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NEWS..........NEWS..........NEWS..........NEWS..........NEWS..........
NEW BIKES!
We are the proud owners of two new and very
special bikes delivered to us courtesy of WRK
in Peterborough, the UK agents for Dutch manufacturer Van
Raam.
The first bike is the Velo Plus, a very special
machine which has a platform at the front which enables a
wheelchair to be wheeled onto the platform and fastened securely
with three strong webbing straps and hooks. In addition there
is an inertia reel lap seatbelt for the wheelchair user. First
reactions from users are very positive and emphasise how safe
and secure they feel when their wheelchair is fastened on
the bike. A major advantage is that there is no need to transfer
the user from their wheelchair and they can continue to benefit
from any special adaptations or adjustments they have made
to their wheelchair.
You might think that it would be incredibly
hard work for the cyclist on the back with the weight of two
people plus a wheelchair and a large and very complex bike,
but not at all. It is in fact a comfortable and very responsive
ride, and riders have commented on how surprised they were
how light it felt.
Our other new cycle is a very swish looking
Twin Rider featuring a low step through frame and the ability
to link or to separate the pedal action of both riders. This
is a valuable addition to our range of bikes as it sits midway
in size between Howie/Ross and Silver and caters for a wide
riders height range.
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The new Velo Plus wheelchair bike

The Twin Rider dual bike
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Age no Barrier
We held a very enjoyable session recently
with a group of elderly local residents from the Teddington
Voluntary Care Group. They came to enjoy a picnic in the tranquil
surroundings of the Stockyard and also to revisit their younger
days by tasting the pleasures of cycling in Bushy Park but
with our volunteers riding as their partners. Everyone thoroughly
enjoyed their little adventure to the extent that Joan aged
94 (pictured right) has enquired about joining Companion Cycling
so that she can enjoy a ride on a more regular basis.
So, the moral is that you are never to old
(or too young for that matter) to enjoy a cycle ride in Bushy
Park. If you would like to give it a try please contact us
on 07961 344545 or email us at info@companioncycling.org.uk
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94 year old Joan riding Silver with
volunteer Jane
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Chestnut Sunday Parade 2008
We are keeping our fingers crossed that the
sun will shine on the Chestnut Sunday celebrations after the
torrential rains of last year. One again the parade will make
it's way along Chesnut Avenue starting at the main Teddington
gate at 12:30pm and processing along Chestnut Avenue towards
the Daina (Arethusa) Fountain where it will head off towards
the children's playground to join the fair which follows on
from the parade.
Companion Cycling will be joining the parade no doubt along
with other regulars - the Horse Rangers Band, The Veteran
Cyclists, military vehicles etc. We shall also have a stall
at the fair, so do come and meet us - who knows, maybe you
can even have a ride on one of our very special cycles.
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Veteran
Cyclists support Companion Cycling
Our sincere thanks go to the Veteran Cyclists who once again
showed their generous support for Companion Cycling in 2006.
The Chestnut Sunday celebrations in Bushy Park were the occasion
they chose to hand over a cheque for £1,000 to Companion
Cycling to help support our work. Bill and Margaret Squirrell
were there representing the Veteran Cyclists and Richmond's
deputy mayor at the time, councillor Clare Head, was on hand
to do the honours and hand over the cheque on their behalf.
Our photo shows (L to R) Margaret Squirrell, Richmond deputy
mayor Clare Head, Jane Marsters (CC trustee), Judy Cobbett
(CC chair), Bill Squirrell and Nancy Marks (CCtrustee).
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Richmond's
deputy mayor hands over a cheque from the Veteran Cyclists
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More than ten years old
and still growing!
It was back in 1995 that a small group of
people led by our founder, Judy Cobbett, got together to turn
a dream into a reality. That dream was to help make cycling
accessible to everybody regardless of their age or ability.
Little could they have imagined then how popular their idea
would become and how it would enrich the lives of so many
people over the years.
Things have changed a bit since those early
days. We've got many more cycles now, especially tricycles,
and we now have the luxury of a heated office and two sheds
crammed full of cycles. A far cry from the days when we used
to sit and shiver in the old Dutch Barn area (where the indoor
riding manege now stands). In those days we used to close
down for 3 months from Christmas until the end of March but
not any more; we now only close for a week over the Christmas
period - and if you are very nice to us we may even
open up for you then if you have a very special reason.
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Last
updated: 24 April 2008
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Companion
Cycling is a registered charity no.1085381
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