getting on and off

[hardheaded]

left aka and having a hell of a time trying to get on and off of the bike. how are you guys doing it ? no matter how hard i try i can't do it. right side or left side ? starting to think that maybe i'm done for. how about stepping up on the floorboard first and then swinging the leg over? i know it may be easier to do on a three wheeler, but only have a two wheeler now. still pretty early for me as i only received my leg a week ago, but couldn't wait to try it out. starting to think i may have to throw in the towel on riding. god, i hope not.

 

[Bikerbozo]

Try backing on to kickstand side, then you can hoist yourself onto passenger seat, swing right leg, with help from hands, over and then slide forward.

 

[Condor]

On a two wheeler I stand on the left side of the bike and grab the right pant leg and hoist the leg on over. I used to stand on the right side and swing my leg forward over the seat but one day my right knee buckled and I ended up elbows and assholes flat on my back in the gutter. 'Nuff of that crap.... I do the pant leg thing on my trike as well.

 

[jaxbobg]

You may need to seriously consider moving to a trike, either convert your 2 wheeler or sell it and get a trike.

I have back and leg problems and many times have to mount the trike by standing on the left peg with left foot, sit on the saddle, then pull the right foot over. Dismount is about the same but in reverse.

You can do it with perseverance and practice. Good luck.

 

[hardheaded]

i've already made my mind up that i'm going with a trike, hate to spend the money only to find out i can't ride the thing. going to use the pingel electric shifter,but need to figure how to get on and off. any thoughts on any of this,how to shift, get on and off or ways to keep fake foot on the footboard will greatly help in my quest. i going to do my damnest to ride again. no matter how long or how hard it is, it's just that a person just feels like giving up after awhile. never thought i would ever say that after riding for 47 years.

 

[Ozarkryder]

On the General Discussion forum in the thread "Poll: Making The Switch - Bike to Trike - Great Info!" (Which is a must-read thread for new riders.) there is a discussion about mounting a trike. Click below and scroll to post 34 -
http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/242-Making-The-Switch-Bike-to-Trike-Great-Info!/page4

And a few posts down John Luciano has a most excellent instructional video -



My wife had problems swinging her leg over while standing on the passenger peg as in the video, so she gets up and sits down on the passenger seat sidesaddle, lifts her leg over the rider seat and tank, then slides forward onto the riders seat. Obviously this doesn't work with a rider's backrest.

 

[jaxbobg]

Here's a thought - send a PM to "Wheels" on this board and ask for his advice. Jim is a double amputee and regularly trikes to various events, carries his wheelchair on board and gets around as good as everyone else in the crowd. He may have some ideas for you.

 

[roadking2]

i've already made my mind up that i'm going with a trike, hate to spend the money only to find out i can't ride the thing. going to use the pingel electric shifter,but need to figure how to get on and off. any thoughts on any of this,how to shift, get on and off or ways to keep fake foot on the footboard will greatly help in my quest. i going to do my damnest to ride again. no matter how long or how hard it is, it's just that a person just feels like giving up after awhile. never thought i would ever say that after riding for 47 years.

Once you go to 3, mounting is actually easier. Left foot on the floorboard and swing your right over. The other option is to mount from the right side. Right foot on the right floorboard and swing your left over. The biggest problem I had was getting a wide enough swing with my leg because if you are swinging it over the rear, it's wide back there. If you don't swing wide enough, you hit the back end of your trike with your foot.

I tried a million ways to get on and off, and that's what works best for me anyway.

The right side mount is better for me because there is no shifter in the way and more room for my big foot. On the left, I've got a heel and toe shifter that I have to maneuver my foot around and the right side is just a clearer footing for me. Get off in reverse order. It helps to turn the bars full lock to whichever side your getting on or off of. I'm a left BKA and need the heel and toe shifter. I drop my foot on either the heel portion to up shift and drop it on the toe portion to downshift and I have no problem at all keeping my foot on the floorboards, but as I said, I'm a BKA not a AKA

 

[Trike Mid Step]

i've already made my mind up that i'm going with a trike, hate to spend the money only to find out i can't ride the thing. going to use the pingel electric shifter,but need to figure how to get on and off. any thoughts on any of this,how to shift, get on and off or ways to keep fake foot on the footboard will greatly help in my quest. i going to do my damnest to ride again. no matter how long or how hard it is, it's just that a person just feels like giving up after awhile. never thought i would ever say that after riding for 47 years.

Hi, We are a sponsor here with the Trike Mid Step. Check out our new to industry page. We have a video to watch. The rest of our ads will be here soon. Any questions, Feel free to call me at our shop. 920-863-1699 Thanks Tom

 

[pcombe]

Here's a thought - send a PM to "Wheels" on this board and ask for his advice. Jim is a double amputee and regularly trikes to various events, carries his wheelchair on board and gets around as good as everyone else in the crowd. He may have some ideas for you.

I was about to suggest the same thing! ThumbUp

 

[pcombe]

i've already made my mind up that i'm going with a trike, hate to spend the money only to find out i can't ride the thing. going to use the pingel electric shifter,but need to figure how to get on and off. any thoughts on any of this,how to shift, get on and off or ways to keep fake foot on the footboard will greatly help in my quest. i going to do my damnest to ride again. no matter how long or how hard it is, it's just that a person just feels like giving up after awhile. never thought i would ever say that after riding for 47 years.

You may not understand this just yet but you are a part of a site of dedicated riders who have overcome so many obstacles that would have stopped normal people from doing what they love to do.

Go to the forums page and scroll down to the ( trike shopper) thread, This will give you a direct line to Bazooka (forum owner). this man can help set you up with a trike and accessories to meet your needs and he can be trusted not to burn you.

My physical problems not only should have put an end to my riding but with the help of bazooka and tech advice/encouragement from forum members I was able to do the complete conversion on my old Harley myself.

:Coffee: You can get what you need to continue life with quality!
All you need is something to do and something to look forward to.

To see pictures of my conversion Google- pcombe/library/photobucket

 

[Texan]

You may not understand this just yet but you are a part of a site of dedicated riders who have overcome so many obstacles that would have stopped normal people from doing what they love to do......

:clapping:

Been riding since I was 7 (63 years on 2) and the trike, as you say, has given me the opportunity to keep riding. Developed Parkinsons and the loss of balance coordination keeps me from riding on 2 anymore.....so jumped up to 3 two years ago and still riding with the big boys...

8~\o

 

[roadking2]

On the General Discussion forum in the thread "Poll: Making The Switch - Bike to Trike - Great Info!" (Which is a must-read thread for new riders.) there is a discussion about mounting a trike. Click below and scroll to post 34 -
http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/242-Making-The-Switch-Bike-to-Trike-Great-Info!/page4

And a few posts down John Luciano has a most excellent instructional video -



My wife had problems swinging her leg over while standing on the passenger peg as in the video, so she gets up and sits down on the passenger seat sidesaddle, lifts her leg over the rider seat and tank, then slides forward onto the riders seat. Obviously this doesn't work with a rider's backrest.

For me with a artificial left leg, the video technique is very difficult. It is much easier for me to mount from the right side by placing my right foot on the peg/floorboard and swinging my left leg over the rear of the trike. I have no tour pack but I have mounted trikes that have one using this method. With a tour pack I just have to insure my leg is bent enough to clear it.

 

[pcombe]

Hi, We are a sponsor here with the Trike Mid Step. Check out our new to industry page. We have a video to watch. The rest of our ads will be here soon. Any questions, Feel free to call me at our shop. 920-863-1699 Thanks TomView attachment 25080View attachment 25081

Welcome it's always good to have another sponsor in our corner.

 

[cavie]

PM Wheels and ask him how he does it.

 

[GARYD]

i've already made my mind up that i'm going with a trike, hate to spend the money only to find out i can't ride the thing. going to use the pingel electric shifter,but need to figure how to get on and off. any thoughts on any of this,how to shift, get on and off or ways to keep fake foot on the footboard will greatly help in my quest. i going to do my damnest to ride again. no matter how long or how hard it is, it's just that a person just feels like giving up after awhile. never thought i would ever say that after riding for 47 years.

Test ride one first ThumbUp

 

[bikerbillone]

I've seen Wheels in action, very smooth. Remember this guy has to disengage the chair, slide off and into it, with the reverse operation to mount. As I said, very smooth. Arms like bricks.

 

[hardheaded]

HI Wheels, been dealing with this missing leg thing since sept 14. want to ride again, just can't get my mind off of how to. while i'm really not ready to try just yet it's driving me crazy. looks like the pingel is in my future along with a new trike. any advice is very welcome.

 

[bikerbillone]

Jim, I have the greatest respect for you guys, and how you accomplish in life us "other" folks just take for granted. Was at Harbor Freight couple Saturdays ago, guy came wheeling out to his 'high truck', I thought about it, and asked if I could help. Of course he said, "no, thanks, I got it". I suppose it was the wrong thing to do, but seems human nature to give it a try.

 

[hardheaded]

i am a though the knee amputee which means long stump and no knee. this thing is very heavy and seems long to me. so far i can't do steps and when sitting on my bike the leg contacts the left side of the gas tank not allowing me to get my foot on the foot board. shifting is not going to happen with this leg. would like to see pic's of any setups for shifting anyone has or any advice. really like the leg in the first pic.

 

[hardheaded]

i didn't know they was a big difference between the two. i was thinking above the knee would be better as the knee would be equal to the other one. i still have the top knuckle part of knee because i have had a hip replacement and the long stem metal into my bone, so they couldn't get it off higher. i think i'm just kind of in a panic wanting to ride again and it's not looking good. sure would like a right side tank shifter setup for a trike. i gotta learn to walk on this thing first.

 

[seabiz]

take a look at this....

http://trikemidstep.com

 

[roadking2]

i am a though the knee amputee which means long stump and no knee. this thing is very heavy and seems long to me. so far i can't do steps and when sitting on my bike the leg contacts the left side of the gas tank not allowing me to get my foot on the foot board. shifting is not going to happen with this leg. would like to see pic's of any setups for shifting anyone has or any advice. really like the leg in the first pic.

If you're getting a trike and the Pingle shifter, your troubles are over. You said that you just got the leg. Well, it takes some time to get your footing so to speak. I got my leg in July and didn't/couldn't ride till the end of the year and that was a bit limited. By the following spring, I was riding my RoadKing anywhere I pleased.

It's going to take a bit of practice, and rehab to walk much less anything else. As you acclimate yourself to the new leg and you strengthen whatever needs strengthening up and get stretched out whatever needs stretching through whatever exercises and rehab you may have. Then you will be able to throw your leg over the bike and ride. You don't have to hold it up, you just sit on it and ride and you'll be able to figure out a method to get on and sit on it. You still have your arms and that's what you'll need more than your left leg to be able to ride a trike.

 

[Trike Mid Step]

Hi Everyone, Please check out Trike Mid-Step. We are running a SPECIAL for Trike Talk Members. $100.00 OFF and FREE SHIPPING US. Thanks Tom

 

[bikerbillone]

i didn't know they was a big difference between the two. i was thinking above the knee would be better as the knee would be equal to the other one. i still have the top knuckle part of knee because i have had a hip replacement and the long stem metal into my bone, so they couldn't get it off higher. i think i'm just kind of in a panic wanting to ride again and it's not looking good. sure would like a right side tank shifter setup for a trike. i gotta learn to walk on this thing first.

I've had double hip replacements, and anyone has had one, know you can abuse a side or awkward movement, and a possible dislocation could occur, from experience, that is way painful and a trip to ER. That's one of those don't ask me things. I can mount my Road Smith by throwing my right leg up straight and 'over the seat', I have the back rest so over that is not an option. A dismount is done with the left foot, and a chicken dance backwards as someone put it. I recently did a Traxxion spring upgrade in the front forks, this raised the front almost 1.5", that was no help in mounting the beast. I continue to explore different ways to do that.