Spikes Trikes Donates Recumbent Trike to Sunnyview

Sunnyview stroke patient, Ken Bernson, tries out the new trike with direction from recreational therapist Jennifer Battle, CTRS.

When Bernie “Spike” Elwood was forced to retire due to a severe back injury, the former electrician read about a recumbent trike that might help him lose those extra pounds, get back into shape, and allow him to enjoy biking once again.

Since there were no local dealers, Elwood ordered a Terra Trike online. The purchase changed his life. In no time, he was reaping the health benefits of exercise, losing weight, and enjoying his mobility. His new acquisition also prompted him to start a new career.

In 2013, Elwood and his wife, Darlene, opened up their own Terra Trike dealership, Spikes Trikes, in Amsterdam. “We started out with only four trikes in our shop … little did we know we would quickly become one of the top dealers in the country,” he said.

Elwood assembles the Terra Trikes in his shop, customizing them to meet the needs of each individual customer—short, medium, or tall. He recently built one for a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy.

In March of this year, Spikes Trikes donated a $1,200 recumbent trike with a stationary roller to Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital for use by patients with a variety of disabling conditions. Sunnyview patients can ride the stationary trike in the indoor gym or outside in the warm weather.

Elwood heard about Sunnyview through his customer and friend, Kevin Harrison, a former patient. Both agree the trikes have helped transform their lives, giving them independence and mobility—not to mention a new social network of fellow trikers.