Re: [QUAD-L] Go for "walks"?

[Jkrocks]

I'm not talking about tipping the wheelchair over or anything like that.  I'm talking about having excess movement that you would have to compensate with your arms while driving with electronic hand controls.  The less movement you have with the wheelchair the easier it is to drive.   Right now I have an Invacare Torque, we will drive chair with 2" suspension travel.  My chair is locked in place with an EZ Lock that is located between the back tires and my front end is locked into place with an anti-tip device to prevent me from doing wheelies when I accelerate.  If I lived somewhere where it was flat and I did not have to go up-and-down hills daily, I could probably get by without having the anti-tip device.    I pullback on the control to accelerate, which pushes you back into your chair and when I push the control forward I slow down, which makes you lean forward.  If I accelerate too hard my rear suspension on my chair will start to squish and when that happens I have to compensate that extra movement with my arms so I do not pull the throttle wide-open.  When I'm stopping, my front suspension will not squish because I'm locked into the anti-tip device but I have to compensate for my upper body moving forward and the slop in the seat.  Going up or down the hills multiplies the movements by at least a factor of two because of gravity.  I also have my chest strap on nice and tight.   With the extra rocking motion of a mid-wheel drive chair it would be extremely hard for me to drive up and down hills.  The wheelchair company that I'm going through asked me if I wanted to try the Frontier, like you have, but since I have already tried a mid-wheel drive chair I declined but maybe I will have them get it for me to try anyways.   I want a wheelchair that will let me do more "off roading" to open up my life more but if I am unable to drive safely that type of wheelchair will do me no good.  Having a good stable, solid secure and safe driving platform is my No. 1 priority.   Jim