Open your world with vanRaam

Jelle van Gorkom

Jelle van Gorkum, a Dutch BMX rider and winner of a silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2016, was seriously injured on the starting hill of the BMX track during his training in the beginning of 2018. This is due to a safety chain that has not been removed. Due to the accident, Jelle was in a coma for several weeks and he suffered from broken ribs, a fracture in the face, a skull fracture and internal injuries. At the moment of writing, Jelle lives in a rehabilitation centre in Arnhem, and follows an intensive rehabilitation process, in which our Easy Sport recumbent bike also plays a role.

Jetske

At Van Raam we are very happy with the adventures, outings and bike rides that end users can experience (again) through our adapted bikes. We really enjoy reading messages from end users. Read the experience of Jetske below who, together with her mother and daughter, made a nice bike ride with the Fun2Go side-by-side tandem.

Erik Vermazen

My wish was to be able to move myself with a bicycle, despite my handicap. This was possible thanks to Van Raam's Easy Rider seat tricycle. I already had some experience cycling on an Easy Rider tricycle (without pedal assistance), and now I have my second Easy Rider seat tricycle with pedal assistance since 29 May 2018. I think it's fantastic!

Leo Kostwinder

My name is Leo Kostwinder (64) and I live in Zwolle, the Netherlands. I have been a diabetes patient for over 30 years and in early 2016 I was diagnosed with progressive polyneuropathy *. Since then I am no longer allowed to drive or cycle. This news was difficult at the time, because as a hobby I regularly cycled tours with my racing bike. In addition, I went fishing occasionally. Because of my condition, I stopped working in April 2018.

Margret Vermeulen

After not being a cyclist for three years, this situation has changed since 2018. Nowadays I cycle on an Easy Rider tricycle for adults from Van Raam and I've even been riding in the middle of sheep. The reason why I ride an adapted bike, is because I have the muscle disease Mitochondrial myopathy*. This disease causes my muscles to acidify quickly and I often have little energy.

Richard Hernández

Cycling eight hundred kilometers with a wheelchair bike without pedal support. That sounds like a challenge. A challenge that Richard Hernández accepted together with his disabled son Andrés. Together they cycled the pilgrimage route "Camino de Santiago". For centuries this route has been used by believers to pray at Santiago de Compostela, in the North-West of Spain, at the grave of Apostle James. Usually this route is taken by foot, but Richard and his son Andrés decided to make the trip from Roncesvalles with the OPair wheelchair bike and they called the route symbolic: "El Camino de Andrés". Read their story below.

Astrid van der Plank

I am Astrid van der Plank (44) and I own the Easy Go scooter bike since July 2018. I use a scooter bike because I have Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 28 (SCA28). SCA28 is a rare chronic neurological disease that, among other things, causes balance and coordination problems. When I could no longer cycle on a bike with two wheels, because I fell continuously, I started looking at alternatives. I tried several Van Raam bikes, but nowadays I am happy to use my scooter bike Easy Go.

Ankie van den Bosch

When they discovered I have Multiple Sclerosis* in 2000, I already had an e-bike for several years. Because my strength and energy continued to decrease, cycling became unsafe and I became insecure. It became difficult to get out of the car, to get away at a traffic light or to brake. And all this began to demand a lot of effort in traffic. I got scared when the wind was very strong. I avoided bridges and dunes.

Ties van der Heijden

My biggest hobby was cycling. Unfortunately, due to my physical problems, I found it increasingly difficult to get off a regular bicycle. I mainly had problems with my stability, especially during a sudden brake application (emergency stop).