Its been 2+ years since I loitered around the Singletrack forum due to the fact that I had a bike related RTA and ended up a paraplegic. So I’m putting the feelers out for any fellow cripples who ride hand cycles off-road. I had a short demo on one the other week (Sport-On XCR) and am interested if anyone else uses one? Any feedback or suggestions greatly appreciated.

I take it you have seen what Martin Ashton has been doing? I have also seen some 4 wheeled full sus “wheelchairs” that look pretty good.

That’s some serious consequences you are dealing with. Kudos for having the balls and commitment to want to get out again.

Some of the off-road 4-wheel ‘buggies’ look great. They need an uplift to get to the top of the run – but they are often faster down than a DH rider on a standard bike…

Give Mojo a call maybe and ask them if you can get some advice on what they did for Martin Ashton? Electric geometron with a throttle maybe?

Oh and – be patient mate, every day is one day closer to science being able to find better solutions or a cure to paraplegia – the next 20 years of medicine is going to be mind blowing.

I need to find a paralysis research organisation to start donating to.

Where do you live?
Anywhere near the peak/dales and experience community (Facebook) are who you need. Bunch of handbikers and mtb trikes. There’s a Facebook group uk handbikers or something. You can try out/get lessons on the bikes etc. They are going on holiday to kielder in May. Been up snowdon on a mountain trike, Peak District/ trail centres etc on handbikes.

They use lashers I think. Designed specifically got off-road but Craig has a range of handbikers. One member has a full sus. He’s thinking of getting electric assist as add on!

Not sure if you want something powered or not but these guys bought one of their All Terrains to an industrial estate I was working on about 2 years ago.

Looked fantastic powering up & down flights of steps.

http://www.moltenrock.co.uk/?page_id=2595

Good luck with the future

Welcome back to STW, Torihada. We shall look forward to reading about your adventures!

They need an uplift to get to the top of the run – but they are often faster down than a DH rider on a standard bike…

Ha …. this may not be true much longer

I build the mental downhill ones and electrickery is coming

It’s true though they go quick have hope discs all round and about 8 inch of travel

Google gravity Mtb and phil hall I think his second name does tester days where you ca go ride a trail centre

Somewhere on the stw interweb are a group not opening this thread as they believe it is click bait, another group who opened it hoping to be able to argue about something PC/unPC/other that they think they know about.

As for the OP. I saw some mental looking four wheeled fatbike with hand controls, can’t remember where it was, but i sent a photo to my nephew, who wasnt interested at the time.

Full suspension 5.0 tires looked terrifying. I imagine drop offs fully reclined must be a test of faith.

Do any of them go forward facing?

Sorry to hear about your accident, but encouraged to hear about your positive attitude – keep us all updated on your progress.

It’s true though they go quick have hope discs all round and about 8 inch of travel

So they are basically a mini baja buggy that you can ride down mtb trails? 😀

OP – hope you get something sorted and back on the trails soon. Seeing Martin Ashton getting back in the saddle has been amazing to witness, always enjoyed watching his videos before his accident and thought they were amazing but they are nothing compared to his recent ones which generate a very different kind of emotion and admiration for all involved.

Ooooh oooh oooh for once something i can help with

Look here
http://grindinggears.co.uk/fod-launchpad-uks-first-4wheel-gravity-bike-trail/

Thats my mate in the picture above, he loved it and the instructor was nice and gentle…a class a loon but really great

Pedall in the new forest might be worth a call. They are all about inclusive cycling options and although they are at the less gnar end of the scale compared to what you’ve been looking at they may be able to offer some additional insight into options.

Don’t forget to post up the new bike pics when you get sorted and for Christ’s sake make sure the valves and tyre logos are lined up or there’ll be hell to pay.

There is a handcycle group who ride Richmond Park every Saturday morning. If you are near Hillingdon, there will be a handcycle road race on Saturday afternoon run by Westerley, for anyone who wants inspiration.

It’s not what you ride, it is the riding that matters. Good luck with your continued recovery.

Also have you tried contacting the back up trust, they organise lots of outdoor activities to give you a try at different things (the xmas party is also rather good) Can personally vouch for the Are ski trip – lots of fun

Wow some pretty impressive info there.

As I’m a T4 complete which means no muscle control below my chest, so I think I need something with support. So I’ve been looking at recumbent off road hand cycles with electric support.

Hand bike test

I had a go on a handbike, was very odd and I couldnt steer it atall
It was like being in a hammock whilst riding down a slalom course

Can someone point Martin Ashton to this thread :b

Nothing constructive to add, however 4 wheelers look fantastic.

Why bars though and not a steering wheel? (genuine question)

Nothing constructive to add, however 4 wheelers look fantastic.

Why bars though and not a steering wheel? (genuine question)

Better leverage and enables hand controls like you get on bikes.

On car you have power assistance or gearing on the rack and pinion. Would be too slow in this application, just as it would on a quad bike for example.

Listened recently to Michael Bonney interviewed by Carlton Reid on a recent episode of The Spokesmen. Incredibly inspiring and just as importantly a good listen.

So they are basically a mini baja buggy that you can ride down mtb trails?

photos from the prototype were here that’s now well old as are most of them coming up for 10-15 years

but the guys above thats phil hall who runs the gravity mtb days

the photos that come up there look quite recent going on the Hope stem. Nice custom hope brakes 😀

mickmcd – Member
So they are basically a mini baja buggy that you can ride down mtb trails?
photos from the prototype were here that’s now well old as are most of them coming up for 10-15 years

but the guys above thats phil hall who runs the gravity mtb days

That rig is a work of art!! Nice engineering there!

Bizzarre thing is ….i think it would be good for all to have a crack in one, way phil talks about them ,all about energy conservation etc it might be transferrable to two wheels and he might have a point chainless wins at world cups etc

the proto was finished a year ago …it was a mule for geometry ergonomics and suspension setup, all that is being pushed into the newer one

Thanks for all the positive feedback & links. Its taken me two years to start thinking about this stuff again. I spent time in rehab at Stoke Mandeville and had a go on some road hand bikes and was surprised at the speed you could get up to (until my arms nearly fell off). Rehab at somewhere like Stoke is easy; its once you get back to the real world that things seem daunting. I haven’t kept up my exercise regime (which is extremely tedious) so hand cycling is hopefully going to kill two birds with one stone; get me back in to the great outdoors and get me fitter (which is exactly what mountain biking used to do for me).

So I love the look of the Sport-On Explorer:
Explorer

Set up with electrical assist this could be the perfect gravity bike. I’d love to go back to the Alps on one of those. But I’d need a garage, a van and a slightly bigger wallet. I saw the fat bike version last week. Its as big as a quad bike (& probably more expensive).

A recumbandt off roader seems to be more flexible and more comfortable for longer trails.Again its all the practical issues; storage, transport and cost. So I’ll probably demo one, tag along with the old gang for a ride and see how it all falls out (or rather how I fall out).

I’m going to keep adding to this thread in the hope it may be of help to others.

I picked up an On-Sport XCR recumbent hand bike from Draft Wheelchairs near Cambridge. I’ve got it for the weekend to demo. By God its long. It fitted (just) into a Toyota Auris Estate, with the front passenger seat folded flat and front tyre deflated. Its about 220 cm long. I’ve got a ride planned on Sunday; local bridleways etc. A friend rang me last night. He was out walking the trails and wanted some measurements of the handbike as he was working out where we could go. Humbling.

Nice one. Keep on updating please – a useful resource for others and you will get some “good vibes” / support heading your way from here

saw these on pinkbike the other week –
https://www.facebook.com/iconwheelchairs/
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/an-e-bike-everyone-can-get-behind-2017.html

This tread has stopped me whingeing to myself about the fact that I haven’t been able to get out on my bike properly for a while after injuring my elbow and back at work.

RESPECT to you sir.

Massive respect.
RESPECT.

Be sure to post how you get on, be keen to know how it goes on Sunday. Inspiring stuff mate.

Not an answer to your question I’m afraid, but might be of interest. I had the great pleasure of meeting Karen Darke last year and after that i read her book “boundless”. The things she has completed are incredible, such as climbing el capitan, cycling across Greenland, kayaking around Corsica. It’s well worth a read if you like that adventure autobiography style. I don’t generally, but read it in a couple of days as it was so good!

torihada

By the way – I believe the PC term is not cripple – its Raspberry*! 😉 Mate of mine who is a wheelchair user used to shout – “look out – raspberry coming thru” to get thru crowds.

* copyright Ian Dury

My brother has just come out of Stoke Mandeville, whilst it is a first class facility, it in no way prepares you for the real world in a wheelchair!

Massive respect to you OP. I hope it goes well for you.

If finance is one of the barriers to you getting rolling again I’d like to donate. Dont be shy.

My brother has just come out of Stoke Mandeville, whilst it is a first class facility, it in no way prepares you for the real world in a wheelchair!

Yup. Stoke Mandeville is great, we’re very lucky to have it. But its easy in there (not that the physios don’t push you). Once outside its tough. My consultant at SM said on the first day (when you’re usually still in bits); “wait until you get out there, thats when you’ll meet the vultures.” He didn’t believe in sugar coating it.

I hope your brother manages to find a coping mechanism that works for him and gets good support.

franksinatra – Member

If finance is one of the barriers to you getting rolling again I’d like to donate. Dont be shy.

That’s a very kind offer to a stranger. Nope, money is not the issue here (Though prices across the board for disabled stuff is crazy – my wheelchair cushion costs £425 and is only good for about 3 years).

At the moment the demo hand-cycle is taking up space in my living room (only place it’ll fit in the house). If I do get one I’ll have to think about building secure storage outside and building a gate in the garden fence wide enough to get it through. Also I’d probably need to have a bespoke roof rack made or get a trailer if I want to go further afield. But anyway I’m getting ahead of myself…..a 7 am ride tomorrow on local trails will be a brutal reality check.

How did the ride go?