Post brain injury advice

[roadrash]

Now I can speak with experience, don't think a reumbent will be difficult to see by motorist, I and many others found the opposite to be true , you get noticed more just because its unusual to see one one the road.

 

[mickle]

Drivers are no less able to spot recumbent riders than they are conventional upright cyclists. It could be argued (and often has been by me) that recumbents are easier to see than uprights. When you understand that drivers area of attention exists somewhere between the horizon and a spot on the ground a few metres ahead of their bumper you'll appreciate that the high up of an upright cyclist might not register. They're basically looking at kerbs and tail-lights. So they do see recumbents, and their height also tends to register them as 'close-to' rather than 'far'away'.

In the real world recumbent riders will tell you that drivers tend to give them more room on the road, overtake more carefully etc. I am in absolutely no doubt that recumbents are safer on the road than regular bikes.

 

[Georgelovesjumping]

Drivers are no less able to spot recumbent riders than they are conventional upright cyclists. It could be argued (and often has been by me) that recumbents are easier to see than uprights. When you understand that drivers area of attention exists somewhere between the horizon and a spot on the ground a few metres ahead of their bumper you'll appreciate that the high up of an upright cyclist might not register. They're basically looking at kerbs and tail-lights. So they do see recumbents, and their height also tends to register them as 'close-to' rather than 'far'away'.

In the real world recumbent riders will tell you that drivers tend to give them more room on the road, overtake more carefully etc. I am in absolutely no doubt that recumbents are safer on the road than regular bikes.

Predjucied fear over turned! I have often noticed that if you are wearing normal clothes and clearly going from a - b that drivers are more responsive. And I am more are of recliner s (because till now have thought them more "rickety")

 

[Georgelovesjumping]

Now I can speak with experience, don't think a reumbent will be difficult to see by motorist, I and many others found the opposite to be true , you get noticed more just because its unusual to see one one the road.

I've admitted my prejudice to mickle too. Lesson learnt. I have just thought previously how vulnerable you are if it all goes wrong - but it's nowt different really! How do you deal with junctions?

 

[roadrash]

not sure what you mean, junctions are no different on a recumbent

 

[Georgelovesjumping]

not sure what you mean, junctions are no different on a recumbent

I thought you would be further back... A bit like driving in a car to a junction but being in the back seat of a car and not being able to see. I have a lot to learn/ideas to re-set
Thanks for your patience with obviously a numpty 😂
May be time to try one out myself.

 

[roadrash]

personally I didn't find junctions an issue, …….be warned if you try one you WILL want one

 

[Bazzer]

If you want advice about real world cycling beyond that provided by @mickle and @roadrash , there is a recumbent section of this forum. From my occasional forays in there, riders seem to love their 'bents, tadpoles, etc. Why not get some feedback from them?

 

[classic33]

I ride a recumbent Quadricycle. Stability problems are gone in use. It does tend to get noticed in use on the roads. The only one of its kind round these parts. But doesn't guarantee that it will be seen. Look but doesn't see is there for some drivers. Even when loaded.

A question with regards balance issue. Are they still noticable when sat down. Thinking of the light-headed feeling when standing up too fast here.

 

[PaulSB]

@Georgelovesjumping thank you and you're very welcome. I'm far from being a medic of any sort but recognise fatigue, concentration and "arguing against it all" as part of my illness. Among friends and family much of last spring is lovingly referred to as Paul's mad period.

I would again encourage you to be open with and talk to those around you. For me talking about my illness was therapeutic and allowed people to understand where I was. A consequence was I got help from the most unexpected places. In one instance a friend approached me, quite unexpectedly, and gave me huge support. This has developed in to one of the best friendships of my life, perhaps the best. At 65 that's quite a thing.

None of this is your fault, do not be embarrassed, open up to people and you may well find, as I did, every cloud has a silver lining.

If you want to ask me anything just tag me in this thread.

 

[kingrollo]

Now I can speak with experience, don't think a reumbent will be difficult to see by motorist, I and many others found the opposite to be true , you get noticed more just because its unusual to see one one the road.

Trust your instinct - A recumbent is lower and is therefore less visible to a motorist - whether it is significant is another matter. I know I will get a load of replies saying you see white lines on the road - and motorists aren't gazing up skywards whilst driving.

That said I used to ride a recumbent and it was serious fun - Should my ageing body ever make me not able to ride up right I would have another in a heartbeat. You can have flags and retina burning lights to help with visibility - another problem I found was that my own vision was also restricted by neing lower down - you can't glance over car bonets etc.

 

[roadrash]

As I said that was my experience , obviously peoples experiences can, and do , differ

 

[ColinJ]

@PaulB suffered a serious head injury nearly 10 years ago. He eventually made a good recovery and got back on his bike. Perhaps he will come along and offer a few words about his experience...?

 

[PaulB]

Thanks to Colin for brining me in to this as it's the first I've been aware of it.

As Colin writes, I did suffer what turned out to be a near fatal fractured skull and it took me a while but though I was unlucky to fall in the first place (kitchen - home - sober), I was fortunate in its location (left side basilar to above ear) as there was no underlying essential-ness to damage too much. I couldn't drive for six months and had to take a special driving test to re-activate my suspended licence and as Colin will testify, I wrote some drivel in the six months-one year afterwards.

The only long-term obvious damage is a loss of all the studiously accumulated pop music lyrics from before 2010 and they're not coming back but it was a small price to pay really. I've had no problems with balance and didn't have before the fall or since so the bike's been like getting back in the sad...no, I'll stop that one there shall I?

It very much depends on the location of the damage and what's underneath that area. Not everyone's the same and not all recovery will go at the same pace. Be patient and understand your own injury.

 

[PaulSB]

Ah the drivel! I have many friends who have been kind enough to overlook the nonsense I came out with for 4-5 months.