Fred David swears that cycling can change someone's life.
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Mr David operates IgKnight, which supports people with a disadvantage or disability to get on two wheels.
"We support a lot of kids with autism and cycling has changed their life," he said.
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"They are soothed, do their homework and their life is much better simply for having been out on a bike."
The business began after a physiotherapist friend of Mr David recommended a patient to contact Mr David to get on a tandem bicycle.
The man had a degenerative condition that had prevented him from cycling but after training on an indoor, stationary bicycle, wanted to feel the wind through his helmet again.
"The first time I rode with him on the on the tandem bike, we rode around Gibson Park in Thirroul about three times and he was buggered," Mr David said.
Now, the man is able to cycle up Macquarie Pass and complete 100 kilometre-long bicycle rides.
"It's pretty amazing what we've been able to do with people on the bikes," Mr David said.
IgKnight is now one of 24 Illawarra businesses that are certified Bike Friendly Businesses.
The program, launched in March, is part of Wollongong's status as a UCI Bike City. The moniker, launched in the run up to the UCI World Championships in September, will remain after the professional cyclists have moved on, and is part of the city's strategy to draw in cycle tourists and make the city a better place to ride for locals.
Destination Wollongong chair and Deputy Mayor Tania Brown said the program would benefit the city for years to come.
"This is about being a bike city business for the future and making sure Wollongong can provide the services needed if you visited as a cyclist," she said.
Mr David said the certification is already helping IgKnight, and his other business Cycle Tours NSW, with support.
"It gives our business much more exposure to the larger cycling community but lifts the recognition of cycling in our community to understand it's not just about weekend cyclists wearing lycra," he said.
"We work with a lot of vulnerable people, refugees, homeless people, people with disabilities so this is a wonderful support mechanism for us."
The Bike Friendly Business program is open to cafes, restaurants, shops, cycling service providers and accommodation providers and will continue receiving applications.
Staff from Destination Wollongong assess and inspect a business before providing certification, which confers a certificate, decals and a listing in the Destination Wollongong directory. Businesses are also part of promotion and marketing activities.
Mr David said he hoped the program would open up cycling to all segments of the community and for infrastructure to follow suit.
"When you're on a recumbent or a tricycle, it's very slow to navigate the [coastal] bicycle track," he said.
"It's great to be out there, but it could be a whole lot better."
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