Fantastic Friday Event

">

Friday, February 27th, we packed the trailer and van with cycling equipment and drove to the Gum Springs Rec Center off US 1 in the southeastern section of Fairfax County to participate in a Fantastic Friday event organized by the Fairfax County Therapeutic Recreation Services for families with Autistic children. The slide show that Ces has created does a better job of telling the story than I can with words. Please notice the smiles.

I learned from our participation in this event. The Kidz Tandem was perhaps the best cycling equipment for a high number of those families. With the child in front the Kidz Tandem gives the adult better control of the riding situation. I had a young rider bail off while I was riding with him on the Bike Friday Family Tandem. The Kidz Tandem is easier to transport than our side by side or the trikes connected in tandem. The only draw back is the cycling ability of the adult. For some people it takes time to adjust to the balance and length of the Kidz Tandem. With excited young participants we did not always have the time to work with the adult and settle their concerns.

It was a good event. My thanks to the Fairfax County Therapeutic Services for the opportunity to participate.

Tockwotton Twister

On Friday, February 20th, I delivered a Draisin Twister to the Tockwotton Home in Providence, Rhode Island. The photos show Judy Brown and Joe Trott on a test ride after we had reviewed the features of the Twister. They rode a little and then switched positions.

This Twister is going to get lots of use as Spring comes to Rhode Island. The Tockwotton Home is in an older section of Providence with streets that seem quiet. There is a bridge over a major highway to a trail which runs for miles. The Twister has independent pedaling and an electronic motor assist which will allow Tockwotton Home residents to enjoy as much or as little pedaling as they can manage. The seat on one side of the Twister has a five point seat belt and pedals which have a plate and velcro straps so an individual who could not use typical cycling equipment can go for a fun filled ride. Twisters come with hydraulic disc brakes in the rear and hydraulic rim brake on the front. The front can be used as a parking brake which comes in handy as riders get on and off.

With true German engineering the Draisin folks have thought of so many nice features. The electronic assist requires pedaling by a rider to be functional. You can't just turn on the throttle to have an electronic go-cart for two. There is a sensor that measures the pedaling and allows the assist motor to work. The independent pedaling can be turned off and on with the flip of a switch. So you can start out with both riders doing synchronized pedaling and then if one rider tires then the independent pedaling can be activated. The handlebars can be swung away from the seats to allow easier mounting and dismounting of the Twister.

Judy Brown is Program Direct at Tockwotton Home. I'm looking forward to hearing about the Twister's use by residents, staff, and families during this year. With the current location of the home and plans for development of a new location there will be many hours of riding pleasure for all. If you want to learn more about Tockwotton Home go to http://www.tockwotton.org/