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alternatives to driving

Juanita Vee

Senior Member
Messages
914
Location
Edmonton, AB
Hi there, Pheonixes! Or would it be Risers? Risingers? ... anyway, I don't drive any more. I don't want to, it's a lot for my brain and body. I'm looking into mobility aid? car alternatives? Something I don't have to put a lot of effort and thought into but I can get places faster and easier.

I have looked at electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters, electric bicycles, electric scooters. I'm most interested in the last 2, e-bikes and e-scooters. Probably because I'm vain and want to "fit in" with everyone else's "normal."

e-bike/scooter pros: I have experience (on bicycles), smaller and easier to store

mobility scooter or the like: you just have to sit there, no balancing and stuff

Does anyone have any good points I should think about that could help me make up my mind?

thank you!

ps, I can take a cab/uber or get my sister to drive me on occasions, so I don't really want to go back to driving... but it would be nice to be able to go further than a block or 2 from my place...
 

Haley

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
NSW Australia
Putting my occupational therapist hat on here - don't underestimate the amount of cognitive work required by any of the options. While it may be less than driving, your body is still processing sensory inputs and making decisions based on those inputs.

Trial before you buy to make sure it does what you need it to do and that you are comfortable with your ability to use it safely (which tends to be more about avoiding poor motor vehicle drivers rather than your ability!)

I don't know much about e-scooters or e-bikes, but know a bit about power wheelchairs and mobility scooters if you end up going down that path and want to know the type of things to consider :)
 

GreenEdge

Senior Member
Messages
569
Location
Brisbane, Australia
e-bike

I've had mine 12 months and I occasionally go as long as 30 minutes but I find limiting to 20 minutes gives me consistent recovery and more rides. I don't seem to be able to extend time but I am gaining strength because the ride data shows that I'm now using less assistance. The setup I have is Specialized Levo bicycle with BLEvo mobile phone app and Polar H10 heart rate monitor chest strap. I have BLEvo app set to automatically adjust assistance level of motor to keep heart rate at desired target value: 110 (fatigued), 124 (tired), 138 (normal).
 
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lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
Hi Juanita....I've been wondering how you are, so it's nice to see that you're up and on here. Well, at least on here.

The only concern I have and I'm from a hot climate too, although not quite as hot as Phoenix, would be whether or not you would need some form of air-conditioning and which of the above would be able to provide it.

That's all apart from uber, but you already know about it. I'm concerned about the heat overload aspect for you. Even in the evening, it's still plenty hot. (I know Phoenix, er Scottsdale well. My husband's co. owned The Arizona Biltmore and we spent a lot of time there.) Haven't been for years, though. Yours, Lenora

Just another thought: Perhaps you could rent a bike or scooter for the cooler mos. Have you checked into that? Also, Rod tells me that you should be able to rent a bike by the hr. using app. for one of the cos. that has the bikes in Phoenix.

Sad tale: I was a major bike rider...I loved it. My first indication that something was wrong with me should have been the bike I was riding. Both feet firmly planted on the ground, waiting for a car to pass, I watched it and heard a horn beeping. It was me...on the ground. I've never been able to bike ride ever since & I've tried, oh how I've tried. For some reason my sense of balance had gone, only to never return. Electric bikes shouldn't give you that problem. You're lucky to have so much so close to where you are. I don't mean to rain on your parade...it's a fabulous idea. Yours, Lenora..
 
Messages
759
Location
Israel
I fell off an electric trycyle due to brain fog. Broke my hand, I think e-bikes are a really bad idea for ME. Be careful.
 

GreenEdge

Senior Member
Messages
569
Location
Brisbane, Australia
e-bike - IMHO far safer than e-scooter.

However beware that e-bikes make you feel "superhuman" because it's you multiplied many times and is therefore super addictive making it very easy to get carried away and go too far. I learnt this the hard way and my bike spent the first 9 months mostly unused and I almost gave up. I should have started easier and shorter duration. Experience has taught me, I need to cut exercise short and only do half of what I know I'm capable of; and bed rest immediately afterwards also helps me. If I'm disciplined and do that I find I gradually gain fitness.
 

Juanita Vee

Senior Member
Messages
914
Location
Edmonton, AB
@lenora ... yup, I'm still around! Just having troubles with brain fog so it makes reading and replying hard... otherwise I might be more active on here! Sorry to hear you've completely lost the ability to ride a bike... Here in Edmonton it can get hot, but it also cools down nice in the evenings, but I will definitely consider heat as a factor. No point getting heatstroke as well!

@Insomniac , thank you, I will wear all my helmet and pads and wrist guards and am going to have my sister take me, just like I'm learning to ride a bike all over again. If I do this. I really would like to!!

I think I like the idea of an e-bike best and would like to try it. It would be most familiar to me, and I really just want to be able to go 3 blocks away to a park and enjoy the nice weather!

@GreenEdge I would love to feel superhuman, at least once! That would make up for feeling sub-human all the time, and I really like the idea of trying to gradually gain fitness. I am mostly home bound/couch bound, but I fitness is on my list of goals. I believe I can do it! In good time, though, no rush and no point in getting sicker.
 

keepswimming

Senior Member
Messages
327
Location
UK
I've been looking at e-bikes too. Currently to get to and from work it's a 15 minute walk. I had been getting a lift to work with a colleague and then walking back, but that's still too much really... On an e-bike it would be a much shorter commute and I imagine take a lot less energy...

The only snag is I haven't rode a bike for 20 years! And when I did it wasn't with confidence... There's no main roads on the way, but I'm not sure if it's something I would be able to do or not.

There's a centre near us that do lessons on bike riding. I'm wondering whether to book a session and see how I get on. They specialise in people with disabilities so hopefully they would be understanding if I ask for shorter sessions etc.