Post AjEi4JWRh08Rl5EJ84 by mogul@hachyderm.io
(DIR) More posts by mogul@hachyderm.io
(DIR) Post #AjEi4E89jsjd2IpL4i by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:04:27Z
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#ebike conversions are rad in the first place, but I want to talk about why I teared up when I finally spent the money to have this done. https://hachyderm.io/@mogul/112594371862253399I've had peripheral neuropathy in my feet since 2020. I'm constantly oscillating between being in pain and being medicated to the point of stupidity. I telework and couldn't handle a bunch of walking associated with a commute, so I don't get out much. 1/
(DIR) Post #AjEi4FNn5Epqv59L5E by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:06:40Z
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In 2020 I was in the best shape of my life. Back then I was periodically running half or full marathons, and working out 3x a week. In 2024 I'm in the worst shape of my life, sedentary and 60lbs heavier. I can't jump or run. I can't even walk more than about 30 minutes, and I can't do yoga. Pretty much anything that involves impact or hard pressure on my feet is intolerable. That includes *drum roll* pushing hard on pedals when riding a bike. So I haven't ridden this bike since 2020. 2/
(DIR) Post #AjEi4GTV1UzoJ4pPcW by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:13:02Z
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The person who did the #ebike conversion for me is a former nurse. He listened patiently and compassionately as I told him how nervous and hopeful I was that this conversion would change my situation. I talked about how I used to ride around the lake near my home, a hot-spot for mountain-biking, and how I'd been terrified to ride the bike somewhere and then end up stuck because my feet hurt too much to pedal home. I was pretty keyed up after pouring this all out. 3/
(DIR) Post #AjEi4HQhTOLpGgWgtc by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:16:49Z
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I told him the conversion process was very intimidating for me because I wasn't a bike-fixing person in the first place, and all the information online made it hard to know if I was going to order the right parts and even then end up with a half-done project, since most days my medication drains me of the brainpower needed to complete anything but the simplest and most essential tasks. 4/
(DIR) Post #AjEi4IR5jQG4OBiW92 by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:29:10Z
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This was, obviously, Too Much Information, a hallmark of interacting with me.After listening, he confirmed my suspicion that a proper #ebike conversion would allow me to pedal lightly (or even not at all) when I was hurting. He had a battery big enough to get me around the lake, even with those extra 60 lbs. He told me confidently that I had a great bike for the conversion, that he'd done hundreds of them, and that he could have it all done for me by the next day.THE. NEXT. DAY. 5/
(DIR) Post #AjEi4JWRh08Rl5EJ84 by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:32:55Z
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So I left the bike in this stranger's garage and drove away. But I had to pull over in the next few minutes, because I couldn't stop crying. The compassion and encouragement he'd shown me, his eagerness to help, the prospect of having freedom and even some measure of fitness be possible again *tomorrow*, all of it just wrung sobs out of me that had been bottled up since 2020. I knew my world had become small but I didn't realize just how much burden I was carrying until then. 6/
(DIR) Post #AjEi4KArGkSfmQ8a7U by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:39:07Z
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I picked up the bike the next day and tested it by tearing up a hill in front of his house, getting used to the throttle and adjusting the power output. And I started to get really, really excited, recognizing how close I was to being able to get out of the house and see nature and my community without a car again. To bike with a friend even! 7/
(DIR) Post #AjEi4KoCuRw9kSY0S8 by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:49:33Z
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I've done some test rides, running a few errands around town to get used to the bike. And now I've got a ride around the lake with a friend scheduled for tomorrow morning. This is actually happening! I can't believe how much more optimistic I am after just a week. A huge change in my quality of life. 8/
(DIR) Post #AjEi4OPtUmriwDCe6y by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-22T02:52:00Z
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So: #ebikes. Not just good for the climate crisis, not just fun, but a lifeline for people with mobility restrictions like me. #disability I'm lucky I could afford to do this. Now we need #ebikeVouchers so everyone can can get one, get out of the house, and ditch their dinosaur-burner. And if you've been thinking about getting an ebike or converting a regular bike, and you have the means, get on with it!9/9
(DIR) Post #AjEi4Rn2xAATOt3g7E by mogul@hachyderm.io
2024-06-23T17:57:10Z
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EPILOGUE: https://hachyderm.io/@mogul/112667221542777171