Riding and epilepsy

[roiscuba]

This is probably the wrong forum for this question but it seems as good as any, plus I wanted good exposure for this question before the moderators moved it for me. Hey, it does involve my FJR after all.

Anyways, new girlfriend is really liking riding on the back of my bike but she's a bit concerned about longer distance riding because she suffers from epilepsy. Not the seizure type, but more the "space out for a few seconds" type. Since fatigue seems to be a trigger for her, and she's noticed that when we ride around Phoenix she gets a little tired, she is scared that she may suffer an episode while on a longer ride. Specifically, she's scared of falling off the bike.

I'm positive this is not the first time this has been an issue with fellow riders so I'm asking for opinions and solutions that you may have found.

I seem to recall a harness type of device that is used with small children but girlfriend immediatly nixxed that idea because it drew too much attention to her.

If anyone would rather contact me privately, you can email me at my hotmail address : copmagnetstudio

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Luke]

I have heard of a belt device that the rider wears that has two loops placed on the sides . The passenger slips their wrists through the loops to hang onto the rider. This device used in conjunction with a backrest might work for the situation. Someone else here may know what this device is called.

 

[mdisher]

Wow,

How big is she? I would do all I can to keep her comfy, stop often enough to keep her fresh. Tethering a kid or small person to you is one thing, but a larger person, going 'dead weight' on you IMHO wouldn't be so good.

I don't know enough about her situation to know if she might recover before the two of you hit the tarmac but I don't know if I'd want to risk that either.

Perhaps you need to keep the rides short on the FJR and consider something like a Wing or LT that would be easier to 'strap' her in ???

 

[James]

I seem to recall a harness type of device that is used with small children but girlfriend immediatly nixxed that idea because it drew too much attention to her.

I've seen suits that had velcro on the back of the driver's suit & the front of the passenger's. I would think you/someone could sew a set on an existing outfits using a color that wasn't too obnoxious in a reasonable pattern. If she thought she was getting tired just give you a hug & she's there till you pull yourselves apart . If you don't like it or it doesn't work, take them off. I was concidering it w/a previous S.O., but that fell apart before I tried it.

James

 

[Rogue]

I have heard about pillons taking naps on the back of wings but there is more support on those.

 

[Rickster]

I would recommend you and her and her doctor discussing it together.

 

[jestal]

Why not a taller than average back rest and put the velcro on the back rest pad and on the back of her jacket?? With a black backrest and a snug fitting black jacket the extra support would go unnoticed and she could still lean forward and unhook herself if she wanted to move around.

What you are describing really has some potentially serious issues. Not only could she completely fall off but even letting a foot slide off the peg could cause injuries or other serious problems. You might really want to consider the worst case consequences and just keep the rides short....

Now for the lighter side. True story. A close friend of mine picked his totally drunk brother up from a party on his chopper. He sat his brother on the back seat, leaned him against the sissy bar and tied his belt around him to keep him from falling off. All the way home his brother would occasionally start flailing his arms (which were tied under the belt...) and my friend (who was not totally sober either...) would just elbow him until he stopped. When he got home he discovered why his brother was flailing around. His feet had fallen off the pegs and were dragging on the ground and had worn thru the toes of his boots. He was too drunk to even help himself so his toes were all raw and torn up.... They told him he won a contest climbing a coconut tree at the party and that is why his feet were so scratched up. He believed them for years until the truth leaked out. As funny and unlikely as this sounds I heard it the exact same way from both brothers and another person so it proves that the belt to the sissy bar works.

 

[Luke]

Jestal, now that's a FUNNY story!!!!!!!!

 

[madmike2]

Anyways, new girlfriend is really liking riding on the back of my bike but she's a bit concerned about longer distance riding because she suffers from epilepsy. Not the seizure type, but more the "space out for a few seconds" type. Since fatigue seems to be a trigger for her, and she's noticed that when we ride around Phoenix she gets a little tired, she is scared that she may suffer an episode while on a longer ride. Specifically, she's scared of falling off the bike.

The "space out for a few seconds" may not be as dangerous as the seizure type, but if it happened in the middle of a corner or evasive maneuver I doubt the results would be good for either of you.

IMO, you need to find her "fatigue limit". Chart it, keep a record of when incidents occur, etc. If you have to, get off the bike every 1/2 hr. to 45 minutes and hydrate, stretch, talk or whatever then get back on the bike. Start with shorter rides of a couple of hours and see how it goes as you expand your range.

There are a couple of riders I have ridden with who MUST stop and hydrate and have a snack so their blood sugar stays stable. We merely plan our "rest stops" within the parameters of their need. It certainly doesn't diminsh the joy and fun we have together. Perhaps this is a direction you might want to pursue.

+1 on the backrest with velcro. You might even want to think about using "foot boards (designed by a forum member for the FJR) and perhaps some armrests attached to Garauld's rack (w/ backrest). There are creative ways to make this a possible shared passion.

+1 on discussing it, in person, with her doctor. Keep him in the loop and both of you informed as to warning signs and worse-case scenarios. I assume she does NOT have a drivers license?

 

[rogdeb]

I seem to recall a harness type of device that is used with small children but girlfriend immediatly nixxed that idea because it drew too much attention to her.
If anyone would rather contact me privately, you can email me at my hotmail address : copmagnetstudio

Thanks for any suggestions.

That would be the "buddy belt" you are refering to. www.buddybelt.com

I should get one for Debs, she nods off on the back sometimes mostly after a good lunch.