I wanted to tell our Buddy Bike friends about the great experience my family is having in Colorado with our electric Buddy Bike Sport Deluxe!

 

I founded Buddy Bike in 2005 because I love to spend active time with my son, Jesse, who has severe autism. The Buddy Bike was the best option for us to be able to cycle together and as a family, and I wanted other families to have that same experience. Over the years, Jesse has grown to feel quite at home on the Buddy Bike. It gives us bonding time, and while he speaks infrequently, he does so more often as we are riding. Having him in front of me gives me comfort that he is pedaling and safe. We started riding the Buddy Bike in flat driving conditions in Miami and typically ride about 22 miles each Saturday. When we got to Colorado, riding was more of a challenge until we got a Buddy Bike Sport Deluxe and added electric assist with a GeoOrbital wheel.

 

The Buddy Bike Sport Deluxe model includes the NuVinci Nfinity N380 drivetrain [now called Enviolo] which provides seamless shifting. It’s an internal system so there is no chance my chain will fall off the derailleur while I am changing gears and by simply turning the shifter up or down as I am driving the bike makes peddling either harder or easier. Instead of having gear numbers on the shifter, there is a picture that turns from a flat line to a steep mountain so it’s intuitive where the shifter should be whether I am going up an incline or down.

 

The GeoOrbital wheel - as seen on Shark Tank! - adds electric assist to any bike. I have found that the GeoOrbital wheel is the best modification of Buddy Bike to get us where we need to go! I use the throttle to get the bike moving when I first get on as it gives me instant momentum and it allows me to keep the bike moving even with steep inclines. The GeoOrbital wheel has been useful in areas with challenging inclines and could be helpful for riders who need an extra boost of power to peddle in cases where an impaired child may not be able to contribute to the peddle power. Carrying an extra battery ensures we'll have enough power to finish our ride.

 

The combination of the Buddy Bike Sport Deluxe model with electric assist has been sensational in the mountains of Colorado. The GeoOrbital wheel provides just enough of a boost to get a great work out but without leaving me exhausted after the ride. While I have not tested the GeoOrbital wheel on the most rigorous rides such as Vail Pass, I have taken 18 Mile rides where the only way for me to get past an incline is to use the throttle and peddle along with my 135-pound adult son.

 

Adding electric assist to The Buddy Bike allowed us to join two of my college buddies and their wives on a ride from Keystone to Silverthorne Colorado and back. It is about 16 miles round trip and has a number of rather steep inclines in both directions. We were able to not only keep up with my buddies, who were driving their own bikes, but when the rain was threatening, we used a little more throttle to try to get back to the condo faster to beat the rain. I realized that without the electric assist, my wife, Judi, would have stayed behind with Jesse and we would not have been able to enjoy the ride as a family with my college buddies.

 

I believe that the Buddy Bike can make any parent’s relationship with their special needs child better through athletic outdoor bike riding. As Jesse’s parent, I can tell you that for us, nothing is better and I think you will enjoy the same experience. 

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- Barry Nelson, Founder of Buddy Bike, LLC (2005-2020)