On May 19, Rebike returns to Lake Garda, it is the inclusive and accessible ride to discover the territory of Verona. Special bicycles are available free of charge to allow everyone to participate, especially those with physical, sensory or cognitive limitations. And the morning will end with a convivial lunch.
The potential demand for inclusive tourism is significantly increasing. 127.5 million people in Europe alone. In Italy, ten million people have non serious physical, sensory or cognitive limitations and 25% of Italians have various accessibility needs. These are potential visitors who do not always find adequate facilities to welcome them. That is why Re-bike was born: the format studied by Remoove srl that wants to “re-move” barriers and obstacles. For the occasion, the format was adopted by Verona Garda Bike, the group composed of seven local businesses: Europlan S.p.A., Bellatrix S.r.l., Lamacart S.p.A. with the Museo Nicolis, Turri Fratelli S.r.l., Masi, Gardaland and Parco Natura Viva.
The ride, then, will promote the territory of Lake Garda through the path Celeste del Garda Bike Tour. The goal is to push the creation of projects and initiatives for the loved ones of slow tourism and, therefore, to allow everyone to enjoy the landscapes, history and gastronomy that distinguish the Verona area of Val Gardena.
It will start from the shores of Lake Garda, from the town of Bardolino and Garda, and then go inland towards Albarè, Rivoli and Affi. Afterwards, participants will descend through Lazise and Cavaion and from here the route will connect with the city of Bussolengo, to reach Sommacampagna, Villafranca, Valeggio sul Mincio and return to the shore of the lake in the municipalities of Peschiera and Castelnuovo del Garda.
It is a route dotted with services such as farms, hotels, apartments, golf clubs, amusement parks and nature parks. 98 km long, it can be divided into several days following, for example, the various stages in the companies of the seven members, each of these stages also has columns to recharge the electric bikes.
Verona Garda Bike will provide a free fleet of bicycles for all citizens and tourists who want to live an inclusive cycle-tourist experience. Among the bikes provided there will be e-bikes such as cargo bikes for the transport of children, tricycles with pedal assistance with special arrangements to meet the needs of everyone, but especially different special-bikes to accommodate people with cognitive or sensory disabilities. Making bicycles available for free also aims to make people with disabilities try new innovative means to approach the world of inclusive cycling.
In particular, there will be four bike alternatives: Fun2Go, veloplus, opair and chat. Fun2Go is a tricycle for two people who can sit side by side: one person driving but both can ride. To transport people with the wheelchair instead you will use veloplus and opair. The first ones are designed with a tilting platform that facilitates the load and can be easily fixed thanks to a three-point belt system. The opairs, on the other hand, have an integrated wheelchair adjustable in depth to adapt it to the passenger’s measurements. The wheelchair can also be released to become an independent wheelchair. The chat bikes, on the other hand, are e-bikes in which the two people are seated next to each other where the pedal assist is the perfect solution for older people and families. It can also be equipped with a hood to protect passengers from the sun and rain.
The initiative is therefore based on the spirit of Remoove: “In the awareness that disability is not of the person but of society and environments that are not adequate to accommodate everyone, we have developed a model of Cycling Tourism green and inclusive. Starting from the positive experience gained on Lake Garda Trentino, we are working to spread the model to the entire national territory”, so Andrea Tomasoni, president of the company.
