\u2018Community lightens any burden\u2019: Parkinson\u2019s cycling tour sets off from Victoria<\/p>\n
Published 5:30 pm Monday, August 10, 2026<\/p>\n
Lloyd Taylor was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson\u2019s disease at age 53 in 2022. The diagnosis was devastating for Taylor and his loved ones, but he refused to let it dictate the course of his life.<\/p>\n
Instead, he took to the road \u2014 and his bike \u2014 embarking on an 8,000-kilometre journey from Victoria to Newfoundland to raise money and awareness for Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
The same year he was diagnosed, Taylor was approached by the Spinning Wheels Tour, the organization behind the cycling fundraiser. Not a cyclist at the time, he was initially apprehensive about taking on the challenge. But after some convincing, he agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said, \u2018Putting me on a bike is going to be like putting an egg on a spoon; Who\u2019s going to pick me up when I fall?\u2019 And (an organizer) said, \u2018I will.\u2019 That was my entrance to the community; somebody would pick me up when I fall.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Taylor, cycling became more than a weeknight hobby. It became a form of therapy, a way to connect with others and a means of reckoning with his condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have fairly severe tremors but when I get on the bike, the tremor almost completely stops, and that only happens when I ride a bike or when I fall asleep,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Since his first ride, Taylor has become a Parkinson\u2019s activist, author and co-chair of the Spinning Wheels Tour, which launched its 2026 ride on Sunday morning (Aug. 9) from the Parkinson Wellness Projects parking lot in Victoria.<\/p>\n
Setting off with a dozen riders \u2013 many of whom have Parkinson\u2019s \u2013 Taylor was surrounded by supporters, friends, family and loved ones.<\/p>\n
While raising funds is a major part of the tour, with donations reinvested into a variety of national programs promoting exercise and an active lifestyle for people with Parkinson\u2019s, Taylor said raising awareness is just as important.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something about Parkinson\u2019s that makes people withdraw, stay at home and hide,\u201d he said. \u201cThey put these shaky hands in their pockets, thinking they can hide the symptoms, but they end up hiding themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re saying come on out of your house, come on out of your shell because life\u2019s not over.\u201d<\/p>\n
But perhaps the most important goal of the Spinning Wheels Tour is the sense of community built throughout the journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity lightens any burden,\u201d said Taylor, adding that no person should carry the full weight of their diagnosis alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you\u2019re in a room with others and you understand you\u2019re not alone and you can talk about symptoms,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just lightens everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s tour is estimated to finish on Sept. 27 in Toronto. <\/p>\n