Handsling Gets Charity Wheelchair Bike Back on Three Wheels

Handsling has helped people with disabilities get back on three wheels after restoring a wheelchair bike to safe working order. 

The two-seater Vanraam OPair is owned by the Hampshire-based charity Alice Holt Inclusive Cycling. It required a range of repairs and adjustments, including an overhaul of the hydraulic disc brakes. 

Working free of charge, Handsling technicians stripped down the brake callipers and freed up the seized pistons. They cleaned the rotors, which had been contaminated with oil, before fitting upgraded brake pads. They also made minor repairs, including to the front mudguard.

The fully-serviced machine has now been returned to the fleet, ready for disabled people to experience bike rides in beautiful Alice Holt Forest.

For the team it was a real pleasure to get the bike back to safe working order, knowing how beneficial it is for local people with disabilities. Handsling is proud to enable people who can’t ride a bike themselves to experience the joys of cycling.

Alice Holt Inclusive Cycling runs a fleet of bikes that makes cycling accessible to all. Every Thursday, the charity’s volunteers help people choose the right bike to enjoy rides in the forest.

Peter Jeans, chairman of Inclusive Cycling: “Handsling took it in and fitted new parts, all for free. Most people who use it are severely disabled. They come to this lovely car-free environment and get the wind in their hair and the sun on their faces. The thanks we get is a smile on their faces.”