Today we had a terrifying event: our co-Captain and teammate, Steve Squires, was struck by a motorist. The scene was frightening and unforgettable, but thanks to the quick actions of our teammates, along with the police, paramedics, firefighters, and hospital staff, Steve’s injuries have been limited to aches, bruises, and rib fractures, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Steve is a strong and talented rider, and continues to be so.
Steve’s accident was not his fault by any measure, and the degree of driver’s fault is under investigation. There is risk in cycling, as with most elements in life, but there is also risk in not cycling: if it is the passion that gets you outside, exercising and connecting with people, then removing it from your life would be more certain to negatively affect your health. But safety has always been paramount for this journey. From the planning stages to the route selection to how we outfit ourselves and our bikes, it is uppermost in our minds to get each of us safely to the conference. Our route is adapted from the Adventure Cycling Association, our bikes are outfitted with lights and flags, and helmets are mandatory. But cycling does retain an element of risk and, for our own piece of mind, we are encouraging our riders to skip roads with higher speed limits and inadequate cycling lanes or shoulders. Where we have no alternative roads, we will recommend van pickup. It won’t be easy, but if you are a cyclist with Parkinson’s, you already know all about tenacity.
It did get us looking inwards and thinking about whether others may question if it is even reasonable for people with Parkinson’s to be out riding bikes. Are we incapable of being safe cyclists by the very nature of this condition? Should we quit? We are of the strong opinion that, assuming a baseline level of physical ability, most Parkinson’s symptoms can be accommodated and we can make ourselves as safe as any rider. Balance issues can be managed by switching from two wheels to three; hand dexterity can be augmented with mechanical tension adjustments or electronic gearing; strength challenges can be addressed with battery assisted propulsion, etc. Yes, some of us do have a combination of symptoms that would make bicycling impossible or reckless, but that is true for anyone, regardless of their Parkinson’s diagnosis. In fact, it may be that Parkinson’s riders are safer than the typical non-Parkinson’s rider: we tend to be more aware of our physical limits and stay within them, and our vulnerabilities tend to make us hyper-aware of our surroundings and compliant with road rules.
Steve encourages us to go on, saying “don’t tell me I put in all this prep work for nothing.” You didn’t. We will continue our journey to Phoenix. And for Steve, his current plan is to join us at the World Parkinson Congress in Phoenix, and to participate in our group ride into town. If so, he will ride up front, where he belongs.
