Wheelchair auxiliary snow chains

A creative Berliner

has mounted tie-wraps to his bicycle tyre so that he can better ride on snow and ice.

Self-made tie-wrap wheelchair snow chains

This probably works with wheelchair tyres as well.

He also rides on Schwalbe Marathon tyres, like most of the wheelers.

Have a look yourself, ingeniously simple and cost-efficient!

Link: Video at Spiegel-Online

Just try it out and write a comment.

In Frankfurt there is no snow anymore, so I can’t test it!

Thanks to Hajo for the info.

However, I wouldn’t ride across the parquet floor any more.

Read this old blogpost and exchange in winter right and left wheelchair tyre if necessary:

Link: Running direction of “Schwalbe” tyres

I assume no liability for this tip!

Translator BL

It’s all a question of hardware…!!!

Today I was on tour with my Minitrac (see older blogposts) for the first time in the snow.

With its tractor tyres it is a perfect technical aid.

Translator BL

Empty detergent bottle to be used as “One-Hand Salt Shaker”

The topic of how to get through winter in a Rolli has been on my mind for quite a while (see earlier articles).

In one of these former articles, I advised putting salt in front of your car before the snow arrives, so that the wheelchair would not slip away while getting in and out.

I always salt my wheelchairramp (ski slope) at the front door at the same time.

One can easily imagine how “professional” it looks when a wheelchairdriver balances a bucket full of salt on his knees and tries to spread it on the driveway. This really does not work well!

One thing’s for sure, the seat cushion on the chair as well as other “sensitive parts” will no longer freeze.;-)

After years of research the Rollinator team finally found a solution.

One-Hand Salt Shaker

(special wheelchairdriver)

The One-Hand Salt Shaker stands out with its ergonomic form, which allows the user to aim more accurately when spreading the salt using only one arm.

You can pretty much modify any empty liquid detergent bottle. However, I advise against those XXL-supersize bottles because of the excessive weight. During laboratory trials wheels burst and users got thrown out of their vehicles (just kidding).

To fill the salt shaker, a proven method is simply rolling a newspaper, advertisement, brochure etc. to make a quick funnel.

To prevent the salt shaker from dropping you could attach a key chain to the handle and hang the bottle around your neck as some sort of a trophy – but don’t get strangled… !!!

The special One-Handed Salt Shaker is also 98.74 % pedestrian and walking frame user friendly.

Translator BW

FINALLY, NO MORE SWOLLEN FEET…!!!!!

Most of the wheelchair users know the problem with the swollen feet. During the day they swell and at night they go down again. However, this process of up and down was never a satisfactory one and it eventually ended just last summer when for the first time in my eight and a half years in a wheelchair I couldn’t get my feet in to my shoes anymore at all – although these were already two sizes up.

I have never used anti embolism stockings, because as a Tetra with plenty of discomfort in my feet I couldn’t possibly put them on by myself.

Sport Lange carries compression stockings especially designed for runners.

I have them put on in the morning and wear them if necessary until the next morning. No more swelling of the feet during the day! I cannot remember in the last nine years having had such slim feet. Of course, I don’t want to discourage anyone from wearing their anti embolism stockings but for anyone in the same situation as I, compression stockings are the way to go!

Where to buy:

Online at eBay or Amazon
Sports supply store
Sanitätsgeschäft
or at James & Nicholson for 8.75€

Translator BW

Wheelblades, wheelchairski

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=9362&lang=entranslated!

FreeWheel

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=15468&lang=entranslated!

Put salt next to the car before snow falls…!!!

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=15740

Reflectors and Illumination

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=5699&lang=en translated! http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4162&lang=en translated! http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=882&lang=entranslated!

Moutainbike Winter Tyres

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=1311&lang=en translated! http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4829&lang=en translated! http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=2068&lang=en translated! http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4759&lang=entranslated!

Wheelchair auxiliary snow chains

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4928&lang=entranslated!

Running direction of “Schwalbe” tyres

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=2271&lang=entranslated!

Wheelchair tyre cleaning carpet

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=1328&lang=entranslated!

Wheelchair tyre slippers

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=3298&lang=entranslated!

Christmas Tree remote control

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4397&lang=entranslated!

Special wheelchair for removing snow

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4239&lang=entranslated!

Story referring to the picture

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4582

Miscellaneous

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=750 http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4636 If you have good ideas, as usual e-mail to rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

Startseite des Eigude Blogs

Warme Beine find ich gut!

Nachdem sich der Sommer, sofern man die paar helleren Tage diesen Jahres so nennen kann, sich mit dem nassen Herbst für den Winterschlaf fertig macht, beginnt damit definitiv nicht die Lieblingszeit eines jeden Rollifahrers. Wohl dem, der im Mar y Sol in Teneriffa überwintern kann.

Ich weiß nicht wie es euch geht, aber in dem Moment, nachdem ich die Heizung in der Wohnung aufgedreht habe, ist wird mir und insbesonderen meinen Beinen plötzlich kalt.

Alle Besucher loben die “Sommerlichen Temperaturen” bei mir Zuhause, was ich jedes Jahr mit der Nebenkostenabrechnung bestätigt bekomme, aber meine Beine sind trotzdem kalt, was u. a. mit der fehlenden Bewegung zu tun hat.

Der kälteste Platz ist bei mir ist natürlich unter dem Schreibtisch im Büro, was ich mittlerweile auf “Polar-Trolle” oder “Thermische Eigendynamik” zurückführe.

Ein Bekannter von mir auch Tetraplegiker (Tetra) wie ich, völlig ohne jedes Temperaturempfinden mehr erzählte mir vor ein paar Jahren, er habe sich einmal so lange mit dem Ellenbogen auf dem noch heißen Ceranfeld abgestützt, bis er seinen eigenen Arm gerochen hätte.

Daher kommt bei mir kein Heizlüfter unter den Schreibtisch. Auch ich habe in den Beinen kein Temperaturempfinden mehr.
Nach langer Suche hatte ich mir November 2013 eine

Mobile Infarot- Schreibtischheizung Modell TH190

http://www.schreibtischheizung.de

gefunden. Das Teil ist genial, die Heizung benötigt nur zwischen 90-220 Watt und wird laut Gespräch des Herstellers nicht heißer als 45°C, so dass man diese sogar über den Beinen, unter die Tischplatte schrauben kann.

Die Perspektive täuscht, das Gerät ist ca. 65cm x 45cm x 3cm groß und arbeitet völlig geräuschlos.

Ich benutze meine “Beinheizung” mit dem recht teureren Metallfußständer von rund 40,00€, der nur eine M-förmige verbogene Metallplatte ist, als Standgerät.

Das Gerät hat zwei Temperatur-Einstellungsmöglichkeiten mit kabelgebundener Fernbedienung.
Der Preis der Infarot- Schreibtischheizung liegt mit 189,00€ noch im vernünftigen Rahmen.

Ich kann die Schreibtischheizung wärmsten empfehlen.

Schaut euch doch einmal die Kategorie Winter auf dem Blog an, da gibt’s eine Menge Tipps für Rollifahrer!!!

Hier geht’s,…ääh… fährt man direkt zur

Startseite des Eigude Blogs

Warme Beine find ich gut!

Nachdem sich der Sommer, sofern man die paar helleren Tage diesen Jahres so nennen kann, sich mit dem nassen Herbst für den Winterschlaf fertig macht, beginnt damit definitiv nicht die Lieblingszeit eines jeden Rollifahrers. Wohl dem, der im Mar y Sol in Teneriffa überwintern kann.

Ich weiß nicht wie es euch geht, aber in dem Moment, nachdem ich die Heizung in der Wohnung aufgedreht habe, ist wird mir und insbesonderen meinen Beinen plötzlich kalt.

Alle Besucher loben die “Sommerlichen Temperaturen” bei mir Zuhause, was ich jedes Jahr mit der Nebenkostenabrechnung bestätigt bekomme, aber meine Beine sind trotzdem kalt, was u. a. mit der fehlenden Bewegung zu tun hat.

Der kälteste Platz ist bei mir ist natürlich unter dem Schreibtisch im Büro, was ich mittlerweile auf “Polar-Trolle” oder “Thermische Eigendynamik” zurückführe.

Ein Bekannter von mir auch Tetraplegiker (Tetra) wie ich, völlig ohne jedes Temperaturempfinden mehr erzählte mir vor ein paar Jahren, er habe sich einmal so lange mit dem Ellenbogen auf dem noch heißen Ceranfeld abgestützt, bis er seinen eigenen Arm gerochen hätte.

Daher kommt bei mir kein Heizlüfter unter den Schreibtisch. Auch ich habe in den Beinen kein Temperaturempfinden mehr.
Nach langer Suche hatte ich mir November 2013 eine

Mobile Infarot- Schreibtischheizung Modell TH190

http://www.schreibtischheizung.de

gefunden. Das Teil ist genial, die Heizung benötigt nur zwischen 90-220 Watt und wird laut Gespräch des Herstellers nicht heißer als 45°C, so dass man diese sogar über den Beinen, unter die Tischplatte schrauben kann.

Die Perspektive täuscht, das Gerät ist ca. 65cm x 45cm x 3cm groß und arbeitet völlig geräuschlos.

Ich benutze meine “Beinheizung” mit dem recht teureren Metallfußständer von rund 40,00€, der nur eine M-förmige verbogene Metallplatte ist, als Standgerät.

Das Gerät hat zwei Temperatur-Einstellungsmöglichkeiten mit kabelgebundener Fernbedienung.
Der Preis der Infarot- Schreibtischheizung liegt mit 189,00€ noch im vernünftigen Rahmen.

Ich kann die Schreibtischheizung wärmsten empfehlen.

Schaut euch doch einmal die Kategorie Winter auf dem Blog an, da gibt’s eine Menge Tipps für Rollifahrer!!!

Hier geht’s,…ääh… fährt man direkt zur

I have nominated the FreeWheel 2012 as technical aid of the year.

I don’t want to repeat the whole blogpost here, so please see yourself the Blogpost 2012 FreeWheel.

It is a spoked wheel in the size of a children’s bicycle which you can clamp to the footrest in front of your wheelchair. This thing is ingenious and in permanent use for me.

Uneven paths, curbs, cobble stone, sand, gravel, grass and of course snow are no barrier anymore with the FreeWheel.

In the past the FreeWheel was only available for rigid frame wheelchairs. I bought from the inventor Patrick Dougherty his sample wheel for the trade fair and clamped it by magic on my foldable wheelchair with end-to-end footrest.

I sent him the pictures of my variant of wheelchair adaption, and he gave some thought about an adaptor.

After 2 years of development there is officially a FreeWheel Adaptor for foldable wheelchairs available since spring 2014.

Unfortunately only for wheelchairs with split footrest, as far as I understood.

FreeWheel adaptor for foldable wheelchairs

For questions as usual please contact: rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

and all the best for the New Year.

Translator BL

Prepare – put salt on the ground BEFORE the snow falls!

2 years ago I had the biggest difficulties in winter to get from my wheelchair into the car.

After the snow fell, it froze on the ground to a single layer of ice right next to my door. This caused my wheelchair during transfer to constantly slip which was terrible

After my friends had removed the ice shelf next to my “Ferrari”, came the nice men from the county road service to clean the street and pushed a mountain of snow right next to my car.

So I still could not get in to the car!!!!!

Before the next snow fall I had all of a sudden salt already laying there next to my door for immediate defrosting. Miraculously, the salt seems to be falling from the sky, as there is hardly ever any ice and snow on the road next to my “Pole”…!!!!!

Translator BW

Technical Aid of the year!

FreeWheel

Uneven paths, curbs, cobble stone, sand, gravel, grass and of course snow are not really friends of a wheeler.

With a little oomph you reach an artistic score of 5.8 for your flight out of the wheelchair. This can end up annoying, see older blogpost Broken Leg.

The solution is rather simple, you “just” need a longer wheelchair. But if I had a longer wheelchair I wouldn’t get it into the wheelchair loading system of my car.

My Minitrac and handcycle are great, but I always need a volunteer to get one of it out of the cellar.

A super alternative is a single wheel in the size of half a children’s bicycle which you clamp to the front of your wheelchair, and when the front wheels are lifted it gets perfect. The wheelchair then looks a bit like a jogging stroller. There are various producers of such a system.

On the Rehacare fair in Düsseldorf I have met Patrick Dougherty, the American inventor of the

www.goFreeWheel.com

I knew this attached wheel from many videos from the internet, but it is not easily available in Germany. It is so small that you can store it at the back of a rigid frame wheelchair. I take it on my knees when I descend with my platform lifter because I have a foldable wheelchair. Just input “FreeWheel” in Youtube and see for yourself what is suddenly accessible, e.g.:

I could buy a new “fair wheel” from him which was still lying in the hotel. On the last day of the fair he deposited it at the booth of Runa Reisen, a travel agency for handicapped. I know their staff very well because I always book my holidays there. They have sent the FreeWheel to my home then. Thanks again from this side.

With the FreeWheel it is even possible, ideally with additional Mountainbike tyres, to ride safely in the snow. Now the next winter can start, or maybe even a little bit of desert…

The FreeWheel is clamped tetra-easily to the footrest of a rigid-framed wheelchair. (But I have a foldable wheelchair…???)

If you ride forwards afterwards the front tyres of the wheelchair are lifted, and the fun can begin.

Because of the big tyres even “shocks” due to rough grounds are almost not noticed any more.

A rack with maximum load of 12 kg is available as well.

It has been upgraded with missing spoke reflectors incl. blinking valve caps (see picture above).

Of course Patrick wanted to know in detail how I get the FreeWheel clamped to my actually non-suitable foldable wheelchair by magic with Michael’s help.

New 2014 FreeWheel for folder-wheelchairs

For enquiries contact as usual: rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

That standard wheelchairs, snow and sand are not the best friends is not really the insight of the day.

The low budget mountainbike wheelchair tyres
(see older blog post),

constructed by myself are indeed a big relief for me on bad ground conditions, but the small front tyres are for sand and snow by far the worst solution.

Well, with some special skating wheels as front tyres you might be able to illuminate the snow, but you are not moving any faster anyhow.

Actually I don’t understand it, but the engineers at the wheelchair companies don’t seem to know neither snow nor sand. Even after longer consideration I couldn’t think of any country which would not have at least one of it. Probably they live on trees, otherwise there would be adequate summer and winter equipment for each wheelchair as a standard.
Some day I will build in old MacGyver manner out of an inflatable physiotherapy ball and a hand fan a mobile mounting set with which my rolling vehicle turns into a ground-independent hovercraft wheelchair

Until I get there I continue combing through the technical aids scene to see what the colleagues are developing.

I am living in the city, but last year even my hometown Frankfurt was full of snow.

As formerly alpine skiing obsessed who was skiing with 2 meter skis in the Alps still in 2007 (no carving ski in children’s length) I already thought several times to cut my 2 cellar decoration skis in homeopathic pieces and screw them to my wheelchair instead of the front tyres to be able to leave my flat in last year’s snow chaos.

A seating test in a monoski on a fair was quite nice, and I was extremely surprised how stable I was sitting in it, until I asked my friend behind me if he was standing on the ski?

He said yes, took off his foot, I fell over, and the project monoski was postponed for the time being…!!!

Who was it, a Swiss man…!!!

When I read the post of a wheelchair hotel in Oberstdorf known to me I was immediately impressed.
Patrick Mayer, what a coincidence, a wheeler himself from Switzerland, who certainly has much more test snow than me each year, developed the Wheel Blades.
The

www.wheelblades.ch

are small blades which can be clamped with an iron clip anytime easily (even for quadriplegics) to the front tyres of the wheelchair.
The front tyres remain on the wheelchair!!! The binding is individually adjustable.

There was a real expert at work. Look at the Video,
he rolls down a flat ski-slope with these things on his wheelchair. The envy factor increases, ok I grant it to him.
He has even added slide rails to the blades so that they keep the track on the slope. Excellent, chapeau!!!

The Wheel Blades can be ordered in advance from October 2012, I will do it.
To anticipate anything, they might get paid by the employer’s accident insurance at best, or you have a good lawyer at the social court!!!

I haven’t heard anything yet about test rides in the snow board half pipe, and the snow and waterski suitability still has to be proved

Translator BL

Here is a collection of links with tips and odd stories around the subject winter.
Sorry, but not all blogposts referred to are translated yet!!! More to follow…

Wheelblades, wheelchairski

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=9362&lang=en translated!

FreeWheel

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=15468&lang=en translated!

Reflectors and Illumination

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=5699&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4162&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=882&lang=en translated!

Moutainbike Winter Tyres

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=1311&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4829&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=2068&lang=en translated!
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4759&lang=en translated!

Wheelchair auxiliary snow chains

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4928&lang=en translated!

Running direction of “Schwalbe” tyres

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=2271&lang=en translated!

Wheelchair tyre cleaning carpet

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=1328&lang=en translated!

Wheelchair tyre slippers

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=3298&lang=en translated!

Christmas Tree remote control

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4397&lang=en translated!

Special wheelchair for removing snow

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4239&lang=en translated!

Story referring to the picture

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4582

Miscellaneous

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=750
http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=4636

If you have good ideas, as usual e-mail to rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

Yesterday culture was on schedule.

Schiller’s “The Robbers” (Die Räuber)

in the Frankfurt Theatre.

Wishing you all a pleasant 1st Advent!

You have to set priorities, please note the orthosis ;-)