Community bike group forced to close after shelter is smashed up and amputee's e-trike...

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Community bike group forced to close after shelter is smashed up and amputee's e-trike stolen Wales Online

A community bike project in Swansea has been forced to close its e-bike shelter temporarily after it was smashed into and a recumbent e-trike was stolen. Manoah Smiley, a right leg amputee from Mount Pleasant, said he had been left feeling "shattered" after his e-trike - which was being stored at the community shelter- was taken in the early hours of the morning on July 30.

Manoah's partner, Leonie Ramondt, co-ordinates the Mount Pleasant Community ebikes project, a community-led bike-share initiative which began through Crowdfunding in 2020. As well as Manoah's personal e-trike, two e-bikes and an e-trike belonging to the project are also stored in a bike shelter in Montpelier Terrace, Mount Pleasant. The shelter is equipped with electric charging points and CCTV cameras.

But on Sunday, July 30, at 4am, a local resident woke up to a loud crash and soon realised that someone was breaking into the bike shelter. The resident was unable to get hold of Leonie but called the police. Leonie explained the back of the bike shelter had been "smashed into" and the e-trike was gone.

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She explained that the e-trike was attached to a rail with a heavy-duty lock but the rail itself was not secured into the ground due to a lack of space. The e-trike was taken during the break-in with the rail still attached.

The other bikes in the shelter were attached to a rail that was secured to the ground and were packed tightly together, blocking access to the e-trike from the front. "They had come specifically to get [the e-trike] and they carried it out from the back," Leonie said. The shelter is fitted with CCTV cameras, but they had mysteriously stopped recording 48 hours before the incident.

Leonie has now been forced to close the shelter until steps are taken to ensure the bikes are secure again. Her partner Manoah, who lives with PTSD and depression, is an avid surfer and a member of the Surfability steering group. He had gained a new way to stay active and travel across Swansea when he purchased the e-trike and had hoped to share it with others through a co-operative system. Manoah's new e-trike had given the couple a lovely way to enjoy social time together as Leonie would join him on bike and trike rides across Swansea, she explained.

The e-bike project was set up as part of Mount Pleasant's Hub on the Hill project which aims to make Mount Pleasant a healthier and more sustainable community where local residents are able to explore Swansea. Leonie said her fitness had improved since using the bikes regularly and it had given her a new lease of life.

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