​It can be tough for individuals with cerebral palsy to find a sport they can participate in as kids, teens, or adults. You or your child might face limitations in terms of coordination, balance, motor ability due to spasticity, stiff muscles, or involuntary movements. Finding an activity that raises your heart rate can be a challenge.
 
The good news is that physical impairments do not have to prevent you from enjoying sports! There’s a whole world of adaptive sports designed for individuals with different levels of mobility. In this article we’ll introduce some of these sports and highlight one in particular: RaceRunning (also known as Frame Running), which is one of the most accessible and affordable sports out there for people with cerebral palsy.

​Recumbent trikes are a lot of fun to ride. They’re comfortable, accessible, stable, and guaranteed to turn heads on the bike trails. Who can ride a recumbent trike? Just about anyone!
 
Why ride a recumbent trike?
 
There are a lot of great reasons that anyone would choose a recumbent trike over a traditional two wheeled upright bike, beyond the obvious cool factor (which is significant). Recumbent trikes are comfortable, stable, speedy, sporty, and practical. Let’s take a look at a few of the top factors that make recumbent trike riding a superior cycling experience.

Comfort

­It’s important to stay active but distant during this time of an extremely contagious epidemic. Fortunately, cycling is a safe way to get exercise, fresh air, and some distance from the constant flood of negative news that surrounds us right now. As one bicycle dealer noted, bikes are “the original social distancing vehicle.” If you can, we strongly encourage you to go for a bike ride – you’ll definitely feel better as a result!​

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Vermont’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order, RAD-Innovations and HASE Bikes USA are currently unable to conduct in-person business at our Cornwall, VT location, but we’re committed to providing support in ways that ensure everyone stays safe.

RAD-Innovations designs, manufactures and sells unique mobility solution

Cornwall, Vermont – RAD-Innovations LLC™ is pleased to announce that it is accepting orders for the RAD RaceRunner™ running trike and will be shipping to North American customers in March 2020. There are four sizes available to fit a range of ages and body types. Base models are priced between US$1,550 and US$1,800 with additional features available to fine-tune the fit for the individual’s comfort and optimal positioning.

The RAD RaceRunner running trike is used by individuals who are challenged with balance, range of motion and mobility issues caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, stroke, or amputation, for example. A toddler with CP can be fitted to a small frame and run alongside their siblings, while a senior citizen rehabbing from knee replacement surgery or with balance issues can improve range of motion and strength using one of the larger sizes. The RAD RaceRunner running trike can be used in either recreational or competitive settings.

A "delta" trike is a recumbent tricycle with one wheel in the front and two wheels in the back. (A trike with two wheels in the front and one in the back is called a "tadpole" trike.) While tadpole trikes might be more popular at the moment, delta trikes have a lot of great advantages that deserve a closer look!

Recumbent? What does that mean?
 
When you ride a recumbent bike, you’re not sitting on a small saddle seat, hunched over your handlebars. You ride in a semi-reclined position, with your legs in front of you. As a result, your body’s weight is distributed over a wider area. It’s really comfortable and reduces bodily wear-and-tear and fatigue compared to a conventional bicycle.
 
Trike? Like Tricycle?
 
Yes! Three wheels on a recumbent cycle means lots of stability and less worry about balance! There’s no need to dismount or place a foot down on the ground when you slow down or stop on a recumbent trike. One of the pleasures of riding a recumbent trike is that you have a comfortable seat to rest, no matter where you go!

The BerkelBike Pro is a unique combination hand and recumbent cycle that offers a variety of benefits to individuals with limited mobility due to spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, paralysis, amputations, MS, and neuromuscular diseases. It was developed in cooperation with physicians, therapists and researchers from rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands, and is used in physiotherapy programs that work to help patients regain strength and motion in impaired legs. ​

Hase takes their Kettwiesel recumbent trike to the next level with the EVOlution, providing superior comfort and performance with the ultimate combination of design and componentry. ​

Tricycles are a wonderful tool for getting exercise, getting outdoors, leaving the car parked or even getting off the beaten path. They offer much greater stability than a two-wheeled bike, and with modern technology, are more fun, fast and safer than ever before. But now that you’ve decided a trike might be your next ride, you’ll have to choose between tadpole and delta designs. But when it comes to tadpole vs. delta trikes, which is right for you?

Both common designs, tadpole and delta, have unique characteristics and benefits. Let’s explore both in more detail.