Trying out a special needs bike
My father actually wanted to test the tricycle at home. Because it was winter, there were many testbikes at Van Raam that were not used and we were allowed to borrow such a bike. We received the bicycle that we got to borrow for two weeks through our bicycle repairer Harleman Tweewielers. This made my father decide that he wanted an Easy Rider tricycle. It took some getting used to for my father. It is of course a tricycle and there are quite a few buttons and levers and a battery. He was also afraid of the width of the bicycle and how people would look at him in traffic.
Family visits with the Easy Rider tricycle
Eventually the owner of Harleman Tweewielers, together with my father, returned the test bike and then they ordered the Easy Rider for my father on the spot. He has pedal support, two mirrors and an armrest installed on the Easy Rider because he has worn out shoulders. My father has cycled more than 600 kilometers since his received his Easy Rider. This is in four months! He loves his bike. He comes from a large family and he often visits his brothers and sisters who live in his area. He cycles to Twello, which is approximately 15 km each way. Or he visits Aunt Bets at the Farm in Teuge, 13 kilometers one way. He cycles about 4 to 5 times a week.
We also discovered that there is an E-Bike app from Van Raam. My father can't handle a smartphone, so he doesn't use the app. We have installed a simple speedometer on the bike so that he can see exactly how much he is riding and how fast. Occasionally I also cycle on his tricycle and I have figured out with the app that he can cycle about 50 kilometers with 1 full battery, he will then cycle with full support. He can still make the movement of cycling, but he can no longer have the power. They hardly keep up with him on a normal bike, he likes that of course. The great thing about the Easy Rider is its enormous maneuverability, it makes cycling much easier than with a regular bicycle. You can also make sharp turns.
For my father it is now easier not to use the car, because he enjoys cycling the average bicycle trips of 10/15/20 kilometers.