Recumbent bikes for students with physical disabilities
A course focused on riding recumbent bikes on paved roads (cycle paths, low-traffic roads), but also in the field. Students will learn about the technique of riding and controlling a recumbent bike in different conditions (and terrain), students with less physical fitness can use a recumbent bike with an electric motor. At the same time, thanks to the riding characteristics of the recumbent bike, the course participants have the opportunity to explore places in Brno and its surroundings that are difficult to access in a wheelchair.
Due to the nature of the course, the teaching is more or less individual, the student rides with their lecturer according to the agreement depending on time possibilities and also depending on the weather. For this reason it is also possible to extend the lessons into the exam period. The lessons can be either regular (1 time per week) or block (5 half- to full-day rides per semester), or a combination of both, with a total of at least 19 hours of net time per semester. The training takes place in suitable terrain both in Brno (e.g. on cycle paths along the Svratka and Svitava rivers) and in adjacent or more distant locations in Brno. Routes are chosen in terms of length and difficulty according to the performance of the students, usually ranging from 10 to 30 kilometers.
A total of three Praschenberg recumbent bikes are available. Two Speedbike Comp S recumbent bikes, one in a road version and the other in a lighter trekking version, and a Speedbike Comp CC recumbent bike – MTB version with an additional electric motor. An e-Totem electric recumbent bike is also available. All recumbent bikes have bottle racks. As most rides are longer for more experienced recumbent bikers, it is advisable for the student to have personal items (documents, cash, spare clothes, or a raincoat) with them, in addition to a drink bottle, which can be taken by the instructor accompanying the student on the bike.
The course together with the methodological material was developed in 2012-2014 within the project "Expin – Network of expert workplaces to ensure inclusion in tertiary education". Within the framework of this project, the necessary sports equipment was also purchased.