I first heard of Lignorim handrims from a New Mobility reader. Once we revealed our Gear Information detailing all of the handrims accessible within the U.S., a useful reader identified that we’d omitted a brand new wood handrim from Austria. I used to be intrigued — wooden with its pure texture simply feels nicer than metallic or vinyl, plus it doesn’t switch temperature like metallic does. How would the fabric do in scorching or moist climate? Simply as necessary, how wouldn’t it maintain up over time? 

Happily, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than I began studying solutions to my myriad questions, as a result of opens in a brand new windowVapor Wheels had simply signed on because the U.S. distributor for opens in a brand new windowLignorim, and its gross sales rep supplied to ship a pair for an prolonged evaluate. Right here’s what I discovered. 

The Particulars 

Lignorim are product of ash, a hardwood utilized in device and shovel handles and in baseball bats due to its pure shock absorption and resistance to impacts. It’s sturdy and resists cracking. That’s good to know if you drop your wheels when pulling them into your automobile, or when an airline worker begins throwing them across the baggage belt. To form the wooden into round handrims, Lignorim makes use of a laminate course of frequent in Europe for structural timber in homes, which the corporate says additional will increase sturdiness and water resistance, whereas decreasing risk of splintering.  

The wood rims can be found in 4 fashions: mild, medium, massive and prime. Gentle is a small-diameter spherical rim in regards to the measurement of a typical metallic handrim. Medium and large are each oval-shaped, which some discover extra snug to grip. Prime is the biggest rim, with an ergonomically contoured gripping floor. All rims can be found in 24- and 25-inch sizes, and include six-tab mounts drilled with three holes for slim, medium and large mounting. You may select from a wide range of colours, from pure — a lightweight tan — to flashy, together with brilliant blue, inexperienced, crimson, pink, jet black and extra. I opted for the light-weight mannequin in a pure coloration, as I needed to have the ability to see how they wore and the way soiled they obtained pushing in all places from the farm to the town.   

Preliminary Ideas 

The edges are lovely. I can depend on one thumb the variety of instances I’ve stated that a couple of mobility product. The wood texture provides an aesthetic, pure contact to a kind of product typically outlined by harsh performance. To be honest, I’ve a factor for Scandinavian cabins, so something with clear strains and lightweight wooden is more likely to hit my aesthetic candy spot. However I’ve additionally gotten extra feedback in regards to the Lignorim than different piece of wheelchair gear I’ve used. Different wheelchair customers and even nondisabled strangers cease to ogle my rims and ask in the event that they’re actually wooden. “Sure, sir, I’m all pure.” 

The sunshine mannequin Lignorim isn’t featherlight, but it surely’s not heavy. It weighs about 10% greater than a normal aluminum handrim, at about 0.9 kilos every versus 0.8 kilos for aluminum. I’ve run them on a pair of demo Vapor X carbon fiber wheels and on my on a regular basis Spinergy LXLs, and didn’t really feel just like the handrims had been weighing down both pair like vinyl ones do.  

Straight out of the field, the Lignorims felt tackier for pushing than metallic handrims, and extra slippery than recent vinyl handrims or every other quad-specific providing. I’ve no grip energy, so I push and brake totally by friction. Pushing inside or on flat, easy surfaces was high-quality with out gloves, however for any hills, tough terrain and/or distance, I used a trusty pair of rubber backyard gloves for grip. Braking energy was adequate that I didn’t want gloves. Instantly I seen braking was simpler than with metallic rims, and generated considerably much less warmth than vinyl or foam. I may cease myself on a hill with out burning my fingers or wrists. I don’t have any solution to quantify this, however additionally they simply felt nicer on my fingers than metallic or vinyl.  

The Lengthy Haul 

Picture by Ewan McBride

The creator, a C7-8 quad, was in a position to push with out gloves on easy surfaces however wanted the grip of gloves when pushing on gravel, filth or uphills.

I’ve been utilizing the Lignorims for over eight months now, beginning in a scorching autumn, by means of a snowy winter, a moist spring and now right into a bone-dry summer season. If something, I like them higher now than once I first put them on. They nonetheless look nice and have proved far more sturdy than I might’ve guessed.  

I’ve dropped them from my automobile, rim-down, on tough asphalt a number of instances. I’ve scraped them towards concrete curbs and bumped them into metallic poles. They’ve a number of small scratches to indicate for it, however these principally disappear into the wooden grain. Importantly, they don’t have any sharp burrs like metallic rims produce and no jagged flaps like those who seem if you gouge vinyl rims. They’re as easy because the day I obtained them and have an excellent higher hand-feel after months of use. There are not any cracks, and I’ve had no splinters.  

The place the wood rims actually excel is in moist and chilly climate. They don’t switch temperature, so that they don’t freeze your fingers off in chilly climate like metallic handrims do. And when it’s raining out they nonetheless offer you braking energy, a uncommon high quality for any handrims.  

Closing Verdict 

Lignorim is the nicest handrim I’ve ever pushed. It seems good and pushes higher, and is extra sturdy than anything I’ve tried. Positive, as a quad with restricted grip, it will be good in the event that they had been tackier. However grip comes with drawbacks — usually warmth whereas braking, and sturdiness points. For my makes use of, the trade-off is greater than value it. At $479 a pair, they aren’t low-cost, however they’re in step with different top-quality handrims like opens in a brand new windowCarboLife’s quad-specific choices or opens in a brand new windowSpinergy’s titanium handrims. When shopping for mobility merchandise, we regularly pay luxurious costs for bargain-basement high quality. Lignorim no less than has one thing to indicate for its excessive price ticket.