Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Zoe on February 15, 2012 at 6:14pm

I think it's good to think about yourself and your family in a practical way, Justin, but my thought is that you don't have to give up your motorcycle, but just work a bit harder to be sure you are in range. I would test before you ride and correct if you are even marginally low. If you are going on a long ride, I would stop and take a break to rest on a regular basis. Of course, carry low treatments with you at all times. Another option would be to get a CGM although I understand they are not exactly accurate, but do give you an idea if you are trending down.

You have an excellent A1C and I don't believe the hype that all people in the 5's do it at the cost of excessive lows. But if this is the case for you, you might have to be a bit more flexible for your rides. I also wonder if keeping your basals a bit higher for a long ride (remembering that the time should be about two hours ahead) would also be warranted?

Unless you have frequent, fast drops in your blood sugar, that you don't feel you have a handle on, I feel you can ride safely with some extra precautions.Those are my thoughts, but perhaps someone who rides regularly can give you their own experiences.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Zoe on February 15, 2012 at 6:45pm

Oops, I meant "test on a regular basis" not "rest on a regular basis"!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by diabud on February 15, 2012 at 6:40pm

I ride and for me I treat it just like I do with a car. I test before and often and I never ride when low, always wait to come back into range. All the thought I think everyone should give to riding a motorcycle plus all the thought for driving with diabetes...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Justin on February 15, 2012 at 6:46pm

Thank, I never really think about it before driving since I have a daily commute of 100 miles round trip. I expect/hope I would feel myself going low when driving but may not on my bike. I keep candy in my car just in case.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on February 15, 2012 at 7:06pm

How often do you go hypo? Are you hypo-aware or hypo-unaware? How often do you "forget" to carry enough emergency glucose with you to treat a low (i.e. have to scramble to find something at a store or vending machine?) Are you willing to test and treat before you ride? Are you willing to stop and re-test every thirty minutes or so? (I dropped from 130's to 36 once in twenty minutes...it happens.) If you started dropping fast (maybe not even low-low yet), would you be able to control the bike?

Motorcycles scare me to death (I've seen too many hurt people) so I'm not one to give a completely objective opinion, but as you're a father and husband, I'll let my last question stand for itself (please excuse the drama):

How good is your life insurance?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Justin on February 15, 2012 at 7:24pm

I have lots of life insurance and lucky for me I got it before I was diagnosed. I am new to this and very new to insulin. I have never gone low because I am LADA and still make some insulin on my own. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes over time.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Shawnmarie on February 16, 2012 at 9:07am

Further proof that our bodies all react differently to the D. I'm LADA and still make some insulin on my own and that's the very thing that makes me go low at times.

And I agree with what everyone else has said about insurance, insurance, insurance.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on February 15, 2012 at 7:38pm

I ride my bicycle on 20-30 mile rides a lot in the summer and just pull over and test. I can sort of tell by how fast I'm going when I run low though, as I run out of gas. Motorcycles are *extremely* dangerous however I work for an insurance company and my old boss has a nice Harley he rides all over the place. He has extra insurance, just in case.

I think that it's not a bad idea to look into having a ton of insurance (liability, UM/UIM...) if you ride motorcycles, bicycles or even a car. If you don't get in an accident, you win. If you get in a serious accident, and have a bunch of insurance, it may still suck but there's something there for you. Unless you just drive off the road into a tree? Which is what the life insurance is for?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JohnG on February 15, 2012 at 7:42pm

Stopped riding when my kids where at home but as soon as they where out of collage I started riding again...I have been cost to cost without any problems but the vibration, wind, and fatigue will mask low BG so it's a good idea to test at fuel stops and take extra breaks.

There is a certain amount of risk that goes with riding a motorcycle...If you think insulin makes the difference on whether you live or die you have been kidding yourself.

I have been on and off motorcycles and scooters for fifty years and I have not heard of a single person crashing and dieing because their BG was low.... JMHO

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on February 15, 2012 at 10:34pm

Well...I wonder if anyone has done a study on that? I do know a couple of guys who ended up with compound fractures when motorcycling while...ahem...impaired.

Of course we HOPE we'll never be impaired, but what if we are?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Justin on February 16, 2012 at 8:22am

Thanks for the feedback

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by karen on February 15, 2012 at 8:07pm

"Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence."

I am not the driver of our motorcycle, but I would never give up riding because of diabetes if I were. I test before I drive my car, and test before I ride even as the passenger. Nothing wrong with pulling over to test whenever you feel it necessary.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page