When configuring your wheelchair, it&#;s important to consider, what wheels you need. The choice you make will depend on your primary use, be it indoor or outdoor, plus the terrain and the activity involved. And making the right choice can be crucial.
Someone with a pain condition really doesn&#;t need a lot of vibration, and other users may value speed as part of their sense of independence. Here&#;s the information you need to choose wisely:
The smoothness of the ride, speed, maneuverability, and control are all related to the wheelchair wheels, tires and casters. Choosing these components is not a straightforward task. So it&#;s wise to get an expert, such a therapist or healthcare professional to help you select the combination that meets your lifestyle, performance, maintenance and affordability needs.
1. Wheelchair wheels components and considerations
Manual wheelchairs usually have two sets of wheels:
Power wheelchairs may have up to three pairs:
Wheelchair wheels are made up of a tire, rim (and hand rim on manual chairs), spokes (or mags), and a hub. The hub is the centre of the wheel, the spokes (or mags) connect the rim to the hub and the rim is where the tire is mounted. Hand rims are used for pushing the wheelchair.
Spoke wheels look like bicycle wheels and are made of metal. They usually have more than thirty spokes.
Mag wheels are made of synthetic materials and usually have less than ten spokes.
Important factors to consider when selecting the appropriate type of wheels for you is their weight, and the environment you will be using them in. Spoke wheels are usually lighter than mag wheels but they require more maintenance. They are less suitable for moist surfaces. Mag wheels are almost maintenance free but they may be affected by extreme temperatures.
2. Wheel sizes in regard to wheelchair sizes
Wheelchair wheels come in various standardised wheelchair sizes:
The wheel size affects comfort and required effort to move the wheelchair. Therefore you should select a drive wheel that will allow you to sit comfortably in the chair and at the same time requires a minimum amount of effort to propel it.
Electric wheelchair wheels are smaller and made of a harder material. You can learn more about Invacare electric wheelchairs in this page.
The alignment of the wheels is very important. It affects how the wheelchair rides, its stability, the wear on the tires and the effort required to propel it.You need to consider the following three aspects:
3. What about tires?
Wheelchair tires can be pneumatic (air filled), solid and flat free (foam, urethane or rubber filled). Depending on the desired terrain use, they may be knobbly or smooth. As a rule of thumb, you need to know that tires affect how easily the wheelchair will roll over specific surfaces. The harder the tire, the easier it will be to propel the wheelchair. The softer the tire, the harder it will be to propel it. Here are your choices:
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How to Fit a Wheelchair Tyres:
Once you&#;ve bought some new tyres, you&#;ll need to get them fitted. If you can do it yourself, you&#;ll save yourself a bit of time, and gain the satisfaction of being able to maintain your wheelchair yourself.
Here&#;s a video guide to fitting a solid wheelchair wheel:
Conclusion
There are pros and cons to each type of wheelchair wheel. An average user will probably not notice these differences, but a very active user will. You may need to consider having more than one type depending on the use. Wheelchair sizes will also be an important factor in the choice. You may find this resource helpful. Or you may find that you need high performance wheels which are not meant for the average wheelchair user. The sky&#;s your limit, and the cost of course!
The rear wheels on a manual wheelchair come in several different sizes and a couple of different styles as normal options. generally speaking the larger the wheel, the easier propulsion will be and the wider the wheel, the better they will be able to roll over softer terrains such as lawns.
While the wheels have a definite effect on wheelchair propulsion, the tires chosen will ultimately be more important for everyday users. There are several options for tires and each will have its own advantages.
The wheels pictured are all high end wheels that do not come as options for most wheelchairs. If they are wanted, they usually have to be purchased separately as aftermarket products and are designed for sports and high performance wheelchairs. These wheels are ultra light weight, ultra strong wheels, use specialized tires and are more high performance than necessary for the average user.
Composite mag wheels are by far the most common wheels in use for wheelchairs today and come standard on most wheelchairs. The composite mags are made out of is a nylon/fibreglass-like material that is strong, resilient and light weight. They can be fitted with several types of tires and handrims to meet the needs of the user.
The rims of these wheels are maintenance free and are designed to spring back to their original shape should outside pressures due to accident or rough use warp of bend them.
The spoked wheel is very similar to the spoked wheel on a bicycle and was the norm for all wheelchair prior to the development of composite wheels for wheelchair use. Spoked wheels are still optional on many wheelchair models but only those who expect high performance from their wheelchairs usually opt for them.
In spite of their popularity, composite mag wheels will flex during use and this flexing increases the energy needed to propel the wheelchair. Spoked wheels, when in good condition, do not flex and are there fore more efficient for the user. The average user probably wouldn't notice the difference but those who are very active probably will.
High performance wheels are the wheels pictured at the top of this article are not used by average wheelchair users. There are many kinds of these wheels on the market for sports and very active users. High performance wheelchairs and products is a large topic and can fill a web site on its own and because it is beyond the scope of this web site I'll not go any further into this topic.
There are three types of wheelchair tires, air filled, solid and foam filled or flat free inserts. The tires will be a factor on how easily the wheelchair will roll over all terrain. Generally the harder the tire, the easier the wheelchair will roll and turn corners. The softer the tire, the harder it will be to propel the wheelchair.
Air tires are fairly common on the rear of a wheelchair because they will roll over soft terrain easier and give a better ride than solid tires. The disadvantage of air tires is they will go flat if punctured and they will go soft even without any damage eventually. An air tire that is under inflated makes the wheelchair hard to push and causes excessive wear on the tires. Air tires and tubes need to be replaced more often than solid tires.
Solid tires are the best tires for those who want a wheelchair to roll as possible but they give the roughest ride over bumps and ridges in the ground surface. The biggest advantage is they are virtually maintenance free, they won't go flat and they won't likely wear out in the life of the wheelchair. Solid tires are most suitable for wheelchairs that are expected to stay indoors most of the time such as nursing home use.
Foam filled or flat free inserts are basically air tires that have a semi-solid core. The advantage is they will stay harder than air tires and not be subject to flat tires but still give a bit softer ride than a solid tire. This type of caster tire will wear out over time and have to be replaced on wheelchairs that have heavy use and would be considered a compromise between air filled and solid caster tires.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Custom wheelchair wheels.