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From: Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Riding safety with Alzheimer's?
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:12:00 -0700
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On 3/9/25 7:45 AM, Catrike Ryder wrote:
> On Sun, 9 Mar 2025 09:33:15 -0500, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
> 
>> On 3/9/2025 4:35 AM, Catrike Ryder wrote:
>>> On Sat, 8 Mar 2025 17:36:44 -0800, Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 3/8/25 3:35 PM, Catrike Ryder wrote:
>>>>>> Hyundai Elantra. On Sat, 8 Mar 2025 14:43:12 -0800, Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> In my volunteer work I sometimes deal with folks who have dementia, in
>>>>>> this case Alzheimer's. Today we did a very long walk together. He is
>>>>>> athletic and used to be a powerful high-mileage road bike rider so no
>>>>>> problems in the power and endurance domain. The disease has progressed
>>>>>> to the point where he would become disoriented on the roads or maybe
>>>>>> ride into freeway onramps and such. So he needs a companion. No problem,
>>>>>> that would be me. When I suggested that his (otherwise now quite
>>>>>> passive) eyes began to gleam.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Like in this paper he has lost the ability to shift and since we live in
>>>>>> the hills this means trucking our bikes into the flatlands where you can
>>>>>> remains in the same gear the whole ride:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/news/cycling-dementia/
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We would stick to bike paths, preferably ones with a low amount of
>>>>>> traffic and definitely not many pedestrians. About 20mi from here we
>>>>>> have an almost perfect one that is about 15mi long and has no posted
>>>>>> speed limit:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/images/fsc-new.jpg
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I will also switch out his pedals from clip-in to flat MTB pedals, don't
>>>>>> want to risk him not getting a foot out and fall (he is >70). I always
>>>>>> carry a first aid kit.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My question is, what else should I prepare for? Searches on the web
>>>>>> didn't reveal much, other than that cycling is beneficial in slowing the
>>>>>> progress of such diseases.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We'll see how the first rides go. If very well then there will be other
>>>>>> questions, such as whether there is a road bike bike with automatic
>>>>>> transmission. Maybe based on Di2. They offer it but AFAIK only for
>>>>>> electric MTB and maybe it can be adapted to non-electric road bikes:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://velo.outsideonline.com/ebike/shimano-introduces-automatic-di2-shifting/
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Of course, if the guy turns out to be a lot faster than I am and leaves
>>>>>> me in the dust that could present a very different problem :-)
>>>>>
>>>>> I dealt with Alzheimer's people when I volunteered at assisted living
>>>>> homes. Some do well under supervision, but others don't, have a mind
>>>>> of their own and can be unpredictable. You know the guy so you choose.
>>>>> Might be a good case for a tandem.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks, Solomon. Unfortunately I or anyone around me don't have a
>>>> tandem. He is mild-mannered and listens well.
>>>>
>>>> I know it can be different. I volunteered in the memory care section of
>>>> care homes, mainly because hardly anyone else wanted to go in there.
>>>> Some folks can turn rather violent but it's not them, it's the disease
>>>> doing that.
>>>
>>> +1
>>> Yes, it's the disease. My wife, who worked in assisted living homes as
>>> an activities director always said something like that. She's retired
>>> now and I'm eighty so neither of us are involved and almost all of the
>>> attachments we made have passed on but we still maintain contact with
>>> a couple residents. THis is one who didn't make it.
>>>
>>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/j_soloman/with/53910283643
>>>
>>> --
>>> C'est bon
>>> Soloman
>>
>> "didn't make it" ??
>> You look mostly alive in your photos.
> 
> Wrong reference..  Here's the right one.
> 
> 
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/j_soloman/53971342104
> 

Getting Parkinson's that early is really hard :-(

-- 
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/