Breaking down barriers with the Inclusive Cycling Experience

Neil and Andria Wright hadn’t been on bikes for years. For Andria, it had been more than 30 years since she last rode, after a leg condition gradually pushed cycling out of reach.

It wasn’t just the activity itself she missed. It was everything that came with it, like joining family days out, going to the park, saying “yes” when the children asked, “Mum, are you coming on a bike ride?”

Too often, she was left behind. Not because she didn’t want to be involved, but because the right cycle, and the right conditions to ride safely, weren’t there.

Neil, living with Parkinson’s and a period of low mood and depression, missed cycling too. It had slipped away quietly, replaced by the feeling that those days were simply over.

Giving it a go

Then he saw Cycling UK’s Inclusive Cycling Experience advertised on Facebook and suggested they try it together. “We hadn’t been on bikes for years… I thought, ‘Let’s give it a go.’ It was something for both of us, me and Andria, to do together, get some exercise, and see if we could still enjoy cycling.”

That one decision turned into something much bigger than a leisure activity.

With loan cycles that worked for them, and crucially, with accessible, traffic-free routes close to home, Neil and Andria found themselves riding again. Neil describes the shift as immediate and emotional.

“It’s made a massive difference. We’ve been out cycling again, and it’s really lifted our spirits. It’s like turning the clock back. We feel like two kids again.”

For him, being on a cycle brings a rare kind of relief. “When I’m on the bike, I forget about my disability and just enjoy the ride. It’s freedom.”

Independence

Andria’s experience is equally powerful, and deeply personal. “I know I sound silly to people because yes, it’s a bike, but not to me it’s not. It’s just giving me so much more than you can ever imagine.”

She talks about independence and returning to everyday life. “It’s changed my life completely … helped my mental health and freedom. Independence. Get back in the real world.”

It’s like turning the clock back. We feel like two kids again Neil Wright

The loan didn’t just help Neil and Andria try cycling. It helped them build a new routine around it, one that feels realistic to sustain because it fits their needs.

They have started planning rides around spaces that feel welcoming and safe. They use canal towpaths, paths away from traffic and quiet country lanes. “We love the canal paths, no traffic, just peaceful rides. There are loads around here, and we plan to explore more when the weather picks up,” says Neil.

Joyful goals

For Andria, the ability to choose routes that avoid main roads is everything. She is already setting simple, joyful goals, like cycling to the park and stopping for a coffee, a small trip that represents a huge change in freedom.

“Tomorrow we’ll go along the canal and I’m going to go to the park and have a coffee, which has been my aim since I tried the bike out.”

The pair have discovered that the right cycle technology can remove barriers that used to feel fixed. Neil calls the electric-assist cycles a game-changer, making it possible for them to ride together and go further than they expected.

“Before this, we weren’t cycling at all. Now we’re out regularly … the electric bikes have been a game-changer. They make it possible for both of us.”

For Neil, the impact spans mental health, physical health and connection. “It’s cheered me up no end. Honestly, cycling should be prescribed by doctors for mental health!” For Andria, it is the return of excitement. “I’m buzzing! I can’t put it into words,” she says. Neil notices it too. She has “that twinkle in her eye back like when we first met”.

Investing in their own cycles

Now they are thinking beyond the loan. They are riding regularly, revisiting places they haven’t seen for years, and considering getting their own cycles so they can keep going long term.

“We’re even thinking about getting our own bikes soon,” says Neil. And they are already sharing the message with others. “It doesn’t matter what disability you’ve got, there’s a bike for you. I’ve told friends about it and would recommend it to anyone.”

For Neil and Andria, the Inclusive Cycling Experience did not just help them get back on cycles. It helped them get back to their lives, supported by equipment that meets them where they are, and by inclusive routes and infrastructure that make cycling feel possible, safe, and worth looking forward to.