Outdoor recreation is a must for any healthy person today. In recent years, cycling has become one of the most popular forms of outdoor recreation. Cycling has always been a great way to enjoy the outdoors, improve cardiovascular fitness, and socialize with friends and family. With the exception of the occasional spill, cycling is low impact and not detrimental to the body.

Until recently, not everyone had the luxury of hopping on a bike and going for a ride. Technological advances, however, have opened the door for the disabled community to enjoy cycling. With help from adaptive sports and recreation programs across the country, almost everyone can hop on a bike and feel the wind in their face.

Adaptive Cycling is really a very simple concept: modify and adapt cycles to suit an individual rider. We’re not talking about a few strange bikes for a few individuals either. Disability affects each and every one of us, and I can practically guarantee that you already know —or will soon meet—someone with a disability who could benefit from adaptive cycling equipment. The beauty of adaptive cycling, is that it is truly a multi-disability sport. No
two disabilities are identical, and there are endless adaptations that can be made.

Fortunately, the last ten years of research and development have produced a variety of adaptive cycling equipment, making it possible for nearly anyone to ride. There are adapted bikes for amputees, paraplegics, quadriplegics, hemiplegics, sight-impaired, cerebral palsy, and so on. The list is endless. Most of the time, the modification is slight: a “standard” 2-wheeled bicycle with a retrofit brakeset (2 brakes on one lever, for instance) for an amputee, or a tandem with a blind “stoker” on the back, or a “holster” for an above knee amputee.

One of the most significant developments, has been the handcycle. Introduced about 15 years ago, handcycles enable riders with a lower-limb

mobility impairment (i.e.; spinal cord, CP, MS) to propel a 3-wheeled cycle using their arms. In the last five years, handcycle development has exploded to become the most popular and widely practiced form of adaptive cycling. In addition, it is the newest and largest component of the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Disabled Cycling Program. An event has been added for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, although it excludes divisions for women and mid-level injuries.

Handcycle racing has exploded in the last 5 years.

Handcycling is the great equalizer. Unlike its predecessor, the racing wheelchair, handcycle's come in a variety of shapes and sizes, are easy to get in and out of, and have a very short learning curve for new riders. The racing wheelchair has always been intended for one purpose: racing.

This all changed with the development of the handcycle. Manufacturers began to realize that only a small percentage of the disabled community really wanted to race, but the rest still wanted to exercise. Thus, the handcycle was introduced as a strictly recreational piece of equipment, enabling it to develop in a more sensible fashion. Today, there is a mass-produced handcycle for almost everybody. Of course, racing versions weren’t far behind. Today’s cutting-edge racing handcycle's are technological marvels ridden by elite athletes whose average speed inches closer to that of able-bodied racers every year.

Demo Days and introductory clinics are a great way to try the newest equipment.

Its recent inclusion in the Paralympics program means that handcycling is here to stay and that developments will continue. Invacare’s Chris Peterson, a long-time leader in the production of wheelchair sports equipment, is leading the pack in handcycle development.

“We sell more handcycle's than almost anything else, and I don’t see that trend changing,” says Peterson.

This prediction is echoed elsewhere, too. Sunrise Medical’s Jim Black, who has managed the Quickie line-up of athletes and equipment for years, notes, “Handcycling is where it’s at — It’s where everything is headed. It’s just such an accessible sport, you can’t ignore it.”

Still, cycling equipment has never been cheap. Adaptive cycling equipment is no exception. Modifying a $1,500-plus bicycle for an amputee is obviously going to cost a few bucks. Buying a brand new handcycle can set you back anywhere from $1,000 to $3,500. Ouch! It’s also hard to plop down that much money without being sure of what style of bike you want. Most bike shops don’t stock handcycle's or tandems, or bikes with holsters for the potential buyer to view and test ride. Fortunately, there are some other options for new riders:

Abilities Expo
Each year, a traveling trade show known as the Abilities Expo visits major cities across the U.S. Typically, major handcycle manufacturers are there to display their bikes, and let you ride them.

The Internet
Modern technology has enabled people everywhere to connect with each other. There is a plethora of information on the Web that covers

various adaptive cycles and connects people who want to ride together. For starters, try these links:

• www.handcycle-friends.org — This resource connects people across the country who ride handcycle's;
• www.ushf.org — This is the national governing body for handcycling in the U.S.;
• groups.yahoo.com/group/handcyclists — This is an online e-mail discussion list that includes hundreds of handcyclists with whom you can share information and learn all about handcycling.

Adaptive Sports Programs
Probably the single-most important resource for the new or potential cyclist, adaptive sports programs are often grassroots efforts that offer new rider camps and/or clinics, and provide expert instruction as well as a variety of equipment for test rides.

Denver-based Adaptive Adventures (www.edaptive.org) provides a huge cross-country network of clinics.

Chicago-based Creative Mobility (www.creativemobility.org) has an adaptive cycling trailer with just about everything under the sun.

U.S. Handcycling Federation (USHF) is a Colorado-based organization dedicated specifically to handcycling. The USHF is the leader in developing high-profile handcycling events in the U.S. For details, contact www.ushf.org, e-mail info@ushf.org or call (303) 910-9851.