A Man And His Ideas

The Newbility Bicycle This is the story of Newbility - the new ability to ride my bicycle When I started riding in 2007, because of the MS in the left leg I was unable to do a standing bike mount.  After practice, to mount/dismount, I would lay the bike left side down, extend my left arm and put the handlebar, once stable, I could wing the right leg over the frame placing it in the space between the crank and front wheel. The handlebar dropdowns, while a little rocky on the ground, acting as a balance and stabilizing aid. Once both feet were between the bike frame and wheels, I could lift the bike, clip in and ride.  In January 2016, a new relapse affected the right leg preventing me from stepping over the frame. For many reasons could not ride my road bike safely. One day feeling confident, I decided to ride my mountain bike on the local bike path. In the driveway, leaning on the car, I mounted the bike, I figured a short ride and home to dismount.  After about a ha...

Propel Adaptive Cycling Pedal I have multiple sclerosis. The disease inflicts neurological trauma and causes nerve-muscule fatigue. An MS attack will limit nerve conduction and in turn, limit muscle to-from engagement.  Nerve fiber conduction has the same four conduction conditions, normal, resistive, open, and shorts as wired circuits.  Open and shorted nerve fibers can exhibit a permanent disability. However, the brian's neuroplasticity can develop adaptive circuits. The Propel pedal began as an adaptive device as a workaround for my MS disability challenges to pedal the trike.  However, the research and development to make the adaptive pedal discovered a new pedaling performance and methodology for all cyclists.  I am a USMC veteran, 68-71.  When an MS release prevented me from doing an upright bike mount, I petitioned the VA's Adaptive Sports Program for a recumbent trike. Before the VA would approve the trike purchase, I had to prove I could ride the trik...

Denver Post Newspaper Boy Joseph Flanigan, Loveland, Colorado. September 2016 Sometimes when I am cycling, I think about 1961, I was 11 years old, and the two years I delivered The Denver Post newspaper near our home in Aurora, Colorado. I remember Mr. Colten, the Denver Post paperboy manager, and my job of delivering the Denver Post every day. Every afternoon and Sunday morning to pick up the papers, for my route,  I would ride my bike about a mile and a half to a converted garage called the newspaper shack. Inside, attached to the walls, were folding benches. The Denver Post truck would drop bundles of papers off at the newspaper shack where the boys would unbundle and count out the number of papers for their routes. Carrying the stack, they would go to their assigned folding bench, fold, rubber band and load the papers into the bike bags. Often there was a race to see who was fastest. Once loaded, each boy road to their route. A good route was 50 papers. Canvas bags wra...

Joseph’s MS Bike Joseph’s MS Bike explains Multiple Sclerosis. While at a yard sale, laying on the lawn was a dirty old steel bike for $10.  Something about it attracted my attention. The rusted chain hung off the crank gears. The shredded cabling rubber dangled out of the shifter.  The bent wheels would never roll.  The seat rotted away a long time ago, leaving only the metal frame. The logos and markings were long gone. For an offer of $5, I took it home and stashed it in the corner of the garage, and I forgot about it. As an ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, I give talks about MS and my life with MS. One morning, a dream memory remained. In the memory vision was that yard sale bike but rebuilt, bright with new colors that explained MS.  For ambassador talks, I am always looking for a better way to communicate MS topics and issues. In a dream vision, I could see a new design perfectly. On the top, down and seat tubes are the words Live, Ride, ...

Happy Birthday Jimmie Sept 22, 2012 Dear Jimmie, This is a letter I wrote to Jimmie Heuga , ski racer, MS champion, my pedal partner on my first 150 Bike MS ride. His was the inspiration for Can    Do MS in Vail. September 22 was Jimmie’s birthday and he died February 2010.   Two years later, on his birthday, I did a bike ride that was a challenge for me. This is a letter I wrote to him about the ride.      Dear Jimmie, This is a letter I wrote to Jimmie Heuga , ski racer, MS champion, my pedal partner on my first 150 Bike MS ride. His was the inspiration for Can    Do MS in Vail. September 22 was Jimmie’s birthday and he died February 2010.  Two years later, on his birthday, I did a bike ride that was a challenge for me. This is a letter I wrote to him about the ride.      On Saturday the 22nd, 4 friends and I rode a bicycle ride I tagged as the CanDo 50.  The ride heads west from Loveland. At th...