My 3 day iGlide Experience

[Guest guest]

Hi Mark and others who are interested in the iGlide Manual Assist Wheelchair,

As some of you know, I had to go to my dad's this weekend. Just

before I left, the lady from Independence technologies called me, and

we were talking about how and when we could manage to meet so I could

try it. Then both of us realized that after all I would be going to

the airport in Oslo in a few hours, on my way to my dad's. And she

didn't mind a bit of overtime on a Friday afternoon and Sunday

evening!!!

So off I went, and she came to the airport to meet me... We put my

wheelchair into the luggage storage, and I went off to my dad's, with

the iGlide!!!! We would just swap back again Sunday evening. After

adjusting etc. and a 10 minute crash course in the hallway of the

airport parking garage, I would be all set... There was a long

ramp there we could use for testing a bit... I think she thought that

I was quite tough daring to take a new thing like that with me for a

trip with no experience with it, but I figured that it was a perfect

opportunity to try it out really well, plus it was wonderful to think

about not being a prisoner in the house all weekend, because there's

no way I can get around at all there with a manual chair. And I

really think it was amazing that the company would let me borrow it

for such a trip, knowing what an airline can do with a wheelchair and

all.

We managed to adjust it pretty well, but not perfect as it would be

if it was my chair. Then we would have used more time etc. But we

managed to do the back pretty perfect, the only thing that was a bit

odd was that I need to sit a bit deeper than I did, so that I come a

bit closer to the wheels. But it wasn't a big problem. I borrowed a

MaxPro wheelchair cushion from her, and she took out some of the

cells to mimic a more tilted seat as I am used to, and which makes it

feel like you sit much more safely.

My dad lives up northwest in Norway, in a little village between high

mountains (covered in snow, they had snow there just two days earlier

but luckily it had melted. It was quite cold though). It is

impossible for me to get around there in a manual chair, and

impossible to bring my power chair there. It is a 1.5 hour drive from

the airport. Around the house it is steep with rough gravel etc.

While there I went for a long walk - well not that long because it

was cold and rained a lot, but probably 1.5 miles. I tackled hills

on gravel, stones, shingle, grass - all the things that are totally

impossible for any of us to do with a manual chair - you know exactly

what I mean, right? Then I really understood why it is called the

iGlide. It glides, or almost flies, on top of the rugged and

difficult surface. The front castors are " Frog Legs " ,

http://www.froglegsinc.com/index.php , they have a spring inside,

really neat for when you are going on uneven surfaces. I can only say

one thing - AMAZING!!!! It is just fantastic!!!!

The chair I tried, had the thick rubber coated handrims. While out on

the long walk, I used my wheelchair gloves as well, but other places

I didn't use gloves at all, because you only grip on them, you don't

break, so you really don't need gloves (except if you want to turn it

off and go fast downhill, to be able to break on rubber without

burning your hands). One thing you really need to learn, is NOT to

push as hard as you normally do, because you only need to push a

little bit and it does the rest... Even the steep hill from the plane

and up to the hallway at the airport to get inside the airport, was a

BREEZE. I can never do it myself manually, always have to have

assistance. Not so this time. I could easily do it with lots of

luggage on the wheelchair too, I am sure (when I got to the airport

in my manual this time, I hooked my little upright suitcase on the

back of my chair, and it worked nicely, I'm sure it would be just

fine with the iGlide too). How fun!!! On the computer, I had the

airline enter a manual chair like I always do, but this time only

with the heavier weight. And that is the correct way to do it - it is

NOT a power chair at all, and nothing can be harmful on an airplane

when you have taken off the battery (which is of course a closed gel

battery, which is perfect for airline travel).

When I got to the plane's door/gate, I just pulled out the battery

and took it inside with me. The people from the airline was amazed

over this such perfect wheelchair for airline travel (for them as

well as me!)... Really easy for me and for them too... The battery

pack was even smaller than I thought. I had a fabric bag, like a

little grocery bag with the charger (the charger weighs NOTHING, it

is like an empty plastic box and not big at all) and the extra

battery on the back of the chair. I have a light w/c backpack that

fastens neatly on the chair with straps, and I put the bag inside it,

then it is easy to pull out for security etc. - they don't have to

take off the backpack, only search it manually. Works wonders when

you travel a lot.

The velcro back of the iGlide is a bit fancier than most velcro

backs, and easily to adjust to the shape of your back and your

preferred sitting position. You just need a strong person to do it

(not something to do yourself with EDS hands/arms). The space under

it is not taken by anything else than the batteries. The motors

themselves, sits in small boxes where the wheels go on. The wheels

are a bit thicker than ordinary wheels, but not much. They are a bit

different too, and fasten in a bit different way, with one wheel for

each side, color coded so you won't put the wrong wheel on. Very easy

to do. The shape of the chair etc. is just like any other rigid frame

wheelchair. With a really nice design too, sure a pretty and modern

design chair, which I always love!!!

I had the manual with me, but didn't really need it. There's only a

couple of things that are a bit difficult at first, is tackling curbs

etc. where you have to do a wheelie. Because when you push forward,

it will help you go forward, right? But when you are going over a

high edge, you sort of do it in two parts, first up and a bit

forward, then a tiny stop before you push forward the last bit. But

the iGlide really wants to do it all at once, which feels really odd.

It just wants to fly over such obstacles. Tackling doors was a bit

difficult too. I am used to opening the door if it goes out against

me, and dragging myself into the opening then letting the door slam

on top of the chair while I do a wheelie and go through it. Or if it

opens the way I am going, I will push it open with the front of my

chair. This wasn't that easy with the iGlide. Because you need to

touch the handrims to make it understand that you want it to move

forwards... I am sure I would learn a way to do it soon enough

though, it is probably just a matter of learning by doing. And I

didn't try many doors at all... But allover you only need around 20

minutes to get the hang of most of it, and that is really nothing...

There's one more thing too... Going downhill, and going fast...

Downhill it automatically breaks for you. So you have to push to make

it go downhill. Quite odd for a girl that is used to just letting go

and going really fast downhill... You can still do that, but then you

have to turn it off and be a bit careful, because it is much heavier

than ordinary light weight chairs, and because of that it will go

much faster than you're used to. Also on other surfaces, it has a max

speed. In the US it is 6 mph. In Norway they have set it to 4 mph

because of stricter rules re. speed here. If it were to go faster, it

would not be allowed as a manual assist chair. I find it a bit odd,

because a power chair is still OK at 6.25 mph, so I would think this

one could have that speed too, but no... On flat and even surfaces I

love being able to go really fast in my manual chair. Also, when you

stop somewhere, put on the breaks. It is easy for you or others to

accidently touch the handrims, and it will move. It turns off by

itself after a certain time, to save the batteries. When you turn it

on, you push a button, wait 7 seconds and touch the handrims. You

hear a click and it is ready to go.

There will always be some compromises. You just can't get it all. The

max speed on this one is an example of that. You can't expect to get

the really neat help it can give you, and have all the advantages of

a manual chair at the same time as high speed downhill and on perfect

surfaces, light weight etc. It is a bit on the heavier side to handle

alone for lifting into a trunk etc. But it is easy to lift for most

people, just not any of us. At the same time it is not heavier than

parts of a power chair, or an old fashioned wheelchair (it is about

the same weight as one of those). If you can handle one of those, you

can probably handle one of these too. When you load it into a car,

you do the same thing as with any rigid frame chair. You take off the

wheels, fold down the back and load it into the car. I normally put

it in with the seat standing up vertically and the foot bow going

horisontally. Then it is easy to stash other things like bags etc.

under the foot bow, so that the chair itself doesn't take up much

space at all. It easily goes into the trunk of a small car like e.g.

a 3 door Honda Civic. It could also easily go in the back seat of a

car, with the wheels behind the front seat and the chair itself in

the seat with a bag under it.

I wondered a bit re. charging and such while travelling, because I

would not be able to use the charger meant for Norway in the US. The

lady said that was not a problem at all, they had lots of US chargers

laying around, so they would only give me one to use while in the US,

for free. So that will not be a problem. Then I can just go with two

fully charged batteries, and won't need to charge until I get there.

Bottom line... I really hope that my OT and the soc. sec. can manage

getting it approved for me and ordered ASAP, so that I can go with it

to the US. It is as close to perfect as it possibly can get... Being

able to get the help you need to tackle hills, grass, gravel, hotel

carpets etc. without having to drag with you a power chair which

requires accessible vans etc., is just fantastic. I know for sure

that it is the thing to go for for myself.

Hope this is useful for some of you too....

Mark, if I were you, I would go to their website and fill in a form

and ask them to contact you so you can try one... You need to give it

a real try to see if it is an option for you...

The company's website is at http://www.independencenow.com

Aase Marit