Pedals for ankle deformity?
02-23-22, 12:09 PM
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Pedals for ankle deformity?
I have a friend with cerebral palsy. He walks with a very abnormal gait. He would like to ride a bike but one ankle is fixed in an abnormal angle. I would like to help adapt a bike for him. I have some fabrication skills, but would hire a machine shop if necessary if a lathe or mill is needed.
03-12-22, 12:11 PM
#2
Newbie
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 10
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
My 9yo Son Has Cerebral Palsy
My 9yo son has CP, hemiplegic right side arm and leg deformed and very weak.
He's been able to ride since he was 3 or 4 years old with the aid of stabilisers and a velcro strap that fits to a special sized pedal. His right foot is always pointing towards the floor when he stands up, on his toes.
Things are getting a little more difficult now, since his younger sister was able to ride without stabilisers this last summer. He really lost his mojo for cycling when his sister made the step to drop her stabilisers, he's only just started to get back on his bike.
I've bought him two new bikes, a mountain bike and a road bike with drop handle bars like his dad.
The only problem is he now can't ride either of them as they are a lot bigger than his earlier bikes.
The strap for the pedal seems a little dangerous now if he was to fall and I've started to play around with toe clips.
Not sure how to adapt a bike for him now, with brakes / gears on the left hand side, pedal design and maybe adult stabilisers, although I can't seem to find any adult stabilers anywhere in the UK?
Any help with this or advice would be gratefully received and faithfully appied.
Apologies if I should have started a new thread, but it seems like my problem and is related.
He's been able to ride since he was 3 or 4 years old with the aid of stabilisers and a velcro strap that fits to a special sized pedal. His right foot is always pointing towards the floor when he stands up, on his toes.
Things are getting a little more difficult now, since his younger sister was able to ride without stabilisers this last summer. He really lost his mojo for cycling when his sister made the step to drop her stabilisers, he's only just started to get back on his bike.
I've bought him two new bikes, a mountain bike and a road bike with drop handle bars like his dad.
The only problem is he now can't ride either of them as they are a lot bigger than his earlier bikes.
The strap for the pedal seems a little dangerous now if he was to fall and I've started to play around with toe clips.
Not sure how to adapt a bike for him now, with brakes / gears on the left hand side, pedal design and maybe adult stabilisers, although I can't seem to find any adult stabilers anywhere in the UK?
Any help with this or advice would be gratefully received and faithfully appied.
Apologies if I should have started a new thread, but it seems like my problem and is related.
Likes For Madaboutlawns:
03-13-22, 09:34 PM
#3
Full Member
Thread Starter
After reading your post, it made me think of a possible solution for my friend. I used to work with a lot of people with CP before I retired. It occurred to me while reading your post that afixing an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) to a pedal, possibly with an appropriately angled pedal axle might work. The AFO would need to be open in front due to the safety concern of being strapped in. As you are probably aware, most AFOs are made plastic sheeting that is moldable after heating in a water bath, or by heat gun, and are held on with Velcro straps. Closing the shape just a little in the front might give enough stability to allow him to pedal but come out of it in case of a crash. I will discuss this with him. Thanks for your post.
03-15-22, 01:31 PM
#4
Newbie
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 10
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
AFO Pedal
I did forget to mention in my post that my son does sometimes wear his AFO inside his shoe to keep his ankle in the 90 degree angle.
He rides better when wearing his AFO, his shoe then fits into the strap on the pedal.
He rides better when wearing his AFO, his shoe then fits into the strap on the pedal.
02-01-23, 09:30 PM
#7
Newbie
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: New England
Posts: 37
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
Not in the same league, but pedal extender could help keep the pedal out in the right area. Then retrofit from there as we did for a paralyzed ankle.
02-01-23, 10:55 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: South Shore of Long Island
Posts: 2,799
Bikes: 2010 Carrera Volans, 2015 C-Dale Trail 2sl, 2017 Raleigh Rush Hour, 2017 Blue Proseccio, 1992 Giant Perigee, 80s Gitane Rallye Tandem
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 1,022 Times
in
722 Posts
My 9yo son has CP, hemiplegic right side arm and leg deformed and very weak.
He's been able to ride since he was 3 or 4 years old with the aid of stabilisers and a velcro strap that fits to a special sized pedal. His right foot is always pointing towards the floor when he stands up, on his toes.
Things are getting a little more difficult now, since his younger sister was able to ride without stabilisers this last summer. He really lost his mojo for cycling when his sister made the step to drop her stabilisers, he's only just started to get back on his bike.
I've bought him two new bikes, a mountain bike and a road bike with drop handle bars like his dad.
The only problem is he now can't ride either of them as they are a lot bigger than his earlier bikes.
The strap for the pedal seems a little dangerous now if he was to fall and I've started to play around with toe clips.
Not sure how to adapt a bike for him now, with brakes / gears on the left hand side, pedal design and maybe adult stabilisers, although I can't seem to find any adult stabilers anywhere in the UK?
Any help with this or advice would be gratefully received and faithfully appied.
Apologies if I should have started a new thread, but it seems like my problem and is related.
He's been able to ride since he was 3 or 4 years old with the aid of stabilisers and a velcro strap that fits to a special sized pedal. His right foot is always pointing towards the floor when he stands up, on his toes.
Things are getting a little more difficult now, since his younger sister was able to ride without stabilisers this last summer. He really lost his mojo for cycling when his sister made the step to drop her stabilisers, he's only just started to get back on his bike.
I've bought him two new bikes, a mountain bike and a road bike with drop handle bars like his dad.
The only problem is he now can't ride either of them as they are a lot bigger than his earlier bikes.
The strap for the pedal seems a little dangerous now if he was to fall and I've started to play around with toe clips.
Not sure how to adapt a bike for him now, with brakes / gears on the left hand side, pedal design and maybe adult stabilisers, although I can't seem to find any adult stabilers anywhere in the UK?
Any help with this or advice would be gratefully received and faithfully appied.
Apologies if I should have started a new thread, but it seems like my problem and is related.
After reading your post, it made me think of a possible solution for my friend. I used to work with a lot of people with CP before I retired. It occurred to me while reading your post that afixing an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) to a pedal, possibly with an appropriately angled pedal axle might work. The AFO would need to be open in front due to the safety concern of being strapped in. As you are probably aware, most AFOs are made plastic sheeting that is moldable after heating in a water bath, or by heat gun, and are held on with Velcro straps. Closing the shape just a little in the front might give enough stability to allow him to pedal but come out of it in case of a crash. I will discuss this with him. Thanks for your post.
02-05-23, 08:04 PM
#9
Full Member
Thread Starter
Not certain what's still made but look up British Racing trikes, they're a thee wheeled road bike. Owner of the first shop I worked at built one up with a standard road frame. Shifting is easy but not necessarily cheap with sram axs, you can run a kid's bike 1x12 which saves on front der and crank cost. Get a 12sp jfyoh 11-34 cassette off amazon, if you've got an older hub the 12t cog is notched to work with a 12t lockring and just let you run 11sp on a 10sp hub. Shifting an be brought to one side with a pair of blips, you need a pair of axs shifters to initially pair them, but they can be paired with a rear der using the shifters that are on another bike. There's already writeups on how to do this.
You've got to think of the design of this, the pedal axle can't be bent to accommodate the angle of the foot since it will only be right in one position and completely the opposite of what is needed at the exact opposite side of the pedal stroke. The axle is fixed in its position so a pedal bent down at the bottom of the stroke will be bent up at the top of the stroke. Perhaps 3d printing a wedge platform that could be epoxied to the pedal and allow for the attachment of the afo is the better solution.
You've got to think of the design of this, the pedal axle can't be bent to accommodate the angle of the foot since it will only be right in one position and completely the opposite of what is needed at the exact opposite side of the pedal stroke. The axle is fixed in its position so a pedal bent down at the bottom of the stroke will be bent up at the top of the stroke. Perhaps 3d printing a wedge platform that could be epoxied to the pedal and allow for the attachment of the afo is the better solution.
02-13-23, 12:42 PM
#10
Newbie
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: North Miami Beach FL
Posts: 6
Bikes: The Buddy Bike - alternative tandem bicycle for riders with special needs
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Check out Ti-Trikes
Hi. I just saw that ti-trikes(dot)com has a new pedal that could be an option.
02-20-23, 12:01 AM
#11
Full Member
Thread Starter
I just went on their website to have a look. Glad to find a domestically made Ti trike, but I could not find anything about the pedals. Could you provide a link to a page that shows the pedals? Thanks
G. Gearloose
02-20-23, 10:32 AM
#12
Newbie
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: North Miami Beach FL
Posts: 6
Bikes: The Buddy Bike - alternative tandem bicycle for riders with special needs
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hi. Just visit their web site to get their phone number and give them a call. They posted these pedals on Facebook. Tell them Shelley at Buddy Bike sent you!
02-27-23, 10:40 AM
#13
Full Member
Thread Starter
