Amputee rider.

12-13-2003, 09:56 PM

I am an amputee rider with the front of my foot missing.
Any other amputees that ride with this problem:
When I climb a longish hill the blood flow across the bottom of the stump is forced up the leg and the stump bruises rather easily, especially in the wet as the skin is softer. With the nerves being altered I cannot feel anything until too late. I have a spacer that moves the pedal 25 Mils out from the pedal arm, if I move it any further it twists my ankle, so I figure I am stuck with this position.
I have tried using undersole padding but this causes the balance to move and another series of problems.
Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this prob??

Thanks in advance
Hop

12-14-2003, 01:04 AM

In article <3fdc09bb$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].nz>, "Hop" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> I am an amputee rider with the front of my foot missing.
> Any other amputees that ride with this problem:
> When I climb a longish hill the blood flow across the bottom of the stump is
> forced up the leg and the stump bruises rather easily, especially in the wet
> as the skin is softer. With the nerves being altered I cannot feel anything
> until too late. I have a spacer that moves the pedal 25 Mils out from the
> pedal arm, if I move it any further it twists my ankle, so I figure I am
> stuck with this position.

If I understand correctly, you have moved the pedal further away from
the centreline of the bike (the pedal-pedal width is usually known as
the "Q-factor" for some reason I can't recall). What were you hoping for?

Some ideas for solving this problem:

1) try moving your cleat fore or aft. I'm having a hard time visualizing
your current layout (I assume you use a normal shoe with some sort of
insert toe accept your stump), but this might change the dynamics just
enough to reduce the stress on your stump.

2) spin. More pedalling=less force per stroke, which ought to reduce the
bruising. Jobst won't like it*, but it's okay to twiddle up the hill in
a ludicrously low gear at 80 rpm if it saves your leg from bruises.

> I have tried using undersole padding but this causes the balance to move and
> another series of problems.
> Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this prob??

3) Taking a page from bicycle shorts design, maybe apply the padding to
the sock rather than the undersole. This may allow the padding to move
with the leg rather than the shoe, reducing the balance issues.

*In reality, Jobst may like it just fine; he may be a pedal-masher, but
he's not completely daft, and if he doesn't like it, I have every reason
to expect a sound engineering rationale to explain why spinning would
exacerbate your problems.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

12-14-2003, 10:45 AM

On 14 Dec 2003 19:56:59 +1300, "Hop" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this prob??

You have my respect. I have no particular insight to offer except to
ask if you've considered a recumbent? Two things prompt this comment,
first that the blood flow to the leg is different (though not
necessarily in a good way) and second that on a trike at least you can
fit improbably low gears and keep the pedal pressure right down.
Gears of 15" and below are not uncommon on recumbent trikes.

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

12-15-2003, 02:03 AM

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> On 14 Dec 2003 19:56:59 +1300, "Hop" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
> >Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this
prob??
>
> You have my respect. I have no particular insight to offer except to
> ask if you've considered a recumbent? Two things prompt this comment,
> first that the blood flow to the leg is different (though not
> necessarily in a good way) and second that on a trike at least you can
> fit improbably low gears and keep the pedal pressure right down.

ie. you HAVE to keep sitting down, drop a gear and pedal faster.
The same is true for (most people on) a tandem.

No expert on the OP prob, but theres less pressure on the feet if you sit
down and twiddle.

12-15-2003, 04:03 AM

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 11:03:36 +0000 (UTC), "W K" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

[snip trike]

>ie. you HAVE to keep sitting down, drop a gear and pedal faster.
>The same is true for (most people on) a tandem.

Yes. But on a trike (and this would include an upright trike as well
of course) you don't fall off when the twiddle rate falls below
walking pace. That may be an advantage for the OP.

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

12-15-2003, 09:06 PM

>If I understand correctly, you have moved the pedal further away from
>the centreline of the bike (the pedal-pedal width is usually known as
>the "Q-factor" for some reason I can't recall). What were you hoping for?

The entire weight of the body goes to the extreme outside of the stump, and the whole area taking all the weight is less than the size of a NZ fifty cent piece.

>Some ideas for solving this problem:
>1) try moving your cleat fore or aft. I'm having a hard time
visualizing your current layout (I assume you use a normal shoe with some sort of insert toe accept your stump), but this might change the dynamics just enough to reduce the stress on your stump.

I have no inserts in the boot,the cycling boot is the same shape as my stump with a plate on the bottom with bolts through to hold the cleat on.
I have moved this set up back, forward and sideways over 3,000 times over a period of five and a half years and now have it real comfortable under normal cycling conditions. It is just that some riders, especially in a race, are faster uphill, dammit! If you want a visualization of the setup, think weird, true it looks crazy, but it works most of the time.

>2) spin. More pedalling=less force per stroke, which ought to reduce the bruising.

I use a triple and now am climbing with acadence rate between 75 - 90
It certainly has helped but after a time the old problem arises.
> I have tried using undersole padding but this causes the balance to move and another series of problems. Any riders with serious ideas on any theory to try to overcome this prob??

>3) Taking a page from bicycle shorts design, maybe apply the padding to the sock rather than the undersole. This may allow the padding to move with the leg rather than the shoe, reducing the balance issues.

Now this I am going to try, now why didn't I think of that, thanks again.

Just to explain a bit, the main reason for asking is because I hope to do a 100 mile ride before our New Zealand summer is over and the course starts off with about 45 miles of flat and then three "hills" two over four Kilometres long and one real steep about half way up.As I am just under 60 years old these little bumps in the road are becoming a real challange.

Again thenks to all posters with all the ideas, they will be tried and tested.

Thanks.
Hop

12-15-2003, 09:46 PM

In article <3fdea0e5$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].nz>, "Hop" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> >If I understand correctly, you have moved the pedal further away from
> >the centreline of the bike (the pedal-pedal width is usually known as
> >the "Q-factor" for some reason I can't recall). What were you hoping for?
>
> The entire weight of the body goes to the extreme outside of the stump, and
> the whole area taking all the weight is less than the size of a NZ fifty cent
> piece.

Hm. Extreme Q-factor adjustment is available:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

> >Some ideas for solving this problem:
> >1) try moving your cleat fore or aft. I'm having a hard time
> visualizing your current layout (I assume you use a normal shoe with some
> sort of insert toe accept your stump), but this might change the dynamics
> just enough to reduce the stress on your stump.
>
> I have no inserts in the boot,the cycling boot is the same shape as my stump
> with a plate on the bottom with bolts through to hold the cleat on.
> I have moved this set up back, forward and sideways over 3,000 times over a
> period of five and a half years and now have it real comfortable under normal
> cycling conditions. It is just that some riders, especially in a race, are
> faster uphill, dammit! If you want a visualization of the setup, think weird,
> true it looks crazy, but it works most of the time.

I see. What's the plate material? What are the uppers constructed of? I
assume the insole is a custom, er, orthotic. Do you have a functioning
ankle joint or not? If not, I have a theory that going further up the
stump with the upper might stabilize the plate even better. Your
prostheticist probably knows better, though.

> >2) spin. More pedalling=less force per stroke, which ought to reduce the
> >bruising.
>
> I use a triple and now am climbing with acadence rate between 75 - 90
> It certainly has helped but after a time the old problem arises.

75-90 rpm is reasonable, and an admirably fast cadence, but it may be
possible to train yourself to the 90-110 rpm range. If it works, it
works...

> > I have tried using undersole padding but this causes the balance to move
> > and another series of problems. Any riders with serious ideas on any theory
> > to try to overcome this prob??
>
> >3) Taking a page from bicycle shorts design, maybe apply the padding to the
> >sock rather than the undersole. This may allow the padding to move with the
> >leg rather than the shoe, reducing the balance issues.
>
> Now this I am going to try, now why didn't I think of that, thanks again.
>
> Just to explain a bit, the main reason for asking is because I hope to do a
> 100 mile ride before our New Zealand summer is over and the course starts off
> with about 45 miles of flat and then three "hills" two over four Kilometres
> long and one real steep about half way up.As I am just under 60 years old
> these little bumps in the road are becoming a real challange.

Yikes! I admire your spirit. I did my first metric century this year (I
did two, actually: a prep century, and then the "real" ride). The first
kept me off work for three days after I inflamed my achilles tendon so
badly I couldn't walk. This used to seem like a great thing to complain
about, but...you're not complaining

.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

12-17-2003, 06:52 PM

>I see. What's the plate material?

Alluminium plate, I think about 16 guage NZ.
What are the uppers constructed of? I assume the insole is a custom, er, orthotic. Do you have a functioning ankle joint or not? If not, I have a theory that going further up the stump with the upper might stabilize the plate even better. Your prostheticist probably knows better, though.

I have a fully functioning ankle, which I didi try to "freeze" the action on but it took too much power out of the pedal stroke.

>75-90 rpm is reasonable, and an admirably fast cadence, but it may be
>possible to train yourself to the 90-110 rpm range. If it works, it
>works...

I am at the moment doing spin intervals in the hope it will increase my cadence rate.
>Yikes! I admire your spirit. I did my first metric century this year (I
>did two, actually: a prep century, and then the "real" ride). The first
>kept me off work for three days after I inflamed my achilles tendon so
>badly I couldn't walk. This used to seem like a great thing to complain
>about, but...you're not complaining

.
>
I ride with masters riders nearly all the time and will not ride/race with disabled as all they seem to do over here is moan when the going gets tough. I find that riding with all comers you get a better opportunity to watch all riding styles and it is easy to see potential advantages for my own riding.
I do not complain for one reason: If I don't then it give "able bodied" riders no excuses!
Taillwinds
Hop.

12-18-2003, 06:47 PM

On 18 Dec 2003 16:52:37 +1300, "hop" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I do not complain for one reason: If I don't then it give "able bodied" riders no excuses!

It's old mules like you who make me look bad.

>Taillwinds
>Hop.
--
Rick Onanian