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  • Thanks for the mention.

    I did build my dad a bike.

    He suffers from Parkinson's but has always been a keen cyclist and used to race and we trained together when I was a child.
    But he lost confidence and balance as his illness got worse.

    The bike is a Surly Crosscheck I converted to disc brakes and 650b.

    My experience is that in order to inspire confidence and cycling ability you need:

    • hydraulic disc brakes
    • low bottom bracket
    • big tyres
    • low toptube
    • bars level with saddle position (not much higher and not any lower / comfort is king)
    • good fit
    • big grippy pedals

    AND I had to fit a dropper seatpost because Parkinson's fucks with the ability to get on a bike and he refused to have a dropped seattube. It was very important for him that the bike didn't look any different.

  • @Hulsroy that is absolutely beautiful in every sense.

    Cycling can be brilliant for people with Parkinson's even when they've lost a lot of mobility in terms of walking. There are some fantastic examples (videos show people with fairly advanced symptoms) here
    and here - go to 2:18 for cycling

    My guess is that it's something to do with the difference in balance requirements between walking and cycling (cycling doesn't require you to balance on one foot to initiate it) and the linked, pre-determined/cued leg motion of cycling. Whatever the reason, it's a lovely phenomenon in an unpleasant disease.

  • It is just such a fucked up disease :(

    My dad is on a research program where they are getting medicine through a pump providing a continuous dose rather than taking medication 10 times a day and it is great.
    Tbh it feels like I got my dad back as he does not seem to have those shakes and walking issues as much anymore.

    He loves his bike and his ability to get around town now that he does not feel confident in a car anymore. My mum calls me once in a while when he has gotten back from a bike ride all gitty and chuffed.

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