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Van Raam adapted bicycles now also available in Japan
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The first transport with Van Raam adapted bicycles to Japan took place. After a journey time of almost 2 months, the bicycles reached their destination: the city of Rikuzentakata. The organisation E-BYCLE JAPAN CO. LTD MINATO MIRAI NISHI is located here. This organisation is the new importer of Van Raam bicycles in Japan. Read in this article more about the possibilities with the Van Raam adapted bicycles in Japan.
Van Raam adapted bicycles in Japan
At the beginning of February, the first adapted bicycles were shipped to Japan. After a journey time of almost 2 months, the bicycles were delivered by truck via the harbour of Yokohama city to the Japanese city of Rikuzentakata. This is where the new Van Raam importer in Japan is located: E-BYCLE JAPAN CO. LTD MINATO MIRAI NISHI. This is a new organisation especially for Van Raam adapted bicycles. They ensure that they continuously have various Van Raam bicycles in stock to be able to supply the dealer network in Japan with these adapted bicycles.
Four different bikes from the Van Raam product range were the first to make this trip. For the trip, these bicycles were placed well and securely in a 20-foot-long container at Van Raam in Varsseveld, where they were securely fastened so nothing could happen to them during the trip.
The four bicycles are:
With all these bicycles it is possible to transport one or more extra passengers in addition to the driver or to cycle with them. Further on in this article, you can read more about these bicycles.
In the pictures below you can see more about the arrival and reception of the bicycles in Rikuzentakata:
Different possibilities with the adapted bicycles in Japan
The importer E-BYCLE JAPAN has, in addition to selling through a large dealer network, two more possibilities in mind to use the bicycles in Japan. These possibilities are:
As a means of escape in the event of a tsunami threat
As a means of transport in the Olympic village during the Paralympics
Read more about these two possibilities below:
1. Van Raam adapted bicycles as a means of escape
Everyone has heard of the terrible tsunami in Japan in 2011. This tsunami showed that many people fled by car to higher areas. The result of this was that because of the crowds, people came to a stop with their cars in traffic and were therefore unable to go any further. In this way, people who are dependent on others, such as the elderly or people with a disability, also got into trouble. It also turned out that, after the reconstruction of many cities, few young people returned to these cities. They continued to live in the higher areas, and it was mainly the elderly who returned to their original place of residence.
Rikuzentakata has also been hit badly by this tsunami. That is why the National Tsunami Museum "Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum" is located here. It is in this town that the first pilot project is being started. The aim of this pilot project is to investigate and prevent traffic from getting stuck, as in 2011, so that people cannot move on. The aim of the pilot project is to use adapted bicycles as a means of escape in order to bring the elderly and people with disabilities to safety. In addition, part of the city will be heightened in order to create 'tsunami safe' places. The Fun2Go, the Chat, the OPair and the VeloPlus will be used for this purpose.
2. Van Raam adapted bicycles at the Paralympics
The second option to use the Van Raam adapted bicycles in Japan, was at the Paralympics. These are the Olympic Games for people with disabilities. These games always take place in the same area after the Olympic Games. In 2020, the Games would be in Tokyo. The intention was that the adapted bicycles would be used to transport people with disabilities in the Olympic village, the location where all participants and the organisation of the Games would stay. Unfortunately, because of the coronavirus, both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics have been cancelled and will not take place this year, but it has been moved to 2021. The Van Raam bicycles will then probably still be used as a means of transport in the Olympic village.
“They showed great interest and started to think about various ideas on how to use them.” – Koichi Arima from E-BYCLE JAPAN
Japan visits Van Raam
The E-BYCLE JAPAN organisation visited Van Raam twice. In the spring of 2020, Marnix Kwant (Sales & Marketing Manager) and Huub Ressing (Export Manager) of Van Raam, would visit the organisation in Japan. The bicycles would be exhibited at the symposium Thinking about Universal Design for Transportation, where various ministries from Japan would also be present. Among other things, they would look at the possibilities of using adapted bicycles as a means of escape. Unfortunately, this visit has been postponing because of the coronavirus, just like the symposium. Both the trip and the symposium will take place as soon as everything is safe again.
The adapted bicycles in Japan
More information about the bikes shipped to Japan is given below. The bikes shipped were the Fun2Go, the Chat, the OPair and the VeloPlus. As indicated in the beginning, in addition to the main driver, one or more additional passengers can sit or cycle along on all these bicycles. Read more about these bicycles:
Fun2Go duo bike
The Fun2Go is a duo bike where the users sit next to each other. This allows the users to communicate easily with each other and both have a good view of the road. The main driver has control over the steering wheel and brake, while both can pedal. You can read all about the Fun2Go duo bike on the product page.
Rickshaw bike Chat
The rickshaw bike Chat is a bicycle where one person cycles, while two passengers can sit in a comfortable seat in the front. During the bike ride, it is possible to chat with each other. The Chat is standard equipped with the unique Van Raam pedal support so that the driver can cycle without much effort. Read more about the Chat on the product page.
OPair wheelchair bike
The OPair is a wheelchair bike that allows a passenger to sit in the front. The seat can be adjusted so that the seat is suitable for everyone. The passenger sits comfortably during the bike ride. Optionally, it is possible to disconnect the front part so that it can be used on location as a wheelchair. On the product page, you can read all about the OPair.
VeloPlus wheelchair bike
The VeloPlus is a wheelchair transport bike where a wheelchair user can sit in his own wheelchair. The wheelchair can be placed easily and without much effort on the tilting platform. There, the wheelchair will be properly secured and the bike ride can start. Read more about the VeloPlus on the product page.
Not only did the Van Raam bicycles go on a trip to Japan, but containers full of adapted bicycles are also regularly going to America. The bicycles are then transported to the dealer network in the United States. And Canada. In September 2019, Van Raam visited America. There was a conference for the American and Canadian dealers. Read all bout it in the article 'Van Raam visits dealers in the United States'.
Van Raam has many dealers worldwide. You can go to these dealers if you are looking for an adapted bicycle from Van Raam. In the article 'Van Raam dealer near you’ you can see what type of dealers there are. It is also possible to go directly to the dealer overview to see which dealer is near you.
Van Raam bikes in other countries
Curious about Van Raam bicycles in other countries? You can read the following articles:
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