cycling with broken wrist



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Colin Anderson

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I managed to hit a brick in the dark on a cycle path the other night and ended up with broken right
wrist and a couple of broken ribs. been to the fracture clinic today and the consultant says 8-12
weeks if i'm lucky. trouble is I'm cycling round Orkney in 8 weeks time so anyone got any ideas
about one handed cycling? The best i can come up with is to (somehow) get the 9 speed shifter onto
the lefthand side of the bars and hope for the best / make do with 9 gears rather than 27 (too many
anyway). Should be able to make some sort of clamp so both brakes can run off one lever. any
suggestions welcome.
p.s. even though i've got an XM estate i don't think a tandem would fit on the roofrack.
Cheers Colin
 
Colin Anderson must be edykated coz e writed:

> I managed to hit a brick in the dark on a cycle path the other night and ended up with broken
> right wrist and a couple of broken ribs. been to the fracture clinic today and the consultant says
> 8-12 weeks if i'm lucky. trouble is I'm cycling round Orkney in 8 weeks time so anyone got any
> ideas about one handed cycling? The best i can come up with is to (somehow) get the 9 speed
> shifter onto the lefthand side of the bars and hope for the best / make do with 9 gears rather
> than 27 (too many anyway). Should be able to make some sort of clamp so both brakes can run off
> one lever. any suggestions welcome.
> p.s. even though i've got an XM estate i don't think a tandem would fit on the roofrack. Cheers
> Colin
>
>
Speak to the consultant, he may be able to get the plaster technician to fashion a working brace for
you. I can get a tandem onto the roof system on my XM estate btw. I have roof bars and an extended
piece of channeling along with a conventional cycle carrier, a bit of ingenuity and some velcro
straps did the job.

Ian
 
consultant wasn't very keen on the idea! I've got four halfords bike carriers on the xm i suppose i
could modify one of them to take a tandem - if only i hadn't broken my wrist! (and had a tandem)
cheers colin

"Ian" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BB27CFAE.7FEF%[email protected]...
> Colin Anderson must be edykated coz e writed:
>
> > I managed to hit a brick in the dark on a cycle path the other night and ended up with broken
> > right wrist and a couple of broken ribs. been to
the
> > fracture clinic today and the consultant says 8-12 weeks if i'm lucky. trouble is I'm cycling
> > round Orkney in 8 weeks time so anyone got any
ideas
> > about one handed cycling? The best i can come up with is to (somehow)
get
> > the 9 speed shifter onto the lefthand side of the bars and hope for the
best
> > / make do with 9 gears rather than 27 (too many anyway). Should be able
to
> > make some sort of clamp so both brakes can run off one lever. any suggestions welcome.
> > p.s. even though i've got an XM estate i don't think a tandem would fit
on
> > the roofrack. Cheers Colin
> >
> >
> Speak to the consultant, he may be able to get the plaster technician to fashion a working brace
> for you. I can get a tandem onto the roof system on my XM estate btw. I have roof bars and an
> extended piece of channeling along with a conventional cycle carrier, a bit of ingenuity and some
> velcro straps did the job.
>
> Ian
 
Colin Anderson must be edykated coz e writed:

> consultant wasn't very keen on the idea! I've got four halfords bike carriers on the xm i suppose
> i could modify one of them to take a tandem - if only i hadn't broken my wrist! (and had a tandem)
> cheers colin
>
>
Try speaking directly to the plaster technician then, the older ones are incredibly well trained in
the manipulation of bones through the use of shaped casts, got to be worth a try, make sure you
exercise your wrist inside the plaster after a couple of weeks as well, I shattered my wrist years
ago, consultant said it would heal locked, but the plaster techy did me a great cast and told me to
flex my wrist often under the plaster after a couple of weeks healing, I now have full mobility of
my wrist and never any problems, I smashed it 21 years ago. Of course since then I have had a major
m/bike accident and duffed my knee and forearm, so have a load of stainless steel and stuff, but
still ride a bent.

Ian
 
In news:[email protected], Colin Anderson
<[email protected]> typed:
> "Ian" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BB27CFAE.7FEF%[email protected]...
>> Colin Anderson must be edykated coz e writed:
>>
>>> p.s. even though i've got an XM estate i don't think a tandem would fit on the roofrack.
>>>
>> Speak to the consultant, he may be able to get the plaster technician to fashion a working brace
>> for you. I can get a tandem onto the roof system on my XM estate btw. I have roof bars and an
>> extended piece of channeling along with a conventional cycle carrier, a bit of ingenuity and some
>> velcro straps did the job.
> consultant wasn't very keen on the idea! I've got four halfords bike carriers on the xm i suppose
> i could modify one of them to take a tandem - if only i hadn't broken my wrist! (and had a tandem)

A bent might of couse be a suggestion, given how much less weight the wrists carry on one, I'd
imagine less than a tandem (disclaimer: I've never ridden a bent), and would also be easier to carry
than a tandem.

I've not heard of anyone who hires them out, mind, but there may be other people who know better.
And I'd be interested to know, too.

Ambrose
 
Ambrose Nankivell must be edykated coz e writed:

>> wrist! (and had a tandem)
>
> A bent might of couse be a suggestion, given how much less weight the wrists carry on one, I'd
> imagine less than a tandem (disclaimer: I've never ridden a bent), and would also be easier to
> carry than a tandem.
>
> I've not heard of anyone who hires them out, mind, but there may be other people who know better.
> And I'd be interested to know, too.
>
> Ambrose
>
>
That's true, my Wizard does not put any strain on the wrists at all.

Ian
 
"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

[broken wrist]

> A bent might of couse be a suggestion, given how much less weight the
wrists
> carry on one I've not heard of anyone who hires them out, mind

Who would willingly hand back a recumbent? ;-)

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.com
 
Ambrose Nankivell wrote:

>
>
> A bent might of couse be a suggestion, given how much less weight the wrists carry on one, I'd
> imagine less than a tandem (disclaimer: I've never ridden a bent), and would also be easier to
> carry than a tandem.

In my case getting a bent last year was partly because I had a wrist injury (tendons) and had
committed myself to an E2E with my daughter.[1] The weight on the wrists on my trice is zero.

The other reason is that I have lusted after one since the world hpv champs were held on Brighton
prom years and years ago.

[1] As I hadn't developed darkside legs in time, I plumped for the bike at the last minute and did
the ride with a splint on my right wrist/forearm.

At least I now have an excuse to do it again the comfortable way ;-)

John B
 
Ambrose Nankivell wrote:

> A bent might of couse be a suggestion, given how much less weight the wrists carry on one, I'd
> imagine less than a tandem (disclaimer: I've never ridden a bent), and would also be easier to
> carry than a tandem.

Darth Ambrose's time will come... ;-)

Good suggestion, and the Usual Suspect dealers[1] all have demo bikes and trikes that they may be
willing to hire out: won't hurt to ask.

Underseat steering models usually have hands more or less at rest on the bars, positioned like the
arm rests on a chair. Overseat steer won't load them with bodyweight, but you do need to support the
weight of your arms hanging from them in typical cases (not tiller-style, but I don't think that
would be a good place to start as it's twitchier than my champion bird spotting uncle Jock McTwitchy
until you're well used to it
IME). 'bent steering is usually very responsive and you only need one hand to control the bike where
normally you'd be heaving or leaning heavily on the bars.

Pete.

[1] Bikefix, Kinetics, Futurecycles, London Recumbents, D-Tek, all bar D-Tek have websites, ask
Google or just guess.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
Brakes: Single-lever brake is of course illegal and dangerous, although traffic & hills in Orkneys
aren't generally too bad so you probably would be OK. I suffered a front-cable failure at speed a
few weeks ago, and can say that this particular law is a rather sensible one 'cos I did eventually
stop without injury. I did see an ingenious ABS device years ago in a German techie mag. It worked
by mounting the back brake onto a spring-loaded arm pivoted on the rear hub. The single lever
operated this brake. A cable ran from the brake arm to the front brake to operate it. The more brake
pressure on the back the further the arm would move hence the greater the pull on the front. Until
the back wheel locked, then the arm would spring back, releasing both brakes. Then the brake would
re-apply itself so long as you held the lever. Just like in a car. Ingenious but illegal
unfortunately. I'd love to know if you try this and get it working. Hope you enjoy Orkney. Don't
miss Skara Brae. Bill

Two wheels are cool but four's a bore.

>>> Colin Anderson<[email protected]> 01/07/2003 23:37:41 >>>
I managed to hit a brick in the dark on a cycle path the other night and ended up with broken right
wrist and a couple of broken ribs. been to the fracture clinic today and the consultant says 8-12
weeks if i'm lucky. trouble is I'm cycling round Orkney in 8 weeks time so anyone got any ideas
about one handed cycling? The best i can come up with is to (somehow) get the 9 speed shifter onto
the lefthand side of the bars and hope for the best / make do with 9 gears rather than 27 (too many
anyway). Should be able to make some sort of clamp so both brakes can run off one lever. any
suggestions welcome.
p.s. even though i've got an XM estate i don't think a tandem would fit on the roofrack.
Cheers Colin
 
In news:[email protected], Peter Clinch <[email protected]> typed:
> Ambrose Nankivell wrote:
>
>> A bent might of couse be a suggestion, given how much less weight the wrists carry on one, I'd
>> imagine less than a tandem (disclaimer: I've never ridden a bent), and would also be easier to
>> carry than a tandem.
>
> Darth Ambrose's time will come... ;-)
>
> Good suggestion, and the Usual Suspect dealers[1] all have demo bikes and trikes that they may be
> willing to hire out: won't hurt to ask.
>

I did actually look at Kinetics' FAQ, and it definitely says they don't hire them out, sadly
(Otherwise I'd be interested in one for a holiday). Somewhere else might do them, but they'd be at
least twice as far away from Orkney.

Darth Ambrose is waiting for a few regular paycheques to hijack before he comes out of the murky
depths where he's hiding, unfortunately. And also waiting until his pliant victim lives somewhere
where bent storage is easy.

Ambrose
 
Just zis Guy, you know? wondered:
> Who would willingly hand back a recumbent? ;-)

I hired a Flevobike Oke Ja a few years ago. I handed it back very willingly.

I can't help the OP though - I hired it from Avon Valley Cyclery, who no longer stock recumbents or
hire bikes. Very good specialists in folding bikes though, and still the first place I go when I
need bits.

Anyway, you still need hands to steer a bent (unless you get one of those hinged Flevobikes). The
solution to cycling with a broken wrist is to ride a unicycle.

I have a friend who broke his wrist UPD'ing from a Coker at 20mph, then rebroke it a couple of weeks
later while riding home from the chippy, again UPD'ing from the Coker.

(UPD = UnPlanned Dismount, Coker = 36" wheel unicycle)

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny ) Recumbent cycle page:
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine
 
On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 20:14:17 +0100, "Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Avon Valley Cyclery, who no longer stock recumbents or hire bikes. Very good specialists in folding
>bikes though, and still the first place I go when I need bits.

They hired us a Bike Friday tandem last Autumn :-/

Oh, and never send them an email: you'll be spammed for ever. All email addresses are entered in
their mailing list, including ones in "UNSUBSCRIBE" messages :-(

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com Advance
notice: ADSL service in process of transfer to a new ISP. Obviously there will be a week of downtime
between the engineer removing the BT service and the same engineer connecting the same equipment on
the same line in the same exchange and billing it to the new ISP.
 
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> They hired us a Bike Friday tandem last Autumn :-/

That seems reasonable, it's only this year they've decided to stop hiring bikes.

> Oh, and never send them an email: you'll be spammed for ever. All email addresses are entered in
> their mailing list, including ones in "UNSUBSCRIBE" messages :-(

I sent them an e-mail a couple of weeks ago after Richard asked me to send the url for my bent page.
I haven't been spammed yet. Maybe he was just grateful to me for showing up on my Street Machine,
along with a friend on his Speed Machine, and we both let him ride our bikes round the car park :)

Actually, come to think of it, ISTR I e-mailed them about something a couple of years ago. I still
haven't had any spam from them.

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny ) Recumbent cycle page:
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine
 
I think there's only 1 bike hire place on Orkney - so i don't hold out much hope of them having a
recumbant. How do they perform off road? can you point me to any sites where it says a single brake
cable is illegal - i wasn't aware of this. Looks like I'll just be cycling one handed on my normal
bike and hoping for the best. ( I already have my front brake on the "wrong" side because i prefer
it that way) Building an ABS system with only one hand would be particularly taxing (painful) - had
enough trouble fitting new chainset and servicing and fitting different suspension forks. I've been
to Orkney before, our aim is to cycle on all the orkneys - we did a few last year - Flotta was the
best especially the "road" down through the oil terminal past the old YMCA building. I was on my
road bike then and was surprised that it survived - It eventuall broke a few weeks ago when cycling
off road round here (newcastle). This breakage resulted in building a full sus MTB which was
involved in the incedent below on its second time out! Lucky it wasn't damaged - the wife would have
killed me if it was. I've got it on rollers at the mo so I can start getting fit again when my ribs
heal enough. I fitted a non compact 48 36 26 front chainset and combined with an 11 rear and briefly
had it up to an indicated 44mph (according to the bike computer fitted to the rear wheel) could have
gone faster but ribs hurt! Cheers Colin

"bikingbill" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Brakes: Single-lever brake is of course illegal and dangerous, although traffic & hills in Orkneys
> aren't generally too bad so you probably would
be
> OK. I suffered a front-cable failure at speed a few weeks ago, and can say that this particular
> law is a rather sensible one 'cos I did eventually
stop
> without injury. I did see an ingenious ABS device years ago in a German techie mag. It worked by
> mounting the back brake onto a spring-loaded arm pivoted on the rear hub. The single lever
> operated this brake. A cable ran from the brake arm to the front brake to operate it. The more
> brake pressure on the back the further the arm would move hence the greater the pull on the front.
> Until the back wheel locked, then the arm would spring back, releasing
both
> brakes. Then the brake would re-apply itself so long as you held the
lever.
> Just like in a car. Ingenious but illegal unfortunately. I'd love to know
if
> you try this and get it working. Hope you enjoy Orkney. Don't miss Skara Brae. Bill
>
> Two wheels are cool but four's a bore.
>
> >>> Colin Anderson<[email protected]> 01/07/2003 23:37:41 >>>
> I managed to hit a brick in the dark on a cycle path the other night and ended up with broken
> right wrist and a couple of broken ribs. been to the fracture clinic today and the consultant says
> 8-12 weeks if i'm lucky. trouble is I'm cycling round Orkney in 8 weeks time so anyone got any
ideas
> about one handed cycling? The best i can come up with is to (somehow) get the 9 speed shifter onto
> the lefthand side of the bars and hope for the best / make do with 9 gears rather than 27 (too
> many anyway). Should be able
to
> make some sort of clamp so both brakes can run off one lever. any suggestions welcome.
> p.s. even though i've got an XM estate i don't think a tandem would fit on the roofrack. Cheers
> Colin
>
 
Don't know of any sites but I'm pretty sure I read it in CTC magazine over the winter. In the same
article was the advice that rather than going single-brake, fit a back-pedal rear brake and a
conventional front brake. Or a fixed wheel might be an easier choice if its only short-term. My
recent cable failure was sudden and (of course) came when the brake force was hard 'cos I needed to
stop PDQ. So I really would advise some form of secondary system. HTH, Bill

Two wheels are cool but four's a bore.
 
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