Chris designed and made...
Swing Cranks
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Use a Pulse Swing Crank when one of your knees doesn't bend as much as it should. It enables your leg to contribute as much effort as it can without being lifted so high.
Pulse Swing Cranks can be used on most upright bicycles and tricycles, but are not recommended for use on recumbents unless you are particularly fit.
Each Swing Crank is normally supplied with a matching Crank Shortener. Each one has 3 or 4 pedal holes, allowing you to adjust the effect to suit your particular needs. You can even reduce it in stages as exercise improves the flexibility of your knee.
They are still in production and can be ordered from Highpath Engineering.
path of foot with
normal crank
path of foot with
Swing Crank
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Adjustable for different degrees of disability
Three different Swing Cranks are available:
- Standard Swing Crank (3-holes)
This is suitable for most riders and allows setups A, B and C (illustrated below).
Suitable for all types of cycle including bicycles, tricycles and exercise bikes.
- Long Swing Crank (3-holes)
This is suitable for riders with more serious knee problems and allows setups B, C and D (illustrated below).
Suitable for all types of cycle including bicycles, tricycles and exercise bikes.
- Long Swing Crank (4-holes) : for tricycles and exercise bikes only
This allows all 4 setups, A, B, C and D (illustrated below).
However it is unsuitable for bicycles as a pedal could hit the ground as you lean to turn corners.
A : setup for minor knee problems
B : normal setup for most riders
C : setup for more serious knee problems
D : setup for major knee problems
Other combinations are possible if, for example, you have difficulty straightening your leg completely at the bottom of the pedal stroke. You can also use just the Crank Shortener on its own.
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The difference between a Swing Crank and a Crank Shortener
Crank Shorteners are used to shorten cranks when both knees bend normally.
A Swing Crank is used when one knee doesn't bend enough. It allows your damaged leg to straighten at the bottom of its pedal stroke, without your damaged knee having to bend so much at the top. Trying to use just one Crank Shortener instead would mean that your damaged knee would always be bent, even at the bottom...
Swing Crank
both pedals reach the bottom, so both legs straighten at the bottom
One Crank Shortener
its pedal is raised at the bottom, so your damaged knee remains bent all the time
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Customer feedback
- I am very, very happy with the swing crank. Having the ability to ride again is a great gift - one of the best things about the crank is that it doesn't feel any different from the other full one on the other side. I cannot tell that I am riding with only one full crank and one half crank. Both legs work as they can and away I go - I am up to 30 miles of total riding since it was installed in spite of many days of rain and mist! Thanks again for your marvelous invention.
Mary Hiller, USA, 2012
- I mounted it on my wife's bike with no problem. It works really fine, your system is brillant! She is also using it on her second bike (e-bike) by shutling the Swing. It works fine on both and she is really happy.
Marc-Edouard Mirault, France, 2012
- Many thanks for the Swing Crank, exceeded my expectations, well engineered a lovely piece of kit. Fitted it to one of my bikes to-day and 13 months 6 days after being told I could forget ever riding a bike again, I have done, thanks in no small part to your swing crank. It's early days but... I'm back on the bike and that's a mountain climbed.
(Pete Rigby, UK, 2012)
- As for the Swing Cranks, they are priceless. They have allowed me a level of freedom that I just could not contemplate before their arrival. Thank you.
(SC, UK, 2012)
- Thank you for the Swing Crank, we are really pleased with the high quality of your work. Have fitted it today and feels comfortable will be life changing for us.
(JT, UK, 2011)
- Done something more that 360 km (a lot of that on rough tracks) on the crank with it in the 240mm position, have now changed it to the 286mm position and now my leg goes round fine with a little tightness at the top, just about right. Maybe if I keep up a similar schedule at this position I will get enough bend to eventually go to a standard 170 crank. The best thing for me about the setup is that, unlike a short crank which I did have, it enables me to work on my leg extension... which means I stand nicely with no tension in the knee. A very satisfied customer.
(CR, Czech Republic, 2011)
- Today I made 10 min of bike thanks to you... Wonderful for me. Thanks a lot.
(FR, France, 2011)
- I have successfully used the Swing Crack with the new modified fixing since April.. it has been great. My cycling included a very enjoyable week in Sussex, which just would not have happened, well not without pain, without the swing crank.
(DF, UK, 2011)
- Chris and everyone at High Path I want to say thank you so much. I just finishing using the Pulse arm that you make so that the physically challenges can ride a pedal bike and it works awesome. I hadn't rode a bike in 22 years until tonight! Please keep up the amazing work! God bless!!
(AH, Japan, 2010)
- All fits perfectly and I have done some pedalling on a proper bike. It feels great. Many thanks for your helpful service and a very nice piece of engineering.
(TM, UK, 2010)
- I purchased a Swing Crank from you and then went on a holiday to France. Camped and cycled on towpaths. Amazing, as my rugby knee injury prevented me from such activity. You have given me a new life - one I thought I had lost. Now a stone lighter and getting back my fitness levels. Thank you again.
(JR, UK, 2009)
- After 5 months of finding cycling impossible after knee replacement, I am now back on my beloved bike thanks to the Swing Crank. Very many thanks for your prompt service (and ingenuity). I have passed details of your excellent service to the Physiotherapy Dept of the hospital that I attend, as I feel others will benefit from this excellent piece of engineering. Many thanks once again.
(CM, UK, 2008)
