Following a car accident that left 22-year-old Rob Thompson with a brain injury and the loss of feeling in his left side, his Dad built a tandem recumbent upright tricycle to aid the healing, both mentally and physically.
Luckily his father Dave is not only a keen cyclist, but also a mechanical engineer, so knew exactly what to do to get Rob back on the road to recovery. As Rob’s loss of his left side is brain-related rather than physical, the cycling – aided by his father steering and pedalling – has helped improve his strength and seen a drastic change in him over the months.
From not being able to steer initially, he can now steer some of each ride and has better flexibility and endurance as a result. Plus, there’s the added advantage of the rush of endorphins, which seem to have helped Rob’s attitude as well: “It’s always good to be fit for the ladies.” [Bicycle Design via Gizmag]