Following is the original project description provided by the sponsor:
Problem
Cyclist (recreational or competitive) that suffer knee injuries limiting ROM (Range of Motion) must give up cycling because the top of the pedal stroke causes extreme flexion of the knee. This results in abnormal forces across the knee joint and the patellar femoral articulation causing discomfort.
Current attempted solutions
- Raise seat height but to go to high prevents appropriate alignment at the bottom of the
pedal stroke and may result in rocking left and right on the saddle resulting in low
back issues or soft tissue damage to the Perineum (area of soft tissue between what cyclist refer to as the sit bones or the ischium's)
- Shorten the crank arm of the pedal but this decreases torque and speed available to the cyclist or ability to climb inclines.
Objective
Protect ROM (limit it) and allow cyclist to produce maximal torqueusing current gears available to cyclist via front or rear chain rings.
That last part almost allows the team to invent a new set of gears but that requires thinner,thicker, longer, or shorter chains, etc. As you add rings to the gears your chain must be thinner to fit between the gears or the hub needs to get wider and that create s wider bike, etc. The objective of this project is to limit the amount of drastic modifications to existing bikes, but provide a smaller ROM for the rider.
Create a modification that can be applied to (one size, multiple sizes?) standard bikes to
modify the motion of the cyclist so their knees do not bend beyond 90 degrees.
