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Dec 28, 2021,02:37pm EST|
How Adaptive Bike Tech Has Helped Quinn Brett Literally Go Off Road
Steven Aquino
Contributor
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Steven covers accessibility and assistive technology.
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Quinn Brett became the first adaptive cyclist to complete the Tour Divide.
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Quinn Brett was a professional climber with the National Park Service (NPS) working technical search and rescue when, in October 2017, she endured a 120-foot fall while climbing Yosemite’s famed El Capitan. The accident left her with a broken back and paralyzed from the waist down.
Brett’s paraplegia led her to rekindle her love of cycling, which began for her as a child. Since her injury, her bike of choice has been an off-road handcycle. Handcycles are conceptually similar to leg-powered bikes except, as the name implies, are steered instead by the arms. In a recent interview with me conducted over email, Brett said a handcycle is “the most capable mobility device out there to explore our land.”
Brett explained there are crucial differences between an adaptive bike like a handcycle and standard bikes. Whereas a standard bike has two wheels, [...]
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