Two CaTrikes prowl the bike trails of Martha’s Vineyard. This is just one of the options available for people who, due to injury or disability, can’t ride a “regular” bicycle.
Each week I try to tease, tempt and cajole you to get outdoors and have fun. As I write this, however, it’s been two and a half weeks since my collarbone went “SNAP!!” in a mountain biking accident. I need a cheerleader myself. Trust me, riding an “exercise” bike watching baseball with your arm in a sling isn’t nearly as much fun as pedaling singletrack, even if it is safer.
The restrictions on my active lifestyle are, frankly, annoying. But my doctor is strongly counseling patience to avoid re-injury, and I’m listening . . . reluctantly. Of course the simple fact that it still hurts helps me stay in suspended animation.
It’s easy to get lost in yearning for the things I can’t do. Pedaling, paddling, backpacking, fly fishing, rock climbing, archery, rollerskiing, swimming, surfing, windsurfing, ziplines and aerial adventures, even something as simple as playing Frisbee—all things I like to do at this time of year—are off limits until this injury heals.
The good part of this injury is that it should heal completely—if I just give it some time. But in a way, the very fact that it’s temporary creates it’s own problems.
This past spring I spent a lot of time doing active outdoors stuff with supposedly disabled people. I say “supposedly” because with adaptive equipment and personal determination these particular folks could kick my supposedly able-bodied butt in any sport of their choosing. However, they all had permanent injuries or disabilities, which made it worth the time, effort and expense to find, fashion or purchase equipment they could use.
I’ve been thinking about what would work for a guy with one painfully gimpy arm. Regular biking is out—I can’t rest any weight on my left arm and I’d be afraid of falling. But a recumbent —one that you ride in a reclining position—might work really, really well.
Lucinda Chandler demonstrates the safe, stable CaTrike recumbent tricyles she uses for pedaling tours of Martha’s Vineyard. This would be perfect for someone with a shoulder (or back) injury who couldn’t ride a standard bike!
Last year, on Martha’s Vineyard, my sweetheart Marilyn and I took a tour of the island with Lucinda Chandler, the owner, head guide, and chief bike mechanic for Trike Panther Adventures (www.guidedcycling.com; 1-866-443-2071), which takes people for half- or full-day Vineyard tours on recumbent tricycles called “CaTrikes” (www.catrike.com).
These are amazing machines. You sit comfortably in a reclining chair, pedal with your legs stretched out in front of you, and float along. There’s no strain on your neck, arms or back. They are easy to shift and you can go as slow or as fast as you want without any fear of breaking your collarbone (or anything else) in a fall. Sitting so close to the ground, you feel like you are moving very fast even when you’re not, and it’s a great way to watch the scenery.
I wish I owned one. Ever since I got hurt, I’ve been yearning for a ride on CaTrike. I’m 99% sure I could comfortably pedal, shift and steer it, even with the busted bone. But they are expensive machines and there’s no place to rent one around here. You can bet that, if this injury was permanent and a CaTrike was what I needed to get out and ride, I’d find a way to buy one. I’m not short of the determination it takes to get out and play. Right now, I’m just short of patience . . . Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out and enjoy!
WHAT’S SUP?
I’ve just gotten an intriguing invitation to try a new Active Outdoors sport called “Stand Up Paddling,” (SUP). You use an extra-long paddle to propel a kind of oversized surfboard that you stand on. Sounds to me like it might be fun. Different, anyway. A new way to play on water. But, of course, I’ve had to take a raincheck . . . .
One of the manufacturers, Yoloboard (www.yoloboard.com) has some video clips on their website and you can search Stand Up Paddle Boards for more. (You can tell I’ve been spending too much time at the computer lately if I’m watching product videos . . .)
Frankly, it looks a little ridiculous in some of the videos (except in the surf where it looks pretty cool), but you never know until you try.
Standing up to propel a paddle craft is really nothing new. I learned how to stand up and pole a canoe when I was just a kid, and I still enjoy poling both upstream and down in mild whitewater whenever I can.
But standing up on a flat board and using a long paddle? Well, that’s different enough that I have to try it. The invitation I have came from Keith Nichols and Maryellen Jancsy of Full Circle Fitness in Boscawen, NH (Maryellen@fullcirclefitnessnh.com). Check with them if you want to try it out before I do.
ONE STEP AT A TIME
The one thing I’ve found I can still do is walk. (However, until a day or so ago I still had to get someone else to tie my shoes for me . . .)
I have to admit, I’ve never appreciated just going out for a stroll as much as I have in the past couple of weeks. And walking is still a great way to get some exercise and fresh air.
I am, however, more conscious of walking safety than I’ve ever been before. I do NOT want to stumble, let alone fall. And my balance is definitely off with one arm out of commission. So far, I’ve been sticking to pavement, and even there I’m using a hiking stick. This weekend, I’m going to try a short hike through the woods and see how that goes. When you are limited in what you can do, doing anything seems wonderful.
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Tim Jones, Founder and Executive Editor, started skiing at age 4 and hasn't stopped since. In the summer, he hikes, mountain bikes, paddles and fly fishes. In addition to his work at EasternSlopes.com, Tim also writes a pair of syndicated weekly newspaper columns, Active Outdoors and Eastern Slopes, and is Managing Editor of The Angling Report. He lives with his sweetheart Marilyn in New Hampshire with 25 ski hills within easy day-trip distance. 
