When to accept that something is no longer safe

[tss502]

Hi all,

My husband has early-onset alzheimers but is still physically very fit and active. He loves cycling, but it is becoming a bit of a problem because I cannot keep up with him and I am worried that he will get lost when we are out together. We have a carer who comes in once a week and goes cycling with him which is working well. However, I haven't been out with my husband since September as I'm not keen on cycling in the winter.

On Saturday we went out with a local group which was a new experience for us, and all very positive up to a point. It was easier in some respects because my husband could keep pace with the faster members of the group and I could go at my own pace without worrying too much about where he was. However, as I haven't been out with him for a while I did observe that he's not as safe on the road as he used to be. There were no major issues until right at the end of the cycle ride when we were coming back through the city on some fairly busy roads. He got ahead of the ride leader at a traffic junction and then hesitated when the traffic moved off, as he didn't know which way he should be going. He ended up hitting a traffic barrier and catapulting over the top of it onto the opposite carriageway and was quite lucky he didn't get hit by a car.

This has frightened me. I tried to play it down at the time as I didn't want to scare him, but I am worried that he is not safe to be out on his bike any more. The bike is his life and I think if I had to tell him that he can no longer cycle then he would consider that life is not worth living.

Should I be attempting to stop him cycling now for his own safety or would it be better to continue to do so in as safe a way as possible, accepting that there may be an accident at some point?

 

[Selinacroft]

Sorry to hear about your husband's mishap recently. I am wondering if you could try and transfer his interest o a static form of cycling perhaps in a gym or spinning or an indoor cycle track, something away from the traffic. Do you have any means to transport bikes out to safer areas-parks or beach promeade, or weekend breaks in place like Centrepark. They might not be met with much enthusiasm but perhaps better than giving up cycling altogether

 

[tss502]

Sorry to hear about your husband's mishap recently. I am wondering if you could try and transfer his interest o a static form of cycling perhaps in a gym or spinning or an indoor cycle track, something away from the traffic. Do you have any means to transport bikes out to safer areas-parks or beach promeade, or weekend breaks in place like Centrepark. They might not be met with much enthusiasm but perhaps better than giving up cycling altogether

Thanks Selinacroft. We don't have a car so slightly more difficult to transport the bikes, but we do have very good local train line and have in the past taken the bikes on the train. There's lots of off-road cycle tracks nearby and I think we may have to stick to them! I think also once we came back into the city centre I should have insisted on him getting off and us pushing our bikes on the pavement rather than following the rest of the group into the traffic. I will have to do this next time - out on quieter country roads it is generally OK.

 

[stanleypj]

A very difficult one. It certainly sounds, from what you say, that there are now considerable risks to him being out on fairly busy city roads. However, as Selina says, there are alternatives and, although he would probably feel that these are not the same, his safety is the number one priority. I'm not at all sure that anyone is very safe cycling on fairly busy city roads these days.

 

[nitram]

Tandem, you steering with him as the power house at the back?

(Slightly in jest, but it may just be feasible, you could see if you could hire one for a trial)

 

[Hellyg]

How about mountain biking? He can enjoy cycling but away from the dangers of traffic.

My husband is a cyclist and has Frontotemporal dementia, luckily he does not get lost, although I do worry about his judgement long term. I am trying to encourage more mountain biking over road cycling.

 

[jugglingmum]

I do a lot of cycling and Nitram's tandem comment might be worth considering, depending on your respective heights and if he could tolerate you steering.

Most tandems are built for a taller or similar height front person compared to the back. It is also much more physically demanding to steer a tandem than a solo, I've steered with my son on the back and you are handling the combined weight of both of you.

As far as cycling in groups is concerned, the etiquette (cycling has a lot) is often for no one to run ahead of the designated ride leader, and to stay in tight formation, including when going round junctions to keep to your place in the group. Would he listen to the leader if this was explained and would this help? Perhaps if you enlist the runs leader to explain it to him?

With regard to mountain biking, I don't think this is any safer than road cycling for someone with impaired visual perception and judgement, whilst there are no cars, if it is proper off road, as opposed to wide gravel forestry tracks then this requires a lot of continual judgements to be made whilst riding at speed, as every bit of track is uneven unlike smooth tarmac. Most mountain bikers have stack(crashes) and little offs, whereas most road cyclists don't.

I think off road cycle tracks sound a good idea, sustrans maps provide a wealth of these.

 

[BazArcher]

Hi tss
Someone mentioned a tandem and believe me its the best thing I bought last year as we too are cyclists or rather I am more the racing the one the oh who has AZ was more a social rider.
I had a stressful two years before the doctors decided that my diagnosis was probably right after seeing her mum go the same way and I'd started making the usual big plans about what to do which have pretty much gone to pot already, but the tandem I bought off amazon has been a godsend it was the best 300 pounds I have ever spent in my life.
In our case its definitely front wheel drive as I'm doing the steering but we're together and enjoying it plus its a good work out for me as I tend to want to go faster so obviously end up doing the lions share. I cannot tell you how much fun it is as we bomb along the tracks in thetford forest the looks from other folks as a tandem is a rare sight especially off road.
The good news is our club folks are aware of my oh illness and have been a fantastic support, I'm sure most cycling clubs near you will be the same if I can suggest finding one which isn't so race orientated and more social.

baz