This machine is great for physical rehabilitation on those who have little or no ability to move their legs. Unfortunately the pedals want to make your knees fly in all sorts of directions. In my market analysis I found some pedals with calf support but the companies would like to charge people upwards of 200$. The photo below shows an example found through a simple Google search.
Fortunately, I was provided with some leg splints to act as the supports. Leg splints can be very expensive but it is possible to find some modestly priced ones with a little patients. I've posted a link to a brace I found on amazon here: Swede-O Deluxe Padded Plantar Fasciitis Night Splint, Gray
or Night Splint by Pro-Tec Athletics
If all else fails, some wide PVC piping attached to flat plastic could serve as a splint. Next I needed to engineer some way to attach the splints to the pedals.
Engineering a unique holding piece would have been expensive and taken too much time so I was hoping to be able to find something already made which would hold onto the pedal. After looking to McMaster-Carr for some inspiration I was confident I could find either a beam hanger or a pipe hanger which could meet my application. At the hardware store I was able to find a 3/4 inch pipe repair clamp (about 5$ each) which when fully opened, held the pedal perfectly.
I then picked up some inexpensive small steel plates along with some attributed bolts and nuts. Over all the parts cost around 12$. I then drilled matching holes in the splint foot and steel plates so that I could bolt together a steel-splint-pedal-clamp-sandwich. The bolt heads stuck out a bit but could not be felt through the foam padding placed over the plastic foot.
Some simple straps that came with the splint to hold the legs in are not shown. All together, this build provides a simple and inexpensive solution which may be repeated. If you have any question please email me!
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