Help us purchase our first trishaw…

We Ride Bikes is currently raising funds to purchase the first trishaw to use in Shelby County.  A trishaw is an electric-assist bicycle with a bench seat on front that makes giving bicycle rides to the elderly and less-abled possible.  They are designed with comfort and safety of the passenger in mind as well as positioning the pilot in a way that facilitates conversation and connection between pilot and passengers.  For an example of a trishaw, see below.

The Rolls-Royce of trishaws

The Chat is a new trishaw model developed over an 18-month period by Van Raam, a company that has been designing and manufacturing quality adaptive cycles in the Netherlands since 1974. The Chat features a 1-meter wide cushioned seat, with a front footrest that lowers completely to the ground, activated by the pilot from behind the passenger box. The passenger box rests on a spring suspension, which absorbs some of the road bumps and makes the ride for the passengers more comfortable.

The Chat comes with a 60 Nm electric-assist motor that can be controlled both by a console on the handlebar and by the Van Raam App on your smartphone. It even has a ‘reverse gear’ – you simply pedal backwards, and the Chat backs up! The 8-speed derailleur offers plenty of gearing options. The cast aluminium front wheels provide strong support for the passengers and the trishaw.