At 99 years old, with macular degeneration and glaucoma clouding her vision, the Sycamore Glen resident took her first ride with 3Wheel Therapy on October 23, pedaled along by a volunteer pilot while someone described the passing scenery to her the whole way.
That ride, and one for 72-year-old Verna Briggs the same day, came courtesy of 3Wheel Therapy, a nonprofit that provides free rides on three-wheeled, electric-assisted bikes to people who cannot ride a traditional bicycle, as WYSO Public Radio reports. Patrick and Ruth Bendel opened the organization's branch in southwest Ohio on July 8, and in just three short months it has hosted 96 rides with the help of 32 volunteers, covering nearly 300 miles across Lebanon, Miamisburg and Dayton. The initial investment in two specialty trikes was close to $28,000; each costs $13,000 and comes equipped with a removable front wheelchair so riders can transfer on and off easily.
A Region Built for Riding
Patrick Bendel told WYSO that the Ohio-to-Erie Trail and the network of paths around Xenia and downtown Dayton make southwest Ohio a phenomenal place to run the program, and the state's roughly 1,500 miles of bike paths back that up as an unusually rich resource for an operation like this. The trikes themselves let a passenger recline comfortably up front while a volunteer pilot pedals, steers and provides support from behind, according to the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities. All of the branch's volunteers have been trained to safely operate the bikes with clients, and the organization says it has accommodated riders ranging from age five all the way up to 99.
Jim Foerster, who volunteered on a ride at Sycamore Glen, said word of mouth has done a lot of the heavy lifting in bringing new riders and helpers to the program. Dale Schweinhagen, a 90-year-old who rode in October, said he was simply grateful to be outdoors in the fresh air that day. Kimberly Porter, director of resident lifestyles at Sycamore Glen Park and Trails in Miamisburg, said the rides give residents who otherwise can't manage outdoor activities a way to enjoy them, and the facility has partnered with 3Wheel Therapy multiple times.
From North Carolina to Three Ohio Counties
3Wheel Therapy began in North Carolina under board president Kenneth Kohler and, per the organization's own account, was started by licensed recreation therapist Nicole Kohler after she saw firsthand how much benefit people got from therapeutic bike rides, according to a 2023 report from Spectrum News 1. The nonprofit says it now serves New Hanover County in North Carolina along with Summit, Montgomery and Warren counties in Ohio. Its spread across Ohio has come largely through community members who learned about therapeutic riding and decided to bring it to their own towns — in Summit County, for instance, Betty and Bill Sepe raised money to buy two additional trikes and launch a local chapter, according to a report from Scriptype Publishing.
The Lebanon branch the Bendels opened is described by the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities as 3Wheel Therapy's third-ever chapter. An August outing at the Countryside YMCA in Lebanon saw volunteers support six riders across 17 miles, part of the steady ride log the new branch has built since launching. A separate Miami Valley chapter, reported on by the Dayton Daily News, had hosted 73 rides and logged more than 200 miles with 30 volunteers while working toward a goal of 100 riders by season's end.
One Ride Patrick Bendel Won't Forget
Not every rider is chasing scenery or fresh air for its own sake. Patrick Bendel told WYSO the program once took a woman who was on a ventilator for a roughly 40-minute ride, a moment he pointed to as a measure of how far the adaptive trikes can stretch what's possible for someone with serious medical needs. The bikes themselves are imported from the Netherlands and require specialized maintenance, according to the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities, which is part of why the nonprofit is actively collecting donations to help fund future purchases.
Scaling Up for Next Season
Running the program isn't cheap. 3Wheel Therapy spends about $80,000 a year on operating costs and is actively seeking additional funding to keep pace with demand, while continuing to welcome new volunteers. Despite the price tag, the organization plans to nearly double its annual ride total from roughly 100 this year to 200 next season.
Foerster said he plans to sign up as a volunteer again next season, and Bendel said he wants to start next year with more volunteers and more interested community members on board. The organization has said it may keep growing the way it got to Lebanon in the first place: through new branches opened by community members who see what the trikes can do and decide to bring the program home.
