North Carolina Adapted Sports – Adapted Off-Road Cycling Program

About

Our goal is to increase trail accessibility by working with trail management teams to rehabilitate trails to make them accessible to adapted off-road cycles, e.g. handcycles and recumbent trikes. In addition, we work to introduce people with physical disabilities to adapted mountain cycling in order to foster a healthy active lifestyle and enjoy the outdoors.

Categories Program Adaptive Sports Adults Children & Youth Older Adults

Program Details

North Carolina Adapted Sports (NCAS) is an inclusive and equitable community for individuals with disabilities. We create recreational and competitive sporting opportunities that cultivate an individual’s potential.

NCAS Adapted Off-Road Cycling Program offers the opportunity for people with a physical disability to be trained to ride on mountain bike trails in the Triangle Area. NCAS works with trail management organizations or municipalities to rehabilitate or create universally accessible trail systems so adapted off-road cycles can utilize the trails. NCAS trail rehabilitation includes widening bridges to accommodate wider cycles and bypasses around trail sections that are too narrow. NCAS works to enhance the trail while not removing aspects that make it enjoyable to upright riders. NCAS has created 6 miles of accessible trails at Lake Crabtree County Park, 4 miles at Harris Lake County Park, and worked with Triangle Land Conservancy to create two accessible loops at Williamson Preserve.

Our goals:

Increase the number of adapted off-road cycles in our fleet so we can serve more people with a physical disability per adapted cycling session.
Train more trail support riders to assist with the program.
Establish skill-based progression, Green, Blue, & Black Diamond for adapted athletes to foster more self-sufficiency and hone their trail riding skills. The athletes who reach Black Diamond will be able to mentor new athletes and act as leads for trail rides.

Contact Wes Hall, CEO & Cofounder wes@ncadaptedsports.org (919) 414-2444 North Carolina Adapted Sports

Population Served
People living with a physical disability

Services Offered

Adapted Off-Road Cycling Training following Bike Instructor Certification Program Adaptive Mountain Biking (BICP aMTB) curriculum
Providing cycles for adapted cyclists to ride on the trails
Consulting for the creation of universally accessible trail systems that cater to adapted off-road cyclists

Cost to Participate
Free

Staff Composition
Wes Hall: CEO & Cofounder, BICP aMTB Instructor 1 Certified

A man wearing a helmet and a green shirt rides an adaptive cycle on a forest trail. The trees and leaves are blurry, showing the speed of the cyclist.

A group of cyclists, some on adapted cycles and others on bicycles, pose on a gravel cycling trail in the forest.

Two adaptive cyclists smile for a picture in a parking lot in their adaptive cycling equipment. More cyclists are in the background.

An adaptive cyclist on a wooded trail next to a meadow.

A man in a helmet stands in the woods next to a young man in a helmet sitting in an adaptive cycle. They both point to a sign on a tree that marks the entrance to the Flow Trail.

A group of cyclists, mostly on adaptive cycles, pose for a photo on a paved road in a large park with trees and grass in the background. Supportive team members stand behind the cyclists who are wearing racing bib numbers.

Recent Case Studies

A large group of participants express their excitement at the start of a backpacking trip. Trees and distant mountains fill the horizon behind them.

Program

Wild Hearts Idaho

Wild Hearts Idaho is a non-profit that builds community, confidence, and leadership skills for middle and high school girls through free outdoor adventures.

A close-up shot of Dan riding his trike with a confident grin.

Program

Spokes Fighting Strokes

Spokes Fighting Strokes (Spokes) introduces recovery through exercise and fun by providing recumbent trikes to stroke survivors, amputees, able-bodied humans, and those with or who have had traumatic brain injury (TBI), neck and back injury, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis (MS), and cerebral palsy (CP).

An aerial image of the playground showing play equipment, gathering spaces, and a painted ground mural looping around the playground.

Place

Louis H. Farrell Elementary School

This project was designed to advance literacy and learning goals while promoting playful learning in public schoolyards. Key features include a Gateway Plaza, a Literacy Art Loop, an Outdoor Classroom & Performance Space, separate play areas for older and younger children, and a Native Pollinator Meadow & Nature Discovery Trail.