Special kids, special bikes
Richard Klein, an emeritus professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, makes adjustments to an adapted bicycle during the “Lose the Training Wheels” camp at Campus Recreation Center East on April 27. Klein has designed bicycles that help special needs children learn to ride two wheelers.

Steering committee
With a helping hand from student Jen Fitzgerald, left, camper Liam Grady rides a bicycle fitted with a single roller instead of a rear tire. Campers often start out on double-roller bikes and then transition to single-roller models as their skills and confidence improve. .

Big wheel on campus
Peter Norcross rides a bicycle that has been adapted with a turf tire, a tire similar to those used on lawn mowers, which provides greater stability for the rider than a conventional bicycle tire. During 2004, about 80 percent of the 350 children with disabilities who attended “Lose the Training Wheels” camps were able to master riding two wheelers by first building their skills and confidence with adapted bicycles.