Pedal challenge is a big success
First-time cyclists, and many who hadn’t sat on a bicycle for years, took up a recent challenge to ‘Pedal In The Park’ at Shrewsbury’s Quarry.
The event was organised by members of the Cycling for All Shropshire group, which supports adaptive cycling provision across the county.
Quest 88 Inclusive Cycling Hub hosted the day, giving people the chance to try more than 20 different adapted bikes, free of charge.
They included electric bikes, trikes, hand cycles, wheelchair user accessible bikes, and many more.
Jessica Lightwood, from the Inclusively Fit Project at county sports partnership Energize, was among those helping to make the event happen.
She said: “We have had some fantastic feedback about the event, which saw many people have a go at cycling - whether for the first time, or the first time in years.
“The bikes supported people that weren’t confident riding a typical bicycle. Some had balance or co-ordination problems, while others had lower or upper limb mobility issues, or health complications. They also allowed people to cycle as a family.”
She added: “As a result of the feedback we have had, we are currently looking into setting up a hire scheme from Quest 88 Inclusive Cycling Hub in Shrewsbury as a starting point to make adaptive cycles more accessible for anyone wanting to explore the Quarry, or cycle along the river.”
Charlotte’s Tandems, which supports families of people with disabilities with free tandem hire, also supported Pedal In The Park through Ray Hughes, the distributor for Shrewsbury and wider Shropshire.
More information about the campaign is available on Facebook through the InclusivelyFit and 88hub pages.
