Mountain bikers extend challenge to hand cyclists

The South West Mountain Bike Club hosted a State round with a difference at the weekend, incorporating hand cycling into the competition for the first time in its history.

The regional club hosts a WA Mountain Bike Association XCO State round annually at its Dardanup course, but this year between heats, four riders competed at the event and took to the off-road course.

Eaton’s own Toby Harold was one of the four competitors and raced against three others in the special event, which had 160 mountain bike riders compete in round.

South West Mountain Bike Club joint president Barrie Thomas said the weekend’s event was the biggest in the club’s history.

“As far as we are aware, we are the only club in Australia to hold such a hand cycling event,” he said.

Thomas said the biggest challenge was the constructing the additional 300m of track for the hand cycling event.

The hand cyclists were gathered by Andrew Liddawi, who is the founder of not-for-profit organisation Break the Boundary, which encourages people with disabilities to get into off-road cycling.

Liddawi said the addition of the hand cyclists meant there was more inclusion for riders in the sport of mountain bike riding.

“It was a friendly and welcoming experience,” he said.

“We felt like part of the mountain biking community.

“Long term it means further races in the State series and a national competition.”