optimisticbiker reborn

optimisticbiker

Things move apace. Just as you get used to the daily routine its time to move on!

Rehab phase 1 is over, I have a full-time carer and next Thursday I leave Stanmore for a temporary rented wheelchair accessible flat in Islington until my house is ready. Going to be a whole new learning curve moving out of the safety of the institution back into a world I sort of have some control over.

jimmypippa

OptimisticBiker wrote:

Things move apace. Just as you get used to the daily routine its time to move on!

Rehab phase 1 is over, I have a full-time carer and next Thursday I leave Stanmore for a temporary rented wheelchair accessible flat in Islington until my house is ready. Going to be a whole new learning curve moving out of the safety of the institution back into a world I sort of have some control over.

Good luck - does that mean the house lifts got sorted?

optimisticbiker

jimmypippa wrote:

OptimisticBiker wrote:

Things move apace. Just as you get used to the daily routine its time to move on!

Rehab phase 1 is over, I have a full-time carer and next Thursday I leave Stanmore for a temporary rented wheelchair accessible flat in Islington until my house is ready. Going to be a whole new learning curve moving out of the safety of the institution back into a world I sort of have some control over.

Good luck - does that mean the house lifts got sorted?

No, but finally got planners and architect to talk to each other and understand the problem rather than waste my time and money, and they came up with an acceptable and workable approach that i am hoping will now be approved.

veronese68

Good luck OB. That's a big step in a long journey made of many little steps. That probably sounded better in my head. Hope it all goes well.
Glad the architect and planners are talking at last.

Santa cruzing

Really glad things are progressing now. Good luck with the move out to the flat!

whitebait01

Best of luck getting house sorted OB, sounds like you're getting somewhere with it! Reading about your progress is really inspiring, keep up the good work!

veronese68

Good luck with the move today. I hope all goes well for you.

hegyestomi

Good luck and keep us informed!

optimisticbiker

Well, we're in the flat. We being me and my carer/PA Anett (Hungarian, single, 37, trained masseuse & cute size 10 ) nearly didnt get here as hospital transport was booked for 1pm, turned up at 6pm, got lost and drove like a nutter, surprised my head still on my shoulders!

Internet flakey as via tethering on phone an signal not great...

cyclingprop

OptimisticBiker wrote:

Well, we're in the flat. We being me and my carer/PA Anett (Hungarian, single, 37, trained masseuse & cute size 10 ) nearly didnt get here as hospital transport was booked for 1pm, turned up at 6pm, got lost and drove like a nutter, surprised my head still on my shoulders!

Internet flakey as via tethering on phone an signal not great...

Well done

Congratulations on getting one who so visibly meets your criteria . Pictures?

arthur_scrimshaw

cyclingprop wrote:

OptimisticBiker wrote:

Well, we're in the flat. We being me and my carer/PA Anett (Hungarian, single, 37, trained masseuse & cute size 10 ) nearly didnt get here as hospital transport was booked for 1pm, turned up at 6pm, got lost and drove like a nutter, surprised my head still on my shoulders!

Internet flakey as via tethering on phone an signal not great...

Well done

Congratulations on getting one who so visibly meets your criteria . Pictures?

Yes good result!

optimisticbiker

no pics, sorry....

More importantly my friend Suzi is doing the Driffield Tri on May 19 raising money for the cause. Her fund raising page is http://www.justgiving.com/Suzi-D

and yes, I know about rule #42, but this is an exception!

spasypaddy

congrats on the move OB! Hope the good news keeps coming for you

Koncordski

Glad you're back at home, really pleased that you've got the beginnings of stability again. I know it sounds rather trite but keep your chin up, it's inspirational.

optimisticbiker

well been in the flat 2 weeks and on carer #2 (they do 2 week rotations). been out n about in power wheelchair, lots of nice coffee shops in Upper St. but the pavement potholes worse than the roads!

Got a wheelchair adapted vehicle (not one I can drive tho) arriving Saturday!

Still fighting the planners, they're not budging & its cost me arm and leg in architects fees for nothing....


Another unashamed plug for my friend Suzi...

https://www.justgiving.com/Suzi-D/

pangolin

OptimisticBiker wrote:

well been in the flat 2 weeks and on carer #2 (they do 2 week rotations). been out n about in power wheelchair, lots of nice coffee shops in Upper St. but the pavement potholes worse than the roads!

Got a wheelchair adapted vehicle (not one I can drive tho) arriving Saturday!

Still fighting the planners, they're not budging & its cost me arm and leg in architects fees for nothing....


Another unashamed plug for my friend Suzi...

https://www.justgiving.com/Suzi-D/

Glad to hear you are out and about OB! This is an amusing take on using a wheelchair you might find funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-D4ojtfI5c*

Sorry to hear the planners are still being arses though

*Not dodgy despite the title

rjsterry

Glad to hear you're settling in. I used to work just off Upper Street and remember Euphorium as a good place for lunch. When the weather was good, I'd sit in Canonbury Square to eat. Sorry to hear that the planners are still intransigent. FWIW, it's not unusual, although they do seem to be particularly unhelpful in this case.

optimisticbiker

Just a quick update as been a bit off colour last few days with yet another infection. Really knocks you back but feeling stronger now.

Having my own wheelchair adapted vehicle makes a huge difference. Got a KIA Sedona conversion that allows my wheelchair to be driven in the back and up to the front passenger location. So much better in terms of comfort and sociability than the van conversions that stick you up the back 'out of sight, out of mind'.

Went to Regents Park for lunch and a pootle round the lake, managed to get out in the sunshine (that was Spring wasn't it?). Ice cream never tasted so good, if somewhat messy Wistfully watched a couple of chain gangs riding round the park...

Also been to cinema to see the new Startrek movie, enjoyed it but only give it 8/10.

@rjsterry: Euphorium bakery is good, had lunch there with my brother.

Sacked my architect, planning issues were as much due to conflict of personalities as planning policy, interviewed 3 more and in process of choosing another. Have much better understanding of what to ask this time, you learn from your (relatively expensive) mistakes.

Finally got the police report - only taken them 6 months though legally they are required to make it available within 12 weeks. Can't say more at the mo, but was amazed at the level of incompetence and inaccuracy in there (one example of many: report says it was daylight at the time yet sunrise is actually over 45min later) so filing official complaint not that its going to make any difference.

veronese68

Good to hear from you OB, I was wondering how you were getting on the other day. Sorry to hear you've been unwell. I do find it irritating that you have so many little setbacks caused by the incompetence or unwillingness to help of other people when you'd think they would be trying to help.
Glad you've managed to get out and about a bit more and hopefully things will move along a bit better once you have appointed a better architect. Good luck with sorting the police report.

msmancunia

OB - Just an FYI - Chris F has left BC to go to Swimming; currently recruiting a replacement. If/when you feel ready to get back on some fast wheels PM me and I'll pick some brains.

rjsterry

Glad you liked Euphorium, OB. Can be habit forming, though. Sorry to hear you've had to get shot of your architect. There are some changes to Permitted Development rights coming in, which might be to your benefit. I'll check it out and report back.

optimisticbiker

Well the new architect is chalk n cheese... accurate drawings, proper sectional elevations, some really creative ideas on maximising space and above all, responsive with sub-hour turn-around on emails with comprehensive answers not content-free one-liners.

My current focus is on getting increased physio - NHS can only give me 1 x 1hr session/week and local gyms don't have wheelchair accessible kit or can't guarantee access to it when I go.

So looking for a reasonably priced (~£500) single-stack cable-pull multi-gym without a bench. Looked at the dual-stack ones with seperate bench but too big, too heavy for upstairs (gym + me + wheelchair is 400kg+) and most are £3k+! May end up modding a cheap single-stack unit and fabricating a new base to work with a wheel chair.

Also need a hand ergometer (bike trainer for arms), commercial units are expensive at £1500+, so looking at fabricating something based on a cheap bike trainer resistance unit.

cyclingprop

OptimisticBiker wrote:

Well the new architect is chalk n cheese... accurate drawings, proper sectional elevations, some really creative ideas on maximising space and above all, responsive with sub-hour turn-around on emails with comprehensive answers not content-free one-liners.

My current focus is on getting increased physio - NHS can only give me 1 x 1hr session/week and local gyms don't have wheelchair accessible kit or can't guarantee access to it when I go.

So looking for a reasonably priced (~£500) single-stack cable-pull multi-gym without a bench. Looked at the dual-stack ones with seperate bench but too big, too heavy for upstairs (gym + me + wheelchair is 400kg+) and most are £3k+! May end up modding a cheap single-stack unit and fabricating a new base to work with a wheel chair.

Also need a hand ergometer (bike trainer for arms), commercial units are expensive at £1500+, so looking at fabricating something based on a cheap bike trainer resistance unit.

Architect = fantastic news.

Arm trainer... who were the blow torch monkeys who fabricate things on here? Or is it too soon to suggest an arm bike on a turbo?

rjsterry

I would suggest SimonAH for such fettling, but he seems to have vanished. Good news on the change of architect, too.

veronese68

Good news on the architect OB, sorry but I have no idea on the gym stuff.

mrc1

Glad to hear things are progressing with the architect and everything else OB.

On the arm bike front - this is a possible long shot but

http://www.physiquesports.co.uk/products/warehouse-clearance-57-peices-of-technogym-exite-700-cardio-equipment.html

There is an arm bike in the Technogym Excite 700 range so they may well have one available in this clearance.

optimisticbiker

mrc1 wrote:

Glad to hear things are progressing with the architect and everything else OB.

On the arm bike front - this is a possible long shot but

http://www.physiquesports.co.uk/products/warehouse-clearance-57-peices-of-technogym-exite-700-cardio-equipment.html

There is an arm bike in the Technogym Excite 700 range so they may well have one available in this clearance.

Thanks for the link but sadly not

mrc1

No worries and sorry it didn't turn out to be too useful in the end. I have some contacts in this area so I'll ask around and see if I can find anything.

EDIT - More info....

http://www.fithire.com/hire/domestic/hand-bike/top-xt-hand-cycle.html There is this used one available but still a lot of cash.

optimisticbiker

Hi all,

Not posted recently as not been too good (and the heat is problematic) but getting back on top.

Well done to all who rode in RideLondon 100 yesterday. Was a bit down as had ballot place for this but couldnt give it to anyone TV coverage was a bit like passing a car crash for me... you know you shouldn't look but you can't help but do so... Fortunately some friends came over and took me out to lunch to take my mind off it

davis

I wondered the other day where you'd got to OB. Good to hear from you.