Life After Storke: Reclaiming Freedom - Hase Bikes Pino Tandem

Rachel and Ted fall in love with the Hase Bikes Pino tandem along the Burlington waterfront of Lake Champlain.

Rachel McKnight and her husband Ted are avid cyclists, and often enjoy riding as a couple. When Rachel lost the use of her right side following a stroke in 2011, she thought her cycling days were over, and gone with them her cherished sense of freedom.

​She rediscovered it along the Lake Champlain waterfront in Burlington, VT, when she rented a Hase Bikes Pino. It wasn’t long before she bought her own. Today, Rachel and Ted ride more than ever.

Dear Anya and David,

I had my stroke five years ago, 2011. I lost the use of my right side. I walk with a Bioness and a cane. My arm is in a sling. We bought our Pino in 2013 and we have ridden it for two years and are looking forward to many more. A specially fitted leg brace to hold my right leg straight and the removal of the right-hand seat handle made getting on and off easy.

The bike gave me back a sense of freedom that I thought I had lost. My husband and I go biking every chance we get.

He still goes riding on an individual bike, but when he and I go out on the Pino, I get the greatest sense of freedom! I like the wind in my hair (though I do wear a helmet). I ride in the front and I help with the pedaling which is good exercise for the right leg.

We ride on the bike trails around the Burlington, VT, area. I especially like going out on the causeway to the Champlain Islands. We also ride the Rail Trails in St Albans, VT, and Jeffersonville, VT. Last Spring we took the Pino on a trip and rode on bike paths in North and South Carolina and in the summer we went to Ohio to ride.

I cannot say enough about the wonderful feelings I get from riding the Pino!

Keep Biking!
-Rachel McKnight

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