Maintenance of my recumbent trike
Some knowledge and time is required for the maintenance of a special needs bike. In the beginning I brought my bike to bicycle shop Luc & Ella if something had to be adjusted. This bike shop was in front of my house and they always helped me well. When Luc & Ella got bigger, they unfortunately had less and less time for my bike. I started looking for another bicycle shop and then came to Smit Fietsen in Wilnis. A boy who knows exactly how the bikes from Van Raam are built, works at this bicycle shop. He did an internship at another Van Raam dealer. If I have something with my bike, I go to Smit Fietsen and most of the time I can take my bike with me the same day.
With an adaptive bike in the train
Because of my studies, I lived in Dronten for a year. Of course, I took my bike with me, because I wanted to do my shopping and did not want to depend on the public transport there. At one point I wanted to take my bike, for example during the holiday, back to Vinkeveen without anyone having to pick me up with the car and a trailer. Then I contacted the Dutch Railways, because my bike is a long bike of more than 2 meters. After consultation with the Dutch Railways, I could take my bike on the train, if I could ensure that he could get on the train. Now most modern trains are fortunately the same as the platform, so that was no problem at all. And if there is sometimes an older train with a high entry, there are always fellow travelers or a conductor who will gladly help me to get the bike on the train. People are even amazed at how light he is. Also, for the gates at the stations you do not have to be afraid, the width of the bike fits well through it. I often put my front wheel in between the gates, check in and then I can continue without any problems!
Cycling in the nearby area
I use my Easy Sport tricycle mainly for recreational use. I cycle an average of 30/40 kilometers per week, it depends on the weather and my planning. I live in Vinkenveen, a place from which you can go in all directions. I can easily go to Utrecht, but I also like to cycle at the heather in Hilversum. For example, I recently met a man there with a Van Raam Easy Rider tricycle. That was fun! We first took a picture and then cycled a bit together. Along the way you will encounter all kinds of surfaces, including asphalt, sand and shell paths. While cycling I do not experience any problems, although a good asphalt road still drives the best. But that is the same for a normal bike with two wheels.
Steering with the Easy Sport
Sometimes I amaze myself and I cycle on roads of what I thought I could not get there with my bike. For example, I was in Dronten and I was driving in a street where cars were parked on both sides. The only way to drive through this street was to slalom. Pedestrians saw me coming and were watching to see if I could get past the cars. Luckily, they did not have to worry, and I cycled past the cars without any problems.
Cindy van Bemmelen - Vinkeveen (the Netherlands)
Model: Easy Sport