It's goodbye from him,

[EddieH]

On top of my other health problems I now find that I am having problems with my balance.
A fortnight ago I fell off my bike again when I stopped and have been unable to go out since due to one leg being completely covered in one big bruise and I am still in pain trying to walk.
I have therefore decided I need to give up on 2 wheels an was thinking this left me with just a mobility scooter but then I thought about an electric trike. Does anyone know anything about these, are they any good, who sells them, what to get? I really know nothing about them.

 

[trex]

electric trikes are a bit tricky to ride at first, but you can get used to it in about an hour. The main thing is to set your speed limit to about 10-11mph so that the throttle does not frighten you and learn to slow down, be steady and calm when turning corners.
There are trikes with rear differential that will let you go faster but they tend to be heavier.

 

[Nealh]

2 UK members who are trikers being E- homer and Twinkle are a good bet to offer sound advise, It appears you have 2 choices an upright style or a low/recumbent type style whch to me looks more stable.

 

[anotherkiwi]

High semi-recumbent is also available

http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/komfort/index_e.html

Stable delta trikes (single wheel on front) need to be much longer wheelbase than tadpole trikes to obtain the same stability. It is just the physics.

 

[VictoryV]

On top of my other health problems I now find that I am having problems with my balance.
A fortnight ago I fell off my bike again when I stopped and have been unable to go out since due to one leg being completely covered in one big bruise and I am still in pain trying to walk.
I have therefore decided I need to give up on 2 wheels an was thinking this left me with just a mobility scooter but then I thought about an electric trike. Does anyone know anything about these, are they any good, who sells them, what to get? I really know nothing about them.

Have you changed any medication recently? 8 years ago after they changed my wife's medication 'cos the previous one stopped working, the new meds affected her so much that eventually we had to get a wheelchair in 2011, it also severely affected her balance causing repeated falls at home, but no injury fortunately. That medication stopped working last January and she is now on one that allows her to walk again and has no affect on her balance, so pills for a problem can cause severe problems of their own

 

[flash]

My Father had the same problem a few years ago. After 0ver 60 years of cycling his balance went. So he purchased a Batribike trike.

http://www.batribike.com/electric-trikes/trikes/trike-20-v

But he could never get on with it. It could be ridden so the frame gave a slight pivot or with the frame fixed either way he could not control it safely.

I found that after a few minutes I could ride it OK, so there was nothing wrong with the trike. I quite enjoyed it apart from the seating position which I found uncomfortable.

My advice would be make sure you try before you buy.

 

[Nealh]

A recumbent style model would offer greater stability with its lower C of G.

 

[EddieH]

A recumbent style model would offer greater stability with its lower C of G.

Unfortunately a recumbent style would also need to be followed by a crane to get me out of it. lol.

 

[anotherkiwi]

You didn't look at the link I posted... The crane is built in

 

[EddieH]

You didn't look at the link I posted... The crane is built in

Looks good but still a bit low for me and can't fnd a price anywhere. I think I would rather have a what I used to call "sit up and beg" type i.e. upright.

 

[mike killay]

Eddie,
I had to give up statins.
I had vertigo, visual disturbances and memory loss.
Fine now, just accept that I must control what I eat to keep cholesterol low.

 

[cosybike]

I think these guys should do a mobility version with less emphasis on the cargo - They do electric as well. http://www.butchersandbicycles.com/

Or a recumbent trike? I like the Whike? http://whike.com/en/ It has a sail!!

 

[Geebee]

Eddie,
I had to give up statins.
I had vertigo, visual disturbances and memory loss.
Fine now, just accept that I must control what I eat to keep cholesterol low.

Same here with breathing problems and constant exhaustion thrown in to the extent of barely being able to walk.
The medical profession are really reluctant to accept/diagnose it though, at least in Oz.

Something like this might work well, this is in Oz but maybe over there as well http://www.e-bikesrus.com.au/products/scooter-trike/

I do like the idea of a cargo trike though.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I second the above, you want sit up and beg? Here you go

http://bakfiets.nl/eng/modellen/cargotrike/small/

2000€ + a kit = about £1900, the price of a base model German pedelec and you can take your kitchen sink with you

 

[EddieH]

I second the above, you want sit up and beg? Here you go

http://bakfiets.nl/eng/modellen/cargotrike/small/

2000€ + a kit = about £1900, the price of a base model German pedelec and you can take your kitchen sink with you

Would even get all my beer in that one.

 

[catsnapper]

My wife has ear/balance problem, so uses a 24" wheel folding Space Genie trike - cost around £500 when we purchased it.

We're in a flat area with just one short steep hill, but as it's on the way to and from the front we use it regularly. It's a bit too hard for her to ride up unassisted, but so far an added push is enough.

When needed, I've built a front wheel with a Q100 hub and setup handlebars, making it a relatively quick conversion.



Getting old, having to take beta blockers etc, etc, makes the enjoyment of cycling just a little less.....

Alan