Cycling with a disability

Cycling is easier for some people than others. However, with the correct help and support, there is no reason why anyone should miss out on the joy of riding a bike. If you (or someone you know) has a physical or mental barrier that stops you cycling, there are various services that can help:

All Abilities cycling

The Cycling City All Abilities project is making adapted bicycles available across the city.

Bike hire

There are a several innovative bikes to hire across the region. Check out our bike hire page to find out more.

Electric bikes

A relatively new development is the increasing use of electric bikes. These make cycling a realistic prospect for many more people (and still deliver strong health benefits). Some people even claim they have the effect of flattening Bristol's hills!

Mountain biking

Although this isn't a local organisation, we felt that The Mountain Trike deserved a mention - especially as the idea was developed by students at Bath University.

Community projects

The Cycling City Community Fund supported a number of projects that encourage a wider range of people to try cycling. Two of these were aimed at people who find it difficult to ride standard bikes.

• Silver Cyclists project is aimed at older people, aged 55+.
• Two's Company project opens up a whole new world for people who are blind or visually impaired, giving them the opportunity to participate in tandem cycling.

Tell us your stories

As bicycles evolve there are ever more ingenious ways of using them.

If you've an interesting bike (like Simon Barnes, pictured right) or an interesting way of cycling we'd love to hear from you.

Write in and send a picture to share your experiences and we'll feature you on this website.