United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

When any get surgery, and things do come back what are the chances they will be able to do the things they have done before. My hobbie was biking extreme biking i rode for about 4 hours a day even in the winter, in Canada the winters are really harsh. i bet you all allready know that. Well all i really loved was my bike i rode it so so much. i was wondering if theres other people who used to put a beating on thier body in any way.If they ever got back into that. I was also a mechanic so thats out of the picture i mean for getting hired wise. Cuz i still do mechanics now. Its just my future was really shattered from my point of view right now i hope you guys can help me get through either way i go. Thanks for listening

Before my accident in 2002, I raced road. I was a (racing age) 15 yr. old junior. I rode the junior nat'ls and placed in the top third in the crit, TT, and RR.

Since then, I have resumed training (though much less only because of "less than stellar" grades in school) and racing only TTs. I hope to race more often once I am able to get more training under my belt. I have also become more interested in the pursuit discipline on the track and I plan to get involved more the "para-"/"disabled" cycling scene...

let me know if you have more questions...

later,
john

well i have been starting to try road racing, but my passion was trials. i like to hop around. I was a bmxer but that was very hard on the body. I know i will be able to ride road with on arm because i allready do, I don't think trials will be possible. One arm will be very hard to balance myself on my back tire. You know what it feels like to ride the way u love, i can't see myself going extreme again. Thanks for the help.

Trials would be tough... The people in that discipline have never stopped amazing me. I stand in awe when I watch Hans Ray do his thing... I know I can do a small bunny-hop on my road bike, but even that can be pretty sketchy. I tried and tried to wheelie before my crash but never was successful so I wont try it now.

later,
john

Hi

I thing you can still have fun out there on your bike take a look at this guy http://b2r.free.fr/?lang=1 he is preatty amaissing. I am back on my bike as well eventhough my limits are different I still get adrenalin rideing my MTB. Also you can get some tips from this site http://www.mtb-amputee.com/

Fernando

Hi,
I know this will be useless info to you but I just want to let you know that I know how you feel. I was born and bred on an isolated cattle staion in Nth Queensland, Australia. I lived on horses from 2 or 3 yrs old. They were my life. After I left school we spent much time mustering in cattle camps etc and then I hit the competion scene. Campdrafting it is called. It involves cutting a beast out of a mob (cutting) and then going absolutely flat out around a coarse of pegs ( a figure of 8 then through a gate). It is huge over here and it relates to the work we do at home. It reqires a very skilled horse and a great deal of speed control. We travel anywhere from 2 to 8 hrs a weekend with a truck load of horses when the season is on.
When I first realised I had lost 1 arm after the accident (shoulder included) I thought well at least I could still ride a horse but maybe not compete, but when they told me a few days later that my remaining arm had a bracial plexus injury and was completely paralysed I couldn't imagine my life without horses etc. The 2 and a half months I was in hospital, that is all I could think about.
When I got home however day to day living became the focus I guess.
It seams impossible to imagine a life different to the one you know. People said "you will learn to enjoy doing other things" and all I could think is I don't want to do ther things. You spend your whole life becoming good at certain things and all the sudden you are suppose to start again.
But I guess what I am trying to say is, it has 2 1/2 yrs since my accident and I have learn't to like working on the computer for example (I type with my toes).
Keep your chin up, we all have a lot of inner strenght and you can achieve a lot more that you think you will be able too.

Hi

I thing you can still enjoy rideing please take a look at this site http://b2r.free.fr/?lang=1. I am back on my MTB and haveing a lot of fun even some adrenaline. Also you can get some tips from this site http://www.mtb-amputee.com/ I personaly like tu use a Stabilizer, it realy makes a big difference. This is the one a use http://www.extremesteering.com/Steering_Stabilizer.htm

Enjoy the ride
Fernando

Thought I might give you my two cents on bicycling. Look at recumants with the steering under the seat.You sit with the handle bars like horns on both sides, What I like about the under seat configuration is your stability is not dependent on leaning on your arm. Recumbants can have two or three wheels. I have a recumbant trike from Australia made by Greenspeed. Nice folks....... Red

My life was motocross lived, breathe, worshipped. I have rode dirtbikes since i was a kid, i raced, freestyle, trails, all my clothes motocross, I was a motorcycle salesman for the biggest motorcycle corporation in the us/world, #1 seller at my store had bought a new 04 crf 450 and 04 crf 50 with about 3k in upgrades in sept 03 and had bought a house in las vegas in 01/04. Then I would have my accident on valentines of 04, would be in CA hospital for a month and whould loose both of my bikes, my house, the only thing i had left trying to keep around marchlast yr was my truck...now i have no money,no income and their trying to take my truck. The only good thing is im at home with parents in pismo,ca and state rehab is paying for whole college career.

The worst part is watching motocross on tv, going to the sand dunes, looking at my 600.00 helmet that saved my life, and just feeling empty....doc saying I will never ride again yet i see it everyday, talk to my friend says he went riding....i am suppose to get some elbow from the repair surgery within the next yr....I am determined to get back on a bike.
I hope everyone cant return to their favorite things.

Hi Motoxxxracer,

What major(s) in college are you now considering?

My son is the competitive cyclist who posted earlier, and he'll be headed to college year after next. He's trying to figure out a way to combine his passion for cycling with something that can earn an income.

Thanks,

Ellen