Spokes Fighting Strokes is a nonprofit working to help stroke survivors regain mobility, independence, and connection.

“I’m kind of a social person,” Dave Bancroft, a stroke survivor, said. “So this allows me to get out and socialize with people, and when I get on my trike, and I leave home, I make all the choices, and I can decide what I want to do, where I want to go.”

Through free clinics across the country, the organization helps stroke survivors and others with balance challenges find independence. The clinics will return to Minnesota for a third year at the end of July.

Dan Zimmerman, the president of Spokes Fighting Strokes, had a serious stroke almost 21 years ago and was told by doctors he would need a wheelchair for life and never be able to talk again.

Zimmerman became depressed until he discovered adaptive trikes, and after years of cycling, he started to notice the benefits.

“After five or six years since the stroke, I began to talk, with no therapy,” Zimmerman said.

He conducts a nationwide tour each year with recumbent trikes, allowing people to experience adaptive trikes free of charge. The goal is to reach every stroke survivor to show them that recovery is possible through cycling.

“My life now is helping people out of their misery by riding a trike,” Zimmerman said.

How adaptive trikes work

The organization uses adaptive recumbent trikes and adapts them to the needs of the rider.

The trikes, known as tadpoles, have three wheels – two in the front and one in the back. This allows riders to pedal with their feet and steer with their hands, helping them balance, even if they have limited mobility in their arms and legs.

“Sometimes trikes have a negative connotation,” Bancroft said. “When people think of a trike, they think back to being a little kid. This is totally different. These are like sports cars you sit in and ride.”

The physical benefits cycling offers

In addition to the social and emotional benefits for stroke survivors, another important aspect in the recovery process is getting physical exercise. Adaptive cycling provides that opportunity that might be hard to find elsewhere.

“I feel that it allows me to get my cardio exercise,” Bancroft said. “Whereas, if you go to a gym, they don’t have equipment that’s adapted so that you can use it.”

Returning to Minnesota

Spokes Fighting Strokes will host free clinics at the Church of the Open Door in Maple Grove from July 22 to July 29. More information can be found at spokesfightingstrokes.org. Organizers encourage anyone with balance issues to come out and give it a try.

“People rarely think they can ride a trike, but it’s easy to ride. One hand and one leg powers the trike,” Zimmerman said.

The event offers more than just an opportunity to try adaptive trikes. It also gives participants a chance to reconnect with friends and family in ways they never thought possible before.

“I know for me, being a grandparent, to be able to go out with my grandkids on their bikes, we can be going out on rides together,” Eric Anderson, a volunteer with Spokes Fighting Strokes, said.

Recovering with a community

While Spokes Fighting Strokes gives people a chance to exercise, shared experiences and similar challenges help stroke survivors feel less alone in their recovery.

“To get with people in the community that have similar issues in life and be able to bond,” Anderson said, “and share stories and build relationships … to deal with a group of people who are on the same journey, at different spots along the way, gives you hope but also allows you to give hope to others.”