À Lyon, un vélo inclusif pour rouler avec son propre fauteuil roulant

MOBILITY - “Without it, I’d never go downtown alone.” In Lyon, Virginie Béjot’s daily life has drastically changed since she started using “Benur.” This tricycle allows her to cycle while remaining in her own wheelchair and without assistance. It offers her greater independence and freedom. It’s not a cargo bike or a tricycle, but rather a personal bicycle adapted for people with reduced mobility. As you can see in our video, this “handbike” (a portmanteau of the words handicap and bicycle) is pedaled not with the feet but with the hands, making it suitable for all users. “It’s absolutely not tiring to pedal by hand. I even get exercise; it’s good for me,” the young woman emphasizes. “If necessary, I can simply use the accelerator button.” The tricycle is an e-bike, an electric-assist bicycle, which recharges by hand, with a range of 80 kilometers. Its ramp allows a wheelchair user to get on and ride it independently, “like everyone else.” A bicycle costing between €6,000 and €8,000 The device was conceived by Joseph Mignozzi following a road accident in 2012, which left him wheelchair-bound for over two years. “From one day to the next, I could no longer use my own bicycle, let alone the shared bikes near my home,” laments the former restaurant owner. The 49-year-old then built his first prototype and used it for his own needs. With the help of rehabilitation doctors, and after developing several models, the first production run of the bicycle was manufactured in 2020. Since then, twelve bicycles have been available to the public in Chambéry, on the vast “ViaRhôna” cycle path, and soon, about ten tricycles will be available in the Lyon metropolitan area. The bikes are sold to local authorities for between €6,000 and €8,000, depending on the model. The authorities then choose the rental options. "My goal is for everyone to have access to cycling without having to bear the financial burden," Joseph Mignozzi told us. 30% able-bodied users Another ambition for the creator of "Benur" is to "break down the barrier between two worlds," that of people with disabilities and that of able-bodied people. The bike is described as "inclusive," as it can accommodate able-bodied users thanks to its removable seats. According to the company, 30% of tricycle users are able-bodied. Solutions adapted to the world of disability were "very poorly implemented and underutilized" because they were too stigmatizing, he explained. With existing bikes, "people in wheelchairs are even more noticeable on the street; this had to change," he concluded. A successful venture on all fronts for Virginie Béjot. Safer because she's higher up on the tricycle, the woman in her forties has gotten used to riding with able-bodied people. “It's pleasant; we share the same tool, in the same way. We're equals, really.” “En Transition” is a HuffPost project on mobility, produced with the support of Toyota. #handbike #disability #bike ----- Subscribe to the HuffPost YouTube channel now:    / lehuffpost   For more HuffPost content: Website: https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/ Facebook:   / lehuffpost   Twitter:   / lehuffpost   Instagram:   / lehuffpost   To receive our free daily newsletter: https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/newslet...