Malinda

Malinda has Meniere’s Disease, which affects her balance. She loves to go out bicycling with her son, despite the challenges it poses. She has to be extremely careful on two wheels. One day in 2019, she was caught off-guard and crashed.

She realized that she needed to find a way to ride that would offer her more stability, so she went to RecumbentPDX and tried out different adaptive bikes and trikes until she found one that worked for her. She found a recumbent trike that is low to the ground, which helps her feel stable when she rides.

Recumbent trikes are expensive, though. Malinda asked the vendor about financing options and was referred to Northwest Access Fund. She was impressed by NWAF’s 5% interest rate.

Malinda describes Northwest Access Fund’s loan application process as “super easy.” She explains that she was able to communicate back and forth over email regarding her application, which was helpful because Meniere’s affects her hearing as well.

Although Malinda has only had the trike for a month or two, she says it has already been “amazing.” It’s now her main form of transportation, since she sold her car to her daughter, and she rides it to work when she goes into the office. The trike has also made it easier for her to exercise, as she doesn’t have to put any weight or pressure onto her ankles.

Just how amazing is the trike? When her 87-year-old father and 73-year-old mother saw it, they went out and bought their own.