What You Should Know About Wheelchair Tires
Getting you from point-A to point-B in a wheelchair is added than just a caster issue, per se. The caster accessories you acquire will be bent by how and breadth you use the chair. Normally, wheelchairs acquire two sets of auto – two ample ones in the aback and two abate ones in the front. However, there are some accustomed and specialized sports (e.g., tennis, basketball, etc.) wheelchairs that acquire alone one baby caster in the front. (Some ability wheelchairs acquire three sets of wheels; six, altogether.)
Wheels are fabricated up of assorted components: tires, rims, push-rims, spokes or Mag-wheels (magnesium, solid), baby or ample button “quick-release axles” and front-wheel casters. (Quick-release axles are for alteration different-size auto on the aforementioned arbor in a sports-related environ-ment.) The annoy is still the alone allotment of the caster that makes arena contact. Some chiral chair- users acquire several sets of tires for melancholia or altitude changes. The rear auto are the bigger on the chiral chairs that aid in “self-propelling". They are referred to as the "drive-wheels" because of the “push-rims” absorbed to the rims of the tires. Chairs advised for a caregiver or accessory to advance may acquire beyond tires in the foreground back there is no charge for "drive-wheels".
There are several factors to accede if allotment the a lot of acceptable wheel-and-tire configur-ation. Abounding frames cannot be adapted to acquire all the sizes of auto and tires. Therefore, it is adapted to save the wheelchair's consecutive bulk and tire-details in the case of a replacement- bearings forth with the seat-width, depth, frame-color and added pertinent branch advice that may be bare at a after time in the activity of the wheelchair.
Tires are accepted to go flat. There are two classes of tires - aeriform (air) and puncture-proof (solid and “flat-free”). How you use and breadth you ride will advice to adjudge which accessories is best for you. High-pressure tires are narrower than the accustomed aeriform tire. The footstep arrangement is basal - not as abysmal as a aeriform annoy while acute a greater aggrandizement pressure. Abounding manufacturers acclaim tires that are advised with added camber and footstep to be “off-center” to advance acceptable apparent contact. The annoy is of a smooth, light-tread for central and attenuate for mobility. For outdoors and bigger traction, the annoy is added with a medium, asperous tread.
Pneumatic Tires
They are fabricated of elastic and crave an inner-tube, beneath pressure. If you wish greater perform-ance, a aggregate tube-and-tire is adopted or a Kevlar annoy (used to accomplish bulletproof vests) with a high-pressure inner-tube (180 psi). Aeriform tires are broadly acclimated on a lot of chiral and ability wheelchairs because they are about lighter, shock-absorbing and action acceptable assimilation on a lot of terrains.
While aeriform tires are the a lot of popular, they crave the accomplished bulk of maintenance. This is because the inserts abide of a attenuate liner that can be calmly punctured by thorns, nails or added aciculate altar biting through the tire. With these tires, you accept to consistently be able for a flat, abnormally if you absorb a lot of time outdoors. You can apprentice to change your own tire, acquisition a bounded bike-shop, use an accessory or use a acquaintance accustomed with bike and/or wheelchair mainten-ance. In addition, you accept to accumulate a abutting eye on advancement the adapted burden akin back leaks from aeriform tires are accepted and, thus, should be replaced every brace of months.
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Puncture-Proof Tires
These are fabricated of elastic or artificial (usually polyurethane). The elastic puncture-proof tires are agnate to the pneumatics but the inner-tube consists of a solid actual such as foam, artificial or rubber. These tires are about “flat-free” and crave beneath aliment than the pneumatics. However, a single, solid admit is about added by an boilerplate of 1.5 times that of a individual aeriform insert. The accumulated aberration in weight amid accepting two aeriform inserts and two solid inserts is about two to four pounds, depending on the material. While this does not complete like much, the added weight can acquire a cogent appulse if it comes to alteration and/or affective the wheelchair. They are aswell stiffer, not as shock-absorbing and tend not to anchor the apparent as well. These appearance may abnormally affect the achievement of your armchair if you absorb time outdoors in glace conditions, if you about biking active hills or if you ride about on asperous and/or bouldered surfaces.
Replacing a solid admit can be actual difficult to do on your own and should be taken to an expert, accustomed account center. Unfortunately, application a caster can be expensive. Alteration a annoy with a solid admit takes a little best than a aeriform admit so you can apprehend the bulk for the account to be higher, as well. Bicycle shops can aswell accommodate adjustment or accession casework on a lot of wheelchair auto and tires and are, generally, added economical.
Also, there are puncture-proof tires that abide of solid artificial (no inserts). These tires are, generally, the atomic big-ticket but are aswell low performance, abundantly abbreviation your abundance and can become damaged rather easily. Solid artificial tires are frequently begin on hospital chairs that are advised for calm use, only. New technologies acquire enabled puncture-proof tires to become added failing and adequate user while still accouterment best wear. Typically, these tires are complete of a semi-pneumatic cream and/or elastic aggregate and appear in assorted tread-designs and sizes.
Pneumatic tires and tubes are the a lot of bargain aggregate to buy. For a standard, rear annoy for chiral wheelchairs, prices ambit from $10 to $45 per tire, depending on the abstracts used. They are fabricated of a lower brand elastic with simple wire reinforcing chaplet that authority the annoy central the rim edges. The added big-ticket tires are fabricated out of a college superior elastic back the reinforcing on the sidewalls and bean are fabricated from Kevlar. In general, puncture-proof inserts fabricated of cream are added big-ticket than those fabricated of a hard, plastic-type material.
Tires are accessible in abounding altered footstep designs and widths, all-around about any blazon of terrain, as able-bodied as advancement requirements. Treads ambit from actual bland to acutely asperous such as those about apparent on top achievement abundance bikes. The smoother the footstep and the thinner the tire, the beneath rolling attrition adapted to advance the wheelchair. If a majority of time is spent indoors, a bland to agilely treaded, attenuate annoy is desirable. If a lot of time is spent outdoors, a added annoy with a boilerplate asperous footstep has bigger assimilation on asperous surfaces. Special footstep designs and widths are accessible for traversing over snow, dirt, accommodation and grass, as well.
Power wheelchair users tend to use boilerplate treads and thicker tires on all auto to accommo-date abounding altered surfaces with bland treads not getting a botheration with a power-chair. Abounding chiral chairs are not able to abutment altered caster sizes. The a lot of adapted bore is bent by how continued your accoutrements are and how top or low you sit in your chair. You should be able to calmly ability the entire, top bisected of the push-rim after angle forward, after hunching your amateur and after coil your bend out too far.
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Pneumatic vs. Puncture-Proof
PROS CONS ====================================================================
● Added light-weigh ● Top maintenance
● Added shock-absorbing ● Air-insert attenuate liner that can be easily
● Acceptable assimilation on a lot of breadth punctured by aciculate article Aeriform ● Advance PSI back air tends to aperture over
time
● Inner air tubes should be replaced every 3-4
months depending on acceptance to reduce
potential for flats due to wear
● Replace alien annoy 6-9 months if tread
appears beat or cracked.
====================================================================
● About flat-free ● Heavier
Puncture-Proof ● Requires beneath aliment (the ● Beneath shock-absorbing
same brace of solid inserts can be ● Replacement can be cher and
used over and over again) difficult
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Casters
The foreground tires on a wheelchair are about referred to as “casters” and are all-important for council and action the wheelchair. Abate casters accommodate for greater bottom approval and activity but are added apt to be bent in grooves and depressions or could cause advanced falls. They are about begin on top performance, ultra-light and sports wheelchairs. The beyond casters can accommodate added aegis back they ride over altered surfaces added easily. Like rear tires, casters can be either aeriform or solid, usually fabricated of polyurethane, are abiding but do not action as abundant abundance as the pneumatics. NOTE: “Frog-Leg-Suspension” casters abode a polymer shock-absorber at the point breadth a lot of beating occurs.
OVERALL
PROS
• The high-pressure annoy is narrower than an accustomed annoy that decreases acquaintance breadth with the attic (smaller footprint). The treads are beneath and shallower which decreases rolling-resistance. This after-effects in the armchair acceptable easier to advance and rolls added per push.
• High-pressure tires are frequently lighter than the accepted pneumatics.
• Abounding users adopt to accommodation the softer ride of a accepted aeriform for the bigger push-ability of this blazon of tire.
• Favored by athletes for achievement reasons.
• Acquire a “protection-belt” fabricated from accustomed rubber.
• Skid-Free.
• Can handle a ample bulk of torn glass.
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CONS
• The baby aggregate of air at college burden does not allow as abundant shock absorption, appropriately it makes for a harder ride than a accepted aeriform tire.
• The abate “footprint” of the annoy may aswell aftereffect in beneath assimilation on wet or glace surfaces.
• Smaller, shallower treads tend to abrasion out quicker than a accepted aeriform if acclimated for artery use.
• May crave a valve advocate for aggrandizement of the tires.
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