How the Oregon Coast Trails Inspire an Adaptive Cyclist

Like most kids in rural towns, I began cycling at an early age for recreation and transportation. We would make obstacle courses, jumps, or find steep hills for fun. Also, where I grew up, you’d need to pedal a few miles to see your friends or go to the store. I really haven’t stopped riding since I began around the age of 7, except for a period of time after I broke my back. On one sunny day in the mid 1980s when I was in my early 20s, I returned to my hometown of Scholls, Oregon. Some friends and I were riding our bikes in the forest alongside the Tualatin River. We were riding in an old abandoned open-pit clay mine, where some friends had made a large half-pipe. I was riding a Diamondback BMX when I dropped into the mine. My foot slipped off the pedal and, as I tried to regain my positioning, my center of gravity was up too high and I rotated in the air. Then, I landed on the ground on the back side of my shoulders. I broke my back in three places and sustained spinal cord injuries. I can still remember lying on the ground, with a paramedic over me, telling another medic, “He’s not going to make it, better call life-flight.” Well, I’m still here, and I am still pedaling. [View in Browser]( [Bicycling]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [How the Oregon Coast Trails Inspire an Adaptive Cyclist]( [How the Oregon Coast Trails Inspire an Adaptive Cyclist]( Like most kids in rural towns, I began cycling at an early age for recreation and transportation. We would make obstacle courses, jumps, or find steep hills for fun. Also, where I grew up, you’d need to pedal a few miles to see your friends or go to the store. I really haven’t stopped riding since I began around the age of 7, except for a period of time after I broke my back. On one sunny day in the mid 1980s when I was in my early 20s, I returned to my hometown of Scholls, Oregon. Some friends and I were riding our bikes in the forest alongside the Tualatin River. We were riding in an old abandoned open-pit clay mine, where some friends had made a large half-pipe. I was riding a Diamondback BMX when I dropped into the mine. My foot slipped off the pedal and, as I tried to regain my positioning, my center of gravity was up too high and I rotated in the air. Then, I landed on the ground on the back side of my shoulders. I broke my back in three places and sustained spinal cord injuries. I can still remember lying on the ground, with a paramedic over me, telling another medic, “He’s not going to make it, better call life-flight.” Well, I’m still here, and I am still pedaling. [Read More](   [Watch This Guy Attempt to Ride Across the Country on a ]( [Watch This Guy Attempt to Ride Across the Country on a "Barbie" Bike]( (It was a small country, but still!) [Read More](     [The Tour Down Under is (Finally!) Back for 2023—Here’s How to Watch]( [The Tour Down Under is (Finally!) Back for 2023—Here’s How to Watch]( The 2023 pro cycling road racing season officially kicks off with the return of the tour down under, and we're ready. [Read More](   [Fascia Stretch Therapy, a Gentle Form of Assisted Stretching, Can Improve Your Mobility]( [Fascia Stretch Therapy, a Gentle Form of Assisted Stretching, Can Improve Your Mobility]( This pain-free type of stretching helps to improve your range of motion so you can ride without discomfort. [Read More](     [5 Predictions for the 2023 Road Racing Season]( [5 Predictions for the 2023 Road Racing Season]( It’s time to answer some burning questions and look at the best bets for this year’s breakout stars as the road racing season gets set to kick off. [Read More](   [Watch What Happens When an Angry Bull Attacks a Cyclist During a Race]( [Watch What Happens When an Angry Bull Attacks a Cyclist During a Race]( A cyclist at the Rock Cobbler 80-mile race tried to pedal past a bull...and got the horns. [Read More](   [Win a Brand New Exercise Bike ($1,895 Value)!]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( Bicycling.com ©2023 Hearst Magazines, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019