There was an MIT student project that might be relevant to this effort.  You can see an article about it here:  http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/2009-bike.html

I was initially skeptical but it seemed to work well for some people.  It may not be apparent from the picture but it has a set of handlebars set up so someone can walk or run behind the bike and assist in steering while the rider gets practice.  If you follow up with the school you can probably find out who made the prototypes.  If that doesn't pan out you could copy it.  The build quality of the one I saw was superb and in order to work well a copy would have to be well designed, and made so the structure was stiff and light, and the linkage was tight and smooth.

Gwyn

On Mar 3, 2009, at 9:57 AM, veganboyjosh@gmail.com wrote:

UPDATE:

when i first read the mom's email, i had visions of adult trikes, be they the lower end, schwinn-style heavy-with-a-huge-basket-in-the-back type, or the high end/obscure-parts-needing recumbent trikes, the likes of which we probably won't see in the near future as a donation to our shop.

after speaking with some folks who work with adults and kids with disabilities, the consensus from them and my feeling was that speaking to the parents and meeting them and this student were paramount to getting him what he needed. the nature of most disabilities and people with them is such that they're different for everyone, and every person has a different ability level that is unique to them, challenges which you may think would be a big deal to you are not to them, etc.

so, i called mom. she advised that his balance and reflexes just aren't what most other kids his age are. some kind of beefed up training wheels would probably suffice. he's riding his bike now with little kid training wheels, but he's quickly outgrowing that bike. a quick google search turns up tons of aftermarket/third party "stabilizing wheels" for adults and kids with balance and reflex issues while on a bike. basically, they look like training wheels if they were built by bike mechanics. pneumatic tires on spoked rims, big beefy steel tube construction, not angle alloy...etc.

in lieu of buying a set, we've gotten in touch with a local artist/burning man tribe/bike geek collective, and they're going to work with us and him to fabricate something that fits his bike for our Earn-a-Bike class. while the commercially available stabilizing wheels are far and away less childlike and likely to be stigmatized, i'm thinking that something made by these artists is going to be much cooler and personalized for the student.

i'm excited to see it all come together so easily. of course, this is but one student whose "disabilities" aren't the most major of challenges when it comes to getting him onto a bike. his enthusiasm level sounds like it's helping, from speaking with his mom, as well. i'll definitely keep you all posted as this one progresses, and any resources i come up with will be posted to this list and the wiki...

thanks for reading...

josh.



On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 7:15 AM, adam schwartz <rideyourbicycle@gmail.com> wrote:
Great thread.  We have served a few young people with disabilities in the past, I remember one in particular with Cerebral Palsy, in which we had to modify the bike with a special handlebar and brakes, it was great to see the kid on a bike with everyone else at the end of the program.  Currently we are writing a grant to put bikes in the hands of people with HIV, the Wash DC area has one the the highest rates in the country.  This population is often home bound, without transportation and in need of daily exercise. 

--
Adam Schwartz
Program Coordinator, Renaissance Youth Bike Shop
The Engaged University
6200 Sheridan Street, Riverdale, MD
adamgs@umd.edu
(301) 405-3213




On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 5:25 AM, Jason Moore <moorepants@gmail.com> wrote:
Check out the Lose the Training Wheels program. They are experts at this type of thing.

Also an interesting new product is coming out soon: The Gyrobike

My recommended method for teaching people to ride bicycles is this:

1. Remove the pedals of the bike and lower the seat such that the rider's feet can easily touch the ground, this way the rider can scoot around and get the feeling of the bicycle's dynamics. If you use training wheels or support the rider with your hand it doesn't allow the person to feel how the bicycle actually handles.
2. Once the rider is comfortable on the scooter, add the pedals so they can try self propulsion.

People learn very fast with this method.

Jason Moore
http://mae.ucdavis.edu/~biosport/jkm/
moorebicycles
Bicycle Dynamics Lab, TU Delft
Sports Biomechanics Lab, UC Davis
Bike Church Minister, Davis, CA
Netherlands office phone # : +31 15 278 6932

On Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 7:16 PM, josh brown <josh@communitycycles.org> wrote:
Howdy all.

I'm wondering how/if any of you have worked with populations or individuals with disabilities who come into your shops or who approach your organization for help. We've had this type of thing happen before, where someone who has experienced head trauma, or has severe balance issues is looking for an adult tricycle, but we never seem to have any quality ones in the shop when they're needed, and inexpensive but decent ones are in the 6-8 hundred dollar range.

I received the below email this morning, and while i welcome the challenge and experience of getting a 10 year old with CP and Autism on a bicycle, i'm a little overwhelmed at the prospect.

What kinds of experiences have you all had? I know Boulder and Colorado both have some excellent non-profits that deal with folks with disabilities, and I'll start making phone calls to them, to see what types of things to be aware of. I'm interested in your experiences as community bike shop staff.

If anyone reading this has some type of circumstance which requires some sort of modification to their own bike to accommodate balance, reflex, or a body that's different than most of us have (ie, amputee, etc) issues, PLEASE get in touch. I'm interested both in your experiences personally as well as resources you've found to be helpful or not so helpful.

I've personally worked with folks with all kinds of issues, just not in my work with bicycles...looking forward to bringing those two worlds together...

thanks!

josh.
community cycles.

Hello,    
We have been looking into your program for our son but I have a couple of questions.
 
Our son has Cerebral Palsy and Autism, both are mild, however he has difficulty in riding a two wheel bike as he has balance problems.  He is 10 yrs old, (11 in June) and has out grown bikes that we can place "training wheels" on.  We know that there are stabilization wheels but not sure how to go about working with them on multiple speed bikes.
 
Do you work with children with disabilities? and Would you be able to help us in getting a bicycle that would meet his needs?
 
He would dearly love to be able to ride a bike and we are most happy to work with him and get him the proper set up.  Any help or information would be greatly appreciated.  You are welcome to call us at our home phone or email.  Your program sounds very exciting and we look forward to hearing from you.
 
Thank you, Sue and Paul



_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org
To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org



_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org
To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org




_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org
To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org


_______________________________________________
Thethinktank mailing list
Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org
To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org