SuffolkNews reporter Cameron Reid spends morning with Bury St Edmunds Rickshaw
Who knew you could reverse a rickshaw?
As I pedalled through Bury St Edmunds’ Abbey Gardens, navigating corners, children and pesky pigeons, my passenger David hit me with that revelation and my mind was well and truly boggled.
For one morning only, I was in the shoes of a rider for Bury St Edmunds Rickshaw and was given a taste of not only what it was like to cycle about the town, but also how much the service means to the community.
Launched in 2018 by Libby Ranzetta and Sam Reid, the charity offers free rides around the town to people experiencing limited mobility or social isolation and also helps do deliveries for local charities.
The idea is to give people an opportunity to get outside and interact with others, with the service run purely by volunteers.
While I was motoring along, David Fisher, a trustee adviser for the unique organisation, mentioned I could actually pedal backwards and reverse the rickshaw, which I found out was nicknamed Tigger due to its black and orange design.
I have cycled for many years and at first I quite simply did not believe that going backwards was possible.
However, after about 30 seconds of slight confusion and hesitancy, I managed to slowly reverse the rickshaw.
Admittedly, it did not feel right in the slightest and it was going against every instinct in my body as I’m so used to pedalling forwards, so it did take an embarrasing few moments of getting used to.
Any onlookers would have come to the swift conclusion I had basically lost my marbles. I don’t blame them. It looked like a really bad circus act, but with me in a high-vis jacket.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, disaster struck.
On a footpath next to the Abbey ruins, I approached my worst enemy. A hill.
Albeit it was a very small hill in the grand scheme of things, it felt like I had a mountain to climb as I approached it with David on the seat in front of me.
One, two, three, go? Nope. It was more one, two, three, woah. I went for the hill only to fail to muster the momentum to move forwards.
Even with a press of the boost on the rickshaw, which is an electric bike, the challenge was simply too great and I realised being a rickshaw rider might not have been as easy as it looked.
But after several attempts with the help of the very patient David, I made it up the hill.
Another thing I found difficult to grasp was that regularly throughout the morning I kept putting my legs out on the floor to stabilise myself when not moving.
I was informed that I didn’t need to do that at all and the bike remains stable but of course that didn’t stop me from still doing it. You can never be too sure.
Despite the curious and bemused looks I received while cycling about the area, I actually quite enjoyed the experience and although I couldn’t reach the speeds of Lewis Hamilton, it was nice to try out something new.
There was also something quite refreshing about doing a bit of exercise at a leisurely pace while chatting to my companion.
David, who has been involved with the rickshaw service since August 2019, was not only very helpful and good to talk to, but also an all-round great guy and I was very grateful for him giving up his time to help me on my rickshaw debut.
When I met up with him in the morning in Bridewell Lane, he showed me the different bikes they use, gave me some training, and was able to tell me about the rickshaw bike, earlier mentioned as Tigger.
This particular rickshaw, which was made in Holland, can support two people and can take up to 180kg. It has two batteries on it, can reach a top speed of about 12km per hour and costs around £13,000.
David explained why he enjoys his role of giving lifts to people who need help getting out and about.
“Not only do I find it quite relaxing and it keeps me in shape, but I also really enjoy chatting to the passengers,” he said.
“Just being out and about is a nice feeling, and being able to get some fresh air is just lovely too.”
“It can also be exciting and interesting for people who maybe haven’t seen parts of the area before so I quite enjoy that.”
David is a keen cyclist who has regularly participated in the annual Suffolk Historic Churches Trust sponsored ride since 1988 and also cycles to Bury from Culford two mornings a week to help with the rickshaw service.
He is one of over 30 regular volunteers who do the rickshaw rides in the town, with many of them keen runners or cyclists who enjoy being able to be active and help out.
“There’s a few places that have a rickshaw in the UK, but not many do what we do as a lot of the rickshaws are tied into different old people’s homes,” David said.
“One big thing that also really makes our Bury St Edmunds one so successful is the Abbey Gardens.
“Nearly everyone loves going there as it’s popular. beautiful and always a great spot to go.”
Since its launch five years ago, the registered charity has become hugely appreciated in the local area.
So much so, that not only did Libby and Sam appear on BBC's The One Show for a big surprise thank you for the work they do, but they also received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service last summer.
Among the many people they help, is 94-year-old Irene Hempstead, known as Renee, who lives in Bury. She struggles to walk and has used the rickshaw service for several years now and could not be more delighted with it.
Renee said: “Honestly, that rickshaw is a godsend. We’ve been to lots of interesting places that I’ve not even been to before and I wouldn’t get out at all without it, so I am incredibly grateful for it.
“I love talking to people and what I used to do was even tip my hat and wave like the Queen, I just couldn't help myself.
“The riders are also very good and careful so that's a wonderful thing and I just enjoy the ride so much.”
Renee has made many good friends through the service, including Libby and David, but her favourite thing about the experience is that she gets the chance to relive past memories.
“I particularly like being given the chance to visit the Abbey Gardens on the rickshaw, as it’s where my parents met so it's quite a nice thing for me to look back on and reminisce.
“It’s also the place where I used to play as a kid so I get to relive those memories and I love doing that.
“The rickshaw is just a really brilliant invention and I have many happy memories now because of it.”
