Buddy Bike

Buddy Bike News - November 2011
News from the Adaptive Cycling Roundtable at Recumbent Cycle-Con

On October 23, 2011 the Adaptive Cycling Roundtable was held at the first annual Recumbent Cycle-Con Convention & Trade Show in California. The roundtable participants included: Bob Matter of Assisted Cycling Tours; Joe Copeland of National AMBUCS™, Inc.; Matt Hampton of Lose The Training Wheels™; Pam Patterson, Adapted Kinesiology Instructor at Saddleback College; and Denise Lanier, who just completed her 2nd NYC Marathon on a recumbent trike despite the complications of MS, Wonky Woman on a Bent Trike.

The panelists were knowledgeable, the session was informative and we enjoyed the participation and comments by both consumers and dealers in the audience. We discussed alternative cycling equipment and accessories; how to obtain funding to purchase adaptive bikes as therapeutic equipment; the benefits of cycling for special needs riders; and the possible need to create a national adaptive cycling association.

I know many of you were looking forward to viewing the recorded session online. I am disappointed to report that the person who was contacted to record and live webcast the event did not attend, therefore the session was not recorded.

The good news is that we have begun the conversation about adaptive cycling and we are determined to turn our conversation into action. We discussed the need for an adaptive cycling association and what the goals of that association should be. We agreed that the goal should be to create an educational and informational resource that would: 1) help families find cycling solutions to fit their specific needs; 2) connect families with possible funding sources; 3) inform bike shops about how to treat special needs cyclists with respect and providing basic information about the various disabilities that they may encounter; and 4) informing medical professionals and funding sources about the advantages of using bicycles for therapeutic purposes.

To continue this conversation online we have created a group at LinkedIn.com called "Alternative Cycling." If you are interested in joining the conversation please contact shelley@buddybike.com for more information. This is a closed group and all members must be approved.

For now, keep watching your Buddy Bike e-mail for news about the next Adaptive Cycling Roundtable and the developments of an alternative cycling association.

ADAPTIVE CYCLING ROUNDTABLE | FACEBOOK EVENT

RECUMBENT CYCLE-CON | RC-C ON FACEBOOK

Happy Cycling!

Shelley Patterson
Buddy Bike, LLC
786.489.BIKE (2453)
shelley@buddybike.com
www.buddybike.com