Getting ready for winter

[Barb]

Yes, Fall is barely in the air here in CO but since we all know how long it takes to actually get any equipment I started the process early. Cart's new snow tires came today.

We were at a clinic appt a few weeks ago and there was an adult chair user there that we were chatting with about getting ready for winter. Carter HATES wearing gloves in the winter and this guy said he felt the same way. He actually used a rubberized grip over his silver wheel rims in the winter. See, why does no one tell you this kind of stuff??? I had no idea this was an option. So when they dropped off the wheels today I asked them to see about pricing on these covers and they had no idea what I was talking about.

So, for those of you who have seen these covers here are some varieties:

http://www.colonialmedical.com/catalog/Wheelchair-Grips-p-19790.html
http://www.rehabmart.com/product/wheelease-wheelchair-rim-cover1-10637.html
http://www.maxiaids.com/store/prodView.asp?idproduct=5265&idCategory=&href=%22http://roia.biz/ts/n/aG0nvq1BAALqUEMAAAbxQgAAYS5mMQA-A/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002IKED1W?&tag=shopwiki-us-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325

My question is to those of you who have used them...what advice do you have for buying? The faux leather ones seem like they are the least obvious? What is easiest to use? Holds up the best? I haven't been able to find the ones this guy had. They were like a thin rubber (not latex).

[Summer25]

I HATE the rubber grip hand rims. They give you horrible burns on your hands going down ramps. I did find that I liked ones called "Natural Grip." They aren't rubber, but more plastic. I tried the rubber ones one time and within 5 minutes of putting them on, they came right back off. The rubbers ones are better for quads who don't have much of a grip.

[dahliafaolan]

I've thought about these from time to time, but I've always felt they were too expensive. Heck, looking at most of these, the rim covers cost as much as the tires themselves! But it would be nice for my hands not to go numb every winter...

[misty]

Here is what I get for living in South Texas...I would have never realized that you need snow tires for a wheelchair!

[angel]

I didn't even know you could get snow tires. I am going to have to get some of those! I have ice grips for my crutches however i don't like them because they don't work that well. I can't wear gloves because my hands slip off my crutches when i do.

Angel

[dahliafaolan]

Angel,
Have you ever tried leather gloves? I had the same problems with woolen gloves, but I find that a good pair of leather gloves help with a lot of the gripping issues.

[angel]

I know i am going to sound crazy for this but i can't fit my hands into women's leather gloves. I have the biggest man hands you ever saw. My hands are bigger than my husbands, with really long fingers. I can't find anything in the mens leather gloves that doesnt add to that "man hands" look. I know it is vein and i am probably suffering cold hands needlessly, what can i say sometimes style before comfort.

Angel

[Dodger67]

My new chair (had it about a month) has a plastic based paint on the rims - it SUCKS!
I have the same experience as Summer - the higher friction of the plastic coupled with its low thermal conductivity burns my fingers when brakeing. For me bare stainless steel is the only acceptable handrim material as it stays cool. Luckily I don't have to deal with severe sub-freezing winter weather.

[Barb]

We have had plastic type coated rims in the past but they look like crap after a few months. Carter likes the stainless rims. I don't like his hands getting close to frost bitten though. That makes sense though that the rubber ones would cause a heat friction. The guy we talked to was a quad. Hmmmmm, well. I still think he needs something for when we go skiing. Guess I will have to experiment.

Misty-this is all new to us too. I have never lived anywhere near snow until two years ago and now all my boys are big skiiers here in CO.

[Dodger67]

Leather gloves.

[Gymp]

Chromed/stainless hand rims - For the Win here too!

The wife had a set of rims with a paint on them and after about 3 months worth of use the paint wore out and started marking up her hands,it was awful she had blackish hands like an auto mechanic.I fixed that with a roll of white hockey tape.
Every wheelchair after that has been nice shiny metal hand rims.

If it gets really cold (-20f) forget gloves,mittens are the only way to keep your hands warm.Nice cowhide with an inner lining of sheep wool (my mitts).If your thumbs get cold just stick them in the part where your fingers go for a bit.
Mittens can be a bit awkward but they will keep your hands toasty warm where gloves won't.

Nice tyres Barb!
They look like the knobbies I use on my bike the ones on my bike are black though.

Gymp

[Dodger67]

We South Africans woulds freeze to death long before the temperature ever reaches -20F.
Anything below +20F is regarded as brutally cold and +5F would be declared a national disaster.