Tricycle for Paraplegic or Quad INCOMPLETE injury

MarkB701 · 11-09-2009, 02:10 PM

I bought an electric tricycle about a year ago and cycle it frequently. I made a youtube shortly after I bought it, and thought it might be useful to someone on here who might get benefit from doing the same...??

Basically, if you can manage to get on it and cycle it (assisted by the electric motor), it is great exercise, and people think you are normal (at least for a little bit) which is all good fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQJvd1kWhwM

We had to make some mods to the tricycle from the form it came from the shop:
1) you need clipless pedals to really grip your feet. Clipless pedals need standard pedal cranks (which do not come with the bike). So, you need to install a standard bottom bracket, inside a BB conversion kit (costs about $50 including pedals)
2) you need to stop the freewheeling gears from free-wheeling. In this sense the bike will move your legs around (I cannot rotate the pedals without assistance, I get stuck at top-dead-center.
3) as such you are stuck in one single gear, which makes the bike only really any good on the flat or gentle slopes.

Otherwise, thats it!. Well worth the money.

arndog · 11-17-2009, 12:28 PM

Nice Mark. I do think that one issue may be that it is hard for your butt with all your upper body weight on it. The recumbent trikes like catrike put your upper body weight pressure distributed on the back and butt and may be safer from skin breakdown (and pain). Well that is what I found....
Looks great though.....

MarkB701 · 11-24-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arndog

Nice Mark. I do think that one issue may be that it is hard for your butt with all your upper body weight on it. The recumbent trikes like catrike put your upper body weight pressure distributed on the back and butt and may be safer from skin breakdown (and pain). Well that is what I found....
Looks great though.....

Thanks arndog...

And yes, the seat is one of those big foam ones PLUS I put a folded sheet of that chicken-fat on. And I tend not to cycle more than 40 minutes, and try to stop and sit on a park bench half way round, if I can.

A power-assisted recumbant could be good fun. Either a trike, or a bicycle with some kind of out-riggers....hmmmmm?

AlldenAllen · 06-12-2012, 09:05 PM

Your video inspired me. I am a C5 quad. I would like to buy a bike like this. Can you tell me where you purchased it?

MFlounlacker · 06-12-2012, 11:09 PM

This is very cool. I am a T-12 incomplete and just purchased a trike myself. Mine is not motorized but I can manage to ride about 4 miles. I live by the coast in Md, so it is nice and flat here.
I agree that it feels so normal and I love that. I strap my left foot to hte pedal because my ankle has not returned on that side but after only 3 weeks my foot seems to want to stay on the pedal now.
This is great exercise. It is absolutely the best part of my work out.

11-09-2009, 02:10 PM	#1
MarkB701 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 3,849	Tricycle for Paraplegic or Quad INCOMPLETE injury I bought an electric tricycle about a year ago and cycle it frequently. I made a youtube shortly after I bought it, and thought it might be useful to someone on here who might get benefit from doing the same...?? Basically, if you can manage to get on it and cycle it (assisted by the electric motor), it is great exercise, and people think you are normal (at least for a little bit) which is all good fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQJvd1kWhwM We had to make some mods to the tricycle from the form it came from the shop: 1) you need clipless pedals to really grip your feet. Clipless pedals need standard pedal cranks (which do not come with the bike). So, you need to install a standard bottom bracket, inside a BB conversion kit (costs about $50 including pedals) 2) you need to stop the freewheeling gears from free-wheeling. In this sense the bike will move your legs around (I cannot rotate the pedals without assistance, I get stuck at top-dead-center. 3) as such you are stuck in one single gear, which makes the bike only really any good on the flat or gentle slopes. Otherwise, thats it!. Well worth the money. __________________ There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch.

06-12-2012, 09:05 PM	#4
AlldenAllen Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1	Trycycle information Your video inspired me. I am a C5 quad. I would like to buy a bike like this. Can you tell me where you purchased it?

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11-17-2009, 12:28 PM	#2
arndog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NV Posts: 2,901	Nice Mark. I do think that one issue may be that it is hard for your butt with all your upper body weight on it. The recumbent trikes like catrike put your upper body weight pressure distributed on the back and butt and may be safer from skin breakdown (and pain). Well that is what I found.... Looks great though.....

06-12-2012, 11:09 PM	#5
MFlounlacker Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Maryland Posts: 354	This is very cool. I am a T-12 incomplete and just purchased a trike myself. Mine is not motorized but I can manage to ride about 4 miles. I live by the coast in Md, so it is nice and flat here. I agree that it feels so normal and I love that. I strap my left foot to hte pedal because my ankle has not returned on that side but after only 3 weeks my foot seems to want to stay on the pedal now. This is great exercise. It is absolutely the best part of my work out.