“We can get out in the Forest again thanks to PEDALL.”
Riding in the New Forest with PEDALL has opened the door for one couple to reconnect with a passion they love – cycling together in nature.
“Riding with PEDALL has been a total gain,” Tricia and John said when asked about their more than two years of joining sessions with PEDALL – New Forest Inclusive Cycling.
“It’s made us use our bodies and meet new friends – it’s very sociable, and we’ve been able to connect with some very nice people.”
The pair – both retired and in their 70s – said PEDALL has the power to bring people together from a range of backgrounds, but with a shared experience of overcoming challenges.
"PEDALL proves you can."
“There may be people with other conditions, and we can relate to them about things, and talk about how we care,” John explained.
“I love the Forest,” Tricia said, who lives with a rare inherited progressive disorder that affects her mobility. “Connections to wellbeing and nature mean everything to me.
“I can’t really say more than that because it just makes me happy. Being able to get out again, thanks to PEDALL, has meant a lot, a great deal.
“I want other people to know about it, because once you get to this sort of stage, you might think you’re not going to ever be able to do anything else. But PEDALL proves you can.”
John highlighted the benefits riding with PEDALL on New Forest tracks has offered the couple, from access to green spaces, to reassurance, safety, and the physical and mental health benefits linked to activities like cycling.
“It’s nice to get out with other people because that side of things is good for both of us,” he said.
"Riding gave me a boost thinking I could go out in the Forest again."
“Riding with PEDALL also reduces potential risks. If we’re out cycling on our own and get a puncture two miles out, how do we get back? So it’s a confidence thing.
“But also it’s about the way we are welcomed. Everybody has just been superb – the volunteers, the staff, everybody.”
Tricia continued: “For me especially, I’m really pleased about the opportunities PEDALL offers because John and I used to ride a tandem bike, and I really missed that.
“Then we started joining PEDALL rides, and it provided an ideal service to replace what we enjoyed. Riding really gave me a boost, thinking I could go out in the Forest again to see pathways that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.”
John said the couple’s enthusiasm is buoyed by the fact that they “can still get out in the Forest” because “we would probably only cycle in the Forest,” and that they might feel different if routes were on the road.
PEDALL’s side-by-side tandems are a perfect alternative for the couple, and mean they can ride again on the National Park’s tracks.
The pair both said they’ve cycled for “many, many years” and that exercise helps Tricia manage her condition.
“I always loved gardening, but I really miss that,” Tricia said. “I think physical activity and getting out into nature are really beneficial.”
If you’d like to help more people experience the benefits PEDALL provides, please support or donate today.
Download the Case Study“It just makes me happy. Being able to get out again, thanks to PEDALL, has meant a lot, a great deal.”
– Tricia.
