optimisticbiker reborn
Comments
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19754607#p19754607]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:I was thinking that you'd disappeared quite recently.
Sorry to hear you'd been in a bad place, sadly seems quite common for life changing stuff.
That FES leg bike sounds fascinating, I use handbikes for work occasionally and see David Wier and co wizz around the park now and then, but hadn't heard of a FES bike.
Glad things are getting sorted slowly.
Well this is a static exerciser. The researchers from UCL I've been working with have a recumbent trike fitted with the same technology, but its an older steel-frame beast that weighs nearly 22kg so is fairly hard to get going. My longer term goal is a very lightweight semi-recumbent trike based on a carbon fibre monocoque with both hand and FES leg power and electric assist for the hills.
Ooh fascinating used to see a guy at the local Hydropool that had built the most amazing off road wheelchair, got the frame from some where, and then massive high torque motors, big fat tyres etc and a lot cheaper, which is never a bad thing!0 -
You don't know who he is by any chance?[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19754607#p19754607]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:I was thinking that you'd disappeared quite recently.
Sorry to hear you'd been in a bad place, sadly seems quite common for life changing stuff.
That FES leg bike sounds fascinating, I use handbikes for work occasionally and see David Wier and co wizz around the park now and then, but hadn't heard of a FES bike.
Glad things are getting sorted slowly.
Well this is a static exerciser. The researchers from UCL I've been working with have a recumbent trike fitted with the same technology, but its an older steel-frame beast that weighs nearly 22kg so is fairly hard to get going. My longer term goal is a very lightweight semi-recumbent trike based on a carbon fibre monocoque with both hand and FES leg power and electric assist for the hills.
Ooh fascinating used to see a guy at the local Hydropool that had built the most amazing off road wheelchair, got the frame from some where, and then massive high torque motors, big fat tyres etc and a lot cheaper, which is never a bad thing!Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19755151#p19755151]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:You don't know who he is by any chance?[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19754607#p19754607]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:I was thinking that you'd disappeared quite recently.
Sorry to hear you'd been in a bad place, sadly seems quite common for life changing stuff.
That FES leg bike sounds fascinating, I use handbikes for work occasionally and see David Wier and co wizz around the park now and then, but hadn't heard of a FES bike.
Glad things are getting sorted slowly.
Well this is a static exerciser. The researchers from UCL I've been working with have a recumbent trike fitted with the same technology, but its an older steel-frame beast that weighs nearly 22kg so is fairly hard to get going. My longer term goal is a very lightweight semi-recumbent trike based on a carbon fibre monocoque with both hand and FES leg power and electric assist for the hills.
Ooh fascinating used to see a guy at the local Hydropool that had built the most amazing off road wheelchair, got the frame from some where, and then massive high torque motors, big fat tyres etc and a lot cheaper, which is never a bad thing!
Sorry no last saw him 2 years ago can't remeber his name, my memory (1) was he was a engineer either by trade or hobby and so he had planned it all out, and then got local lads wanting to learn to help/do the lifting while he showed them the clever stuff.
(1) my memory is not what it was since I cracked my skull and some wee bleeds on the brain, so could be wrong about the engineer and the lads part.0 -
No probs Roger. I have a feeling I've come across him somewhere - Youtube maybe.
Sorry to hear about your memory issues. I've struggled a bit with cognitive issues, e.g. getting dates wrong in diary, confusing date with time etc. Probably medication related, the anti-spasm stuff lists cognitive impairment as a side effect, but I can't do without.
Working on a wheelchair design myself too, but needs to be indoor as well as outdoor/off-road.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19755151#p19755151]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:You don't know who he is by any chance?[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19754607#p19754607]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:I was thinking that you'd disappeared quite recently.
Sorry to hear you'd been in a bad place, sadly seems quite common for life changing stuff.
That FES leg bike sounds fascinating, I use handbikes for work occasionally and see David Wier and co wizz around the park now and then, but hadn't heard of a FES bike.
Glad things are getting sorted slowly.
Well this is a static exerciser. The researchers from UCL I've been working with have a recumbent trike fitted with the same technology, but its an older steel-frame beast that weighs nearly 22kg so is fairly hard to get going. My longer term goal is a very lightweight semi-recumbent trike based on a carbon fibre monocoque with both hand and FES leg power and electric assist for the hills.
Ooh fascinating used to see a guy at the local Hydropool that had built the most amazing off road wheelchair, got the frame from some where, and then massive high torque motors, big fat tyres etc and a lot cheaper, which is never a bad thing!
Sorry no last saw him 2 years ago can't remeber his name, my memory (1) was he was a engineer either by trade or hobby and so he had planned it all out, and then got local lads wanting to learn to help/do the lifting while he showed them the clever stuff.
(1) my memory is not what it was since I cracked my skull and some wee bleeds on the brain, so could be wrong about the engineer and the lads part.Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19756556#p19756556]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:No probs Roger. I have a feeling I've come across him somewhere - Youtube maybe.
Sorry to hear about your memory issues. I've struggled a bit with cognitive issues, e.g. getting dates wrong in diary, confusing date with time etc. Probably medication related, the anti-spasm stuff lists cognitive impairment as a side effect, but I can't do without.
Working on a wheelchair design myself too, but needs to be indoor as well as outdoor/off-road.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19755151#p19755151]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:You don't know who he is by any chance?[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19754607#p19754607]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:I was thinking that you'd disappeared quite recently.
Sorry to hear you'd been in a bad place, sadly seems quite common for life changing stuff.
That FES leg bike sounds fascinating, I use handbikes for work occasionally and see David Wier and co wizz around the park now and then, but hadn't heard of a FES bike.
Glad things are getting sorted slowly.
Well this is a static exerciser. The researchers from UCL I've been working with have a recumbent trike fitted with the same technology, but its an older steel-frame beast that weighs nearly 22kg so is fairly hard to get going. My longer term goal is a very lightweight semi-recumbent trike based on a carbon fibre monocoque with both hand and FES leg power and electric assist for the hills.
Ooh fascinating used to see a guy at the local Hydropool that had built the most amazing off road wheelchair, got the frame from some where, and then massive high torque motors, big fat tyres etc and a lot cheaper, which is never a bad thing!
Sorry no last saw him 2 years ago can't remeber his name, my memory (1) was he was a engineer either by trade or hobby and so he had planned it all out, and then got local lads wanting to learn to help/do the lifting while he showed them the clever stuff.
(1) my memory is not what it was since I cracked my skull and some wee bleeds on the brain, so could be wrong about the engineer and the lads part.
A I'll ask my college who hasn't had a bump on his head so may remeber! most wheelchairs seem stuck in the being pushed around a hospital mentality. can't cope well with pavements let alone much else worse. remarkably awkward on slopes as well.
do let us know how it goes re the chair and other stuff, genuinely intrested.
epilepsy medication does tend to be heavy.0 -
Most NHS wheelchairs are 'indoor use' limited to 4mph, solid tyres, and drive like boats with 'worst case' controller programming. So-called outdoor chairs can do 6 or 8mph but are often too big to use indoors. Trouble is there's precious little else around unless you spend several £k and you're still stuck with antediluvian lead-acid batteries and brushed motors in designs that are 25+ years old. Lithium batteries and decent brushless motors just haven't been adopted because there's no incentive for manufacturers to innovate.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19756556#p19756556]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:No probs Roger. I have a feeling I've come across him somewhere - Youtube maybe.
Sorry to hear about your memory issues. I've struggled a bit with cognitive issues, e.g. getting dates wrong in diary, confusing date with time etc. Probably medication related, the anti-spasm stuff lists cognitive impairment as a side effect, but I can't do without.
Working on a wheelchair design myself too, but needs to be indoor as well as outdoor/off-road.
A I'll ask my college who hasn't had a bump on his head so may remeber! most wheelchairs seem stuck in the being pushed around a hospital mentality. can't cope well with pavements let alone much else worse. remarkably awkward on slopes as well.
do let us know how it goes re the chair and other stuff, genuinely intrested.
epilepsy medication does tend to be heavy.Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph0 -
I was looking at something the other day and came across this, which I thought looked interesting
http://www.actiontrackchair.com/Default.aspx#.VmluUdKLTRY0 -
Interesting but completely useless.
Let me explain why.
#1 - its 37" wide so won't go through most doors and 52" long so you need a small van to transport it, and a second car to transport you.
#2 - its tracked so uses skid-steering. That kills batteries FAST and destroys the ground under it so useless on carpet, nice lawns, etc.
#3 - a range of 4 - 6miles is optimistic at best, maybe with brand new fully charged 70Ah batteries (only 40Ah actually usable @ 24v = 960W). It weighs 160kg without driver, that's twice what mine weighs and I get 8 miles on pavement if I'm lucky.
#4 - the batteries will get so heavily discharged that they'll last maybe 6 months, at £240+ a set...
#5 - only legally usable on private land
#6 - £7k+ UK price
The spec for my own design, using high-efficiency brushless motors and 3.6kW/48v/90Ah (100% usable) of lithium iron phosphate batteries (the ones that don't burn!) is <70kg, 26" wide x 32" long so useful indoors and outside, 5" wide low-pressure turf tyres for good off road/soft surface grip plus suspension on crappy pavements, 15mph top speed (where permitted). 4 x battery capacity should give 40mile+ range and a 10y battery life. Cost, about £2kI was looking at something the other day and came across this, which I thought looked interesting
http://www.actiontrackchair.com/Default.aspx#.VmluUdKLTRYInvacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph0 -
Much respect OB - and thanks for the update.
I find it very sad that when the worst happens there is so little support. I had to put my mother into a home recently and the crap you have go through makes a bad situation worse.
Anyway keep the faith - and hope things pick up for you in 20160 -
Happy New Year all...
Can't recall if I posted this before, but some good news is I've now got a Personal Health Budget so get direct payment from the NHS for my carers. Means I now employ them directly and not via an agency (who took ~50% of the budget) and can pay then nearly double what they were getting before - gives me continuity of care and a better working relationship. Now negotiating with NHS on funding a new wheelchair in cash rather than some random 'whatever is in stock' or a voucher which is next to useless.
@KR, its true you have to fight for everything - and when it takes all your energy just to get through the day just makes it harder still. But I'm a fighter :x and fast learning the system. Because I'm the first 'service user' to employ directly I've been working with the top brass in the local NHS Continuing Care group so making some useful contacts both in the local authority and in the wider London funding group. Going to the top definitely gets things moving...
Funding for my FESBike project is slow, just £300 so far, but the story has been picked up by a local newspaper so hopefully that might drum up some local support.Much respect OB - and thanks for the update.
I find it very sad that when the worst happens there is so little support. I had to put my mother into a home recently and the crap you have go through makes a bad situation worse.
Anyway keep the faith - and hope things pick up for you in 2016Invacare Spectra Plus electric wheelchair, max speed 4mph0 -
Happy new year OB. I fully intend to stick a little something in this pot at some point, just waiting for finances to settle down after Christmas. Others may be in the same boat so keep us posted and it will remind me. Lots of little somethings will add up I'm sure.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19771751#p19771751]OptimisticBiker[/url] wrote:Happy New Year all...
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Funding for my FESBike project is slow, just £300 so far, but the story has been picked up by a local newspaper so hopefully that might drum up some local support.0 -
It's been a while since we heard anything from OB on here, 4 years on from the accident. Has anyone any news?
Hope the leg bike was sorted, or at least in progress?0
