Asthma...so what?
For me, cycling long distances while standing started off as an odd
experiment. I'd been cycling on and off road for 25+ years. Back in the late '90's I began having trouble breathing. Soon
after, I was diagnosed with allergic asthma. It became so severe I could barely function. I lost motivation, gained
20 pounds and was lucky if I could make it down the driveway to put out the trash.
Being the tinkering type, I began to try different cycling positons
hoping to get up off the couch and become active once again. Soon I discovered I could ride short distances
while standing up, without feeling like I would collapse. Standing seemed natural to me and helped with my shortness
of breath and the tightening in my chest. My ultimate goal was to once again ride a tour and do it medication free. Eventually
standing (along with diet modification, improved conditioning, mind/body training, and careful avoidance
of allergy triggers) was allowing me to get back out there on the bike and live again, without relying upon a daily asthma
med. My rescue inhaler continues to provide the safety net I need when out on the road or in the woods.
As you could imagine, riding standing up the entire time was difficult,
both mentally and physically, but I soon realized that I could pace myself using my heart rate monitor and train my mind
and body to avoid lactic acid burn and fight off fatigue. Now I consider it a "fun" challenge. To this day, when I ride
seated with friends I find myself standing much of the time anyway. It just feels right. I never forget I have asthma though.
I must always manage my situation carefully to complete even the simplest ride successfully and safely.
My body and mind were not the only areas in need of a change. The bike had
to be modified as well. Geometry and components had to be tweaked to keep my knees and back (relatively) pain free.
This was and is an ongoing challenge. After completing several rounds of mods and day-trip test riding, I set
out on multiday bikepacking trips both on and off road. I had experience mountain and road touring but always with a saddle.
My first big standing trip was in Ireland back in 2006. More recently, I tackled Iceland riding from Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, up to the windy, cold and wet Northwest Fjords. My latest adventure was a
ride around Lake Champlain (covering NY/VT/Quebec). In total, 402 "seat-less" miles in 8 days, fully loaded with camping gear, tools,
and clothes, to raise awareness and funds for the non-profit organization Stand Up To Cancer. Thanks to the
local TV stations and newspapers, it was an amazing experience and a great success!
All my training and every trip yields a wealth of personal tests, lessons
learned, and special connections with like minded people from around the world. Meaningful experiences that extend well beyond
the athletic nature of the adventure, have become commonplace. A lot of receiving and giving, off the bike - from the stories
and advice of Irish pub old timers to providing hope to the parents of an asthmatic child in Iceland. I'm very thankful
to be cycling. I'm very thankful...period.
Still standing. Now standing for a greater reason. Come join standingcyclist.com and DO GREAT THINGS.
Peace-
Frank A. Cavaluzzi
Standing Cyclist since 2005
Member of SU2C, Adventure Cycling Association, IMBA, and Local Motion
