Press Release: First Buddy Bike® Made in USA at Philly Bike Expo 2022
Bikes For Every Body and Bilenky Cycle Works to Unveil
First Buddy Bike® Made in USA at Philly Bike Expo 2022
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Contact: Shelley L. Patterson |
Bikes For Every Body will unveil the first Buddy Bike® Made in USA at The Philly Bike Expo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 29-30, 2022. The production of Buddy Bike Sport USA is a collaboration between Shelley L. Patterson, the Owner and Founder of Bikes For Every Body LLC in North Miami Beach, Florida and world-renowned frame builder Stephen Bilenky of Bilenky Cycle Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Buddy Bike® is an alternative tandem bicycle with rear seat steering for riders with special needs.
Buddy Bike Sport USA is a custom, hand-built, American-made bicycle designed by Bikes For Every Body LLC and built by Bilenky Cycle Works. Stephen Bilenky is the Owner, Founder, and Designer at Bilenky Cycle Works. He and his crew have built hundreds of bikes since the company was founded in 1983. Stephen Bilenky doesn’t just build bikes he takes frame building as an art. Bilenky says, “I’m looking for a certain sense of flowing, quality, joinery of metal. It becomes art, craftsmanship.” Bilenky is most recently known for building the UK Friendship Bike which was gifted by President Joe Biden to then Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021.
Shelley Patterson of Bikes For Every Body was honored that such a well-known frame builder in the cycling industry as Stephen Bilenky would take on a project like The Buddy Bike. She envisions this American-made version of The Buddy Bike as an opportunity to provide special needs families with more than the typical therapeutic device. The new Buddy Bike Sport USA would be a piece of art and craftmanship that families could ride together with joy and pride.
Buddy Bike Sport USA is a one-of-a-kind Buddy Bike that features their classic dual handlebar set up on the same stem, American-made cranksets by da Vinci Designs with an adjustable crankset option for smaller front seat riders, and the novice-friendly manual Enviolo Trekking CVP drivetrain for seamless shifting. Unlike the previous aluminum frame Buddy Bikes, the Buddy Bike Sport USA frame is built with a higher end 4130 chromoly steel tube to keep the weight low while producing an ultra-smooth ride. Fans of steel frames think of a steel bicycle frame like a strong spring due to its characteristics to smooth out rough roads and absorb shocks.
Buddy Bike Sport USA will be unveiled at the Philly Bike Expo in the Bikes For Every Body – Home of The Buddy Bike booth number T08. The Philly Bike Expo is one of the largest cycling trade shows in the U.S. It will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Hall E in Philadelphia on October 29-30. The show is open to the public. Tickets range from $15-$30 and can be purchased at phillybikeexpo.com.
Patterson is not waiting for the unveiling to move forward with the production of Buddy Bike Sport USA. In order to speed up production, she created a Buddy Bike crowdfunding page on Kiva.org and within 18 days successfully raised $7,000 toward frame production. Kiva allows lenders to fund small businesses with no-interest loans with as little as $25.
BUDDY BIKE SPORT USA – READ THE FULL STORY
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Bikes For Every Body LLC
Bikes For Every Body LLC was founded by Shelley L. Patterson in 2021 and is the home of The Buddy Bike®! The company manufactures and sells The Buddy Bike and other adaptive bicycles that promote inclusion while serving as a resource to match riders of all abilities with the bikes that serve their needs. Bikes For Every Body also offers weekly rentals of The Buddy Bike and other adaptive bicycles with delivery and pick up service in South Florida. bikesforeverybody.com
The Buddy Bike®
The Buddy Bike® is the alternative tandem bicycle with rear seat steering for riders with special needs providing adaptive and therapeutic cycling for riders with autism, down syndrome, sight impairment, balance issues, low muscle tone and other disabilities that would prevent them from riding a bike safely on their own. Learn more at buddybike.com
Bilenky Cycle Works
Stephen Bilenky is a bicycle frame builder and owner of Bilenky Cycle Works in North Philadelphia, PA. Since 1983 he and his crew have built hundreds of bikes crafting art that will propel you around the world. bilenky.com
Philly Bike Expo
Stephen Bilenky founded the Philadelphia Bike Expo in 2010 as a way to promote cycling culture. It is now one of the largest cycling trade shows in the US. Bina Bilenky runs the annual weekend-long event featuring exhibitors, seminars, presentations and events representing the spectrum of cycling. Free admission for children aged 12 and under. Purchase tickets and see the full schedule of seminars, demos, rides, and the list of exhibitors at phillybikeexpo.com.