"Without Bike Labyrinth, I don't cycle anymore!"

In Harderwijk, they didn't have a Bike Labyrinth installed initially. It was specifically set up for the Tour de Dialysis, and it turned out to be a huge success. Before Bike Labyrinth, very few patients cycled during dialysis. Most found it boring and preferred watching videos or playing games instead.

With Bike Labyrinth, everything changed. Patients were eager to try it out and enthusiastically pedaled through the routes. Nurses also noticed a significant difference. Patients who were usually reserved started sharing lively stories.

"One of our patients is quite introverted and doesn't talk much. He was born in Suriname, and when he saw he could cycle through Paramaribo, he eagerly did so. It really brightened him up, and he shared all sorts of stories about his childhood."

As we walked further into the department, a cheerful lady was about to start cycling. She began pedaling eagerly even before Bike Labyrinth was set up for her. "Without Bike Labyrinth, I don't cycle anymore!" She had fallen off her own bike twice already, so she no longer uses it. She also finds the bed bike during dialysis quite dull.

"With Bike Labyrinth, it feels like you're actually riding a bike yourself. I was born in Limburg, and these days I don't get to visit there much, let alone cycle around. Now, I can bike around there again and even pass by my sister's house!"

Feeling fitter after cycling

This patient also noticed a significant improvement in mobility. After a cycling session during dialysis, walking became much easier, and she felt fitter. "If I can keep walking this easily after cycling, I hope to postpone knee surgery for a while longer."

This initiative was organized last year by the Dutch Kidney Foundation (Nierstichting Nederland) in collaboration with Bike Labyrinth.