recentley car free due to epilepsy

[feethanddooth]

hi all...

been managing pretty well without car but was curious about any tips people here may have. i was able to get a job MUCH closer to my house so i could ride to and from work(i could probably just walk but wheres the fun in that?!). im looking into purchasing a new bike too for commuting use only. ive been looking at the kona smoke (http://wheel-life.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=631)

[kf5nd]

make sure you have excellent medical ID on you in case you seize while riding
if you get a precursor, fall out to the right, away from cars

my son was on Tegretol, it worked great for him

[Philatio]

Pretty much any bike SHOULD work, it's nicer though if you get one designed for touring/commuting with rack and fender eyelets and a relaxed geometry.

If you have 3k to throw towards a bike you could always try a recumbent trike. if you had a seizure you couldn't fall over.

love your sig by the way :D

[feethanddooth]

my price range was going to be around 3 to 4 hundred! i put the majority of my money into my road bike when i got it. i odnt want to ride that to work and have it rained on, have to keep it outside, etc, etc, etc

thanks for all your advice everyone :)

[Philatio]

yea I don't have $3000 for a bike either :(

[ken cummings]

Lots of kinds of seizures. I shared a house with a lady who would have a Petit Mal seizure every few months. We didn't learn about it until she passed out and crashed her Moped breaking her jaw. She and maybe you would need a recumbent trike with automatic brakes that engage if you release both handles. Not for any $300-$400 though.

[feethanddooth]

ive been controlled on meds lately and even when i wasnt i was riding. i basically just have light headed spells and sometimes my right arm jerks around a little bit. but the arm thing hasnt happened the way it used to since ive been on meds. (14 months).

and also, ive decided to get the kona smoke unless i read about something absolutly amazing

[Nightshade]

Shop around for a used 3 speed to use for work. Simple, very tough,
(can be dropped with little damage) easy to ride, sorta theft proof
and easy to care for. The old Raleigh's were great utility bikes for
millions of people with many still in use today.

[Ricardo]

Wow great I am not the only one. I am also car free since last december. I have epilepsy since I was 3 years old and have been on medication since but on december my neurologist said I coudnt drive my car as I had the risk of a severe seizure; something you wouldn´t like while being behind a steering wheel.

I sold my VW and since then I´ve been riding my bike and I feel much better now. What medicines are you taking? I took Tegretol, Trileptal, Epamin and Urbadan.

Take care,

Ricardo