Transcript

Dirty Freehub

This is the Connection. A dirty free hub podcast connecting gravel cyclists to where they ride through short stories about culture, history, people, places in lands.

Parkinson’s Disease is a disorder that impacts the nervous system and can affect movement and coordination. My guest today is David Dietz, a passionate cyclist from Ben Oregon who’s living with Parkinson’s and showing what it’s like to stay active, resilient, and engaged in the sport he loves. Thank you so much for joining us and doing this today.

David Dietz

Yeah. Thanks for having me. Yeah, of course.

Kira Corbett – Dirty Freehub

So tell me a little bit about your cycling. Like how much do you ride or how did you get into riding?

David Dietz

Yeah. I was into riding from the get go. I mean, my first serious rides were when I was 15 years old, did a multi-day trip down the Oregon coast and my first criterium at that age.

Did a couple other overnight trips with some guys from the local bike shop. that was pretty much it. The hook was set. So riding just was something I did after that. I love the adventurous ride when you were 15 and that must have been quite the adventure.

Kira Corbett – Dirty Freehub

How does uh, cycling help you manage or cope with Parkinson’s disease? Like do you have any specific routines or anything special to get ready for riding?

David Dietz

No, not really. I mean, the routine to get ready for riding is the same as it’s always been. I have to move a little bit slower and not be distracted so I don’t forget anything.

Now because I think there’s some cognitive decline happening and the main thing is to make sure you have water. And also my medications that I take it’s critical I don’t forget ’em. if you do forget ’em, then the symptoms become more present, you know, when you’re wearing off the last dose you took.

So, bringing the meds with you is probably my most important thing that I have to remember, and a difference now to manage the symptoms. and I bring extra in case there’s, you know, a delay or something unexpected happens. And time just gets away from you. So you’ve taken your second dose and now you’re onto your third dose and you don’t have it because you only figured you only needed your second toast while you were on your ride.

So, you need to bring a little extra to make sure you’re covered So those are the main changes. Before you just, you got water, you got your power bars, you know, maybe some sunscreen and get on your bike and ride, you know, you didn’t have to worry about these extra issues. Yeah. How did you learn to manage that?

Even like knowing to bring the extra medications, well, you forget to take, your first dose or whatever and go out for a ride and you’re wondering why you’re feeling. Not right. And then you realize you didn’t even bring your second dose. So you’re sitting there going, oh man.

So you’re trying to get home and just get back to your medications. they are important and they make a big difference in how you’re feeling at any given moment. So, that’s the big biggest change for sure. Do you mind sharing a little bit how some of the things you experience, like feeling if you miss a dose or things like that whatever symptoms you’re experiencing just become more intense.

You’re shaking, you’re shaking more. If you’re stiff you’re feeling more stiff you know, movement just becomes harder. To do. And riding kind of takes your mind off all of that stuff. you’re bumping along and you’re navigating and you’re balancing, and so it distracts you from the symptoms.

But the symptoms are really strong. Then they become more present while you’re writing and then you’re distracted by that and you’re not paying attention to what you’re doing. So, it’s a bit of a fight at any given moment. You’ve gotta have enough meds in you to function so you can just do what you need to do while you’re on your bike.

Kira Corbett – Dirty Freehub

Do you actually have times when a ride didn’t go as planned or any particular symptoms were just like too much?

David Dietz

No, it’s never been a case of too much. It’s just very annoying. you’re trying to be out there doing something and you’re very much distracted and bothered by what you’re feeling.

So it’s not nothing catastrophic where you can’t move or you can’t get anywhere. You can still function. It’s just you’re not functioning well. you know, a lot of people might not be able to see it, but you’re certainly feeling it. For sure. Yeah, I’m sure.

Kira Corbett – Dirty Freehub

Do you feel like you have to ever explain to people you’re riding with?

David Dietz

One time, well, it happens all the time now, but my left arm is the left side’s, the affected side. So when I’m holding onto the bars. The left arm tends to get very tired, a lot quicker than the right arm. you find yourself holding on and your arm starts to hurt and your shoulders coming up and there’s all this tension building through my left side.

And I have to just like, let go of the bar, shake the handout, and then put it back on the bar. And I do that consistently, like every few minutes I’m doing that. And I had a guy behind me riding. He is like, what are you doing? Why do you keep doing that? And I’m like, then I had to explain to him, what was going on, you know, with the Parkinson’s?

And he’s like, oh, okay. So that was one instance. Someone noticed something with me. But a lot of times some people just don’t see it, you know, they don’t see that I have problems and, which is fine with me ’cause you know, I’m self-conscious about it anyway. And if they can’t see it, then I’m just a normal guy riding a bike.

But if they do see stuff, then I have to explain to it. Explain it to ’em. Yeah. Thank you for sharing. I really appreciate it. Yeah. Yeah. I mean it, other people with this disease can probably totally relate to what I’m saying. For sure. Yeah. And especially I know there’s a lot of people out there who enjoy cycling and you never know what’s going on behind people.

Even if we look one way, there’s, you just never know when you cross paths with people. Oh, yeah. So all sorts of issues people have, especially the age. Yeah. I have to be more focused while I’m writing now than I used to be.

My range of vision isn’t as wide. I have to stay kind of focused right in front of me and maybe a little bit left and right and, things just aren’t as automatic as they were when I was younger. Writing. You just take it for granted, you know, like taking your hand off the bike to reach down for your water bottle, that’s not as easy as it used to be.

So I wear a camelback most of the time now, so you just grab the tube and, that’s much easier to get to, especially if you’re on a gravel ride or a mountain bike ride with a terrain is pretty rough. Yeah. You don’t wanna be, you don’t wanna be sitting there trying to reach your water bottle and, you know, roll into a rock garden or something, and.

and you only have one hand on the handlebar. So, those are little things that you used to take for granted that now you can’t do, or know, you shouldn’t be doing like holding your phone up to take a picture while you’re writing. I used to love to do that, and that’s becoming a stupid thing to do.

I still do it, but it’s not, it’s not advised at this point. I mean, you one of those like GoPros. Yeah, I think a GoPro is gonna be in my future for sure. Yeah. Mm-hmm. It’s already hard enough and like just the pulling your hand out and trying to take footage on bumpy gravel or some gnarly terrain. Yeah.

But you know, this great scene and you got this person in front of you that’s framing the picture just perfect. And you wanna take a picture of it and so you’re fumbling for the camera. And you know, I watch Kevin and Linda do it one handed all the time and they’re really good at it.

But, I think a GoPro would be a better idea. Yeah. There’s not worth the risk. Not worth the risk for sure. But yeah, I forgot to mention that the camelback is probably a really good idea, especially with Parkinson’s or movement, any movement disorder. I forgot to mention, you know, even though you’re riding on gravel a lot of times you find yourself on a road or something.

And I use a mirror on my sunglasses for a rear view mirror so you can see behind you. And I developed the habit of wearing that because I rode tandems with my wife a lot. trying to look around on a tandem to look behind you to make a turn doesn’t work. You know, you can’t balance the bike very well when you’re doing that.

And now with the Parkinson’s, the, you know, the balancing isn’t as great as it was. So. Craning your neck and moving like that just throws your balance off. So the mirror really makes it much easier. You just look at what you’ve got behind you and if you wanna make a left turn across the road, you can use the mirror to make that decision and not have to move your head around as much.

Kira Corbett – Dirty Freehub

Oh, so you are the folks that I see writing the tandem around town?

Oh no. We’re done with the tandem. I, as soon as I got the diagnosis, I’m like, I’m not writing this tandem anymore. Yeah, that’s understandable. So it’s not as soon maybe you started the trend, though. There’s been a lot more growing in the last couple years with the tandem writing.

Yeah, on the trails, on gravel on the road. Yeah, I wouldn’t ride on the trails. I think that’s crazy. But um, there is someone who’s been doing it. Yes. I do see people on mountain bikes tandem mountain bikes and it’s like, okay, you guys are nuts, but whatever. Yeah. I hope it helps other people in the same situation and, you know, it helps everyone else you know, understand what’s going on with somebody like me.

So, I am still riding my bike. I’m still the same guy. I just shake a lot. Hey, you gonna still gonna get out there? Yeah. Gotta get out there as long as I can, for sure. Awesome. Well thank you David. I appreciate it. Yeah. Kira wonderful. Dirty Free Hub is a non-profit organization fielded by your generous contributions.

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