Arkie45

Greetings all, and thanks for all the info I've gleaned from you. I have completed the first week of my return to cycling, and I'm already addicted. My wife was diagnosed with Parkinson's some 8 months ago and urged to investigate an exercise regimen involving balance, cardio, and strength to counteract some of this horrible disease's progression. Long story short, she has a Giant Alight 3 and I have a Giant Escape 1, and we're riding daily. First couple of days were focused on riding without falling and equipment familiarization, and subsequent days have been a natural progression of small increases of distance, etc. It has already proven to be an extremely enjoyable experience being together and (re)learning something that was once a part of our daily lives. I am amazed at the improvements in equipment, and the ease of operation compared to my old early 80's vintage Nishiki Sport.

We have a wonderful trail network locally that is a joy to ride on, and weather that allows for riding comfortably for all but a couple of months a year. We are looking forward to cycling into our age with its mental and physical health benefits. I just turned 60, she will be 56 next month, and we are already feeling a little more energetic now that the initial soreness is wearing off.

Sorry about the long post, just wanted to extend gratitude for all the info I learned here before finally joining the forum.

-Thanks!

BobbyG

Welcome to you both. go. Go , GO!

OldTryGuy

Long Post**********? Hardly

Another welcome to the both of you and great job getting back on the saddles. Enjoy the new toys to the point of wearing them out before you-all do.

Arkie45

Thanks, getting a lot more exercise than on our Goldwing...LOL.

osco53

Yeah buddy I am now 56 and because of my bikes I feel like 30. I started back after 20 or so years at 202 pounds and on TWO blood pressure meds....

173 pounds now,, no meds and riding real Single track on a full suspension mountain bike, riding like a crazy teenager with no fear, I feel great.

Get some miles in and you will tune out the pain,,mostly.

My most recent Discovery was a Carbon Handle bar,, No more hand pain, no finger tip numbness, no arm pump.
It stopped on the first ride with the Carbon... NO more Aluminum bars for me

If you are staying on the pavement and just cannot get rid of the pain look Into recumbent's,,I got one, A Tour Easy, and love riding it as much as my mountain bike..

ltxi

Arkie45

Just about my exact beginning weight, and I am on one blood pressure med now...hoping to do the same with myself. My BP is already dropping somewhat.

Carbonfiberboy 

So sorry about your wife's issue. When you get comfortable on your singles, investigate a tandem purchase. For us, that would be a "we don't care what it costs" type of purchase. See: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751998
We have been tandem riders since '07, though not with Parkinson's. We have joy every time we ride, which is often.

Arkie45

Thanks for the link! It's interesting that you mention tandem, as we have talked about getting one when the time comes that her balance/strength become an issue. We had a Kent tandem many years ago that was ok, but about as heavy and ungainly as they get. Though we are definitely not wealthy, expense will not be an issue when the time comes.

qcpmsame 

Welcome to the 50+ Forum, Arkie, from a Parkinson's Disease combatant (diagnosed just over a year ago.) Cycling is my means of keeping the demons at bay, from the strangeness of PD's symptoms and quirks. Glad to see that you and your wife are using riding for some time together, in the outdoors, and to manage things. If you don't already use the Davis Phinney Foundation's website, I highly recommend them for a resource: Parkinson's Disease Information | Davis Phinney Foundation Every Victory Counts as full of helpful information and resource links for PD people and caregivers, and its yours for the asking.

You have met some of the great people here, there are many more, so stick around and enjoy the place. Get the wife to join in, too, if she doesn't mind the craziness here.

Bill

John E

Thanks for jumping in, Bill and everyone else. Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter are pillars of strength in the cycling community.

Arkie, thanks for posting, and best wishes to you and your wife.

berner

Welcome. There are many posts in the 50+ sub-forum of people dealing with health issues. Perhaps somewhere along the line your wife might post on her experience with the object of informing others with a similar ailment.

Arkie45

Thank you so much for your input everyone! Bill, I appreciate your references and will certainly be investigating them. I am truly touched by your welcome and friendly comments. BTW Bill...I was stationed in a helo squadron in P'cola from 1975 till 1979, loved it down there.

Arkie45

Sounds like a plan to me!

qcpmsame 

Was it HC-16? They were at NAS Forest Sherman Field/NAS Pensacola, until they were de-commissioned, the SAR component was left for a few years, but has since been turned over to the USCG from CGAS Mobile, AL. The three HT Squadrons (HT-8, HT-18 and HT-28) at NAS Whiting Field are going strong, the third squadron, HT 28 was stood up in 2007 to meet the increased rotary wing demand for the Navy and USMC. Our company built the new ATC tower at South Field, I was the project engineer and quality control for that one, great folks to work with at South Field.

The Davis Phinney website has a links page, that has several good places for information about PD, your wife can find a lot of good gouge in what is happening with research, Rx advances, etc. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is a great place to get information and help when you need. Getting her to ride, or any exercise is a bog step and one of the best things she can do for managing her PD.

Bill

Arkie45

Yep, I was in HC-16 the entire time I was at Pensacola. When I first arrived in '75 it was still HCT-16, then changed to HC-16. I was an Aviation Electrician, then QA Inspector, then shop supervisor of HC-16 Avionics shop. I was even there during Hurricane Frederic...my first.

qcpmsame 

I doubt that you'd recognize Forrest Sherman Field, and its flight line, now. The USAF moved all their navigator training here, and they built a hanger and office/classroom complex where your shops were located. We did the first refit of Hanger 1854, VT-4/ Blue Angles, back in '85-'86, -4 is now an NFO primary squadron, VT-10 and VT-86 are the advanced squadrons for the FOs. A lot has changed over NASP, Hurricane Ivan really wiped out a lot of the seawall buildings and structures, and NARF left for other bases, along with AOCS/OCS. Most of the buildings I was engineer for got flooded, or washed away in Ivan. The moving of all the aviation tech schools from NAS Millington, TN is the biggest change, all of Chevalier Field is a campus for the various aviation "A" and "C" schools, and the AC rates.

Bill

Arkie45

Wow, that's a BUNCH of change! I didn't know they were moving A School there. At least they're keeping the base alive and well, more so than a lot of others. I couldn't imagine being in today's military, waaay too changed for me...lol.

h2oxtc

Would be interested to know what specific bars you changed to and from what steel/alum bars? What front shocks are you riding?

To the OP, my apology for the tangent.

Welcome, and glad to hear that you're back on the bike!