The (Extremely) wobbly cyclist

[Richard Adams]

Auld git having been ill during last year. Ridden a bike for years but never that keenly. Always been a bit clumsy. One of the side effects of my illness was sudden deafness in one ear. WIth that has come lack of balance - I can't afford to take my eyes off where I'm wobbling towards, turn my head and I fall off. Probably some of the lack of balance has been due to much weakened musculature (lost 20kg while ill) but I'm rebuilding that slowly. Docs seem to think I'm mad to try.
Anybody else had similar expereince and managed to overcome it? Suggestions (apart from stabilisers) welcome. I use some tarmac in a country park and some of the cinder tracks so I don't have to worry about traffic

 

[HLaB]

I've no experience of deafness/ balance problems my self but I think the body overtime will compensate, keep at it and good luck.

 

[manualtypist]

Sure I heard/read somewhere (not that long ago) that if you have balance problems and you challenge it and keep practising, it gets better over time.
Hope it's true.

 

[Sleeping Menace]

Yes.. I've read something similar.. that repeatedly keeping at it..will re-train the body to compensate, and you'll find much of your lost balance.
I'll try to hunt out the article and post a link here.
As far as a way to practice at home, if it'd be more comfortable to do.. what about a pair of used TacX (or similar) rollers? place them in a hallway, or adjacent to a wall, and practice there. They by their nature, will help you with balance, as well as providing a way to exercise on your cycle regardless of weather.
Very good luck to you.. Keep at it..you'll only get better/stronger as a rider with practice.

........................
http://anotherdooratthe.endoftheinternet.org

Cycle related blog entries, including a few 5 minute reviews:
http://anotherdooratthe.endoftheinternet.org/category/cycling/

 

[Kestevan]

If all else fails you could always go over to the dark side, and invest in a recumbent trike. That should keep you mobile despite the balance issues.

 

[joolsybools]

Maybe contact Wheels for Wellbeing and see if they can offer you any advice.

 

[byegad]

I suffer from occasional BPPV, Benign Positional Proximal Vertigo, and was advised some three years ago to give up two wheels. The rational is I don't know when I'm going to have an attack and so could fall into traffic. While i have a series of exercises to move the debris in the balance canals of my ears to a safe place, this is an after attack correction only.

So I ride recumbent trikes. I've had a very few attacks while riding with no dangerous consequences. I don't even change line on the road when they hit! I'm not sure I'd have stayed on board two wheels.

 

[Encephrich]

Welcome to the 'Re-hab' club... similar to you, in my case swine flu led encephalitis, (2009 outbreak).
Viral brain damage and still showing 60% post viral symptoms- Ok, Licences revoked, loss of income and the rest.
Sold the car and bought bikes for self and wife with spondulies received. balance is one of the things I had to retrain, some days I walked home as if I'd had a jar or two, had the bikes since last autumn and only fallen off bike once, fallen off cycle track once, as for shoulder checks I have to plan well ahead as the direction of travel can vary with the original intent but it does get better, we tend to cycle a few evenings a week to local marina/park and go for a leisurely ride out to the sticks at the weekend (with picnic).
The point is you can retrain this just as we first trained as children on our first bikes, but it'll need a bit of time, take it steady and listen to what your brain body is telling you before it has to scream any objections and you'll get there, think tortoise not hare. best of luck..

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

I've seen quite a few trikes set up for youths battling weakening illnesses and it works for them. They are also available with electrical assist - which may (or may not) be of interest to you - folding trikes and mobility adapted trikes.

Whatever you choose, best of luck and hope it accelerates your recovery.