New charity uses trikes to get people back in the saddle
Islanders with a variety of disabilities and conditions were able to get on a trike and feel the wind through their hair yesterday morning at a special open day.
A few trial sessions were held at Saumarez Park last summer using the trikes, which have been supported by the Saffery Walk fund, Only Fools and Donkeys, Specsavers and the Health Improvement Commission.
Over the winter the organisers formed into a charity, called Wheels For You, which is now working to make trike riding more accessible.
Yesterday, people booked to try the variety of trikes on a Tarmac area behind the Les Beaucamps High sports hall.
Among them was Tom Oswin and his partner Rebecca, who tried a tandem trike.
The 34-year-old was diagnosed with degenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa when he was 18. It means he is sensitive to light and has tunnel vision, which can make exercising difficult. He usually walks and rock climbs, but many sports cannot be done safely.
‘There are just certain sports I cannot do on my own,’ he said.
‘I would not be able to get on a bike on my own. So an event like this is great.’
Trudi Manning also tried a tandem bike, with her 13-year-old son Louis Kent. He has a number of challenges, including down syndrome, ADHD and visual impairment.
He has tried similar trikes before at school, but his mum has never had a chance to see him on one. So sharing a trike yesterday morning was a special moment.
Miss Manning said she was quite emotional.
‘It was amazing,’ she said.
Glyn Monday, 45, used to be a keen cyclist, using his bike over his car wherever he could. But last summer he suffered a bike accident, which left him badly injured and blind in one eye.
It also dented his confidence badly and means he might struggle to see obstacles in the road.
‘It is a worry, going back on the roads,’ he said. ‘So this is brilliant. I already feel much better and this is the first day.
‘Cycling is such a good exercise. You get fresh air and see new places. I used to love riding my bike. And here I get to ride again.’
Wheels For You co-founder Caroline Barby said people who had booked had turned up, as well as a number of drop-ins.
‘It’s buzzing since we started,’ she said.
‘We are pleased to see so many people.’
There was a range of machines, including side-by-side trikes, with a variety of options about who controlled what, some solo trikes, with low step-throughs for easier access, and a trike, which can carry a wheelchair.
The new charity is based at Les Beaucamps and is still exploring how best to use the trikes.
