Re: T/F Biking

Re: T/F Biking

Craig Armstrong

10/4/2006

I'm a congenital T/F amputee and a prosthetist. I used to mountain bike frequently in my younger years and have found that pedaling while standing is extremely difficult to do while trying to make complete revolutions. I will occasionally stand and pump the pedals back and forth, but this is not effective for long climbs. My suggestion would be to find a comfortable seat height that allows for almost complete leg extension while still enabling the rider to stop safely. This gives them the most power. Once a good seat height is established just stay in the saddle and get comfortable for those long climbs. I've found that dropping into an easy gear and maintaining a higher pedal cadence improves climbing endurance rather than trying to muscle it. For downhill section, by all means stand up. The extra shock absorbtion from the sound limb will really save the back and hind parts.
    I did not begin riding bikes with toeclips on my pedals, but have found they are a great addition to my bike. Clipless pedals can offer a greater degree of efficiency, but can be a challenge to get in and out of. Shimano pedals are the best and easiest, however. A good compromise would be to use a regular toe clip on the prosthetic side to keep the foot on the pedal when the going get rough, but is easy to get into. I hope my feedback has been helpful.

Craig Armstrong, CP