By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
Special to Hays Post
Gay Flax is passionate about promoting healthy living.
She vowed to continue that mindset in retirement and would like others to experience the same benefits of outdoor activities.
So, the retired Hays elementary teacher decided to start a business called Sunny Cycling, whose motto is to bring sunshine to others, one ride at a time.
Flax’s latest project features a wheelchair-type device on the front of a bicycle, where riders can be safely strapped in with a helmet.
With a veteran bicyclist behind them, nursing facility residents or special needs folks can experience some time outdoors in the fresh air while cruising around town.
“Research has shown so many advantages of sunlight, both physical and mental,” Flax said. “Getting some fresh air helps natural stimulation of the senses and improve general overall moods.”
Flax, who taught in three elementary schools in Hays for 21 years, has long been known for promoting healthy activities.
Twenty years ago, she challenged her fourth-grade students at O’Loughlin Elementary School to set a goal for a reading program called Accelerated Reading. So many points earned by the students in Accelerated Reading would equal so many miles Flax would ride in a single day on Biking Across Kansas the following summer.
“It’s a goal we all set together,” Flax said at the time. “The students made theirs. I had to make mine, too.”
Flax did reach that goal and has been an avid bicyclist ever since.
Coincidentally, during some downtime, while recovering from recent shoulder surgery, Flax came up with the idea for her latest venture.
While sitting around in late 2023—something she isn’t accustomed to doing—Flax was trying to figure out ways to get a change of scenery for her mother, Donita Hayes, an Alzheimer’s patient who lives at Good Samaritan Center in Hays.
Hayes used to bike with her daughter, and Flax’s son, Hunter, learned his ABCs and math times tables while riding on a “Trail-A-Bike” behind his mother when he was young.
Flax even took both those family members on Bike Across Kansas with her in 2010, with Hunter riding on the “Trail-A-Bike.”
So Flax did some research, hoping to find similar equipment for adults.
What she discovered was even better. She ran across a duet bike with a wheelchair-type device mounted on the front.
“I thought, ‘How perfect!’ This would give the rider a full view of scenery instead of my backside,” Flax said.
Right then and there, she decided, “I was going to order this bike when I retired.”
That date came around this past May when Flax decided to close out her 28-year career in education.
She ordered the bike and tried it out on her mother and her mother-in-law, Judy Flax.
Flax decided to go one step further and ordered a side-by-side bicycle where the rider could help pedal if they chose.
Flax does the majority of the work pedaling, but both bicycles have motors for assistance if needed.
Now, in her first year after retiring, Sunny Cycling is up and running strong.
The idea for the name choice was twofold. It was a way to honor a beloved family pet, a cat named Sonny, who died in 2022, and the sunshine she hopes to bring to others.
The wheelchair version can be detached from the bike and taken into a home or facility. Riders are strapped in securely and wear helmets provided by Flax.
The duo then takes off around town or wherever the rider might like to visit. She even stops for a drink for her riders along the way.
Flax beams while talking about the benefits for her riders and for herself. Her mother-in-law, who favors the side-by-side bike, agrees.
“Cardio, sunshine, keeping your mental status sharp,” said Judy Flax, who still lives independently in her own home. “I think this is phenomenal.”
“And I get a lot of exercise pedaling,” Gay Flax said with a laugh.
Her project has been a big investment, which includes insurance for her riders.
But Flax wanted only the best to keep her loved ones—and all her riders —safe.
To help offset costs, she decided on a price of $50 an hour that can be broken up into 20- or 30-minute rides. And if there is any question whether or not a loved one would enjoy the ride, she will give a trial run for free.
She already has another regular customer besides her mother.
Bob Threlkel, a popular retired teacher in Hays known to many as “Mr. T,” suffers from frontal temporal dementia and is a resident of Ascension Living Via Christi Village in Hays.
His condition has robbed him of his ability to speak or write, but his smile tells his family just how much he enjoys his outdoor rides and getting out in the sunshine.
The Threlkels live in a country home north of Hays and are neighbors of the Flaxes. One day, Flax offered to give Karen Threlkel a trial run when her new bike arrived.
Threlkel instantly knew her husband would enjoy such an outing.
“It’s such a clear vision being on the front,” Threlkel said. “Bob loves it. We can definitely see that. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for people in nursing facilities to be able to get out in the fresh air.”
Flax and Threlkel, a retired registered nurse, both agree that gift cards for rides could be a perfect Christmas or birthday gift for loved ones of any age or health.
“I know from personal experience that my mom doesn’t need that many clothes. She doesn’t have room for knick-knacks,” Flax said.
While bicycling can seem like a seasonal activity in our area, Flax says she enjoys riding year-round.
“It can be 60 or 70 degrees on some winter afternoons, and I’ll go riding,” she said. “So I can do the same with Sunny Cycling. I’m flexible. Call me and set up a time. If the weather is great today and someone calls, I just need 10 minutes to get into town.”
To schedule a ride or for more information on Sunny Cycling, Flax is available for a phone call at 785-623-8882.
Although this began as an idea to help people who are homebound or have special needs, Flax said these rides can be enjoyed by anyone. Just ask.
“I am so excited about this,” Flax said. “This all started with trying to help my mother. If I can help others enjoy life more, too, that’s a huge bonus.”