About The Business
Bikes For Every Body is the home of The Buddy Bike®! We manufacture and sell The Buddy Bike worldwide and offer sales of other bicycles that promote inclusion while serving as a resource to match riders of all abilities with the bikes that serve their needs. We offer a mobile service of adaptive bicycle rentals in South Florida.
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The Buddy Bike® is the alternative tandem bicycle with rear seat steering for riders with special needs providing adaptive and therapeutic cycling for riders with autism, down syndrome, sight impairment, balance issues, low muscle tone and other disabilities that would prevent them from riding a bike safely on their own.
The Buddy Bike Story
In the early 1990s Robert “Bob” Gardner from Willits, California created what would eventually become the Buddy Bike. Bob, a bicycle enthusiast, was inspired to customize a bike to ride with his young son Isaac. Bob had the innovation of adding a seat and foot pegs in front of his seat. Isaac enjoyed riding in front but wanted his own pedals so Bob welded two bicycle frames together. He called the unique tandem bicycle the Love Bike and began production in 1996.
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In 2003, Barry Nelson, the father of a child with autism, began searching for a bicycle to use with his son Jesse. Barry enjoyed outdoor activities with his other children but had difficulty finding an activity that he could share with Jesse. Barry tried many options without success until he purchased a used Love Bike. Barry enjoyed the time that he spent with Jesse on the Love Bike and wanted other families to have the same experience. In 2005, Barry purchased the patent and remaining inventory of the Love Bike with a Trust benefiting Jesse.
Barry hired his long-time law firm Marketing Coordinator, Shelley Patterson as the Director of Marketing and Business Development of Buddy Bike and they changed the name of the bicycle to the Buddy Bike. Shelley managed the company until it closed at the end of 2020.
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In 2021 Shelley founded Bikes For Every Body LLC to carry on the Buddy Bike mission of using bicycles to promote inclusion. Combined the companies have over 1,200 Buddy Bikes to families, schools, camps, and organizations around the world.
The Bikes For Every Body Story
Bikes For Every Body LLC is the home of The Buddy Bike®. Our purpose is to bring the joy and freedom of cycling to as many families as possible, especially those families who may believe it to be impossible due to cognitive, physical or age-related limitations. We feel there is a bicycle for everyone regardless of age, size or ability.
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Bikes For Every Body LLC is the home of The Buddy Bike®. Our purpose is to bring the joy and freedom of cycling to as many families as possible, especially those families who may believe it to be impossible due to cognitive, physical or age-related limitations. We provide adaptive bicycle sales, rentals and resources that promote inclusion while inspiring joy, freedom and a sense of belonging.
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We are the sole manufacturer of The Buddy Bike®, an alternative tandem bicycle that places the smaller rider in the front seat. Placing the smaller rider in front provides a safe cycling experience and peace of mind for parents and caregivers. There are no other options that are equal to the Buddy Bike in features and price. The features of the Buddy Bike fill a specific need within the special needs market for riders with autism, down syndrome and other disabilities that would prevent them from riding a bike safely on their own.
About The Owner
Shelley L. Patterson
I started out working for Buddy Bike LLC in 2005 and went on to manage the business for 16 years until the original company was closed and I founded Bikes For Every Body LLC to carry on the mission of promoting inclusion with bicycles around the world.
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I have presented adaptive cycling topics for several organizations and I organized 2 adaptive cycling roundtable events with leaders in the adaptive cycling community which were the first public discussions of their kind.
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I have dedicated my career to bringing quality bicycles to riders who may not be able to safely ride a bicycle on their own while also connecting families with the resources to help them obtain those bicycles. Through my hard work, I believe I have earned the trust and respect of the families in the special needs community.