keep riding until they keel over.My old cycling pal,Neil,has a condition affecting balance and speech,slowly worsening.After a series of accidents he gave up .A few years later,he got an ice trike and has just done his first century,brilliant,a new lease of life.I had a tryout on it and felt at home straight away,great fun.......can,t wait until my balance/hearing or whatever goes. :wink: :wink:
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