This story by Patrick Bilow was first published in the Stowe Reporter on Aug. 28, 2025.
Carol Weaver has been riding a specialized mountain bike for most of her life.
She was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that affected all four of her limbs. A few years ago, she suffered a riding accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down.
Most riders would have abandoned the sport at that point, but Weaver doubled down in order to combat creeping feelings of depression. Today she lives near a network of accessible trails in Maine and rides two to three times a week, but it was sometimes difficult for her to find a cycling community and trails that suited her needs.
A few years ago, Weaver began traveling to Stowe for an annual group ride in Cady Hill Forest, a destination for adaptive-ready terrain. This year’s ride, organized in partnership with Green Mountain Adaptive Sports, was held last weekend and featured 24 athletes from all over New England.
“These events are a big deal,” Weaver said. “Getting out on the trail and letting the public see us out there sends an important message that people with disabilities can live active, full lives. It’s good for our mental health. It’s also a good way to see how different riders tackle the trail.”
On Saturday, August 23, a handful of two-wheeled guides led adaptive riders through Cady Hill, and on Sunday, several of them competed in the Race To The Top of Vermont, a foot and cycling race to the top of Mount Mansfield. Weaver took first among the adaptive riders, an annual goal of hers.
Adaptive bikes are typically custom built with a range of different components and configurations. They can cost up to $25,000, but organizations like Green Mountain Adaptive Sports and the Kelly Brush Foundation help riders purchase a bike.
Weaver’s bike was built by ReActive Adaptations, complete with three wheels — two up front and one behind — three sets of shocks and brakes, and hand pedals to move the machine. Her model, the Hammerhead, places riders in a prone position, but models like the Nuke are operated from a recumbent position. Sometimes a bike shop will work on an adaptive bike, but Weaver said she does all her own mechanic work.
It’s a misnomer that adaptive riders require special trails to ride, Weaver said — all they really need is three feet of clearance for the front wheels and relatively even ground. Many trails in Stowe already meet that requirement, but the Stowe Trails Partnership has been working for years to further expand adaptive trails.
Stowe currently has about seven miles of adaptive-ready terrain, most of which are in Cady Hill, according to Kenzie Brunner, director of the Stowe Trails Partnership. Before her current role, she worked for the Vermont Mountain Biking Association, taking annual inventories of adaptive terrain in Vermont. She said Stowe always came out on top.
The town has been expanding terrain since taking an adaptive trail assessment in 2020. Converting an adaptive-ready trail mostly involves widening the trail and features like bridges and berms
Charlies Bypass and Eagle Ridge in Cady Hill saw the biggest renovations, and Brunner said the organization might expand adaptive terrain in the Kirchner Woods over the coming years. Stowe Trails is also building a new adaptive and beginner-friendly trail behind the Village Inn, which should be ready by October.
“We aren’t dumbing down the trail,” Brunner said. “There’s some terrain my adaptive friends will fly over that I won’t even touch.”
Still, Weaver said they appreciated having guides who knew the trails and could call out potential hazards. Jeff Kauffman, a Stowe Trails Partnership member, was one of the guides for the event. He knows the trails like the back of his hand and was happy to facilitate the adaptive group ride.
“It takes a lot of courage to get out there,” Kauffman said, “It was really nice to see able-bodied riders cheer them on last weekend.”
