For many children, riding a bike is a right of passage that we all have been through. But for those with disabilities, this can seem insurmountable. These days there is a large range of specialised bikes and trikes available, if you have the funding. If not, or if your child only needs minor adjustments, you may try your hand at modifying your own standard bike.

In Australia, most states have an organisation known as TAD – Technical Aids for the Disabled. These guys are a group of volunteers who will make all kinds of adaptations for you at cost price. Sadly, there is a long waiting list for their services. So, to get you started, I thought I would start a series of bike posts. One of the easiest adaptations to make to a bike is the pedals.

While you can get all sorts of fancy foot plates, unless your child needs leg guidance, one of the best products out there is a pair of cheap Croc knock-offs, available at many junk shops. poke two small holes in the sole, and cable-tie them to the pedals. Done!

The owner of this specialised bike actually has a set of the official footplates, but does not like them as she cannot put them on by herself. So her mother went and bought these cheap plastic shoes, and cable-tied them to the pedals, and one happy little girl can now get on and off to ride whenever she feels like it!

For the smallest children, up until around 3-4 years, if you combine this tip with a Smart-Trike, you have a nice supportive trike with parent steering for around $200. Even less if you check out your local buy sell pages. You could also cable-tie in some cut down pool noodles for extra support at the sides if necessary. I am trying to get hold of one cheaply so I can adapt it and take photos to post here. I will then donate it to the Aroha Angels loan pool for someone else to get the use of.

The next stage in standard bikes is often a 12″ bike with training wheels which may come with a parent steering handle. for those who can sit on the bike themselves, this may be a nice cheap way to delay the switch to an expensive special needs one. It may also be worth checking your local bike shop to see if they have any wider seats that may be able to be used to give a bit of extra support for those who find the standard seat not stable enough. These are usually not very expensive, and simply bolt onto your standard seat pole.

If you have adapted your child’s bike or trike, I would love to see it! And if you would like to see it shared here, please email me at budget@justjuniorsdisability.com