A professor who uses a wheelchair has created the first adaptive mountain bike in the UAE to help physically challenged people enjoy the outdoors.
Noel Joyce, a design and innovation professor at New York University in Shanghai, successfully designed and self-tested the bike at Abu Dhabi's Al Hudayriat trial last week.
“I rode along the 15km trail and it was amazing,” Mr Joyce, who lives in Ireland, told The National.
After a mountain bike accident 17 years ago left him having to use a wheelchair, Mr Joyce said he wants people with disabilities to enjoy the thrills of nature and mountain biking outdoors.
He came up with the idea after he found that most of the adaptive bikes available on the market were not suitable for rugged terrain and would often break. Some would take weeks to repair, he said.
My goal is to get one on every trail in the world so that someone with a disability can turn up with a friend and go mountain biking
Noel Joyce,
design and innovation professor at New York University, Shanghai
“A lot of the parts are expensive too,” he said. “A lot of disabled people get penalised for using these kinds of technology.”
To get around this, he decided to find a solution by designing a suitable bike himself.
“I went back to the drawing board and redesigned the entire bike that we can get ready within two weeks,” he said.
Adaptive bikes typically cost about $15,000 to $20,000. However, Mr Joyce was able to bring the cost of his bike down to $4,000.
“That means accessibility for more people,” he said.
The bike can also be custom made to suit specific challenges people have.
Mr Joyce and his team will be releasing the design files so that anyone can access it and build a bike.
“For example, I can't walk but I have good upper body strength so I can pedal well. Some people might not have good upper body strength, so they might need a different type of motor or pedal,” he said.
The design has all the components of a motorbike but comes with an electric motor for assistance in driving, 12-speed gear system, wide tyres for grip and weight, and hydraulic disc brakes.
Mr Joyce said he had already launched the bike in New York City in April, before he tested one in the UAE as part of his design project for New York University.
The next launches will take place in Ireland and Shanghai.
“My goal is to get one on every trail in the world so that someone with a disability can turn up with a friend and go mountain biking and get out into nature and go to places where they wouldn't have gone before,” he said.
Mr Joyce said he is passionate about the project because it will help people with challenges to overcome them.
“When I am on the bike, it is like I am not disabled any more. I can go places where I've never been able to go before.
“It's good exercise and also good for your mental well-being. When they do some more of the daring stuff on the bike, they even forget about their disability.
“The point of this project is to try to get people to have that same set of feelings, even if it's a fraction of it. If they can go into the forest and taste a blueberry, that is a powerful thing.”
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HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
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- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) - points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) - retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) - TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) - RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
The%20stats%20and%20facts
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
ON%20TRACK
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RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
Race card
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
9.50pm: Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm: Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
