Charity spotlight: The Bike Experience

We recently attended the inspiring Breaking More Boundaries conference, where a range of speakers with serious injuries talked about how they had overcome their challenges and achieved some amazing things.

One such speaker was Talan Skeels-Piggins. Now, if you have read our exclusive interview with Talan, which can be found here, you will know that one of the amazing things he has done is to set up a charity: The Bike Experience.

In this piece we will explain everything you need to know about the charity including how it makes a difference on a daily basis, how you can get involved and what’s in the pipeline for the organisation.

What is The Bike Experience?

The Bike Experience is a charity that helps to get motorcyclists that have been disabled back on a motorbike, as well as teach - from scratch - disabled people who have never before been on a bike.

With the use of adapted and modified motorcycles and specialist instructors and volunteers, more than 250 people have learned to ride a motorbike through the charity in the past six seasons.

The charity does not charge for the experience, understanding that many disabled people do not have a disposable income and would therefore struggle to be able to attend an event if they had to pay.

For more information about what goes on at a typical day at The Bike Experience, visit What to Expect.

Where is it?

The charity operates from the Old Copse Runway arena at the Silverstone circuit, just outside of Milton Keynes and Northampton.

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Why was it set up?

As Talan told us in an exclusive interview:

“The day I got back on my bike was honestly the best day of my life. And I thought there had to be more people out there who were injured or disabled who would love to get back on a bike too. So I bought another bike and decided I’d help others to realise what they thought was impossible.

“It’s about giving people self-confidence, about giving them self-belief and about empowering them. Because if we can show them that they can ride a motorcycle, which they perceive to be impossible, then we’ve achieved the impossible. Therefore, any other challenge they encounter in their life will be surmountable.”

What impact does it have on attendees?

The experience has been described as “life changing” and Talan says that he can see people change in front of his eyes at an event.

“You see a difference straight away. After the very first ‘launch and catch’ that they do, you only have to look into their eyes and suddenly this light is shining.

“I’ve had messages back from partners and friends and family saying, for example, that for years, the person who came to The Bike Experience lived at home, didn’t do much, had never left the county, and so on. But since coming to The Bike Experience, they’re out and about, they’ve been on holiday three times that year - they’re doing all kinds, and that’s just from coming once. For other people we’ve given them the confidence to go back out and ride on the road again.”

Here are some things that people have said about the experience in the past:

“My visit to The Bike Experience just gave me back something that was part of me, biking was the thing I miss most in my life since my diagnosis, I know now I can ride again.”

“Overwhelmed, best day of my life, didn’t want the day to end. Looking forward to having another go. Confident. Still smiling.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Source: http://www.tbex.co.uk/about-the-bike-experience/

What’s next for The Bike Experience?

Talan says the charity is currently building a virtual reality bike that is hooked up to a computer, where the participant can either watch on a TV screen or wear a virtual reality headset and have the experience of doing laps of circuits even if they don’t have the physical or cognitive ability to ride a real bike. “It’s going to be an incredible thing,” he explains.

Currently only those who can support themselves with one arm and operate a throttle and brake with one hand are able to ride a bike at The Bike Experience, but this new technology will mean anyone will be able to experience the thrill of being on a bike.

How can I get involved?

To enquire about you or a loved one taking part at a Bike Experience event, go to the website and contact Talan and his team to arrange a booking on this page.

If you would like to volunteer, get in touch with Talan either via the charity’s Facebook page or the official website.