Koos Engelbrecht started in early 1990’s with the development of Paracycling.
Being a teacher, the family decided to move to Worcester December 1990 as both sons are deaf.
He was appointed at De la Bat School for the Deaf at the Department for multi disabled deaf June 1991. He noticed that the tricycles were very heavy, and approached the manufacturer, Elias Nel who made the next ones lighter. Further developments included the first tricycle with gears in 1995 and the first racing tricycle in 1996.
Appointed as SA Cycling Convener in 1997, he managed several SA Paracycling teams: IPC World Cycling Championships, Colorado Springs, USA in 1998 and 2000 Sydney Paralympics.
Riaan Nel used the first Koose Racing tricycle with aluminum frame, and became World Champion at the 2002 IPC World Cycling Championships in Altenstadt, Germany where he won the Road Race. He still holds the title as South African World Champion. With a new tricycle, Riaan medaled in Athens Paralympics (Bronze) and 2008 Beijing Paralympics(silver).
Koos also served in several leadership roles including president of SA Sports Association for Physically Disabled 2003 to 2013, Cerebral Palsy International Sport and Recreation Association (CPISRA) president 2010 to 2016. He was appointed by World Taekwondo Federation in 2013 as Chairman of the Para Taekwondo committee to assist Taekwondo to get on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Following the inclusion of Para Taekwondo on the 2020 Paralympic program, he served as Chairman of the World Para Taekwondo Governing Board 2015 to 2017.
He retired as teacher in 2022 and use his experience and time to design and make tricycles for individual needs.
Click on thumbnails to enlarge:
Riaan Nel participated as part of the SA Cycling Team in the 2008 World Championship in Colorado Springs, USA – then 17 years old.
In 2000, he is the first tricycle participant in the SA team with a second hand tricycle. He obtained two fourth places in races at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.
In 2002 he becomes World Champion – then with a yellow racer tricycle – at the 2002 World Championship in Altenstadt, Germany.
At the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, he is rewarded with a bronze medal using his blue tricycle (this was also the first time the National authority made funds available to purchase equipment)
In 2008, at the Beijing Paralympic Games, Riaan wins his classification category, but is awarded a silver medal (because the classification categories were combined)
The red racer tricycle was built by Koos Engelbrecht, using second hand parts of bicycles for the 1998 World Championships for disabled persons. At that stage there were almost no knowledge of tricycles in South Africa.
This tricycle was the lightest one in South Africa at that stage – made in Worcester, Western Cape.
The yellow racer tricycle was the first aluminum frame in South Africa. Koos Engelbrecht collaborated with a company to do the welding, and another company who manufactured ultra light airplanes to obtain the aluminum frame. With this tricycle the road race at the 2002 World Championship was won…
A lady on farm wanted a tricycle as transport vehicle to get to her daughter, also on the farm, but to get back to her house, she had to go up a slight hill.
She wanted an electrical motor that could assist her up the hill, when needed.
This tricycle has a small electrical motor, using battery power.
On the back of the tricycle you’ll see her walking-cane – the manual backup method 😉
Custom built tricycle with rear view mirrors, basket and number plates.
Examples of custom built tricycles:
