Above knee amputee

[Deleted member 43763]

So far I have a grand total of about 10 miles on my new bike. I have been riding a trike the past few years. The trike is great but it does not fit everywhere I wanna go.
I bought an ebike mostly to help on the hills in the Pittsburgh area and to extend my range on the many bike trails.
Balance is an issue that seems better on the bike than on my prosthesis. Working on that.
And today I am going to try mountain bike shoes for the first time ever. Hopefully I find some that I can walk in and they retain my fake foot on the pedal.
I am also trying to find the right saddle height because my fake knee does not have enough flexion. Doesn't bend very much.
Also, I am currently over weight and working on correcting that within reason.
That 10 miles may seem short but it proves with a few adaptions this is going to be awesome.

 

[TOOSLOW]

Good for you!
The journey starts with the first step, or in your case, the first ten miles.

 

[Deleted member 43763]

Got shoes today. Size 14.5

 

[rarobo]

I have right knee flex issues after right leg injuries and knee replacement, was told I would need to stop riding, I couldn’t keep my foot on , what I did to solve the issue I installed 150mm crank arms, mades very little different on a ebike , and I set my seat as high as possible and I installed a redshift stop shock stem to get my upright position, I can now easily do a 50 mile ride, good luck to you, looks like you are on your way

 

[Deleted member 43763]

I have right knee flex issues after right leg injuries and knee replacement, was told I would need to stop riding, I couldn’t keep my foot on , what I did to solve the issue I installed 150mm crank arms, mades very little different on a ebike , and I set my seat as high as possible and I installed a redshift stop shock stem to get my upright position, I can now easily do a 50 mile ride, good luck to you, looks like you are on your way

I am almost okay with flexion but I may try a crank arm shortener on one side before changing the arm.

 

[Dale in Boulder]

I am an above the knee amputee also. I use two things that make biking much easier. One is a crank arm shortener which you mentioned in your last post. It works very well on the prosthetic side to limit the range of motion required and make the pedaling much smoother. The second thing was adding magnetic pedals to the bike. This involves screwing a steel plate to the bottom of your bike shoes. The number of magnets in each pedal can be adjusted to find the sweet spot between keeping your foot on the pedal but allowing you to pull off when necessary. I found the magnetic pedals at maglockbikepedal.com

 

[Bitmugger]

Great stuff! Never too late to get out an enjoy yourself! You're going to love ebiking.

 

[Deleted member 43763]

I am an above the knee amputee also. I use two things that make biking much easier. One is a crank arm shortener which you mentioned in your last post. It works very well on the prosthetic side to limit the range of motion required and make the pedaling much smoother. The second thing was adding magnetic pedals to the bike. This involves screwing a steel plate to the bottom of your bike shoes. The number of magnets in each pedal can be adjusted to find the sweet spot between keeping your foot on the pedal but allowing you to pull off when necessary. I found the magnetic pedals at maglockbikepedal.com

Thanks. MagLock is what I am looking at. Already had the clip in pedals here for my trike but never used them. Shoes were hard to find. (14.5)
Do you use the stronger magnetic?

 

[Deleted member 43763]

Great stuff! Never too late to get out an enjoy yourself! You're going to love ebiking.

It’s scary at first. I sit way higher but roll easier. And feel a bit more normal.

 

[Bitmugger]

It’s scary at first. I sit way higher but roll easier. And feel a bit more normal.

Yeah I'd bike by you 10 times before I ever noticed your leg, you just look like every other rider, even in your pic. Bike with a pant leg and nobody will even look twice.

 

[Dale in Boulder]

Hi Goodleg: You can use up to six magnets per pedal. I think I use 4 on the sound side and 3 on the prosthetic side, but it required a bit of experimentation. The magnets are remarkably strong. I purchased the Stealth Magnetic Pedals which are the cheaper of the two choices. They have another model with up to 10 magnets per pedal. The six magnet pedal has more than enough holding power for me.

 

[Deleted member 43763]

Just an update;
The clip in pedals and shoes are working for me. I did buy closer panels for the shoe on the sound side but I need retention on the prosthetic side.
I ride with more confidence now and climbed a few hills to get myself home.
As of today I have lost 19 pounds to improve my health.
Never stop improving.

 

[Bitmugger]

Thats fantastic sounding. I'm not in your situation but I've been tempted to try clips. I've never used them and always wanted to try. Losing 20lbs probably feels great too!

 

[Deleted member 43763]

Update:
I am riding better, longer and more confident. Along with eating less I have lost 30 pounds so far.
The cleat is holding my prosthetic foot in place and I use a closure panel on the other side. Weird but it works.
The electric assist lets me climb hills near my home so I am not dependent on someone coming to get me.

 

[Bitmugger]

30lbs! It was 20lbs last report so keep up the good work! Don't worry about how much you lose though, worry about how much you ride! Lol. Sounds like you are getting some miles put on your bike!

 

[ActionJackson]

I have lost 30 pounds

Awesome !!