handcycle

lyns

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Hi there,
I'm new to the forum and looking for any help or advice about handcycles. I used to be active cyclist but due to illness (won't bore you with the goreys) I've had to have a major re think. I saw a lady competing in the Blackpool marathon on Sunday on a handcycle and immediately thought this could be my way back into fitness / competition. They are really pricy and having never even been on one I am gathering as much info as I can first. So what do I look for, what makes are best and just how hard is it? [:D]
Many thanks
Lyns

All i know about life can be summed up in 3 words - it goes on.

Blonde

I don't know the names of any makers myself, but I do know that the Leicester based Cyclemagic will be able to tell you and give you some advice. They specialise in adapting bikes and finding bikes for people with specialist requirements such as yours.

Link here: http://www.cyclemagic.org.uk/

mossycp

The latest edition of Cycle magazine (the CTC bi monthly magazine) had a good article from a hand cyclist about a Coast 2 Coast ride. Not sure it had much detail about the cycle itself but was an interesting read nonetheless. If you can't get hold of a copy, let me know and I'll scan the pages and email them to you.

<font color="blue"><h5>Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way {Dr Seus}</h5></font id="blue">

lyns

Cyclemagic has a really good website. I'll investigate them a bit further. Thanks for that Blonde!
Will try and get my hands on a copy of the coast to coast article too. Cheers everyone.

All i know about life can be summed up in 3 words - it goes on.

cpeachey

In Holland I saw a handcycle that seperated and left the rider in a wheelchair. It looked quite robust so you would need to decide if you wanted that extra facility or a "go faster" bike. Also consider your ability to get on and off the machine. Some of the 'bents are very low down and quite awkward to get on/off.
I would have thought any of the 'bent makers could fix you up.
Chris

ColinJ

Hi.

I don't know much about handcycling and hadn't really given it much thought until I did the Fleet Moss Randon‚e with <i>Warburton</i> last September. Fleet Moss is a very tough climb in the Yorkshire Dales, by the way. We had just climbed up from Hawes and were about to descend the other side into Wharfedale when a group of handcyclists came winching their way up towards us. In all honesty that <i>did</i> look very hard work, but I'd done the climb from that side a month earlier and it had been pretty tough on a conventional bike too. The guys seemed to be really enjoying their ride. It really impressed on me how far a positive determined attitude can take you.

Good luck with <i>your</i> handcycling <i>lyns</i>.
Colin.

---

No, Man <b><i>is</i></b> an island!

ASC1951

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ColinJ</i>

Fleet Moss is a very tough climb in the Yorkshire Dales, by the way.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">It's a little tinker, isn't it. Especially from the Hawes side, where it gets steeper the higher you go, with no flats, and you can see the whole climb all the time.

rhnb

Hi Lyns

Might be worth getting in touch with this lot here (there's a Contact Us link)...

http://www.handcyclinguk.org.uk/index.htm

I'm sure they'll be able to offer advice (see they have a Classifieds section too!).

I guess it depends what you want to do - race / sportif type rides / leisure / bit of everything / as to what 'type' you go for, just the same as you would for a conventional bike. I guess the lighter they are the more expensive - again much like a conventional bike ;-)

As for how hard it is - well it looks pretty bl**dy hard to me. I've seen these guys doing the Fred Whitton Challenge the last few years. Absolutely awesome. How much grit and determination that must take makes me feel exceedingly humble (in the 2005 event one chap took 17 hours - but he finished).

Hope you get sorted.

~~~
http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk
Cycle tour reports and the home of 'Cycling Before Lycra'

Superman211

Hi there Lyns, I've just been searching the internet for Handcycles for sale and came across your post!! I have a Handcycle that attaches to the front of my spare wheelchair. It's called a Chevron EasyRider and cost me about œ300 from ebay last October. I love going out and about on it and try to do between 50 and 80 miles a week (depending on the weather!!). If you're really thinking of getting a Handcycle then do as much research as you can before you take the plunge and spend all your hard earned cash!!

There are 2 types of Handcycle, one is a recumbent handcycle and the other is called an upright (like mine). The uprights tend to be heavier than recumbent ones. I've found various websites dedicated to Handcycling but the best ones are american sites like www.bike-on.com they have a 'for sale' section too!

Keep searching ebay and any other site you can think of!!

Good luck and let us know how you get on!!

Chris

Icicle19

Velovision magazine and website www.velovision.co.uk have covered handcycles and other more unusual cycles. Could be worth a look.

lyns

I've been doing lots of research and have found so many people so willing to help me. Its been amazing. Somebody suggested a swing crank either on a trike or my old bike. This would allow me to pedal but one knee to bend less. At the moment I don't know if I would have enough bend in my knee to use one. I've found an engineering company in wales who make them. Does anyone use or know anything extra about them? Thanks,
Lyns

All i know about life can be summed up in 3 words - it goes on.

cpeachey

I know Longstaffs have made these in the past, also "funny" shaped cranks etc.
Chris

Cunobelin

A long way from North Yorkshire I know........

www.londonrecumbents.co.uk have bases in Brighton and London. They have a range of cycles including some conversions such as the Kettweisel

The other thing that they have is an interesting page on fundingHandcycles and conversions are not cheap, and if you can get help or a VAT refund it makes a big difference.

Just as a thought - A recumbent position with the legs supported out in front allows a fair amount of area for leg positioning without compromising steering or hand cranking.



<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)

danson67

Dear Lyns,

I make handcycles here in Cambridgeshire, my company is Draft Wheelchairs Ltd.
I'm not sure who the lady in Blackpool would have been, maybe Paula Craig or Karen Darke? I suspect that the handcycles on the Fred Whitton challenge were mine, ridden by Alan Grace, Andy Chamings and Kevin Papworth. Gary Jackson, who did the coast to coast ride in the CTC magazine has just put down a deposit, and Andy Chamings has just had an updated report on his Draft published in the latest Velovision #26. Also Chris Madden, who assembles the cycles was 5th in the World Championship Time Trial in Italy last weekend.
We're a very small (but friendly) company who make them fully custom, so they do tend to be pretty expensive (œ2500+) but we also sell a number of excellent cheaper off-the-peg models, from about œ1400 for the American Top End XLT. There's a good 2nd hand market too, mostly via UK handcycling.
Choice of model largely depends on the degree and nature of your disability. The three guys above are all 'walking wounded' spinal injuries, walking with crutches with full trunk muscles, and use a 'longseat' style seat, with a rowing style. Higher lesion paraplegics like Chris, Paula and Karen use a higher back, more lying down position with most of the power only on the push stroke, but more aerodynamic. There are also more upright models giving a seat at the same height as a normal chair, and clip-ons which add a cranked driven front wheel to a standard wheelchair.
There's a pretty good racing scene across Britain and Europe, and some hardcore touring characters. We have a few customers in York and Cumbria who I 'm sure would be happy to meet up for a show-and-tell. Feel free to contact me for a chat or advice, absolutely no selling or obligation.

All the best,

Dan Chambers
Draft Wheelchairs Ltd
dan@draftwheelchairs.com
Tel: 01480 451247

All the best,
Dan Chambers

Unknown

For further advice about handcycling (utility or sport) I'm sure there will be somebody on the British Human Power Club forum who can help - we have an Armpowered race classification, and there are several handcyclists who regularly attend our events: http://www.bhpc.org.uk/photos/eastway_agm_05/29.jpg

Paralympic team athlete Rachel Morris came to our Hillingdon event earlier this year; she uses a Quickie handcycle, and there's an interesting write-up of her search for a suitable machine here.