I have had secondary progressive MS since I was in my late 40s, I am now 73, have trigeminal neuralgia and a scoliosis, phew! Because of my lack of mobility, I like a lot of others, have put on weight and the pregabalin I take for the neuralgia affects my ability to loose weigh. Now to the crux of the matter, I was wondering about using a trycle for bike rides. Should I buy one? My balance is poor but I would so love to be able to do something to help improve my self esteem!
Thanks for reading this and apologies for any spelling mistakes,
A trike should solve the balance problem, assuming your core is strong enough to keep you upright. The best idea is to try one out first and see how you cope before buying. You can get an electric trike, which might be useful to help reduce the effort needed and increase range.
No idea if these are any good, but will give you some idea of what is available.
i was a very keen cyclist but had to stop due to balance problems.
I bought a recumbent trike, sometimes called a tadpole trike(two wheels at the front).
It’s very low, not difficult to get into with care, but scary low in respect of passing cars etc so I’ll maybe just use it in country park s and cycle paths.
the kicker is I was undergoing diagnosis with neuro when my condition got worse and now I struggle with fatigue but I’m hoping this will pass if it’s a relapse? everything is on hold until the pandemic is over.
if fatigue continues to be a problem electric drive is an option.
Tadpoles are pricey (Kmx karts being the cheapest) compared to conventional trikes.
Hi Sue - you could try a trike at a local inclusive cycling hub - where I live you can try various adapted bicycles and use it for an allotted time. I have used a hand cycle and really enjoyed the feeling of cycling again- wind in my hair and all that !! I know that many local councils have set these up so you could see if there was one local to you. Helen x