EXPERIENCE
Rob Brown, 72, from Yorkshire, has created a haven of inclusivity and accessible cycling in Dalby Forest
“At 14, I got my first bike, but I hated cycling because I had to do four miles every day just to get to the bus stop for school. It was only when I was 45 that I really got into cycling. At 58, I was teaching cycling proficiency. The fact that only those children who had a bike and helmet could do the course upset me, so I began working with the Bikeability scheme to fund bikes and helmets and a trailer to transport them.
This helped, but some children still didn’t want to join in because they couldn’t ride. I began running Learn to Ride lessons, after-school bike clubs and inter-school cycling competitions. Cycling UK and British Cycling took an interest and it grew to became the annual Scarborough Cycling Festival. Once, a school teacher told me that a child in her class wouldn’t be able to join us as he had cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair. We used a two-wheeled tag-a-long with a supportive seat. Other schools then requested help for students with mobility issues.
I began researching and buying adapted bikes and set up a Community Interest Company (CIC) with a friend, Peter Blood. We later joined forces with a high-end bike shop in Pickering to form the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub CIC, an inclusive bike hire company with a full range of great bikes suitable for all of the forest’s trails. Recently we got a grant through the North York Moors Accessibility Project, to help us buy three e-assist recumbent trikes to enable visitors with restricted mobility or impaired sensory or mental capacity. We also run a ‘Learn to Ride in 90 minutes’ session for kids who’ve been trying to learn but it hasn’t happened.
My work’s all about building self confidence and overcoming life’s challenges. One guy, Roger, a stroke survivor with impaired vision and loss of balance could no longer ride a conventional bike. He tried a semi-recumbent e-assist trike and, using toe straps for stability, he regained strength. Now, having covered almost 3,000 miles, the trike has not only restored Roger’s passion for cycling, but he’s an active member of his local community again. You have to listen to what people want to achieve.
We have a great location in the forest and over half of our bikes are e-assisted. Bikes are fun! It just took me a long time to realise.”
Rob’s tips for inclusive cycling
01 Surf for support
Look on the internet for Inclusive Cycling opportunities in your area or contact your local cycling club and explain what you want to do, and hopefully you’ll find a way.
02 Make believe
My work involves a lot of listening, gaining a rider’s trust and helping them feel that it may be possible to achieve what they had thought would be the impossible.
03 Find a way
Every impairment caused by an accident or illness is slightly different, and everyone is unique. What may work for one person, doesn’t necessarily work for the next.
Find out more
Visit dalbyforestcyclehub.co.uk. Rob Brown was nominated as one of 10 finalists across the country in the Tourism Superstar 2024 awards run by VisitEngland