On a cycling holiday with a special needs bike

Tips \ On the go

Van Raam

Are you planning to go on a cycling vacation? Or would you like to take your special needs bike with you on vacation? How do you take it with you and what do you need to think about? In this article we have listed a few things for you.

How do you take your special needs bike with you?

First of all, the transport of your bike. How do you take your special needs bike with you on your cycling holiday? There are several ways in which the bike can be taken along. Which way suits you depends on your needs, your bike and destination.

Can you take a special needs bike with you by car?

One of the possibilities is to take your special needs bike with you by car. Because a special needs bike often cannot be transported on a standard bike carrier, you can rent or buy a special trailer. This way, you can safely transport your bike by car for a cycling holiday. In the article ‘Trailer to transport a special needs bike’ you can read more about the possibilities and where these trailers are available.

A large portion of our bikes are available with a detachable frame. This option makes it possible to split the bike into two parts. This makes it easier to carry the bike in the car. Want to know more about this option? Read more in the article ‘A detachable frame at Van Raam bikes’.

Van Raam detachable frame Easy Rider tricycle

Is it allowed to take your special needs bike on the train?

Want to go on a cycling holiday by train? You can! It is often allowed to take a tricycle or recumbent trike on the train. Taking a bike with you on an international train journey is also sometimes a possibility. Different conditions and rules apply to each carrier, so always check the website of the carrier before departure.

How do you take luggage with you on a cycling holiday?

It could be that your bike is the only means of transport you use on your cycling holiday. In that case transporting your bike is not a problem, but you do have less room for luggage. Van Raam has several baskets for your special needs bike, which allow you to easily transport small luggage. For the Easy Rider there is the possibility to attach a bike trailer adapter to the bike. This way you can attach a bike trailer to your bicycle in which you can put extra luggage. Read more about this option in our article 'Bike trailer adapter for Van Raam's Easy Rider tricycle'.

Renting a Van Raam bike

Don't have a Van Raam bicycle or don't want to take it with you on vacation? At several Van Raam dealers you can rent a Van Raam bike. Depending on the dealer, you can rent a variety of bikes. Think of tricycles but also duo bikes, tandems or wheelchair bikes so that someone who is not able to cycle independently (anymore) can still make a bike trip. Check here at which dealers you can rent our bikes!

Dealer page

Cycling together on a Van Raam Twinny plus tandem

6 tips to check before you go on a cycling holiday

It's never fun to be faced with surprises when you're on the road, but you certainly don't want to face them when you're on vacation. So before you go on a cycling holiday, it is a good idea to check your bike. Check our checklist here so you can get on your bike without any worries:

Check that your brakes work properly
Check that your lights are working properly
Check whether your battery has sufficient capacity
Check the profile and pressure of your tires
Plan your route in advance so there are no surprises.
Are you going abroad? Check which traffic rules apply to cyclists there

In the video below you can see which 6 points you should check before you start cycling and how you check them.

Experiences of others

Want to go on vacation with your special needs bike? Others have gone before you! Read their experiences here:

9 / 10

Customer experience Maxi tricycle – Theo Wittebol

Theo likes to go out with his Maxi tricycle and with his girlfriend, who also has a Maxi. They regularly make cycling trips and even go on cycling holidays together. In this customer experience you can read more about their experiences.

Read this customer experience

9 / 10

Customer experience Easy Rider tricycle – Sandra Zuiderwijk

My name is Sandra Zuiderwijk, I live in Leidschendam and I have a Van Raam Easy Rider tricycle. I love cycling and walking, although sometimes that's difficult. I have had a cerebral infarction which has left me with a right-sided paralysis, fortunately I can manage myself reasonably well.

Read this customer experience