Maaike van de Berg – Spinal cord injury

Maaike is a BerkelBike user with a complete spinal cord injury. She cycles outside, as well as on her home trainer. In her spare time, she writes on her blog. On this blog, she also wrote two stories about the BerkelBike. Below you can read a summary.

How I learned about the BerkelBike

“If you don’t do anything with your legs for a while, they will automatically transform into matchsticks. So yesterday I was at the St. Maartenskliniek (rehabilitation center) in Nijmegen to get an explanation about a potential bike (the BerkelBike).”

My BerkelBike Experience

“The bike has three wheels and looks like a recumbent bike. Even though my legs ignore every sign I give them, I will soon be able to cycle using them. How am I going to do that? Using electronic impulses!”

“I have chosen the BerkelBike because I want to keep my leg muscles fit. It also has other benefits including improved circulation, reduced risk of pressure sores, fewer spasms, and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.”

“I received the BerkelBike, which I have previously written about. It all works perfectly but it is a tiring activity. I’m not talking about the cycling itself but about the preparations you need to do before you can cycle. Anyways, it’s a beautiful invention and a special experience to do something with my legs after such a long time.”

Flow VR makes cycling even better

“The BerkelBike can come with a computer program. This makes the cycling more fun. For example, you can cycle the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race, but I still need to practice for that.

Outdoor cycling is also possible, but cycling alone is not that nice, so if someone wants to go for a ride, let me now!”