Recently, I received the following question from a board-certified physical therapist:
Hello,
I am a pediatric physical therapist. I am so excited to find your website and products!
Most of my patients need a special needs adaptive tricycle, but I am working with a 10-year-old child who may be ready to transition from an adaptive tricycle to a traditional bike with a few adaptations (your training wheels look perfect!). He currently uses pedal straps, and his adaptive tricycle has a seat belt. I’m interested in your pedal strap adaptation; however, I am wondering if it is safe to have pedal straps without a seat belt?
I have been taught by fellow PTs that if you have the feet strapped in, then you need a seat belt for safety. This is in case the user was to fall off the bike, but the feet stayed strapped in, putting them at risk for a knee or ankle injury since the legs wouldn’t come off of the bike with the rest of the body. Do you sell any adaptive seat belts? Do you have any thoughts on this issue? I would love to hear more about this, as I do not specialize in higher level bike adaptations. Thank you so much in advance!
What a great question! Here is my response:
Thanks so much for reaching out to me and for your patience in awaiting my response….
The question you raise is a very valid one. The pedals that we sell should NEVER be bound to the rider’s feet too tightly. The straps are adjustable and should be left slack so that the rider can disengage their feet in the event of a fall. Failing to do so, can cause unnecessary harm to the rider. We include this instruction with every set of FATWHEELS pedals that we ship out.
The straps allow the rider to keep the pedals moving as they elevate their leg during the pedal upstroke (hip flexion), instead of having to rely solely on pushing your foot down (hip/knee extension). This makes for a more efficient pedaling motion and helps individuals with things like motor planning and combatting low muscle tone.
The pedals are also self-leveling which means they’re counter-balanced to ensure they always rest in the right position for the rider to place their feet on them. This helps them easily “find” & engage the pedal with their feet.
We do not sell seat belts. If the rider requires that level of support, they are most likely not a good candidate for our products.
I hope this answers your question – if you need any further information please do not hesitate to reach out – I am happy to assist!
Until next time,
Colleen
