Hamilton entrepreneur Liam Carter has faced many challenges entering the business world.
Carter lives with cerebral palsy and is seeking $25,000 towards leasing premises for Ride Your Trike NZ, his business specialising in adaptive bikes and trikes.
Adaptive bikes are cycles designed or modified for people who find a standard two-wheeled bike difficult to use, Carter said.
They can include trikes for extra stability, hand-powered cycles, supportive seating, or wheelchair-carrying designs that let someone enjoy a ride as a passenger.
The 19-year-old’s bike business is now outgrowing its current space, his family’s home, with incoming stock spilling into his father’s workout space.
He said sales had picked up after a quiet spell and the business was growing faster than he had expected.
“It’s exciting, but I need more space; my parents cannot even access their garage.”
Setting up shop in Hamilton is the immediate goal. Longer term, Carter dreams of a Tauranga hub with a cafe, showroom and workshop near the coast.
There is a personal pull, too, he said.
His grandparents are from Tauranga, so he has wanted to build a business there for years.
Walking long distances is difficult for him. Before getting his driver’s licence last year, his trike was his main way of getting around.
“From the age of 5, I’ve been on a bike, and it changed my life.”
It’s given him the freedom to get to school, meet friends and undertake that essential childhood business.
“Buying lollies.”
That experience helped shape Ride Your Trike, which grew from cycling advocacy into a business supplying equipment to help others get riding.
He has since expanded into conventional bikes and e-bikes, widening his customer base and shrinking the available floor space.
“If I want to get somewhere, I’ll get there. And it’s about breaking down those barriers as a young, but also disabled entrepreneur,” Carter said.
Carter is clear that the business aims to make a profit, alongside helping people gain independence.
He does not draw a full-time salary and works with a casual mechanic.
During quiet periods, he has initially considered taking a part-time job, but sales picked up again quickly.
In August 2023, Carter started advocating for cycleways at Hamilton City Council and, through discussions with people in his community, “found a real need for adaptive bikes”.
Carter said people had underestimated him because of his age and disability. Online bullying had also made him question continuing.
But helping customers find a new way to get around keeps him going.
For some, finding suitable equipment involves more than choosing a colour and checking for a bell.
Some need time to build confidence. Others require adaptations, with families, occupational therapists and physiotherapists helping find the right fit.
A test ride might take 20 minutes or two hours.
“We’re not a pressured environment.”
Carter said the aim was to make everyday life more accessible, with support continuing after a sale.
He has driven out at night to help with a customer’s battery and answered early morning calls about equipment.
The bikes may have stands. The business rarely seems to stand still.
Permanent premises would provide room to display equipment and repair donated bikes for resale, with a small profit helping cover operating costs.
Further services offered would depend on the space secured. A smaller fundraising result could help with storage, while more money would allow larger premises.
However, no matter the result, he wants somewhere customers feel welcome.
He sees potential in serving older residents and disabled riders.
“Somewhere where people can feel like they can come in and be themselves.”
Carter has launched a Givealittle appeal and is spreading the word through social media.
He is also inviting people considering larger donations to contact him directly.
Those unable to donate can help by sharing the fundraiser, recommending the business or buying something they need.
“Whether it’s $5, $20 or simply spreading the word, every bit of support means something.”
His Givealittle page is givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-us-build-a-home-for-ride-your-trike-nz.
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. Before he joined the Hamilton-based team, he worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive. He previously worked as a journalist at Black Press Media in Canada and won a fellowship with the Vancouver Sun.