One of the fastest growing businesses in Yorkshire opens its experience-led showroom today (Friday).
Jorvik Tricycles is unveiling the showroom, tricycle workshop and indoor test track in Wheldrake near York.
The new 6,000 sq ft bespoke HQ, on Millfield Industrial Estate, offers customers the opportunity to try a new tricycle on the purpose built 20m x 6m indoor test track that mimics a real life road.
Complete with traffic lights and a zebra crossing, the track gives customers an immersive experience in riding a Jorvik tricycle in the safety of the showroom.
James Walker set up Jorvik Tricycles ten years ago following his father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, which put the brakes on his personal independence.
Desperate to help his father rediscover his freedom, James created a product that helped him get around safely. Jorvik Tricycles is now one of Europe’s leading producers of electric tricycles and boasts eleven models, including road-safe tricycles and mountain trikes for tougher terrain.
James told YorkMix: “With Parkinson’s, it affects your balance, so he couldn’t ride a normal bicycle.
“At the time, there wasn’t a lot to buy, cycling shops didn’t have tricycles in. So we had to buy him a secondhand one off eBay.
“He loved it – it gave him his freedom back. But unfortunately, it got stolen within the first week of him having it from his care home.
“So we then had to buy him a second tricycle. And we thought, there seems to be a gap in the market here.”
His research confirmed it, and Jorvik Tricycles was born. “It’s been a long ten years. We’re now the largest tricycle company in the UK.”
The new test track “enables customers to come and test ride tricycles indoors,” James said.
“With the British weather, when we were test riding them outside previously, if it was raining, it could literally put a dampener on the day for the customer.
“A lot of customers come who have maybe had accidents on bicycles or are nervous anyway.
“So we thought, if we can build an indoor test centre it will tick a lot of boxes.”
The grand opening of the showroom is today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) from 10am to 4pm, complete with tea, biscuits and pizza.
Everyone is welcome, James says. “Even if you’ve never thought about tricycle ever in the past, just come down and have a look. And if you wish, you can jump on one and go around our new test track.”
A brand new Jorvik tricycle will also be up for grabs. Just by signing in, one of the attendees will be randomly drawn to win their very own non-electric tricycle.
To find out more, visit the Jorvik Tricycles website.
