But before you finally decide, think about why you think an upright position is what you want. I stopped cycling (and indeed taking much exercise at all) after a I broke my back; initially because I couldn't, and later because I was very stiff and sore. But after about a year of this I discovered that the reason I was stiff and sore was _because_ I was avoiding movements which hurt my back, and consequently my back and shoulders had virtually seized up. Since I started exercising again, I've had (after the initial period, which /was/ painful) no further problem with it at all, and it's now as good as if I'd never broken it.
Unfortunately I damaged a disc in my lower back, and although I went to see a specialist in London, the verdict was not good. He informed me the damage to the disc would never repair itself. But of course being a surgeon he wanted to cut me up, I declined his kind offer, as the operation is not a guaranteed success. As I can now walk with little or no pain, I only have a problem if I am leant forward for too long, depending on how far forward, depends on what too long is. I have decided to try a bike again.
But before you finally decide, think about why you think an upright position is what you want. I stopped cycling (and indeed taking much exercise at all) after a I broke my back; initially because I couldn't, and later because I was very stiff and sore. But after about a year of this I discovered that the reason I was stiff and sore was _because_ I was avoiding movements which hurt my back, and consequently my back and shoulders had virtually seized up. Since I started exercising again, I've had (after the initial period, which /was/ painful) no further problem with it at all, and it's now as good as if I'd never broken it.
Unfortunately I damaged a disc in my lower back, and although I went to see a specialist in London, the verdict was not good. He informed me the damage to the disc would never repair itself. But of course being a surgeon he wanted to cut me up, I declined his kind offer, as the operation is not a guaranteed success. As I can now walk with little or no pain, I only have a problem if I am leant forward for too long, depending on how far forward, depends on what too long is. I have decided to try a bike again.
Also consider a recumbent. More expensive, and may simply not work for you - but if it would work, a better solution than a 'very upright'.
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"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
in message <[email hidden]>, Vernon
(') said:
Quoted message said:
But before you finally decide, think about why you think an upright position is what you want. I stopped cycling (and indeed taking much exercise at all) after a I broke my back; initially because I couldn't, and later because I was very stiff and sore. But after about a year of this I discovered that the reason I was stiff and sore was _because_ I was avoiding movements which hurt my back, and consequently my back and shoulders had virtually seized up. Since I started exercising again, I've had (after the initial period, which /was/ painful) no further problem with it at all, and it's now as good as if I'd never broken it.
Unfortunately I damaged a disc in my lower back, and although I went to see a specialist in London, the verdict was not good. He informed me the damage to the disc would never repair itself. But of course being a surgeon he wanted to cut me up, I declined his kind offer, as the operation is not a guaranteed success. As I can now walk with little or no pain, I only have a problem if I am leant forward for too long, depending on how far forward, depends on what too long is. I have decided to try a bike again.
Also consider a recumbent. More expensive, and may simply not work for you - but if it would work, a better solution than a 'very upright'.
At Mildenhall, a gentleman on a Trice was using the 'bent as his everyday transport since an 'accident' six years ago where he was thrown from his upright bike after being rear-ended by a car. He suffered quite a lot of spinal damage and walks with a stick - but he doesn't half shift quickly on a recumbent trike :-)
Also consider a recumbent. More expensive, and may simply not work for you - but if it would work, a better solution than a 'very upright'.
Indeed, though if a recumbent isn't the thing and you want to be /really/ upright then consider a Pedersen. More upright than pretty much anything else except a giraffe unicycle and considerably lighter than most classic roadster style bikes. Again, it will cost a bit more than a "standard" bike because there isn't an economy of scale building thousands of them, but IMHO comfortable mobility is worth the investment.
For a 'bent with your particular criteria I'd start with looking at something like an urban compact: easier to get on with than most and with a ride position like a car seat. Lower performance than other models, but for shortish rides more immediately comfortable and practical. Summat like the http://kinetics.org.uk/html/spirit.shtml or http://kinetics.org.uk/html/roadster.shtml If these aren't whizz enough have a further browse around the Kinetics site for all sorts of alternatives.
Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
