Cycling for amputee

I'm a nurse in a subacute-rehab facility. One of my patients recently had a
BKA (below the knee amputation) and he asked if he could ride a bike once he
learned how to use his prosthesis. I told him there was no reason I knew of
why he couldn't but he might need some modifications to the bike and/or his
riding style. He doesn't want an adult trike.

Any suggestions?



Diana B., LPN
Diva Nurse

The JerZ Fox

Money doesn't buy happiness.
Poverty doesn't buy anything.

There is a one-legged bicycle courier named Dexter Benjamin who works in New
York city. He was spotlighted in a story in Bicycling magazine a while ago.
His story is inspirational and if you do a search, I think you'll find
information on the kind of bike he rides (I believe it's a fixed gear).

I did Bike New York a few years ago and I saw an amputee on a bike. It may
have been Dexter, but I don't really know.

Ride on, there's no reason not to,
Don


"JerZ Fox" wrote in message
...
I'm a nurse in a subacute-rehab facility. One of my patients recently had
a
BKA (below the knee amputation) and he asked if he could ride a bike once
he
learned how to use his prosthesis. I told him there was no reason I knew
of
why he couldn't but he might need some modifications to the bike and/or
his
riding style. He doesn't want an adult trike.

Any suggestions?



Diana B., LPN
Diva Nurse

The JerZ Fox

Money doesn't buy happiness.
Poverty doesn't buy anything.

Well, at Last year's Bungay Criterion, there was a guy doing the race who had
amputation at about knee level. He had what looked like (but I am no
specialist) a lightweight artifical limb into a cycling shoe and was using
clipless pedals and a normal racing bike.

He was very, very fast!

Cheers, helen s


~~~~~~~~~~
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Mail sent to it is dumped
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by getting rid of the overdependence on money and fame
~~~~~~~~~~

10 Aug 2003 16:08:33 GMT,
, pamsux
(JerZ Fox) wrote:

I'm a nurse in a subacute-rehab facility. One of my patients recently had a
BKA (below the knee amputation) and he asked if he could ride a bike once he
learned how to use his prosthesis. I told him there was no reason I knew of
why he couldn't but he might need some modifications to the bike and/or his
riding style. He doesn't want an adult trike.

Any suggestions?

Steve Balyi, the fellow in this photo, http://www.bikecartage.com/ is
wearing a prosthesis.

He says that he learned to cycle before he learned to walk again.
Meaning, he could ride normally before he could walk without limping.
He wears regular cycling shoes and cleats.
--
zk

There's a one leg rider in the Seattle area, (uses the Burke Gilman Trail).
His leg was taken off just below the knee. Without the use of a foot...
toe-clips may be the method of choice for strapping in the artificial foot.

Granny gears would be important... for hills. Other than that, and toe
clips, there shouldn't be any major modifications needed.

hth


"JerZ Fox"
I'm a nurse in a subacute-rehab facility. One of my patients recently had
a
BKA (below the knee amputation) and he asked if he could ride a bike once
he
learned how to use his prosthesis. I told him there was no reason I knew
of
why he couldn't but he might need some modifications to the bike and/or
his
riding style. He doesn't want an adult trike.

Any suggestions?

pamsux (JerZ Fox) wrote in message ...
I'm a nurse in a subacute-rehab facility. One of my patients recently had a
BKA (below the knee amputation) and he asked if he could ride a bike once he
learned how to use his prosthesis. I told him there was no reason I knew of
why he couldn't but he might need some modifications to the bike and/or his
riding style. He doesn't want an adult trike.

On my first STP, at a stop at about 110 miles into the ride I saw
someone walk up to his bike, take off his leg, strap it on his bike,
and get on. I can only assume he completed the 200 mile ride. It's
hard enough to ride 200 miles with two legs, and here was a guy doing
it with one. He also appeared to be someone with a BKA.

Warm Regards,

Claire
too hot and tired for a sig right now

Check out www.doryselinger.com

IIRC, Dory is using a special prosthesis specially designed for cycling.
Email him, I expect he could provide the specifics.

Good luck,


Chris Neary


"Science, freedom, beauty, adventu what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

Jerz Fox wrote:
I'm a nurse in a subacute-rehab facility. One of my patients recently
had a BKA (below the knee amputation) and he asked if he could ride a
bike once he learned how to use his prosthesis. I told him there was no
reason I knew of why he couldn't but he might need some modifications to
the bike and/or his riding style. He doesn't want an adult trike.
Any suggestions?



I got passed by a guy in a mt bike race with only one leg and he didn't
use a prosthesis. He even made it through the hike-a-bike section and he
finished the race with a much better time than a lot of people.



--
--------------------------
Posted via cyclingforums.com
http://www.cyclingforums.com

(Claire Petersky) wrote:

On my first STP, at a stop at about 110 miles into the ride I saw
someone walk up to his bike, take off his leg, strap it on his bike,
and get on. I can only assume he completed the 200 mile ride. It's
hard enough to ride 200 miles with two legs, and here was a guy doing
it with one. He also appeared to be someone with a BKA.

I once did a duathlon in Florida in which a guy with HALF OF ONE LEG
participated. He killed us all in the first run (in his wheelchair).
It took a couple helpers quite a while to strap on prosthesis devices
on both sides, but when I passed him (it was a three-lap bike course),
he was holding about 20mph (32km/h). Very impressive, IMHO.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

=v= Say, I met another guy up there in Vancouver (Don?) who
bikes with a prosthetic leg. Last August he biked down to
Portland, Oregon for BikeSummer.
_Jym_