Amputee rider.

In article said:

I am an amputee rider with the front of my foot missing. Any other amputees that ride with this
problem: When I climb a longish hill the blood flow across the bottom of the stump is forced up
the leg and the stump bruises rather easily, especially in the wet as the skin is softer. With the
nerves being altered I cannot feel anything until too late. I have a spacer that moves the pedal
25 Mils out from the pedal arm, if I move it any further it twists my ankle, so I figure I am
stuck with this position.

If I understand correctly, you have moved the pedal further away from the centreline of the bike
(the pedal-pedal width is usually known as the "Q-factor" for some reason I can't recall). What were
you hoping for?

Some ideas for solving this problem:

1) try moving your cleat fore or aft. I'm having a hard time visualizing your current layout (I
assume you use a normal shoe with some sort of insert toe accept your stump), but this might
change the dynamics just enough to reduce the stress on your stump.

2) spin. More pedalling=less force per stroke, which ought to reduce the bruising. Jobst won't like
it*, but it's okay to twiddle up the hill in a ludicrously low gear at 80 rpm if it saves your
leg from bruises.

Quoted message said:

I have tried using undersole padding but this causes the balance to move and another series of
problems. Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this prob??

3) Taking a page from bicycle shorts design, maybe apply the padding to the sock rather than the
undersole. This may allow the padding to move with the leg rather than the shoe, reducing the
balance issues.

*In reality, Jobst may like it just fine; he may be a pedal-masher, but he's not completely daft,
and if he doesn't like it, I have every reason to expect a sound engineering rationale to explain
why spinning would exacerbate your problems.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] sfu.ca~rcousineOpen ↗ President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

Hop' [email protected] said:

Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this prob??

You have my respect. I have no particular insight to offer except to ask if you've considered a
recumbent? Two things prompt this comment, first that the blood flow to the leg is different (though
not necessarily in a good way) and second that on a trike at least you can fit improbably low gears
and keep the pedal pressure right down. Gears of 15" and below are not uncommon on recumbent trikes.

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hop' [email protected] said:

Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this

prob??

Quoted message said:

You have my respect. I have no particular insight to offer except to ask if you've considered a
recumbent? Two things prompt this comment, first that the blood flow to the leg is different
(though not necessarily in a good way) and second that on a trike at least you can fit improbably
low gears and keep the pedal pressure right down.

ie. you HAVE to keep sitting down, drop a gear and pedal faster. The same is true for (most people
on) a tandem.

No expert on the OP prob, but theres less pressure on the feet if you sit down and twiddle.

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 11:03:36 +0000 (UTC), "W K" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

[snip trike]

Quoted message said:

ie. you HAVE to keep sitting down, drop a gear and pedal faster. The same is true for (most people
on) a tandem.

Yes. But on a trike (and this would include an upright trike as well of course) you don't fall off
when the twiddle rate falls below walking pace. That may be an advantage for the OP.

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

If I understand correctly, you have moved the pedal further away from the centreline of the bike
(the pedal-pedal width is usually known as the "Q-factor" for some reason I can't recall). What
were you hoping for?

The entire weight of the body goes to the extreme outside of the stump, and the whole area taking
all the weight is less than the size of a NZ fifty cent piece.

Quoted message said:

Some ideas for solving this problem:
1) try moving your cleat fore or aft. I'm having a hard time

visualizing your current layout (I assume you use a normal shoe with some sort of insert toe accept
your stump), but this might change the dynamics just enough to reduce the stress on your stump.

I have no inserts in the boot,the cycling boot is the same shape as my stump with a plate on the
bottom with bolts through to hold the cleat on. I have moved this set up back, forward and sideways
over 3,000 times over a period of five and a half years and now have it real comfortable under
normal cycling conditions. It is just that some riders, especially in a race, are faster uphill,
dammit! If you want a visualization of the setup, think weird, true it looks crazy, but it works
most of the time.

Quoted message said:

2) spin. More pedalling=less force per stroke, which ought to reduce the bruising.

I use a triple and now am climbing with acadence rate between 75 - 90 It certainly has helped but
after a time the old problem arises.

Quoted message said:

I have tried using undersole padding but this causes the balance to move and another series of
problems. Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this prob??

Quoted message said:

3) Taking a page from bicycle shorts design, maybe apply the padding to the sock rather than the
undersole. This may allow the padding to move with the leg rather than the shoe, reducing the
balance issues.

Now this I am going to try, now why didn't I think of that, thanks again.

Just to explain a bit, the main reason for asking is because I hope to do a 100 mile ride before our
New Zealand summer is over and the course starts off with about 45 miles of flat and then three
"hills" two over four Kilometres long and one real steep about half way up.As I am just under 60
years old these little bumps in the road are becoming a real challange.

Again thenks to all posters with all the ideas, they will be tried and tested.

Thanks. Hop

In article said:

Quoted message said:

If I understand correctly, you have moved the pedal further away from the centreline of the bike
(the pedal-pedal width is usually known as the "Q-factor" for some reason I can't recall). What
were you hoping for?

The entire weight of the body goes to the extreme outside of the stump, and the whole area taking
all the weight is less than the size of a NZ fifty cent piece.

Hm. Extreme Q-factor adjustment is available:

bikescor.comknee.htmOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Some ideas for solving this problem:
1) try moving your cleat fore or aft. I'm having a hard time

visualizing your current layout (I assume you use a normal shoe with some sort of insert toe
accept your stump), but this might change the dynamics just enough to reduce the stress on
your stump.

I have no inserts in the boot,the cycling boot is the same shape as my stump with a plate on the
bottom with bolts through to hold the cleat on. I have moved this set up back, forward and
sideways over 3,000 times over a period of five and a half years and now have it real comfortable
under normal cycling conditions. It is just that some riders, especially in a race, are faster
uphill, dammit! If you want a visualization of the setup, think weird, true it looks crazy, but it
works most of the time.

I see. What's the plate material? What are the uppers constructed of? I assume the insole is a
custom, er, orthotic. Do you have a functioning ankle joint or not? If not, I have a theory that
going further up the stump with the upper might stabilize the plate even better. Your prostheticist
probably knows better, though.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

2) spin. More pedalling=less force per stroke, which ought to reduce the bruising.

I use a triple and now am climbing with acadence rate between 75 - 90 It certainly has helped but
after a time the old problem arises.

75-90 rpm is reasonable, and an admirably fast cadence, but it may be possible to train yourself to
the 90-110 rpm range. If it works, it works...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have tried using undersole padding but this causes the balance to move and another series of
problems. Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this prob??

Quoted message said:

3) Taking a page from bicycle shorts design, maybe apply the padding to the sock rather than the
undersole. This may allow the padding to move with the leg rather than the shoe, reducing the
balance issues.

Now this I am going to try, now why didn't I think of that, thanks again.

Just to explain a bit, the main reason for asking is because I hope to do a 100 mile ride before
our New Zealand summer is over and the course starts off with about 45 miles of flat and then
three "hills" two over four Kilometres long and one real steep about half way up.As I am just
under 60 years old these little bumps in the road are becoming a real challange.

Yikes! I admire your spirit. I did my first metric century this year (I did two, actually: a prep
century, and then the "real" ride). The first kept me off work for three days after I inflamed my
achilles tendon so badly I couldn't walk. This used to seem like a great thing to complain about,
but...you're not complaining 🙂.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] sfu.ca~rcousineOpen ↗ President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

Quoted message said:

I see. What's the plate material?

Alluminium plate, I think about 16 guage NZ. What are the uppers constructed of? I assume the insole
is a custom, er, orthotic. Do you have a functioning ankle joint or not? If not, I have a theory
that going further up the stump with the upper might stabilize the plate even better. Your
prostheticist probably knows better, though.

I have a fully functioning ankle, which I didi try to "freeze" the action on but it took too much
power out of the pedal stroke.

Quoted message said:

75-90 rpm is reasonable, and an admirably fast cadence, but it may be possible to train yourself to
the 90-110 rpm range. If it works, it works...

I am at the moment doing spin intervals in the hope it will increase my cadence rate.

Quoted message said:

Yikes! I admire your spirit. I did my first metric century this year (I did two, actually: a prep
century, and then the "real" ride). The first kept me off work for three days after I inflamed my
achilles tendon so badly I couldn't walk. This used to seem like a great thing to complain about,
but...you're not complaining 🙂.

I ride with masters riders nearly all the time and will not ride/race with disabled as all they seem
to do over here is moan when the going gets tough. I find that riding with all comers you get a
better opportunity to watch all riding styles and it is easy to see potential advantages for my own
riding. I do not complain for one reason: If I don't then it give "able bodied" riders no excuses!
Taillwinds Hop.

hop' [email protected] said:

I do not complain for one reason: If I don't then it give "able bodied" riders no excuses!

It's old mules like you who make me look bad.

Quoted message said:

Taillwinds Hop.

--
Rick Onanian