Choose to Live
ALL ABILITY CYCLING Led by Live Active Leisure, the All Ability Cycling initiative has grown significantly in the four years since its launch back in April 2016.
Following funding received by various partners including Perth and Kinross Council Common Good Fund, The Gannochy Trust, Cycling Scotland and The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund, the fleet now boasts 17 bikes in total with additional services offered such as training for instructors.
The newest of these bikes is a side-by-side model which allows cyclists and their carer to ride together, and a semirecumbent model which is an excellent option for people who struggle to sit upright for various reasons.
Kirsty Eadie, Live Active Leisure’s wellbeing coordinator responsible for the day-to-day running of All Ability Cycling, explains why the choice of bikes is so important.
“I love working on the All Ability Cycling project,” she said. “Learning to ride a bike is one of the first big milestones most people reach as a child.
“It is so rewarding to help people who have given up ever being able to ride a bike again get back in the saddle – or recumbent chair – and experience that thrill all over again.
“In 2019 we ran over 1000 sessions and helped 332 participants, as well as 110 carers, family members and friends, get out and about cycling on one of our adapted bikes.”
The bikes are available for anyone to hire and individuals without carers who require assistance on a two-person bike can book the support of a qualified instructor.
Additionally, ‘come and try sessions’ with qualified instructors and volunteers are open to people of all ages on a weekly basis from the All Ability Cycling base at Bell’s Sports Centre.
Kirsty said: “Outwith the two new bikes, we have a wheelchair bike, five trikes, a tandem trike, a hand cycle, a child’s trike, five solo bikes and another sideby-side.
“People can come along and try a few different bikes in order to find the one best suited to their needs.
“Once they find one that works for them, they can continue to use it until they’re more confident and comfortable trying a different model.
“What we find is that people like to start with the bikes that offer maximum balance assistance. For some it’s years since they last enjoyed a cycle so it’s important to start with the basics.
“Achieving this first goal is such a win for our participants and that boost of confidence does so much for both mental and physical wellbeing.”
One All Ability Cycling participant expressed how beneficial the initiative has been for her in recent years.
Kirsty Walker said: “I’m 48 years old, have cerebral palsy and I am registered blind.
“Despite this, I don’t lie down to things. I am a determined person and love challenges.
“In 2008 I wanted to get fit and got a personal fitness trainer.
“Since then, I have done five 5ks and a 10k for various charities and my last race was in 2013. In March of 2016 I injured my ankle and was told not to exercise. This made me sad and depressed.
“I was told I could exercise again in September 2017 and I was overjoyed. A friend told me she was going to cycling sessions at Bell’s Sports Centre.
“I arranged one for myself and I loved it. I started by using a hand bike and couldn’t believe it - I was riding a bike.
“I never thought I’d ever be able to ride a bike.
“One day, whilst on the hand bike, I mentioned to my trainer, also called Kirsty, that I wished I could pedal a bike with my feet.
“She told me about the sideby-side bike and encouraged me to try. Again, I could not believe it – I managed to cycle with my feet.
“There was nothing stopping me now. Over time I got quicker and quicker and noticed my love for challenges and races coming back. In December of 2017 we did a 5k and called it The Santa Dash and in 2018 I cycled an incredible 246k.
“The challenges are getting longer and better, and my latest goal is to do a virtual ride from Land’s End to John o’ Groats by cycling from Bell’s Sports Centre to Bertha Park and back again each week until it’s completed.
“I cycled over 353km in 2019 and I’m almost at Carlisle in my Land’s End to John O’ Groats challenge.
“I’ve realised that I’m a driven person. I set myself challenges and see if I can improve upon them year on year.
“The benefits of the programme for me are both physical and mental.
“If I feel well physically then it impacts hugely on my mental health.
“Kirsty [Eadie] is very kind, caring and patient with me.
“She’s perfect for this job and inspires me to see what is possible.”