My cool, adaptive bike — from Germany, of course

Children, youth, adults, and seniors

Frank Dippel likes to ride a bike, and when he drives, it’s far and fast. With his daughter Rabea, the two cycle in the Chiemgau or go by bike to Städtetour.

Rabea, two years with her Pino. Frank Dippel

Translated from Mein Reharad, ein cooler Flitzer, Zeit Online 25 January 2013

This can only be done with her Pino because the 14-year-old can pedal only short distances due to a congenital muscle weakness, so just a short time on the pedals. As a frontwoman, she does not have to pedal continuously on the Pino. The front wheel has a freewheel. This is rare in tandems, but a perfect solution for children or adults with a handicap.

The selection of attractive special wheels is extremely small for this target group, but very fine. Manufacturers such as Hase build bikes, which at first glance hardly appear to be hindered. However, only a few retailers have the tandems and trikes in the program at all.

KETTWIESEL ALLROUND – engineered for cornering fun. Hase

Hase bicycles are among the top models of modern rehabilitation or handicapped bicycles. The bikes look like high-quality conventional touring bikes. The special equipment for the respective handicap is available at the Waltroper company, as desired. Riders can choose from the three-wheeled recumbents, whether they want to pedal with the feet, crank with their hands or steer by shoulder. There are, among other things, one-sided drives for people with half-sided paralysis, special pedals with calf holders, and a so-called dead-end condenser – this is a rubber cable that automatically recalls the pedals.

Reharad from Hase

Because of their low center of gravity, trikes are popular with many people with restrictions. In contrast to conventional rehabilitation tricycles, which look like city bikes with two rear wheels, they have a high tilt safety. “This is why they are happy to be driven by people with problems of balance,” says Paul Hollants of HP Velotechnik.

The Reiserad (Randonneur in French) is a bike specifically designed for the needs of cyclists, which can be safely driven and braked with over 50 to 75 kg luggage. Merely screwing luggage carriers onto a standard bicycle does not make it a Reiserad. The permissible system mass is 150 kg or more, the customary mass is 16 to 19 kg.

Traveling wheels have a different frame geometry and are designed for the greater loads by more stable materials and often larger wall thicknesses of the frame tubes. Reiseräder have a longer wheelbase and larger caster than all other standard bicycles – Wikipedia

In the scene, HP Velotechnik is actually synonymous with fast, sporty trikes, which often won design prizes at the Eurobike. For Hollants this is not a contradiction. “People with handicaps must also enjoy driving,” he says. For many customers, it is important that the travel and tourism centers do not look like “rehab vehicles from the medical center,” but rather exude beautiful design and sportiness.

HP Velotechnik is a classic Reiserad manufacturer. But now, the company also has height-adjustable seats (from 26 to 46 centimeters) or standing up aids in the program. “Well-trained technicians are important for setting the side-mounted bars,” says Hollants. The centimeter-precise placement is crucial for people with a handicap. In addition, as with the Hase wheels, the entire operation can be placed on the handlebars side of the wheels of HP Velotechnik.

A Scorpion with vertical support above the front wheels. HP Velotechnik

Beautiful design, lightweight construction, high-quality components that compensate for the handicaps of their drivers — all of these should be self-evident criteria for modern rehabilitation and therapy bicycles — accompanied by proven technology and the experience of increasing mobility and independence. HP Velotechnik is involved with joint cycling trips of multiple sclerosis patients in Europe.

MS Bike in Canada – Gear up to end MS.

Depending on the equipment, the bikes from Hase or HP Velotechnik cost between 2,000 and 8,000 Euro (with engine). In Germany, the health insurance companies pay rehabilitation and therapy bicycles for children and adolescents up to the age of 15, except for the parents’ own costs. The prerequisite is, however, that manufacturers meet the technical requirements for a special needs bicycle through certification.

The TRIX is a cool and fun piece of sports equipment for young riders. Hase

Hase has such a number for their youth wheels Trix, with another children and youth bike is to follow soon.

As a rule, adults do not receive a subsidy from the health insurance scheme for rehabilitation horses in Germany. There are exceptions. But countries like Norway are a lot further ahead in this respect. Their health insurance funds also pay for adults.

The International Special Bikes Show in Germersheim Germany 27-28 April 2017 is a great opportunity to look at special bikes, try them out, and test them in direct comparison.

Here is a selection of manufacturers who build exceptional wheels for people with handicaps (without claim to completeness):

Anthrotech has been on the market for 20 years with a mature recumbent cycle.
BeneCYKL builds handbikes and trailers in which young people can comfortably sit.
Bimobil Klitsch produces a foldable tricycle.
Bobtec builds recumbent bikes.
The tandems of COMPACT-tandem have very short frames, the drivers sit close together.
Bicycle workshop in Reutlingen builds a step bike.
Ergodynamics Busch distributes various bikes for people with handicaps and adapts the bikes.
Junik, Juliane Neuß builds bicycles for small children and has developed an impeller pedal.
PF Mobility has three-wheelers in the program, the drivers sit next to each other.
Tandem manufacturers include Zweipluszwei, Haas, Bernds Tandems.
Not at the trade fair, but interesting, are frame builders like Thomas Veidt, specializing in bikes for short strollers. A report about Veidt’s work can be found here on ZEIT ONLINE.
Kalle Kalkhoff and Michael Kemper also sell Pedersenfahrräder. According to Kalle Kalkhoff, these are often driven by people with leg prostheses.

Source Zeit Online

Rodger Duffett is the only HASE BIKES dealer in South Africa. Specialized bicycles are there like birds of paradise on rubber soles. As well, the dealers are correspondingly absolute individualists. During our visit, we brought Rodger the new KETTWIESELKROSS. He tested it in the downhill park. And kept it. Published on YouTube Aug 29, 2014