Pedalling issues

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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Jorvik123
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Joined: 14 May 2022, 10:51pm

Pedalling issues

Post by Jorvik123 »

Hi all

Not sure if this is the correct place to post but I recently bought a tricycle as I have cerebral Palyse. I have foot straps fitted to the pedals but I can not for the life of me complete a full cycle rotation.
I get off to a good start but then I can't get round.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated in any ways I can sort this issue.
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531colin
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Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by 531colin »

Google "inclusive cycling your town"
That should find you one or more organisations where people who love cycling volunteer to enable others to enjoy cycling.....and life doesn't get much better than that.
(It would have been a good idea to do this before buying your trike, but whats done is done!)

There is a thread here viewtopic.php?p=1580912#p1580912 which might help.

A couple of things which you can try right now...........
try your saddle at different heights....higher, lower
try starting off with the "other" foot
axel_knutt
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Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 12:20pm

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by axel_knutt »

Do you mean that your legs don't have enough mobility to turn the cranks round a full revolution?
If so, shorter cranks might help.
“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
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simonineaston
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Re: Pedalling issues

Post by simonineaston »

I was wondering about the short cranks. I had a tricycle-owning colleague a while ago, who was having the same sort of issue and for her at any rate, the shorter cranks were a big help.
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
eileithyia
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Re: Pedalling issues

Post by eileithyia »

Think a little more information is required, can you not physically turn the pedals, or can not reach the bottom reach of the pedal stroke in order to complete the rotation? Ifit's the latter it might be that your saddle needs to be lower or you might need shorter cranks. If it's a physical issue is it both legs or one? What about a pendulum crank? Following an injury a friend is using pendulum crank.

https://www.getcycling.org.uk/products/pendulum-crank/
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Jdsk
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Re: Pedalling issues

Post by Jdsk »

531colin wrote: 15 May 2022, 6:03pm Google "inclusive cycling your town"
That should find you one or more organisations where people who love cycling volunteer to enable others to enjoy cycling.....and life doesn't get much better than that.
Good advice. There are lots of technological aids, but I'd start with an expert who's seen this before and is familiar with them.

Jonathan
Jorvik123
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Joined: 14 May 2022, 10:51pm

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by Jorvik123 »

Thanks for your replies and advice

I can push down on the pedal and start the process but not got enough strength to push the pedal round to allow the other leg to finish the movement cause the trike is quite heavy.

Really intrigued about the hase pedal pendulum.
tatanab
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Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by tatanab »

Jorvik123 wrote: 15 May 2022, 10:27pm Really intrigued about the hase pedal pendulum.
see also https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chainsets/l ... al-device/ and https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chainsets/m ... ng-device/
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squeaker
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Location: Sussex

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by squeaker »

Jorvik123 wrote: 15 May 2022, 10:27pmI can push down on the pedal and start the process but not got enough strength to push the pedal round to allow the other leg to finish the movement cause the trike is quite heavy.
I may be missing something, but is the trike in its lowest (easiest) gear when you are trying to start?
"42"
tatanab
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Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by tatanab »

squeaker wrote: 16 May 2022, 9:34amI may be missing something, but is the trike in its lowest (easiest) gear when you are trying to start?
Good point. A while ago we had somebody with a similar problem on this forum or another one. It turned out that they thought the smallest rear sprocket equalled a low gear for starting.
Jorvik123
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Joined: 14 May 2022, 10:51pm

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by Jorvik123 »

It's in gear 1 so I'm assuming this is the low gear making it the lightest?
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531colin
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Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by 531colin »

Jorvik123 wrote: 16 May 2022, 12:31pm It's in gear 1 so I'm assuming this is the low gear making it the lightest?
Yes!
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531colin
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Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by 531colin »

Jorvik123 wrote: 15 May 2022, 10:27pm Thanks for your replies and advice

I can push down on the pedal and start the process but not got enough strength to push the pedal round to allow the other leg to finish the movement cause the trike is quite heavy.

Really intrigued about the hase pedal pendulum.
The "swinging crank" is fascinating, I agree; I first came across them here https://uk.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search? ... ZGPQ%3D%3D..EDIT; as "Pulse swing crank"..many years ago.
I'm impressed how just by putting in an extra pivot you can alter the circle the pedal makes so that the top of the circle is lower and the bottom of the circle is the same height......but that shows the purpose of the swinging crank, its to help people with different mobility in their two legs, its not for everybody!

A tricycle has advantages over a bicycle, in that you start with both feet on the pedals, and you don't have to put a foot down when you stop, so that (provided you can climb onto the trike) you can set your saddle height only for pedalling, not for getting a foot on the ground. On a trike, you can fit shorter cranks to reduce the size of the circle both pedals make and raise the saddle to reduce the need to bend your legs, but on a bicycle you still have to be able to reach the ground so the benefit of fitting short cranks is less.

As already said, try having your saddle at different heights, try starting with the "other" foot. Just to begin with, can you try starting off on a (gentle!) slope down?

But most of all, try to find a local organisation where they can help you face to face!
PT1029
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Joined: 16 Apr 2012, 9:20pm

Re: Pedalling issues

Post by PT1029 »

If you are near a local Wheels for All, they might be able to offer help, they also have a selection of adapted bikes/trikes for various mobility issues. If you have specific pedalling issues, they might have come across it before.
They have quite a few locations: -
https://wheelsforall.org.uk/locations

Good to see you are trying to start in gear 1 (!), also check your tyres are pumped up to their recommended pressure, if too soft, everything becomes slow/hard and treacly making it harder to get going. Better to use a pump with a pressure guage, "finger hard" is notoriously inaccurate!
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