Legless man pushes past his boundaries

IF you thought riding a bicycle with no hands was impressive, wait until you see Springfield's newest cyclist in action.

Born with a severe disability that rendered his legs useless, John Coutis had to overcome the challenge of riding a bicycle with no legs.

But if an obstacle like that was to deter the 42-year-old, he would not be the inspirational figure he has become.

Mr Coutis has always focused on achieving things others said were impossible.

His courage and humour in the face of adversity and his tenacity to overcome challenges has made him a globally renowned motivational speaker.

For his most recent achievement of riding a bike, Mr Coutis worked with bike specialists at Australian Cycle Skills at Seventeen Mile Rocks.

It was a goal he said had been a long time in the making.

Mr Coutis controls the brakes of his specially-designed three-wheel bike, changes gears and pedals - all through the use of his hands.

Australian Cycle Skills director Rob Kearney said the process of re-designing and building the bike was a "test and improve" process.

"When we were introduced to John, he had been trying to put a bike together for about 20 years," Mr Kearney said.

"He had acquired a bicycle frame which he brought into us and our master mechanic James Evans built the mechanisms to get him going.

"It's taken about six months on and off to get to this point but we still need to fine tune things like steering.

"Since he has no legs, it's difficult for John to counterbalance himself."

With a test run planned at Sinnamon Park's Windermere Estate this month, Mr Coutis said being able to finally ride was an exciting experience.

"The guys at cycle skills have put all their expertise into making this happen and have done a fantastic job," he said.

"When all the modifications are made, I plan to ride the bike as much as I can."