A little update about tech that keeps me safely on the road, and feeling more empowered after learning to repair a small component of my trike myself.

Getting down on the ground to do repairs is somewhat tricky with cerebral palsy, and my trike is pretty heavy – it weighs about 30 kg. As a result, I can’t really do basic repairs like fixing punctures and other bike-y things without taking it to the shop for assistance.

A few years ago when I was still learning to ride, I had a nasty accident when a tailgating car wouldn’t back off. This forced me to turn at speed, tipping me into the curb with the bike landing on top of me.

I was okay, and the driver slunk off anonymously after they saw the ambulance confirm I was still alive (albeit in pain). So I took action to install something to help keep me safe.

With the help of an OT and a retired engineer from Freedom Solutions, who specialise in disability bike mods, we installed stabilising wheels custom made to keep me up upright.

These stabilises use small castor wheels that you can buy cheaply from places like Bunnings or other large hardware shops. But I’ve never been able to install them without help.

After having the wheels replaced by the bike shop several times when they wore out or popped off, I decided to learn how to do it myself.

So I went to Bunnings and with the help of the people in store, and some additional guidance from staff at Omafiets bikes, I was able to find the right tools for the job.

The solution for me was a little ratchet wrench which enables me to loosen and tighten the wheels without needing a full 360-degree turn of the wrench.

I can do this with limited space, and without needing to get down the ground, or lift the bike up (which I really can’t do on my own).

Omafiets showed me how to use an Allen key to keep the stabilisers from moving to allow the wheel nuts to be adequately tightened.

Another cool bit of tech I discovered recently is a pocket-sized 12v air compressor, called a Fuma Pump. It allows me to fill my tires in about 20 seconds, without grappling with a bulky foot pump. All these things have helped increase my independence in maintaining my trike.

It sounds like a little thing, but I was pretty pleased with myself when a wheel snapped off on my way to work and I was successfully able to make the necessary repairs on my own.

A friend of mine playfully joked that I’m a bike tech. I felt pretty good about that, actually!

Hello, I’m a bike bro!