Wheels on the ground

I really should have worn a belt.

That was the thought pounding through my head as I began my day of testing tricycles.

Mom, Dad, Claren and I drove down to Lynchburg, Va., to meet the wonderful folks with Wheels on the James who work with a company called Ambucs to provide trikes for people like me.

Well, OK, younger people like me, usually way younger.

Everyone there looking at trikes was looking for their kids. But there was one guy with a trike who was 31. I am actually getting his (more on that later.)

It was pretty awesome. Everyone there was great and kind and interested. The only bad thing is that the day convinced me that I need to give up the idea of riding a foot-cycle. I had hoped that Ambucs had enough adaptions to make a foot-cycle possible, and we tried most of the adaptions. But it just didn't work.

First, my feet don't push on the pedal. My feet wind up almost straight as my ankles extend completely. We tried a pedal that was a platform not a pedal, but my ankle still bent straight down.

We also tried to solve my floppy knees. They had a strap to keep them from flopping out. They also had a knee separator to prevent flopping in.

I also tried a trike with pedals below me not in front, but that had what was called a tractor seat that I felt unsafe on.

So I tried hand-cycles. They were better than mine but similar. Then I tried the one the son of the founder rides.    

Instead of sitting, your legs stick out in front next to the front wheel, similar to this.

It felt good, I told them, so they gave it to me. If we had room to bring it home, I'd have it now. Instead they are going to dissemble it and ship it to me.

Awesome.