FOUNDED BY

Roger Withers

Roger lives in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. He started mountain biking in the early 1990s and was instantly hooked, however a motorbike accident and subsequent infection in his leg caused him to become a below knee amputee in 2013.

Rogers thoughts soon turned back to cycling and he was determined to get back on a bike. He started out with simply trying to pedal around the garden, progressing to around the local park and then onto Wollongong cycleway. As his confidence grew he decided on an ambitious goal: to enter the 'Sydney To Gong’ fundraising ride for MS, a 90km road ride. With the help and support of cycling friends, he completed the ride twelve months after his amputation.

As an amputee, Roger had suffered with depression and anxiety. He knew being able to get back on a bike had huge physical, mental and social benefits and he wanted to share this with amputees and others.

In 2018, Roger held the first amputee ride day ride day at Greenvalleys Mountain Bike Park. Specialized provided their demo fleet of Specialized Turbo Levo electric assist mountain bikes, with Camden Cycles and Southern Prosthetics & Orthotics helping to adjust bikes and prosthetics where needed. The first ride day was a huge success. The star of the day was a 63 year old amputee who had not been able to ride a bike in 20 years; after being set up and some instruction he was joyfully riding around again having a lot of fun!

Why Ability To Ride?

After his own personal experience and organising two successful ride days seeing how it impacts people socially, mentally and physically, Roger was determined to make his passion for getting others back on a bike an ongoing, formal project called Ability To Ride Worldwide.

Ability To Ride Worldwide offers a fun exciting way for anyone to explore cycleways and trails, from bush to beach, using electric assist bikes. No matter what your skill or fitness level, you will be guided by experienced bike riders and coaches on a ride tailored just for you, or a group of friends.

1

Qualified PMBI instructors

Our coaches are qualified PMBI instructors with certifications recognised globally and have extensive years of experience. We can coach and provide guided tours for everyone from all levels.

2

Supported by established organisations

Our e-bikes are proudly provided by Specialized Bicycles so you can best enjoy your ride no matter what fitness level you are. We are also working with other groups such as the Amputees NSW, Camden Cycles, Southern Prosthetics & Orthotics etc. to make cycling more accessible, safe and enjoyable for everyone.

3

Adaptive inclusion

Being an amputee since 2013, Roger understands the challenges of getting on a bike as an amputee. We can help guide you through the use of electric assist e-bikes with special modifications, enabling you to push boundaries, to experience freedom and independence, helping you socially, mentally and physically.

4

Locally based

Our team has extensive knowledge of cycle ways, fire roads and beautiful mountain trails in and around Wollongong and the Illawarra. We are proudly to be based in Wollongong NSW, the 1st Australian city to be one of 18 Bike Cities around the world, including Vancouver, Paris, Copenhagen, Glasgow and Bergen, recognised by the Union Cycliste Internationale.

Supported by

Supported by

Maglock Bike Pedal

The MagLOCK Bike Pedal magnets make it quick and easy to clip in, guiding your feet into the locking position. No more pain of strenuously moving your foot over the pedal to find the clip. This is especially useful when starting on a steep uphill incline, where clipping is needed.
https://maglockbikepedal.com/
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Specialized

Specialized. Made for riders, by riders. When quality tires weren’t around, we strove to make the best. When people wanted to ride cruisers in the dirt, we made the first production mountain bike. When roadies wanted to go faster, we doubled-down on carbon and built our own wind tunnel. And when we saw kids struggling to focus in school, we started the Specialized Foundation to help them through cycling.
https://www.specialized.com

Camden Cycles

Camden Cycles is a bicycle store located in the heart of Camden, only a short distance from Narellan and Campbelltown. Operating in the same location since 1981, the store showcases some of the iconic brands such as GIANT, Scott and Ridley. No matter what you’re looking for whether it be a road cycle bike, mountain bike or even your child’s first bicycle! The team at Camden Cycles can help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
https://www.camdencycles.com.au

Amputees New South Wales

The Amputee Association of NSW Inc is run by amputees for amputees. We are a not for profit organisation with a number of affiliated branches throughout NSW. A group of dedicated volunteers are available to help provide information and assistance to all amputees in the community.
http://www.amputeesnsw.org.au/

Southern Prosthetics & Orthotics

With Honesty, Trust and Reliability! Southern Prosthetics & Orthotics focus is on helping you achieve maximum mobility and independence with an individual fitting. They believe in integrative concepts and rely on secure structures, following a holistic treatment circle designed by our technical experts together with our partners.
https://spao.com.au/

The START Foundation

START foundation is proud of the impact it has on the lives of amputees and the communities around them. The foundation does not shy away from the commitment to improve the lives of amputees wanting to play sport and ultimately, get the most out of life. START believes amputees deserve the same opportunities as their able-bodied counterparts.
https://www.startfoundation.org.au/

Greenvalleys Mountain Bike Park

Australia’s Boutique Mountain Bike Park located in the foothills of the Macquarie Pass National Park, Tongarra, NSW. Greenvalleys Mountain Bike Park is a must go destination for mountain bikers offering: Progressive Trail Structure, Clinics and Coaching, Competitive Race Days, Airbag, Skills Park, Private Hire and Downhill / Freeride / Slopestyle / All-Mountain Trails.
http://greenvalleysmountainbikepark.com

The Wetseat

The Wetseat is Australia’s most trusted Seat Cover. Our range of covers are aligned with the Australian way of life in mind, so whether it’s hard at work, playing in the mud or sand, we’ve got your seats covered. We are a family run business that is an advocate of the Kaizen approach of continuous improvement, we strive to achieve excellence in every facet of our business end to end. The Wetseat is now available in Neoprene, Canvas and our exciting new Duratex materials.
https://thewetseat.com.au/

Maglock Bike Pedal

The MagLOCK Bike Pedal magnets make it quick and easy to clip in, guiding your feet into the locking position. No more pain of strenuously moving your foot over the pedal to find the clip. This is especially useful when starting on a steep uphill incline, where clipping is needed.
https://maglockbikepedal.com/

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