Ride Adapt

Engineering the Future of Adaptive Adventure
Based in the heart of Wales’ best mountain biking and motorcycling, Ride Adapt is a specialist R&D lab developing the world’s first high-grade, high-performance upper limb interfaces for adaptive cycling and motorcycling.

In 2011, competitive mountain biker Tom Wheeler crashed during a downhill race. The impact left his right arm paralysed. For many, this would have ended their riding career. But Tom wasn't like most riders.

He set out to find a way back to the sport he loved. Crashes often led to further injuries due to the lack of a secure connection to the bike.

This led to a partnership with Dominic Eggbeer, a specialist in custom medical device design and professor at Cardiff Metropolitan University's design research department, PDR. Using 3D printing, they worked to redesign the brace and develop a quick-release bar attachment. Evenings and weekends were spent prototyping, testing, and iterating.