Tom-Palizzi-Trike-Davis Phinney Foundation

After one of our monthly YOPD Council webinars about practise and Parkinson's, a fellow member of our community asked us a question about cycling. We decided to accomplish out to Davis Phinney Foundation Ambassador Tom Palizzi, who passed along such valuable advice that we wanted to share it with all of you.

"I'd love to be able to go advice on biking recommendations for someone whose remainder is besides iffy for prophylactic outdoor biking and who has limited indoor room for a fancy stationary bike."

Tom'southward answer: "Your situation is quite mutual among people living with Parkinson's. I faced these same issues and am happy to share my opinion and recommendations.

For cycling outdoors, the impact of Parkinson'southward symptoms tin can result in a variety of issues — balance, equally you mention. Other problems might arise from slowness, rigidity, and knowledge. Having been an avid cyclist my entire life, PD brought on anxiety and a struggle with confidence. Cycling became more of a stressful affair than pleasurable. Could I clip-out fast plenty, shifting and stopping — so this issues with residue.

I bought a trike a few years agone. Not on a whim by any ways only post-obit a pretty exhaustive study. Plain and simple — the all-time decision for me! I accept a tadpole style, HP Velotecnik Gekko 26. Information technology'south fast, comfortable, safe, and easy to ride, plus information technology folds in half for transport and storage. Comparably priced with a expert mid-range route bicycle it weighs around 30 lbs.

For an indoor stationary bike, there are essentially three options: a traditional bicycle on a trainer stand up; a sophisticated, computerized in-home fitness automobile; and a plethora of bikes in between. I'm a proponent for the in-between solutions. There are many to choose from. On the high-end, Peloton, Echelon, and NordicTrack bikes are quite costly and may nowadays a storage problem. But what well-nigh people don't realize is that engineering science tends to leave products behind, prices go down, and thus, the Peloton of today becomes obsolete in a brusk corporeality of time.

On the other stop of the spectrum, the seemingly lower cost bike-on-a-trainer solution tin can terminate up costing yous dearly. When mounted on a trainer, they tend to stand much higher than normal, creating a challenge in getting on and off. They are likewise much less stable since they lack the weight and lower center of gravity. I strongly encourage people — especially PD folks — to find a bike more suitable.

Studio or home practice bikes built for stationary cycling are your best bet. Ranging in price from the lower hundreds to $1,000 or so, they are much safer, easier to get on and off, and won't break your bank. They can also be much easier to store! I ride an older LeMond Studio wheel with no frills. I use a middle rate monitor and a cadence monitor — the only things you really need. I have a tray on the handlebars to concord my iPad from which I run a Pedaling For Parkinson'southward class three times a week — a v-year-old set-up.

Keep it simple. Keep information technology safety."

Indoor cycling setup
You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a abode cycling arrangement. This setup cost just $50, using an erstwhile bike and a used trainer.

We likewise received this advice from reader Pete Huley: "An culling solution is a folding bike similar the Brompton, which has two wheels instead of three. I chose the Brompton a little more than a year agone when I was worried nigh issues like rest, safe, and infinite/portability. Its smaller configuration with 16-inch wheels and a stride-through frame offered an alternative to my standard route bicycle while preserving a standard bicycle feel. Indoors, I use a standard Cannondale hooked to a Cycleops 'dumb' trainer. I put a step platform next to the bicycle to help with mounting, and with this setup I'k able to successfully and safely participate ('endure') in Sufferfest cycling."

Want to learn more well-nigh how cycling helps you live well with Parkinson'due south?

What You Need to Know about Cycling with Parkinson's

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Ebikes for People with Parkinson's…And More

Exercise Is Medicine for the Brain

How to Practice with Parkinson's

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