It’s written OL3 but pronounced OL-TRE!

As a cycling enthusiast, knowing that my son would never be able to ride a bike independently, I searched for one that suited his needs. Over time, I evaluated and tested many models with various different features, but none fully satisfied me. I was looking for a vehicle with no limits, with which I could reach the same places as a classic mountain bike without neglecting the aesthetic impact and design of the product. Not satisfied with my search results, I decided to create it, and thus GabriBike was born as a unique specimen in honor of my son, who today can finally enjoy the wind on his face and a nice bike ride! Seeing his progress and the numerous requests from interested families, why not share the freedom of moving and going far with everyone? This led me to decide to create OL3 BIKE, the rear-guided tandem with pedal assistance. This particular type of guidance, born in the United States in the mid-90s, has been revisited and perfected in OL3 Bike. The unique feature of OL3 Bike is the REVERSIBLE GUIDE, which can transform from a rear-guided tandem to a traditional front-guided tandem with a specific conversion kit. With this concept, OL3 BIKE aims to allow anyone to move safely and agilely on two wheels, whether on dirt roads or asphalt, on flat terrain or mountains. The driver sits behind and, thanks to a wide handlebar, surrounds the front passenger. It’s a tandem with characteristics similar to gravel/mountain bikes, suitable for tackling the most extreme paths but also for enjoying the city with unexpected agility. It was designed to be easily transported, and the handlebar is completely foldable. Go beyond the concept of limits to travel anywhere, and most importantly, do it TOGETHER.

Marco Mazzato

Birth of a socially-oriented startup

The decision to create an innovative startup with a social vocation (S.I.A.V.S.) was driven by the desire to operate in specific sectors considered of particular social value. In fact, the mission of OL3Bike fits into the categories of:

Social tourism;
Environmental protection;
Education and training;

This allows us to create a constantly expanding network with non-profit entities, offering an inclusion tool such as the tandem.

Un_nuovo_tandem_a_guida_posteriore_per_chi_vuole_pedalare_insieme

Social impact description document

Mission

The mission of OL3 Bike srl is to be a facilitator of social and inclusive tourism by committing to the full realization of people with cognitive and/or motor disabilities who are unable to use a classic bicycle, providing them with a custom-made tool to ensure access to vacations, leisure, and the right to enjoy their territory. As stated in Article 2 of the Montreal Declaration, “the fundamental objective of any tourism development action must be the full realization of the individual as a person and as a citizen.” OL3 Bike srl allows this by giving “fragile” categories of people the opportunity to travel with a sustainable means and enjoy every route without location limitations.

Social objective

We aim for several goals:

Create an easy-to-use tool like a pedal-assisted tandem but with the fundamental feature of having rear guidance with a large handlebar that embraces and makes the front passenger feel protected;
Offer a vehicle that provides the freedom to move safely and agilely on all types of terrain, thus allowing the person to choose where they want to go;
Provide a tool for complete social inclusion that allows anyone to travel together with their loved ones without any limits;
Technical collaboration with entities of the Ministry of Education and specifically Professional Technical Institutes with the goal of creating experiments and improvements in the educational offer.

STAKEHOLDERS

People with cognitive, motor, and visual disabilities: These are groups of people with autism, genetic syndromes, chromosomal syndromes, but also with hemiparesis, Parkinson’s, or musculoskeletal degenerative syndromes, or blindness, aged 5 years and older who benefit the most psychologically and physically from relationships and communication. Indirectly, the families of these people are also beneficiaries. Third sector entities that have the opportunity to collaborate to offer a service to their members or to external individuals with disabilities. Private companies: These are commercial businesses that benefit from offering a sustainable means to a new category of clientele (sales or rental bike shops).
Tourist companies: These are hospitality structures that collaborate in offering new clients welcome and accessibility. Educational institutions: These are accredited Professional Technical Institutes that benefit from the services offered to companies by providing their skills, laboratories, and staff. Public entities: These are municipalities and local health units that offer a tool for inclusive tourism to allow citizens with fragility to move around the territory and take advantage of specially created routes to visit villas, museums, and more, equipped with adequate tools.

OUTPUT

OL3 Bike srl has satisfied the requests of 130 families with children with cognitive and motor disabilities, allowing them to have family outings.
Providing tandems to non-profit associations in the Veneto region for the implementation of sports activities projects for autistic children, children with Angelman syndrome, and various disabilities.
Providing tandems to non-profit associations in the Lombardy region for the implementation of sports activities and autonomy development projects for autistic children and generally disabled children.
Providing a tandem to a non-profit association in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region for the implementation of sports activities and autonomy development projects for autistic children and generally disabled children.
Providing tandems to a tourism promotion entity in the Veneto region for a project of free loan to local applicants.
Providing tandems for participation in events organized by the Veneto Region as part of the “Social and Inclusive Tourism in Veneto” project – ULSS8 Berica – partner Municipality of Vicenza.
Collaboration with I.S.I.S. Arturo Malignani of Udine through their testing laboratory accredited by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, we obtained ISO standard certifications for our product involving the students of the institute and the supervision of certified engineers.
OL3 Bike srl has created a network among third sector entities and private companies, offering a growing number of accessible and inclusive tourism opportunities nationwide. The network involves profit and non-profit entities from Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Marche, Sardinia and is constantly expanding.

OUTCOMES

The contribution that OL3Bike srl has managed to make to the community in the second year of activity has also depended on the effectiveness of the awareness and training campaign that OL3 Bike has promoted for an ever-increasing understanding of living sustainable, accessible, and inclusive tourism. All this has allowed the birth of collaborations with tourist companies of rent bikes, guaranteeing an inclusive holiday for more families and in more Italian regions. Collaboration was also created with the Veneto health units and municipalities of Vicenza and Venice within the “Tourism4all” project, which will lead to the creation of accessible and inclusive routes in villas and museums that will be visited thanks also to the OL3Bike tool, which will allow cycle tourists with disabilities to enjoy the structures and the landscape. Moreover, the collaboration with educational entities and professional institutes has contributed to an improvement in the educational offer and to greater awareness and understanding of disabilities in general. From the feedback obtained with the involvement of the Stakeholders, it appears that:

Tourist entities have seen an increase in visits from families with children/young people with disabilities who have used the tandems to move around and enjoy the offered landscape.
Families have been able to travel TOGETHER where before the family was divided, not being able to transport the disabled child.
Non-profit associations dealing with autistic subjects have been able to create sports and tourism-related projects, improving relational capacity with companions and the territory and noting a positive change in the psychological and behavioral state of the boys/adults.
Educational institutions have seen an increase in the educational offer, ranging from the technical/technological aspect to the emotional/social and inclusive aspect of the person.
Public entities have been able to offer a careful and inclusive territory to users with disabilities who have the right to be cycle tourists like everyone else.