On yer bike!

By now, with children of 10 and 9 years old, I imagined we would be packing up our picnics famous five style and walking through the Peak District; stopping by a brook to sit in the warm sun for a while and then continue on our way over hill and dale, watching lambs gambol as we pass.... (This is the point where the sentence ends abruptly and you hear a needle scratch over a record!....)

The reality is that we have really struggled as the kids have grown older to do active things together.  When we have gone walking, Jed is miles in front, Imogen miles behind (generally with two grazed knees!)  Ball sports are a no no.  Going to the park we can manage, but we end up separated. Ditto with swimming - which is also a place that stress levels are heightened in her because it is loud and in us as she has had a number of seizures in the pool.  Soft play is also very loud, expensive and Jed is getting a bit old for.   I have to admit that even sledging we left her at home as we knew that she wouldn't manage more than once up the hill (she did have fun building a snowman though!) The one sport we did discover a couple of years ago a sport that we could do as a family and it levelled the playing field pretty well.  That sport was cycling.  

We had a Gator bar for Murray's bike and Jed and I had our own bikes cycling behind keeping an eye on Imogen.  There were a number of hairy balancing moments and a couple of falls, but in the main we enjoyed it.  For a few months we even cycled to school!  We got quite blase about biking as a family. Until one day when things changed.  We had been out for a ride along the cycle path near our house and we were almost home when Imogen went into a seizure and fell off the bike.  There were bikes, bags and people strewn all along the pavement!  I don't know what it must have looked like to passers by in their cars but it can't have looked good.  I have to say I was saddened that no one stopped to ask if we needed help.  Not because I wanted the attention or even needed the help as we were so close to home, but sad that it seemed that no one cared.  Many many cars went past, not one driver cared enough to stop.  I hope I have never been so wrapped up in myself that I haven't stopped - all too easy though isn't it?  I probably have. Anyway, before I divert myself completely...it wasn't a good experience!  Murray picked Immi up and walked to the house where she came back to herself while Jed and I walked the bikes over.  That was well over a year ago and it shook us all up a bit I think.  We hadn't felt safe cycling in the same way since then, none of us even suggested it.
Until today!!
Today we went to York.  There is a wonderful bike shop in York called 'Get cycling' and they also do bikes for people with special needs.  I had called them a few weeks ago and arranged to go and try out a few bikes just to see what might be a good option for us.  As we arrived in the car park the heavens opened with an almighty hail shower which thankfully didn't last too long.  We then went into the shop and were shown an amazing array of bikes, some with side by side seating, some with seats on the front, some low down with hand pedals, some tandems, some singles, there was even a round bike that could be pedalled by eight people and steered by one!
Jed had a go on a low recumbent bike and was quite put out when he had to get off!  We took the opportunity to go for a ride with 2 different bikes, one a tandem with rear steering.  This meant that Imogen was sat in front and we could see her.  The other was a normal bike with a piggyback trike on the back, a bit like the Gator bar idea, but just the rear wheels and slightly more stable with two wheels at the back.

It became clear almost immediately that the piggyback bike was good.  It was far easier to ride than when we had the gator bar as it was more stable and the tyres must have been better as it was far easier weight wise.  Just as clear was that we didn't like the tandem; Murray, who loves biking, didn't like the steering from the back and it was very cumbersome and not very practical for going places to ride as a family.  The only disadvantage that remained with the Piggyback bike was that we still couldn't see her and if she had a seizure without the other parent riding behind she would fall.  However, they had a solution to that too, there is a seat with a back rest and straps that can be fitted easily, and just to complete the package, pedals that are weighted so she doesn't spend ages trying to get them to the right place and they could make a glove with velcro so that her right arm doesn't go flayling out to the side as soon as she starts to pedal (as it was today!)

It is so good to know that there is a bit of family fun freedom on the horizon - no more endless 'How to train a dragon' DVDs for us!  Oh, and I almost forgot to say that at the moment that we passed three families of feisty geese with young goslings, Jed was very glad he was not on the recumbent bike!

http://www.getcycling.org.uk