Tandem trike for disabled bicycling

When I showed up at the Foothills Trail in Pierce County (WA) last week, I was surprised to see this rig rolling off the end of the trail.

Tandem workout bike for disabled cyclists

Never having seen such a trike-trailer-bike-tandem self-propelled vehicle before (I really didn’t know how to describe what I was seeing), I briefly talked to the owner and his assistant.

The owner, Robert Plummer, said he’s been disabled ever since he broke his neck when he fell of a roof 20 years ago. Told by doctors that he would never walk again, he designed this set up to help him get exercise and improve his chances of getting back on his feet.

“Getting exercise is very important for me.”

Independent pedaling

It’s called a Two Fun adaptive conversion trike, and it’s available through bike-trike-recumbent manufacturer Lightfoot Cycles of Montana.

The Spanaway man created and patented the rig so that an assistant, in this case Sarah Lewis of University of Puget Sound, can help him pedal.

She propels the trike from the rear trailer bike as Plummer helps pedal from the front. The power trains shift independently so both cyclists aren’t locked into the same cadence.

The rig steers from the back as well.

The Two Fun trailer can be attached to any bike. Also, the trike can be powered and steered from the rear by other methods — such as running or skating.

Inspirational story

Aside from the adaptive bike he created, Plummer has an inspiring story to tell about the power of the mind in overcoming great hardships. He’s still working toward his goal of walking one day, and the exercise he gets from bicycling helps him on this path.

You can learn more about Plummer and his bike at his website — Two-Fun4U. Check “about me” to read how much progress Plummer has made in the past 20 years; also see a story about him by KOMO news.