Rolling Traveler

This is the second in a series of posts about choosing the right wheelchair for your needs. The first is here, and it is about main wheel tires for manual wheelchairs. This week’s post is also about wheels, but this time the focus is on the front wheels or casters.

Just as with the main wheels, there are several options when it comes to the small front wheels, and some research and thought is needed. You need to think about the size and the consistency, and as with the main wheel tires, the determining factor is the surface you are going to use the wheelchair on.

Small front wheels or casters, i.e. between 2¾ and 3½ inches (7 and 9 cm), give good maneuverability on flat even surfaces, allowing rapid and tight turns. As such, they are ideal for sports chairs. They also make raising the front of the chair to mount a curb or step easier, as you don’t have to tilt back as far to get them onto things. However, they are a poor choice for surfaces with a lot of pits and grooves, as they are small enough to get stuck in cracks. This can even be dangerous: if one of your front wheels gets stuck between two cobblestones or in a tram rail when you’re going at speed, the sudden stop can tip you out of the front of the chair. I made the mistake of getting small casters on my current chair (a Ti Lite TX), not thinking that, while I bought it when I was living in the US, I would be moving back to Europe soon afterwards, and the size is now a liability.

Changing from small to larger front wheels is possible of course, but you have to be careful about the change in the balance of the chair. It may be necessary to make more adjustments than just changing the casters: the seat height may need to be changed to compensate, for example. If you are not good at wheelchair maintenance, get in touch with someone who knows their stuff before changing parts on your chair.

Larger casters, between 4 and 8 inches (10 and 20 cm), are much better for rough surfaces, including grass and gravel. They don’t get bogged down so easily, although you’ll still need a special type if you’re planning to take your chair onto the beach. However, they are less maneuverable, needing a wider circle to turn, and if they haven’t been mounted just right, they can even hit against your feet, blocking your movement. There is also an issue with raising the front of the chair to mount the curb: larger wheels means having to tilt back farther, and if you are not confident about your balance, this is difficult.

Besides size, you also need to think about the type. The casters can have pneumatic tires or can be solid. As with the main wheel tires, pneumatic tires have the advantage of extra comfort, absorbing shock, but they need maintenance. When I had pneumatic tires on my front wheels, I found them even more prone to punctures than the main tires. The tires were also more expensive than the tires for the main wheels.

Solid tires on the other hand, require next to no maintenance, but when they wear out, and they will eventually wear out, the whole wheel has to be replaced, not just the outside of it. This makes the choice of material important: just because a wheel is cheaper doesn’t mean it’s better value. If you have to replace it more frequently, then a cheap option is a false economy.

The difference between pneumatic front tires and solid casters is not as pronounced as between pneumatic and solid main tires, so don’t invest in them unless you really feel you need the extra comfort.

Unlike in the case of the main wheels, the casters can move from side to side as you roll, and this can have an effect on your top speed. There’s a very interesting article on the subject here under “Casters/Wheels/Tires” but note that the link on that page takes you to a .pdf file.

Again, the main message that I have is to do your research. Talk to a proper wheelchair dealership, talk to your doctor and physiotherapist, and think about what you need the chair to do. If you’re looking for speed and the ability to turn on a dime, go for small casters and sacrifice some comfort. If you’re looking for a smoother but slower ride, go for larger casters bearing in mind that you’ll need more room to maneuver. Here, here, and here are some sites that discuss the caster issue in more detail, and here is a forum thread about the difficulty of switching caster sizes. An informed choice is essential, as changing out your front casters isn’t always a simple matter.

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