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Adaptive Tricycle
by mollytricycle on August 2, 2014

Table of Contents

Adaptive Tricycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: Adaptive Tricycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Attaching heel cups (i.e. foot plates) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: Seat with seatbelt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 3: PVC Handle for adult control of tricycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 4: Go for a ride! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

http://www.instructables.com/id/Adaptive-Tricycle/
Intro: Adaptive Tricycle
Adaptive tricycles for children with physical and cognitive challenges can be hard to find and even harder to afford. The adaptive tricycle we built for our son helped us
get his legs moving as he recovers from a stroke that exacerbated the physical difficulties caused by his genetic disorder.

We took an off-the-shelf tricycle (Ybike Evolve) and attached a seatbelt, heel cups (foot plates), and a handlebar, all for about $25 in parts (plus some things that were
just lying around the house) and with no tools except a drill, a screwdriver, and a small wrench.

Step 1: Attaching heel cups (i.e. foot plates)

Foot plates are fiendishly expensive if you buy them online. Instead, we bought a pair of oversized Mary Janes (girl's shoes) that fit over our son's shoes and braces.
Check the clearance rack at your local big box store. These were about $5.

We cut the toes off and attached (with staples) a little extra Velcro to the Velcro strap so that it would be long enough to still attach over his bulky shoes.

We then drilled holes in the shoes and the pedals, and used countersunk bolts and nuts to attach the shoes to the pedals (nuts go on the pedal side). The countersunk
bolts lie flat in the Mary Jane, so they don't catch on his shoes. This (and the next step) is where you need the small wrench. The bolts we bought were a little too long
(they would scrape on the ground), so we cut them, but you could get around this by getting the right length bolts at the start.

These keep the child's feet in place if they do not have the strength or muscle control to keep their feet on the pedals themselves.

NOTE: Your child will not be able to pull their feet out. Please consider if this is safe for your child.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Adaptive-Tricycle/
Step 2: Seat with seatbelt
The tricycle came with a flat bicycle seat (it's designed to convert to a balance bike), so we took two linoleum floor tiles and cut them to be about 6 inches high, wide
enough to span the back of the tricycle seat, and rounded the top edges.

We then drilled three holes in the linoleum pieces and the back of the tricycle seat, and attached the linoleum, double thickness, to the back of the seat.

Next, we added foam pipe insulator around the top and front of the linoleum to make it a bit more cushy, and wrapped the whole foam/linoleum part with Coban(TM),
which comes in many fun colors.

To add the seat belt, we used a 2 in x 30 in piece of stretchy Velcro strap (loop side), and added a 2 in x 4 in piece of adhesive Velcro (hook side) to one end of the strap.

We centered the Velcro strap on the back of the tricycle seat, and wrapped Coban(TM) vertically around the seat back to hold the seat belt in place. After months of daily
use, the seat belt has not budged).

http://www.instructables.com/id/Adaptive-Tricycle/
Step 3: PVC Handle for adult control of tricycle
To give an adult control of the steering and movement of the tricycle, we needed a handle that controlled the handlebars. A handle that attaches to the seat post is not
good enough for a child that can not steer by himself.

Bring your tricycle into the local hardware store (our local Home Depot has been fabulous), where the friendly store assistants will happily help you find PVC pipe pieces
(90 degree joints and straight pipes) that fit over the handlebars and wrap around to create a lawnmower-type handle. The handles that come on the Ybike Evolve have a
series of flaring rubber disks on the outside (so kids hands don't slip off the handles). We found that a 2 1/4 inch 90 degree joint with threading on the inside fits perfectly
over our tricycle's handle ends, and the threading helps hold the PVC in place over the flaring rubber disks (it has never even come close to falling off).

Make sure the arms of the handle are long enough to be comfortable for the adult driving the tricycle. Our PVC handle is about 19 in wide and 28 in long.

Our handle contains no glue, screws, or other fasteners. The PVC pieces just fit snugly together. Also, not permanently fastening the PVC to the handlebars allows for
the PVC handle to be moved up and down (see video).

Step 4: Go for a ride!

With your child safely secured into the tricycle, you can go for a walk/ride together. Because the child's feet are strapped in and the tricycle pedals are fixed, when the
adult pushes the tricycle with the PVC handle, the child's legs and feet move with the motion of the pedal. Your child may or may not have the strength and coordination
to pedal a tricycle alone, but this tricycle will pedal for them and give their legs the motion and the chance to develop their strength. Our son quickly worked up to going
for an hour every day with no complaints.

This tricycle also helps the parents/caregivers to get outside and meet the neighbors. Having a physically disabled child can be isolating. In the past, people would be
uncomfortable when they saw us out walking (visible physical challenges seem to make people avoid you). Now, when we are out with our child on this tricycle, we
receive many, many comments, all of them positive.

We go for a tricycle ride every day. Our child loves it and it seems to be helping him recover function in his weak side.

PLEASE NOTE: You are responsible for ensuring that your child is safe in any piece of equipment. If your child seems scared, unstable, or too floppy to ride the tricycle
safely, don't push it. With the seat belt on and their feet strapped in, tipping over or letting the tricycle get out of control could be extremely dangerous for your child. You
may want to consider a helmet for your child. Always consider your child's safety first! These instructions are provided for your information only and come with no
warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Adaptive-Tricycle/
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Comments
7 comments Add Comment

mimimama says: Aug 5, 2014. 10:45 PM REPLY

Cute boy!! He will like to see how you did this when he's grown up. Thanks for sharing.

mnmama says: Aug 5, 2014. 2:13 PM REPLY

What a great idea, thrifty and life enriching. Your son has a handy daddy. Looks like he really enjoys it too. Have fun.

mollytricycle says: Aug 5, 2014. 7:31 PM REPLY

Mama dreamed up these adaptations. Daddy ran the drill. Team effort!

贾瑜函
says: Aug 5, 2014. 3:25 PM REPLY
外国真好

jessyratfink says: Aug 5, 2014. 1:31 PM REPLY

Fantastic! Using the mary janes as foot plates was so smart and thrifty. :)

livichris says: Aug 2, 2014. 10:55 PM REPLY

Great job, really love instructables that make a difference to people's lives! Well done.

ckoehler1904 says: Aug 2, 2014. 9:32 PM REPLY

Way cool! Thanks for sharing. Well thought-out and designed. Your son is fortunate to have you two as his parents.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Adaptive-Tricycle/