Quickie Rhythm Wheelchair
Wheelie Long Points:
After a wait of almost two years, my new wheelchair arrived! I have named her Ugly Betty and while I'm enjoying the extra features not offered by my previous chair, I am having a little trouble getting used to her larger size. I have scraped the bottom of the refrigerator, the dishwasher and numerous doors and architraves; the latter is particularly frustrating considering that the majority of our doorways were widened when we renovated. If you are considering this wheelchair, I would advise you to turn the speed right down when going through doorways or furniture, particularly if you have become used to a chair with a smaller footprint as I have. I was really looking forward to Ugly Betty's arrival so that I could get out into my garden. My previous chair couldn't handle the grass at all but Ugly Betty moves smoothly over different types of surfaces thanks to her suspension and six wheels. She easily made it up and down the steep, rounded gutter from my driveway onto the road and with the seat belt on, the speed down low, and the chair tilted slightly back, I felt very secure. I even drove her to my local doctor's office (about one kilometre) with no problems, though I must admit I feel safer on the road on my big scooter as I live in a small town with limited footpaths. If I lived in a city, the Quickie Rhythm would likely be the only wheels I needed. One aspect I am not accustomed to is dirty wheels in the house. Prior to Ugly Betty's arrival, I used a smaller chair exclusively indoors and transferred to a scooter for outdoor use. This meant that all the dirt stayed outside with the scooter. Now that I can use my chair outside as well, I am searching for a suitable wheel-cleaning solution and it's no easy task! I thought I had found the perfect device until I saw the price: $3,500 for what amounts to a glorified door mat is just a little ridiculous. A friend suggested some squares of artificial turf so that is what I'm going to try next. |
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