Saskatchewan Adaptive Mountain Bike Club

Those that know me well, know I grew up loving outdoor activities. When I sustained a spinal cord injury, I thought I had to put aside my love of the outdoors because it wasn't exactly wheelchair friendly.  That attitude changed for me in 2017 when I rented my first adaptive mountain bike in Canmore Alberta. Within the first few minutes of riding the bike, it was evident that this sort of equipment could take me places I thought were out of reach.

I want other people in Saskatchewan to experience the freedom I feel when riding an adaptive mountain bike.  Unfortunately, adaptive equipment like this comes with a hefty price tag and can be a huge financial barrier for most people.  With help from the Saskatchewan Wheelchair Sports Association  I started a club to remove this barrier – where participants can rent out equipment and create an adaptive offroad community in Saskatchewan. We currently have two bikes that are available for use, with future plans to travel the province hosting clinics to introduce participants to mountain bike trails and other opportunities that this equipment provides.  The places these bikes have taken me are priceless. I’ve been able to explore the river trails in Saskatoon (which I didn’t even know existed), hiking trails at the lake where I grew up, and I get to share it all with my able-bodied friends and family. This equipment truly does change lives.

The two bikes we currently have are very old (circa 2010ish) and they don’t even have suspension. They are also kneeling style bikes which many people with mobility issues cannot bend into or cannot tolerate. The club is looking to purchase two pieces of equipment called the Bowhead Reach . The Bowhead has an upright riding style, and it has the added bonus of having articulating suspension and a much narrower width than the bikes we currently have. This means the Bowhead can go on far more trails than the two bikes we have, and it will accommodate more users with varying levels of disabilities. The Bowhead is an outstanding piece of equipment and was the brainchild of Albertan Christian Bagg.

The price tag on the Bowhead Reach is a whopping $24,000 CAD. Grant applications for this equipment have been unsuccessful, and so that is why we need your help.  Please consider donating, sharing this post, or passing along any business names that would make an ideal sponsorship partner. If you’re not able to help financially but would still like to be involved, we are also looking for volunteers to help with group rides, trail scouting, equipment maintenance, etc! Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have. Let's work together to make the outdoors more accessible for all!!