The American Business Council has been providing cycling options for those with disabilities since the 1990s. The vehicles provided are specially modified tricycles that give individuals with disabilities the ability to ride regularly and exercise. They are provided by a division of the American Business Council. The division and the tricycles are called Amtrykes.

It is one of four services provided by AMBUCS — the organization that also offers scholarships for therapists, handicap ramps for homes and veterans services.

The division originated when a Texas-based pediatric-physical therapist, Sue Haywood, was continuously frustrated with the prices of manufactured adaptive tricycles. At the time, she owned only one trike and let one child use it at a time.

In the process, Haywood observed that individuals using her trike had different abilities in strength, tone and confidence. She also observed that riders gained these qualities, even in the short amount of time they were riding the trike. To this end she wondered what the situation would be like if all her borrowers had trikes of their own.

Haywood described her frustration to her AMBUCS chapter in Longview, Texas. Along with AMBUCS member Gene Allen (who volunteered use of his fabrication shop) Haywood began creating customized trikes to fit each individual. The project took off, and in 1995 the Longview AMBUCS chapter brought the idea of the tricycles to their national conference. From there, the project was voted by the national AMBUCS membership to being included in its services.

The local division of AMBUCS was started in 2012 in the Occupational Therapy Lab at Jamestown Community College. The program was started by faculty members involved with the occupational therapy department.

“We were in the JCC building with very limited space,” said Amtrykes President Ellen Bobst.

Today, the group builds modulated and prefabricated trikes for individuals of all ages and disabilities.

They are now located in the JCC Community Services Center adjacent to the campus. Amtrykes has also expanded its catalogue of trike attachments and models. In addition to a free helmet, every individual is fitted prior to being presented with one. It is all done to accommodate an individual disability and all services are free of charge.

However, local AMBUCS Vice President Sarah Tranum prefers a different term from any status quo related to the disabled.

“We provide adapted trikes to people of all ages with disabilities. I actually hate to say with disabilities because they are with different abilities,” Tranum said. “If somebody can’t ride a regular bike and they have the desire to ride a bike we may be able to fit them in a tricycle with adaptations so they can be successful in riding.”

According to Treasurer Rick Rupprecht, there is only one limit when measuring for bikes.

“The only limitation is a weight limit of 250 pounds so there is not age limit at all,” Rupprecht said. “We match the person’s abilities or disabilities to a trike, the size, adaptations, foot-power, hand-power, no power (with somebody pushing the trike).”

Tranum said that the push trikes are used when an individual has no ability to pedal on their own. In addition to push trikes, Amtrykes also offers tricycles that are regular foot pedaled, arm pedaled and arm and foot pedaled. Each tricycle is designed for an individual to exercise each asset of their strength.

“They can peddle with their hands or feet to help use as much power of their body as possible,” Tranum said.

Riders and loved ones also have the option to exchange a tricycle when it becomes outgrown for the rider or their mobility situation changes.

To learn more about Amtrykes visit ambucs.org. To contact the Jamestown chapter for information or to schedule a fitting, call Ellen Bobst at 338-1011 or email at ellenbobst@mail.sunyjcc.edu.