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Van Raam produces uniquely special needs bicycles and specializes in tricycles, transport bikes, scooterbikes, wheelchair bikes, tandem bikes, double rider bikes, and low step trough bikes (also known as comfortbikes). Each model is also available as an electric bike (Pedelec).
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Customer experience Kivo tandem – Boers Family
Steven Boers (15) has Down's syndrome and lives in Zwolle, together with his parents and brothers. The Boers family is a very active family and they like to go out in the open air together. Since 2 years they have the Kivo child parent tandem of Van Raam and they enjoy it to the fullest. Mom Martine tells us more about Steven, their Kivo tandem and their experiences with the bike.
Let's introduce
Martine: "Steven is a boy with down syndrome. He is 15 years old, but has the level of someone of about 2 years old. He lives in Zwolle, together with his parents en 2 older brothers. As a family we love the outdoors, hiking, nature and of course cycling; Steven loves it!"
Van Raam Kivo tandem with special options
"We've purchased the Kivo with pedal assist andwe've had it for almost 2 years now. The options on the bike are foot fixation and a backrest support. We've also bought panniers so that we can easily cary probe food, some toys for on the road, food & drinks and grooming stuff. The reason for purchasing the bike is because Steven can't cycle independently; it's not safe in traffic and he doens't have enough energy to cycle independently due to a heart defect."
How we used to cycle
"We had a child parent tandem from Huka from 2011 to 2017, the Copilot. Before that we cycled on a traditional two-wheeler, but since Steven couldn't get on the back of my bike anymore and he didn't master to cycle on his own, we applied for social support for a parent/child bike and this was granted to us. After having cycled on this bike for a number of years, we were in need of another bike and that has become Van Raam's Kivo tandem."
Test-ride and delivery Kivo child parent tandem
"We received the bike via Welzorg, a Dealer page. At Welzorg we made a test-ride and after that we had to wait for the bike to be delivered. Coincidentally, we recently received an invitation to schedule a service for the bike."
Cycling with Down's syndrome, customer experience of the Boers family
See in the video below what the Kivo tandem has brought the Boers family.
Tip: Dutch is spoken in this video. Feel free to turn on the subtitles for accompanying text and explanations.
“The positive thing is that because of the Kivo tandem, Steven is moving again.”
Experiences with the Kivo
"We're very happy with the bike. With a little help, Steven can get on the bike himself and sometimes when we cycle, Steven wants to get off the bike to play the playground.Along the way we get nice reactions of people who see the tandem. Apparently such a tandem is not often seen yet, although I see them regularly in Zwolle. The positive thing of purchasing the Kivo tandem is that Steven is moving again. We always set the bike in the position where the pedals turn. This way he doens't have to make much effort, only when he wants to and when he is able to. But with this position the blood circulation is stimulated. Steven doesn't move much in other ways, except for short walks and movement at the day centre. When we've dropped Steven off at the guesthouse, we switch to another pedal position so that the pedals are stationary."
Much in use
"We usually use the Kivo for recreation, in the evenings and weekends and occasionally for cycling to the dentist or to and from the guesthouse. Because of corona time we now also cycle 3 times a week to and from the daytime activities. Normally we cycle about 30 km a week and the last 2 years we've cycled almost 3500 km on the Kivo. So far we've never had any problems with the bike."
Van Raam bike app
"Via the website of Van Raam we discovered the Van Raam e-bike App. The functions we use mostly are the day counter and the percentage of the battery. In itself we would like to have a nice, sturdy holder for the bike so we can use the phone/bike app while cycling."
*This was possible with the old app, but the app has now been updated and cycling information can be viewed and support programs can be changed in the app.
Boers Family – Zwolle (the Netherlands)
Type: Kivo
