I just joined this site yesterday- just discovered it- and I'm looking for some advice for my wife.
We're older, she's in her 50's- I in my '60's, and we're just getting back up on two wheels after many years of not having ridden... as in 35 or more!
She has a Schwinn 3 wheel trike she's been riding, and is up to over 3 miles at a time on it now, which is pretty good considering where she started. But it's heavy, and you work to go on it! The goal is to get back to a two-wheeler. She has a Schwinn High Country womens MTB she bought about 10 years ago and rode briefly. She's had a back injury since then- and has put on some weight, one of the reason's we're doing the bike thing- to try to get our old bodies moving again.
She tried getting back on her two wheeler this afternoon, and wobbled down about one house distance and got off it, not feeling comfortable enough to go any further or try more at this time.
My current bike is also a mountain bike- an Ibex Alpine- and when I got back on it for the first time in about 10 years, it felt awfully wobbly and unstable. It still feels twitchy to me, moreso than I like, but its a mountain bike- and it's geometry is naturally going to be less stable than a road bike or a cruiser.
I feel that she'd be better off trying to get back up on two wheels on a cruiser type bike, something that's more stable than her MTB. I think it'd help her feel more stable to start with, and give her the stability and confidence she needs to get back up on two wheels.
A major factor for hwe is a fear of falling. With her bad back, she does NOT want to go down. I don't blame her. That in itself is a big factor. I can relate- I had a knee replaced 2 years ago, and I do NOT want to fall on it! That was a big fear of mine. Heck, I'm 63, and I just flat don't want to go down period!
Opinions and advice would be most welcome!! Get a cruiser to get back on 2 wheels??
Wes
We're older, she's in her 50's- I in my '60's, and we're just getting back up on two wheels after many years of not having ridden... as in 35 or more!
She has a Schwinn 3 wheel trike she's been riding, and is up to over 3 miles at a time on it now, which is pretty good considering where she started. But it's heavy, and you work to go on it! The goal is to get back to a two-wheeler. She has a Schwinn High Country womens MTB she bought about 10 years ago and rode briefly. She's had a back injury since then- and has put on some weight, one of the reason's we're doing the bike thing- to try to get our old bodies moving again.
She tried getting back on her two wheeler this afternoon, and wobbled down about one house distance and got off it, not feeling comfortable enough to go any further or try more at this time.
My current bike is also a mountain bike- an Ibex Alpine- and when I got back on it for the first time in about 10 years, it felt awfully wobbly and unstable. It still feels twitchy to me, moreso than I like, but its a mountain bike- and it's geometry is naturally going to be less stable than a road bike or a cruiser.
I feel that she'd be better off trying to get back up on two wheels on a cruiser type bike, something that's more stable than her MTB. I think it'd help her feel more stable to start with, and give her the stability and confidence she needs to get back up on two wheels.
A major factor for hwe is a fear of falling. With her bad back, she does NOT want to go down. I don't blame her. That in itself is a big factor. I can relate- I had a knee replaced 2 years ago, and I do NOT want to fall on it! That was a big fear of mine. Heck, I'm 63, and I just flat don't want to go down period!
Opinions and advice would be most welcome!! Get a cruiser to get back on 2 wheels??
Wes