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The Trackwheel is a carbon fibre fifth wheel attachment made by Rehasense, which attaches to the footplate of a manual wheelchair to lift the front casters and improve the chair’s performance off-road.
A fifth wheel attachment makes a manual wheelchair much more versatile and is a low cost way of allowing your chair to access more terrain. Using the Trackwheel makes navigating over grass and rough terrain possible; without it, the small front casters would constantly get stuck on every bump. It means you don’t have to spend time scouting the ground for any potential hazard that may tip you out of your chair; instead, you can enjoy propelling along while taking in the view. It also makes the ride more comfortable, as it features a large pneumatic 12-inch wheel that absorbs vibrations better than solid casters. I have started using the Trackwheel whenever I want to go out in my chair in places that don’t involve tight spaces. Even on seemingly smooth pavements, the Trackwheel means you don’t need to worry about every curb and can easily go over grass without a second thought. If you plan to visit the local park, I recommend pairing it with a set of off-road wheels to make tackling different terrains even easier.
It can take a moment to get used to propelling in such a way that you stay balanced and the Trackwheel doesn’t fall to the side. This is easiest when you are going at a reasonable pace, and it can prove tricky to get going on a hill.
The Trackwheel is relatively lightweight, thanks to its carbon fibre body, which is lighter than that of its main competitor, the FreeWheel. It felt slightly less ungainly to use than the FreeWheel and was easier to pick up while seated in my chair.
The Trackwheel is great when attached to your chair, however, when you want to go into a shop, it becomes a hindrance due to its length. It can be easily removed from your chair, but then you need to find a place for it. The FreeWheel comes with a perch that allows you to store it on the back of your wheelchair when not in use, which is particularly handy (although it doesn’t actually fit many chairs). The experience for Trackwheel users would be greatly improved by adopting a similar system to enable quick storage when not in use. A perch is available for purchase, but it is not included as standard, which is an oversight in my opinion.
The Trackwheel is fairly straightforward to set up – it involves screwing a few pieces together so that it fits your footplate and tightening various screws until you find your perfect fit. It is somewhat of a detailed process, but you only need to do it once, and it doesn’t involve getting out the hacksaw to cut shims down to size, as is the case when setting up a FreeWheel. This also means it can be easily resized for a new chair without needing to purchase new parts.
The Trackwheel has a dual-arm version that attaches to the down tubes of the wheelchair rather than the footplate, allowing it to be securely attached to folding chairs. This appears to be more secure than the FreeWheel’s folding adaptor, which is known to fall off, although I have not personally tested it.
Overall, the Trackwheel is perfect for any manual wheelchair user looking to make their chair’s off-road capabilities a little better. It is a well-engineered product, with lots of little details taken care of to enhance usability; for example, the inner tube valve is bent to make attaching a pump easier.
