Utility Cycling - An off the wall request.

Hey, I am usually haning out at the commuter section, but figured somebody here could be of better assistance. I work at a facility that rehabilitates the disabled. There is a gentleman there that wants to ride with me, but is unable to due to having only one leg and a very diminished cognitive ability.

Have you ever heard of someone making a trailer for a disabled person to sit in (has to be big enough for a grown man) that can be towed behind my Trek 7000. I am hoping we can do a charity bike race next spring if this works out. Thanks for all the help.

I have a friend whose brother has cerebral palsy. He had a special needs trike to ride but still needed some help and could not go long distances. We hooked up his trike to a regular bike with a Trail-gator. --
http://www.trail-gator.com/

Maybe you could make something like this work with either a trike or a regular bike. Otherwise there are adult bike trailers if you can afford them.
http://www.wicycle.com/special_needs_extra_large_bicycle_trailer.php

Here you go: http://www.lightfootcycles.com/ttmodel.htm With proper foot retension, even one legged riders can push hard. There's always a way.

http://www.tonystrailers.com/vehiclesfordisabled/

bow chicka bow woaw... sry

Go to atomiczombie.com and join the forum and ask around.
I bet you could fashion a trailer where he is able to provide some of the "motor" too. Perhaps with arm pedals ? There are a bunch of die hard garage hackers in that forum who like to DIY.

Wike's extra large trailer accomodates a passenger up to 5'10 and 150 lbs.

a) nothing too off the wall
b) do a search on team hoyt a father who does triathlons with his son, who has cerebral palsy
c) don't know how severe cognitive issues are...is a tandem with a clipless (or even velcro) to keep the foot in place a possibility?
d) Sans the congnitive isses I have seen a really great one legged BMX rider.
e) good luck

One trailer I have run across: http://www.cycletote.com/adult_trailer.html
I haven't dealt with the company, just have seen the webpage.

When I was a kid, I knew a one-legged man that bicycled. Or more specifically, tricycled. Mr. Crum was in his 60's when he lost one leg in an accident. So he set up an adult tricycle where he could ride it. The attached sketch shows the general arrangement. He would steer with one hand, use one hand on the wooden lever. I don't know how much power he actually gained from the hand motion, and the biggest point may have been to keep him from getting stalled when his leg was on the upstroke. This was in an area that is perfectly flat, and he didn't go too fast- probably 6-8 mph maximum.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/MrCrumsTrike.jpg

I`we seen hand operated bikes when searching the net.Three wheels of course. Also a tandem, maybe with something like stephenH`s suggestion and/or adult trainerwheels couldbe done.

If he can help out and not just be dead weight it is going to be better for both of you.

Somewhere on this freakin' non searchable forum!:notamused: someone posted a picture of a tandem with a tow along bike that had been custom made for their handicapped daughter. It had 2 wheels and she could pedal or not, and was at the same height as the front riders. I should have saved the picture for future reference.:o

Aaron:)

My local Dept of Transportation and Recreation has a "adaptive cycling" program for disabled persons where people can try out different kinds of bicycles and tricycles. The hand-operated tricycles seem very popular.

There are a couple of guys I see on the greenway bike path here in Boone who ride those hand cranked trikes. The seem to do real well with them. I think handicapped people can get help paying for them because they are pretty expensive.

From Lightfoot:

http://www.lightfootcycles.com/images/ttroads.jpg
This is called the "Trailer Trike;" the page describing it is down right now, but it can be made to crank with either the feet or the hands.

And here is a new item:

http://www.lightfootcycles.com/twofun.htm

Again, Lightfoot's products are semicustom, so it could be made for a handcrank also.

Sorry it took so long for me to get back. All of these ideas were awesome. Thanks for the help. I will keep you updated.

One-legged bike messenger (video) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOG83-TwIuM)

Physical therapy (http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:XNXKYHmAd6oJ:www.damienhowellpt.com/pdf/one%2520legged%2520cycling.pdf+one+legged+bicycle&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us)

Ride from Sanfransisco to NYC (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C07E3DB103BEF33A25753C2A9619C94629ED7CF)

How many eyes does a one-legged rabbit riding a bicycle have? (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071220165905AA7vAPA)

Adaptive bicycles (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rls=GGLC%2CGGLC%3A1969-53%2CGGLC%3Aen&q=adaptive+bicycle)