'Blind bloke' Nigel finally gives electric Speedway bike a test drive

​Blind Bloke Nigel, from Sutton on Sea, has been living life to the max since losing most of his sight in an accident in 2015.

After breaking two speed records for unassisted visually impaired rider last year, Nigel then turned his hand to creating another first – Britain's first ever electric Speedway bike.

While electric Speedway bikes are used in mainland Europe, it is thought that Britain has not yet launched electric versions of Speedway bikes.

Nigel managed to create the solar-powered Speedway bike, a modified, traditional petrol Speedway bike, by rigging up a solar panel in his workshop, using his expertise as an auto electrician, to recharge the bike and his electric mobility scooter trike.

After tinkering with it for many months since he started his project last year, he was finally able to take it to Scunthorpe Raceway to give it a test drive.

He said: “I’d say it was about 95 percent perfect, I came home without breaking anything and the bike didn’t break either so that’s the important thing.

"It was absolutely brilliant, I did six laps of the mini track there and it started to slow down after a while, so then I recharged it for about 20 minutes and have another go.

"It just goes to show that if I, a blind bloke, can create an electric bike then anyone can, and electric vehicles are definitely the future.”