Mountain biking thrill for wheeelchair users

From the Preston Citizen, first published Thursday 15th Mar 2007.

A self confessed adrenaline junkie' is to introduce the thrills of four-wheel downhill mountain biking to wheelchair users.

Phil Hall, 34, from Ashton has launched the Rough Riderz club and hopes to make the sport available to both disabled and able-bodied people.

Phil suffered permanent damage to his spinal cord in a motorbike acident in Tenerife four years ago.

He can no longer walk and will need the use of a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Most of his previous favourite pursuits such as rock-climbing, bungee jumping, hiking and off-road mountain biking were impractical with his wheelchair.

He still wanted to try out new and challenging sports, however, and while on holiday in Colorado, USA last year, he was given a chance to experience the excitement of four-wheel downhill mountain biking.

He said: "To speed down a mountain on one of the bikes gave me an extreme sense of freedom and that buzz of excitement for the first time since my accident.

"On these four-wheelers, disability means nothing. In fact you have no way of knowing if a rider is a wheelchair user at all until they get out, so with these gravity-driven machines there's just no advantage either way."

The sport is well established the USA and when Phil returned home he set about launching the Rough Riderz Downhill Club to enable active UK wheelchair users and able-bodied people to get involved in the sport.

He has received support, help and advice in achieving his dream from spinal injuries charity Aspire, including assistance towards purchasing his own £5,500 bike, which is set to be imported in May.

Phil added: "I'm trying to secure funding to offer people taster days so they can hook up with Rough Riderz and try out the sport."

For more information go to www.roughriderz.co.uk.

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