I saw a couple of companies at a bicycle show in Shanghai that were selling leaning quad cycles designed for seniors and mobility impaired. I asked the rep about the quads and he said that they sell quite a few of them to Chinese customers. He said there wasn’t much interest outside of Asia.

I know a few seniors here in the States that would love to ride to the store, etc., but all that’s available to them at the bike shop are mountain, road, or cruiser bicycles. It’s really great to see some companies putting their efforts behind bicycles for special needs even if it is on the other side of the Pacific.

I was so excited by all the bicycles at the show that I forgot to get the Chinese company’s names. Ugh!!!

Anyway, here are some photos of the leaning quad.

Trekinetic makes an award winning high performance off road wheelchair. It’s aluminum and carbon fiber frame is packed with features that would make a racecar driver jealous.

Checkout their website for detailed photos and descriptions of how it works. 

Website: http://www.trekinetic.com

A volunteer aid worker in Namibia named Aaron Wieler has developed a bicycle towed ambulance trailer for use in developing countries. The design looks very robust and easily serviced in places with limited equipment. You can find out more at the: Bicycle Ambulance Project Homepage

We wish him good luck and keep up the great work!

HC and I were skateboarding at the beach the other day and we met a guy who was riding a mobility tricycle. The rider was mobility impaired, but someone had designed this great bicycle for him. It was completely adapted for his needs. The gear ratio was low for easy pedaling and he had foot straps to keep his feet on the pedals.

We weren’t able to talk for long, but it was great to see that he was enjoying the beach and weather as much as we were.

It really reminded me that for the vast majority of people, bicycling is more about enjoying the ride than about trying to win a race.

Keep on riding dude! and see you around.

Henry Work Cycles is a Dutch retailer specializing in workbikes, cargo trikes, city bikes, and some bicycles for the mobility impaired.  Check out their great selection of quality practical bicycles.

I just posted my photos from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show at the San Jose Convention Center. There was a huge number of custom bicycle builders from all over the world attending the show. The variety of bikes ranged from all out velomobiles to rat bikes built with found materials. It was great talking with the builders who went out of their way to be friendly and answer any questions.

Some of the themes I noticed throughout the show:

• Resurgence in bicycles designed for daily riding
• Lots of custom racks for carrying stuff
• Large diameter wheels for smoothing out the road (29″ mountain bike tires vs. standard 26″ wheels)
• Wheels with internal geared hubs for low maintenance
• Long wheelbase bikes designed for hauling stuff & touring
• Castellano Designs Downhill Wheelchair

Some fun stuff I saw at the show:

• Whiskey flask holder
• Coffee jug holder
• Seatpost bottle opener

My photos from the show on Flickr