Some health issues have kept me off of my bike for the last month. An attempted ride last weekend convinced me that I ought to stay off the bike for a week or so more.

It's strange to adjust to life out of the saddle, especially during the warmer half of the year. Because I'm not physically able to bike without significant discomfort, I don't feel too guilty about taking time off. But it does feel strange to not ride for so long. Even in the winter, I rarely take off more than a week or two at a stretch.

I've had friends in the past who have been sidelined off of their bikes due to various injuries, usually back or knee problems. I know that it frustrated them, perhaps most of all because they wondered if they'd ever be able to get back on the bike. Luckily, my hiatus should pretty certainly last no longer than 6 weeks at the longest.

Being off the bike makes me appreciate the time spent on it all the more. I am glad to be able-bodied and I am glad that the bicycle exists to allow me to transport myself in a low-cost, highly-efficient, healthy manner. It makes me hope that anyone who has any kind of minimal physical ability has access to riding a bicycle.

Luckily, where there is a will, there is a way. Special modified bicycles exist (though they aren’t as widely available or cheap as standard bikes) for various differently-abled types of folk.

HANDCYCLES
Though Wisconsin DOT and the Bicycle Federation are still working to change the state definition of bicycle to include handcycles. It’s a no brainer that a bike propelled by hands is as much a vehicle as a standard foot propelled bike.
-The Handcycle Store: http://bike-on.com/
-Lightning Handcycles: http://www.handcycle.com/photo.htm
-Freedom Rider: http://www.freedomryder.com/
-Off road handcycles: http://www.oneoffhandcycle.com/
-USA Handcycling: http://www.ushandcycling.org/2008/

RECUMBENTS
For those who find the traditional biking position uncomfortable or unmanageable, or just prefer life in an easy chair:
-Hostel Shoppe (Stevens Point): http://www.hostelshoppe.com/
-Wheel and Sprocket (locations throughout eastern WI): http://wheelandsprocket.com/
-Budget Bicycle (Madison)

TRICYCLES
I’ve got a friend at work who’s on the outlook for a cheap trike cause she’s got balance issues. I wouldn’t mind having one myself for the geek-coolness factor and unparalleled stability in winter:
-Industrial Bicycles: http://www.industrialbicycles.com/
-Worksman Cycles: http://www.worksmancycles.com/
-Trailmate: http://www.trailmate.com/adultTrikes.cfm

MODIFIED CYCLES
For special needs:
-Bike Buddy (special tandems for the autistic and others): http://www.buddybike.com/
-Lose The Training Wheels (program that uses adaptive bikes to transition kids to conventional bikes): http://www.losethetrainingwheels.org
-Super Sized Cycles (for plus sized folks): http://www.supersizedcycles.com/

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