Arthritis question

[katerine]

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled on this forum and I've been reading it ever since. This is a great place and I'm so glad I found it.

Someone gave me an old single speed coaster bike and after some hesitation I've rediscovered the joy of riding. The bike is pretty junky and needs some serious work, but before I spend any cash on it I'm thinking of getting a new bike that might work better for me. The problem is I've been having bad flareups of inflammatory arthritis and there is simply no way I can tolerate hand brakes. It's hard enough to hold a cup or pencil in my hand sometimes, let alone putting pressure on a lever. So I definitely need a coaster brake.

I was thinking of one of those cruiser style bikes that have a coaster brake and integrated 3-speed. However, I also have to hoist the bike up some steep stairs, and the cruisers I saw weigh a lot. Also there is a serious shortage of cash, particularly on something that I may not always be able to use if my arthritis gets much worse.

Has anyone had any experience with the Trek Cruiseliner with the aluminum frame? I'm in the process of tracking one down, but so far all I've tracked down is a version with hand brakes that I could try for the feel of it. Then I would have to order the bike if I decide I want it.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated. I rediscovered bicycles and I do not want to give them up.

Katerine

[marni]

can you consider finding a place to store your bike that doesn't involve hoiking it up the stairs? That might make any decision easier.

Good luck and welcome to the adventure.

[KnottedYet]

There are folding bikes which have coaster brakes. Some of them can be pretty speedy!

Perhaps one of them (folded) would be easier to take up the stairs?

Some even come with bags or carrying straps.

(Take a look at Dahon and Downtube, their prices are good. Giant and the other major manufacturers all have various single-speed and coaster brake bikes too.)

[Miranda]

Don't have an earth shattering answer on your bike search question. Maybe check re-sale, garage sales, or local bike club to see if a member might know of something for sale. Our local club has a bike swap meet each year and lots thing get sold there.

Good luck with your search. Where there is a will there is a way!:)

[Velocivixen]

I don't have an answer for your question, but wanted to welcome you and to say "Hi" and have fun riding. Let us know what you decide and how it works out.

I did have a 3 speed Electra Townie that may have had coaster breaks. It was a behemoth, terribly long and heavy. If that's the type of bike you're considering, I wouldn't consider trying to lift it. I think with some research there are better options for you. I ditto looking into folding bikes.

[Catrin]

I've no constructive advice, but would like to welcome you to TE and congratulations to rediscovering the joy of riding :D

[katerine]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. Both are much appreciated!
I'll continue with my research and will check again with a couple of local shops. Eventually something will work out. :)

Katerine

[sarahkonamojo]

Not sure where you are located, but around here the single speed craze is big. Most single speeds are repurposed old road bikes. Most have hand brakes or are fixed. Fixed would probably not be what you want either. BUT thinking a coaster brake on an old road bike would give you a lighter option than a cruiser. It would be much lighter and more nimble and not terribly expensive.
Best of luck. And have fun looking at your options.
S

[OakLeaf]

Just googling and not sure what you want to spend ... but what about a Moulton TSR-2 (http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/models/TSR2.html)? It's only a two-speed, but that's still double the gears of a single-speed, and it only weighs 26#.

[grey]

I don't have any bike suggestions, but I HAVE suffered from arthritis symptoms.

For me, it was dairy. Dairy is extremely inflammatory for joints in some people. Cutting that out helped a LOT. There are some independent studies that had arthritis sufferers cut out dairy and checked back with them in a month - nearly all reported improvment. Three months later, they were asked again - those that found improvement earlier now had very few symptoms. Worked for me!

Also suggested this to my aunt, who was noticing arthritis flare ups. She hasn't cut out dairy entirely, but says it is better with less dairy in the diet.

When I have a flare-up, I take turmeric - you can put some in capsules and take 1 or 2 a day. I hate swallowing pills and so I dilute a half teaspoon in a little water and drink it like a shot - chase it with water. Turmeric has capaisain (sp?) in it, works very well as an anti-inflammatory. I've noticed it takes 2-3 days for it to REALLY kick in, but you do notice a difference in a few hours.

I get my turmeric in powder form, in bulk, from Mountain Rose Herbs.(www.mountainroseherbs.com)

[emily_in_nc]

My husband has a Trek Cruiseliner 3-speed, aluminum bike. It is really light for a cruiser bike! I looked far and wide for a ladies Cruiseliner model, but never could locate one. The local Trek shops don't stock them, though I guess they might have ordered one for me. I ended up finding another ladies aluminum cruiser (single speed, coaster brakes) on craigslist and went with that (see my sig) as it was used and thus a lot less expensive, and still a very nice cruiser bike.

That said, a cruiser bike is just that. We bought these bikes for riding on the beach. The position on them is very upright. It's not a bike I'd want to ride for long rides as it's not built for speed at all. Just some things to consider.

Best of luck to you, and sorry about the arthritis pain. :(

[katerine]

My arthritis is very tied to the foods I eat, particularly gluten and to a lesser extent tomatoes and other veggies of that family, also corn, cow's milk, sugar and beans. There are other foods that give me trouble but those are the principal ones. People think it must be a nuisance to be so restrictive, but the pain relief is worth it. In the past tumeric hasn't helped much but I think I will try taking it again and see how I do. Thanks for the suggestion.

My knees are now affected and I'm hoping that a three speed might be easier when I'm having an episode. I realize that you get what you pay for, but I really can't swing anything more than 500 at this time so that does limit my choices. We have a great lbs nearby and I have researched all the brands they carry and made a list of possibilities, including used. Worse comes to worse, I'll have the old junky bike fixed up and ride it until something better comes along. There's always a way.

This is such an awesome place. People's eyes tend to glaze over when I want to talk about bicycles, even my very supportive DH, but here I can read all I want about bikes and have people understand my single-minded quest to ride a bike despite some physical setbacks. Joy.

[gabriellesca]

Welcome Katerine - I don't post as often but read alot. its a really great forum and I agree with the eyes glazing over syndrome. The minute I start talking about riding or the Tour I put people to sleep!

I don't have any advice at all but I also suffer from arthritis - mine is in one of my ankles due to an old injury and I'm really struggling with it this year as I get back in the saddle and really hurt after riding - not sure if it has to do with clipping in and out. I also have issues with tennis elbow which breaking, shifting, and drinking from my water bottle REALLY hurts. I can't imagine how tough it must be for you. So sorry!

Hang in there and please let us know how it goes finding your new bike.

[surgtech1956]

Can't comment on the bike, but welcome to TE.

[lo123]

The problem is I've been having bad flareups of inflammatory arthritis and there is simply no way I can tolerate hand brakes. It's hard enough to hold a cup or pencil in my hand sometimes, let alone putting pressure on a lever. So I definitely need a coaster brake.

Have you actually tried a road bike with brake levers (on drop handlebars)? I had the same concern before I started riding, and I have an inflammatory type of arthritis, psoriatic arthritis. My hands are badly affected, and when I flare, that's one area where I really feel it.

I found that I can handle the brake levers as long as they're in the right spot and have the shims to make the distance necessary to brake shorter. At the suggestion of my LBS, my first bike had (well, still has) cyclocross brakes mounted in addition to the shifter brakes (like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cane-Creek-Crosstop-CycloCross-Bicycle/dp/B000ZTIVCK and mounted to the flat part of the drop bars just to either side of the headset). When my hands flare up badly, I use those brakes a lot as I can stop with them using much less force. It is a good safety net to have.

So, I'd encourage you to give it a try. Ask the wrenches at the LBS about it. Let them know your issue in general terms. They make have suggestions that you haven't thought about.

[KnottedYet]

Folders for less than $500

http://www.downtube.com/Full_Suspension_Folding_Bike.html $499, 27 pounds

http://www.downtube.com/product541.html $299, 24 pounds.

Check out Dahon http://www.dahon.com/folding-bicycles Many bikes under your price range, some with coaster brakes.

The Giant Expressway is $40 over your budget: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/expressway.1.2011/6964/43126/

The KHS "Latte" is super cheap $219, but super heavy at 31 pounds. http://www.khsbicycles.com/10_latte_06.htm

The KHS "Mocha" costs twice as much -but still under $500, and probably isn't any lighter (but it has multiple gears) http://www.khsbicycles.com/09_mocha_11.htm

There are many out there (Brompton, Bike Friday, et cetera) that will be lighter and will cost more than your $500 budget. But at least this little list will give you an idea what is out there and what you might find easier to carry up the stairs. :p

[Catrin]

I have arthritis in my hands and cannot tolerate weight on them at all - nor can I tolerate road bars or road brake levers. This is more due to the position that road bars and levers puts my hands in than anything else.

I've trigger shifters and mountain bike brake levers on two of my bikes, and SRAM X0 grip shifters and mountain bike brake levers on my road-go-to-bike. Combined with a very upright riding position + short reach it works well for me, I can literally ride all day long without pain.

It sounds like your arthritis is worse than mine, and a coaster brake could be your best solution, but don't give up in brake levers yet. A qualified professional fitter who knows his or her business might be able to develop another solution for you. Not all fitters have the same skills or are accustomed to working with more than minor physical limitations so if there is more than one LBS in your area ask around to find out which one has the best fitter. That being said, a good fitter is expensive.

[katerine]

Thanks to everyone for the excellent advice!

I went to an lbs that has a stellar reputation and talked to a few of the guys there about possible alterations to make brake levers doable for me. I was told categorically, though nicely, not a chance. It couldn't be done. Went to another LBS with a good reputation and got the same answer. Tough luck. Called others. Ditto.

Ok, fine. I went online and found several 3-speed coaster brake bicycles, not all cruisers, and made a chart of them all listing characteristics, pros and cons (can you tell I really really wanted to do this?). Then I visited a couple of lbs and called others and no one had any of these bikes available to try except for large cruisers. I asked (having worked retail I am always polite) if it would be possible to try a frame that was somewhat similar to what I was looking for before I ordered it. Or if they knew of someplace that did have them. I was told that bicycle shops know their customers and they tend to all stock the same mix. And clearly what I really wanted was the large cruiser that I had said was too large and too heavy. Sigh.

There was a Trek shop that was pretty good, and I liked their cruiser style better, but I could not order one because they were out of stock at trek. But the guy was nice and had a sense of humor, which after the other places was refreshing.

But all in all at this point I was getting bummed out, particularly since the cruisers that I didn't want and they kept pushing at me, all seemed to have these wide handlebars that would be fiendishly difficult to get through my old house's narrow doorways and hallway. Now I knew this was going to be funny later, but it wasn't at that moment. I did think hard about folding bikes, but decided they weren't going to work for the kind of errands I have in mind, though I surely would love to have one of those too. (Thanks so much for the info on them!)

I made up my mind that I was not going to be dissuaded and broadened my scope. I started to check sites for people with physical limitations, and found the Biria Easy Boarding Bicycle. After more searching I found a place that had them in stock, and a forty-minute heavy duty city drive later was at the store. The guy there was bit supercilious but I don't care if I get what I need. I rode the bike around the store for a while (really) and tried a cruiser at the guy's suggestion for comparison.

The Biria was much better for me. I can get on it with no problems and it feels good. I've never ridden anything but junky bikes so it feels marvelous. It kind of looks like a European style bike which will suit the errand running, grocery shopping functions I have in mind and weighs a little over 30 pounds which is okay. Because the bottom is very low there are problems with banging it on steep stairs when I carry it, so I found some old luggage straps and rigged up a shoulder harness and a strap to keep the front wheel from moving when I carry it. It will work.

But alas. Anguish. It suffers from serious gear slippage and DH and I must take it in to be fixed. I miss my beautiful bicycle already.

Katerine