It’s Horspath Athletics Track rather than Tracey Island, but the tandem does look FAB.
…3, 2, 1, Thunderbirds Are Go!
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Tag Archives: wheels4all
My New Bike: Ruth
Ruth came back to visit us at the Horspath athletics track this month. She’d come along to Wheels for All as a punter the previous month to see what other options there are for cycling.
Handcycling
It’s started! The first day of Wheels for All in Oxford and I’ve got a long list of questions about adaptations, suppliers and costs. One in particular is about handcycles for commuting.
My first port of call is the Handcycling UK site which to my delight has been revamped recently to include everyday utility cycling and commuting, along with a post in their forum about that first purchase.
In terms of suppliers and manufacturers we have…
Quest88, Team Hybrid, Molten Rock, Da Vinci, Hase…
Any advice from users and/or other suppliers gratefully received. And I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has used a Berkelbike, whether just hand or hand & foot cranked.
Wheels for All – Witney
Following on from the Wheels for All day in Cutteslowe Park, Oxford, Cycling Projects brought their bikes to Queens Dyke School in Witney for a taster session run together with volunteers from Witney Mountain Bike Club and Witney’s Bicycle User Group.
For those that couldn’t make it Steve and Luke produced this short video of the bikes being used on the day.
Along with Wheels for All in Oxford, and the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership, the next steps are to find a more suitable venue and plan regular sessions beginning in Spring 2012.
Wheels for All on Tour
An inclusive cycling centre for Oxford came another step closer on Friday. The mobile Wheels for All team brought a selection of bikes to Cutteslowe Park for a day session and those trying them out, along with parents, carers and physios, made it clear that they want this to be a regular event.
Despite there being about 50 Wheels for All centres in England and Wales there are many areas that lack provision, Oxfordshire being one of them. Cycling Projects, the charity behind Wheels for All, are helping to demonstrate to community groups what inclusive cycling is about and what’s on offer with these ‘taster’ days.
The team brought a variety of trikes and handcycles, a tandem and a Van Raam wheelchair transporter, but even so, a few people couldn’t find something that completely suited them on the day. Not because that something doesn’t exist, just simply because not every variation of all ability cycle can fit in the van. On the bright side, it highlighted the fact that the day attracted a wide range of both abilities and ages.
These sessions don’t run themselves and it’s just as important that volunteers and sponsors get a chance to see how it works and how worthwhile it is. The Oxfordshire Sports Partnership will need local support to get these centres up and running in 2012.
If you live in Oxfordshire but couldn’t make it into Oxford on Friday, there’s another taster day in Witney in two weeks time on Saturday 12th November.
Another Place
Cresting the path through the dunes revealed a lot more than just a sea view. Out for a spin in the gap between breakfast and registration the last thing I was expecting to see was an art gallery! But what a fantastic start to the day.
A work in progress it would seem. Riding along the promenade towards Southport I passed some of the Antony Gormley figures modelling T-shirts and rucksacks. They probably make great cycle stands too.
The windmills along the Mersey look part of the exhibition. I wouldn’t suggest putting one on Glastonbury Tor, but they look clean and gently powerful to me – quite relaxing.
And staying over at the Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre was nice and relaxing too. Checking emails on the lakeside veranda with a San Miguel as the sun went down – working late can be such a chore!
The Cycle Show
By the time I had a decent mental map of what was where at the Cycle Show it was all over. Even using one of Barry’s handcycles to explore the stands at Earls Court, it took three days before I could unerringly find my way back to an interesting item. Not that I had too much time for browsing, I was there to help out on the Inclusive Cycling stand after all.
Can't Stand Up For Falling Down 