Pedaling Possibilities One Bike at a Time

 Rare Riders, Inc. was established by the families of Zane DeSousa and Tanner Greenspan, two boys living with rare genetic disorders.  Both families spent years trying to find ways to include Zane and Tanner in play activities with their siblings, as many games and activities are not disability-friendly.  Both families discovered adaptive bike riding was an inclusive activity for the whole family but quickly learned that insurance companies do not usually cover bikes as a physical therapy device.  These bicycles, just like everything else with an adaptive label, had prohibitively high price tags for young families.  

A few weeks before the holidays in 2020, friends and family started a collection fund for the adaptive bicycles for Zane and Tanner.  Within 24 hours, both bikes were fully funded.  The families were shocked, grateful, and incredibly excited.  They promised to pay it forward and help create a "biker club" of other kids in the community who could benefit from the physical and emotional impacts of an adaptive bike.  

In September 2023, Rare Riders officially became a 501(c)(3) and began fundraising throughout Massachusetts.  Within the first three years, Rare Riders has proudly donated 12 adaptive bikes to local children, community bike paths, and other organizations.  

The freedom and mobility that comes with an adaptive bicycle is life-changing for children with disabilities.  Adaptive cycling gives kids like Zane and Tanner the opportunity to engage in an activity that is a hallmark of childhood, make memories with their siblings and parents, and safely spend time outdoors.