The National Ability Center has launched its Adaptive Mountain Bike Rides for Friends and Family.
The program kicked off with an event last weekend. Director Steph Meyers said the next event is on July 17th.
“These programs are open to people of all abilities and their friends and family,” Meyers said. “So, the person who has a differing ability can sign up, have their parents, or their significant other, or their siblings or their friends come along. We've got the bikes and helmets for those folks to ride and all of the staff who are excited to teach people. These are for people with some mountain bike skills, no mountain bike skills, or up to advance skills. We can meet them where there at and teach them what they want to learn about mountain biking and get them out on the trails with everyone else in our community.”
They meet at NAC and ride at round valley trails.
She said there are two types of bikes on hand for the program.
“So, we've got a full fleet of typical upright bikes,’ Meyers continued. ‘Two wheelers for friends and families who want to get on those kinds of bikes. Then we've got a whole wide variety of adaptive bikes. We've got a couple different styles of handcycles. We use ReActive Adaptation bikes and Lasher and they’re awesome. So, anybody who knows handcycles will know those names. Then we've got some foot pedaled recumbents. So, people who have some balance issues or a limb difference they can get on those foot pedal recumbents and still ride a bike. Most of them fit on our trails and Round Valley has built us some awesome adaptive trails as well that allow us to get on single track still with those adapted bikes.”
The cost is $20 per person, but riders can apply for a scholarship help.
Marketing manager Whitney Thompson said the rides are not necessarily just on mountain trails.
“Depending on people's experience if they haven't ridden a lot before we’ll probably start out on some of those packed gravel trails,” Thompson explained. “Then if people are looking to get a little more adventurous there's tons of single-track there in Round Valley that we can take them on.”
You can find more information on the program here.
