Handcycles - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A handcycle is a type of human powered land vehicle

Human-powered transport

Human-powered transport is the transport of person and/or goods using human muscle power. Like animal-powered transport, human-powered transport has existed since time immemorial in the form of walking, running and swimming...

Arm

In human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...

s rather than the legs

Human leg

The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...

, as on a bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

. Most handcycles are tricycle

Tricycle

A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...

in form, with two coasting rear wheels

Bicycle wheel

A bicycle wheel is a wheel, most commonly a wire wheel, designed for bicycle. A pair is often called a wheelset, especially in the context of ready built "off the shelf" performance-oriented wheels....

and one steerable powered front wheel. Despite usually having three wheels, they are also known as handbikes.

Many manufacturers have designed and released hand-powered recumbent

Recumbent bicycle

A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks...

trikes, or handcycles. Handcycles are a regular sight at HPV meets and are beginning to be seen on the streets. These usually follow a delta design with front wheels driven by standard derailleur gearing

Derailleur gears

Derailleur gears are a variable-ratio transmission system commonly used on bicycles, consisting of a chain, multiple sprockets of different sizes, and a mechanism to move the chain from one sprocket to another...

Crankset

The crankset or chainset , is the component of a bicycle drivetrain that converts the reciprocating motion of the rider's legs into rotational motion used to drive the chain, which in turn drives the rear wheel...

. Brake

Bicycle brake systems

A bicycle brake is used to slow down or stop a bicycle. There have been various types of brake used throughout history, and several are still in use today...

levers are usually mounted on the handholds which are usually mounted in phase, unlike pedal

Bicycle pedal

A bicycle pedal is the part of a bicycle that the rider pushes with their foot to propel the bicycle. It provides the connection between the cyclist's foot or shoe and the crank allowing the leg to turn the bottom bracket spindle and propel the bicycle's wheels...

cranks, which are usually 180° out of phase. This allows the rider to more easily use their torso to help propel the cycle. The entire crank assembly and the front wheel turn together, allowing the rider to steer and crank simultaneously.

Thanks to modern technology, handcycles come in a variety of styles, making them accessible to people of all abilities, including many persons with disabilities. There are also hybrids between a handcycle, a recumbent bike and a tricycle.

Fork steer handcycles represent the majority of handcycles sold. They work well for both low and high-level injuries, and most have adjustable footrests, seat angle, and come with a variety of gearing, wheel

Bicycle wheel

and tire

Bicycle tire

A bicycle tire is a tire that fits on the wheel of a bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, quadracycle, bicycle trailer, or trailer bike. They may also be used on wheelchairs and handcycles, especially for racing...

configurations depending on intended use: racing, recreation or touring. Manufacturers of this type of handcycle include Invacare (Top End), Intrepid Equipment, Varna, Schmicking and Sunrise Medical (Quickie).

Lean steer handcycles are another type of handcycle. In this type of handcycle the rider leans into the turn to steer. There is a longer learning curve with lean steer handcycles, and they are significantly less stable at high speed. The lean steer system feels similar to mono skiing: using your whole body to steer the handcycle. Lean steer handcycles can work well for lower-level injuries; although, some athletes with high-level disability use them as well. Manufacturers of this type of handcycle include Lighting Handcycles and Brike International Ltd. (Freedom Ryder).

Another type of lean steer hand trike has two steering rear wheels and one non-steerable, powered front wheel with handholds offset at 180°, similar to pedal

Bicycle pedal

cranks, that can be operated with only one hand, thus making it easy to ride on an up-hill, and it can be ridden in a tighter curve with the automatic rear wheels steering system.

The "off road" handcycle is a third type of handcycle. This handcycle is different from other handcycles in that there are two wheels in front and one behind, and it has a high gear ratio range. This gives the cycle the ability to tackle steep slopes and permits handcycle "mountain biking." The addition of a fatter tyre with suitable tread makes some mountain biking possible on standard road bikes.

Handcycles have also been used for touring

Bicycle touring

Bicycle touring is cycling over long distances – prioritizing pleasure and endurance over utility or speed. Touring can range from single day 'supported' rides — e.g., rides to benefit charities — where provisions are available to riders at stops along the route, to multi-day...

, and to better accommodate this interest some manufacturers incorporate mudguards and pannier cargo racks. As handcycles have evolved they have become progressively lighter, and they have better gearing for long climbs and long distance touring.

Handcycling is a great upper body workout and can provide a great sense of freedom for persons with disabilities. While the high cost of these cycles means that they are still relatively rare, they continue to grow in popularity.

See also