Wheels 4 Fun news

Wheels 4 Fun has had a good 2017, celebrating its first anniversary with a picnic in July. It’s also had some great publicity, the most recent being an article that went out in Cycling UK's Cycle clips E magazine - see https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/disabled-cycling-group-reflects-year-remember

Helen Coughlan, a W4F rider and also on the Leeds Cycling Campaign committee has been on BBC radio mentioning Wheels 4 Fun. She now has an electric bike and rode over from East Leeds to join Wheels 4 Fun and Easy Riders for pre Christmas tea and cakes at Stainbeck church hall. Other successes have been an article in North Leeds life and of course our wonderful website thanks to Steve Smith of Leeds Cycling Campaign who set it up. See www.wheels4funleeds.wordpress.com

The first of 2 grants in 2017 came from Leeds Community Foundation funded by Comic Relief and paid for a new Pashley folding tricycle. Leeds Inner North East Community Committee gave the second for a new recumbent tricycle.

Several bikes have been donated and others sold whilst Jonathan Le Moine from Leeds Cycling Campaign very kindly arranged for some lovely fluorescent bibs with our logos on – a big improvement on the previous motley collection!

Other developments this year have included working with British Cycling and the University of Leeds up at the Bodington track in Weetwood. Wheels 4 Fun has had a presence at some of the Disablity Hub sessions which should be starting up again on Sundays in March after a winter break; they are also now storing a Wheels 4 Fun tricycle at the track as the ones British Cycling bought were a bit too sporty for the average person with disability!

Off site rides have included one along the Wetherby to Spofforth railway line route on the Tour de Yorkshire weekend, another at Eccup reservoir and a good session at the Bodington track where some riders raised sponsorship money for Wheels 4 Fun. Volunteers enjoyed a ride on the Calder and Spen Valley Greenway with a view to using it as a venue for a Wheels 4 Fun ride when the weather improves.

Volunteers also went on courses courtesy of Cycling UK, either to improve Ride Leader skills  or Maintenance abilities