A women battling Multiple Sclerosis (MS) says she feels alive again thanks to a cycling scheme across two parks in the city that makes the sport accessible to all.
Jan Watson, who has MS which mainly affects her left side and left grip, has been using the adaptive bikes for over a year in Victoria Park.
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, she said: “It’s brilliant, I absolutely love it.
“Having this bike just keeps the leg going, and it means that most of the time I’m cycling completely by myself other than a bit of help up the hills.
“I used to cycle but my balance isn’t good enough now to use a two-wheeler. I also go to the MS centre and they have static bikes, but it’s not the same.
“It’s so great to be able to cycle outside, with the fresh air, the birds in the sky and the rain and the sun, I don’t get that on a static bike.
“I feel alive when I’m cycling outside.”
The all-inclusive cycling sessions have been able to continue in their Victoria Park hub after new funding from the National Lottery, totalling £9,940.
The group hosts sessions that offer access to an array of adapted trike bikes that ensure that individuals with disabilities, older adults and those from a diverse range of backgrounds can access the sport.
These adaptive cycling sessions are held in the park on a Tuesday and a Wednesday between 10am and 1pm.
The group also has a hub in Glasgow Green that offers similar opportunities.
Carol Thompson, one of the organisers, said: “We take it for granted that we can cycle in any park we want to, but a lot of people can only cycle in these two parks in Glasgow because of these specific adapted bikes.
“Not everyone can use a standard two-wheeler bike. We have a lot of people that come along who have MS and maybe their leg doesn’t do exactly what they tell it to, or they use a scooter or they have difficulty walking.
“We have someone who comes who has Cerebral Palsy and because of these bikes she can power it herself.”
The adaptive bikes have fixed wheels, meaning the pedals move as the wheel spins, helping the bike build up momentum and speed with less force needing to be generated from pedalling.
Carol added: “It’s not a club where you have to come every week, there’s no expectation there, so it means it fits in with people’s lives.”
The new funding supports the revenue costs of the group, meaning it covers staff costing, which Carol explains is paramount to the service.
She said: “Revenue funding is the key thing, as the bikes can be here but without staff funding there won’t be anyone here to get people on and off the bikes.
“With these bikes it’s all about having the knowledge and the help to get people off and on them.”
She explains that she is trying to get more revenue funding so that cyclists at Victoria Park can have the same access to the number of adaptive bikes as the Glasgow Green hub, the bikes are already there, there just isn’t adequate staffing funds to provide the access.
The group also hosts an array of two-wheeler cycle groups, with bikes available to use free of charge from the hub.
One of the ride leaders from the two-wheeler group, Joe Dolan explained that the group builds a sense of community, friendship and support.
He said: “It gets people out and about. It’s good for physical fitness and for mental health as well as social activity because quite a few of the people that come along live alone, so this could be there only social contact for the day or the week.”
Attendees in the Tuesday group cycle noted that the group cycling made them feel more supported and safer while riding on the roads in Glasgow, as well as offering a place to meet new people.
Adding to this Richard Mann, a volunteer and board member said: “In the two-wheeler groups we show people how you can get around Glasgow safely.
“But what makes Sunny Cycles so good is there is hardly any disability we can’t cope with, and that’s what makes it so accessible, we welcome refugees, and this is idea of welcoming people in and building a sense of community.
“If there’s anybody feeling like they are isolated and forgotten about, come to us, that’s what we are here for.”
Although funding has been found to continue the adaptive cycling for the next year, Richard echoed Carols concerns.
He said: “Sunny Cycles was set up four years ago and we’re still going, but it’s difficult because the funding situation is fairly dire.”
The group also hosts bike skills sessions, women’s cycling sessions, cycling lessons and team building events.
Sessions and bike access can be booked through their website Sunny Cycles.
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