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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.

The new Velo Plus wheelchair bike

The Twin Rider dual bike

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

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.

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).

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.