Teresa Elinor and her son Flynn (14), who has Angelman Syndrome, completed the London to Brighton Ride earlier this month on their power-assisted Boxer Breeze cargo bike.
The Boxer Breeze ‘wheelchair tandem’ is a large, UK designed and built, cargo bike especially built to take a full size 18″ wheelchair.
Talking about the route taken by Teresa and Flynn, Boxer’s Managing Director, Jeremy Davies said: “The 54 mile route of the ride includes the famous Ditchling Beacon, which is gruelling for a normal cyclist, let alone a mum pedalling a large cargo bike and her son in a wheelchair and with a total weight of nearly 250kg on the hottest day of the year so far!”
Ditchling Beacon is reported to be the third-highest point in the South Downs; the hill climb covers 0.9 miles with an average gradient of 9% (but a maximum of 16%) .
“It was fantastic that we even attempted Ditchling Beacon,” said Teresa, “but in the end it was just too steep for too long and my co-pilot Louise Dorian had to get off and push – the other riders in our support team helped us make it up the rest of the hill – when we got to the top everyone cheered and clapped. For the rest of the course we sped along, using only one and a half standard e-bike batteries to complete the distance. Flynn was screaming with excitement on the downhill stretches and when we stopped for a break he was very comical towards other riders as if to say: come on then, we’ll race you!”
Davies said: ‘”We are so proud of Teresa, Louise and Flynn and their achievement; we are also proud that our bike enabled them to do it. We hope that more people are inspired to push the boundaries of what can be done by using an electric powered wheelchair tandem.”
The Boxer cargo e-bike is fitted with the same Unwin restraints used in ambulances and Davies adds that the design “allows plenty of leg room for the occupant and with good shielding from the elements with its high patterned sides and rain cover.”
The latest version of the Boxer Breeze features the Shimano Steps mid-drive electric motor and fully automatic gears and is VAT-exempt for disability use.
