Blind woman in Columbia learns to ride bicycle for first time | KOMU

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Gretchen Maune said losing her sight has made her "more fearless." She wanted to stretch herself by learning to ride a bike.

"It felt amazing," Maune said. "Everyone’s so friendly when you’re on a bike. You’re just moving along, you’re getting exercise, and you’re going somewhere, and the wind feels great, and it was just really cool, and learning a new skill." . . .

Maune tried to ride on a tandem with a friend about five years ago, but she said that did not go well, either.

"We went about five feet and crashed, and he got a really bad cut on his head. I didn’t get on again," she said.

She decided to give it one more chance when her PedNet Coalition colleague, Rachel Ruhlen, offered to teach her on a tandem bicycle.

"We just went up and down my street, which is a little dead end street, over and over again," Maune said. "Then she was like, 'Okay, do you want to go over to Stephens Park?' and then I was like, 'Oh god, maybe we just try going about ten more feet first.'

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Blind woman in Columbia learns to ride bicycle for first time | KOMU

MoBikeFed comment: Rachel Ruhlen is outgoing President of the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation. Rachel is moving to Virginia, where she has accepted a new job as a transportation planner. Best wishes to Rachel and many thanks for her work in Columbia and across Missouri!