Framebuilders - Modified Bike For Child with S.M.A.

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA
DCBIKEFOROSAZE
04-04-07, 04:00 PM
Greetings to all:

I am interested in buying, building or modify a bike for my 2 1/2 year old son who has spinal muscular atrophy. At this point I just want something he can sit on with some upper body support (chair type) and for him to pedal with very low resistance.

Longer term I want sensors in the pedals to detect level of effort and relay the detected effort to a small motor to assist with propulsion.

My son is intellectually fully functional. He has weak legs, trunk and arms. He is being provided physical and occupational therapy. We are encouraged to keep him active without exhausting him.

Thanks,

DC

AllenG
04-04-07, 05:10 PM
Panasonic and Hinzmann both make electric assist kits where the throttle is engaged by the pedals. Hinzmann uses a motion sensor on the cranks and Panasonic's system is pressure based, the harder one pedals the stronger the motor output.
The Hinzmann system uses a hub motor only, Panasonic makes both a hub motor, and a motor that is inline to the chain. I believe the inline system to be the better of the two. A small motor can reap the benefits of gears, giving it more effective torque, than a hub motor.
I have a Giant Lite/Twist which uses Panasonic's inline motor, my father has an Estelle that uses Hinzmann's hub motor.
Google "electric assist bicycle" and several companies sell retrofit kits.
Both companies sell their kits in whole or part.
For a 3 year old the above will be heavy, although the pedal sensors would be of use.