A handcycle is a type of

human-powered land vehicle Human-powered land vehicles are land vehicles propelled over ground by human power, The main ways to support the weight of a human-powered land vehicle and its contents above the ground are rolling contact; sliding contact; intermittent contact; ...

arm In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between th ...

s rather than the legs, as on a bicycle. Most handcycles are

tricycle A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) three-wheeled vehicle. Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for passenger transport) and freight trikes ...

in form, with two coasting rear

wheels A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to b ...

and one steerable powered front wheel. Despite usually having three wheels, they are also known as ''handbikes''.

Origin

Stephan Farffler Stephan Farffler (1633 – October 24, 1689), sometimes spelled Stephan Farfler, was a German watchmaker of the seventeenth century whose invention of a manumotive carriage in 1655 is widely considered to have been the first self-propelled wheel ...

was a

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

watchmaker A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their part ...

of the seventeenth century whose invention of a manumotive carriage in 1655 is widely considered to have been the first self-propelled bicycle. He is believed to have been either a paraplegic or an

amputee Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indiv ...

. The three-wheeled device is believed to have been a precursor to the modern-day

and bicycle.

Description

Many manufacturers have designed and released hand-powered

recumbent Recumbent may refer to: * Recumbence, the act or state of lying down or leaning * Recumbent bicycle, a bicycle, tricycle or quadricycle which places the rider in a reclined or supine position * Recumbent effigy, a tomb sculpture of the deceased ...

trikes, or handcycles. Handcycles are a regular sight at

HPV Human papillomavirus infection (HPV infection) is caused by a DNA virus from the '' Papillomaviridae'' family. Many HPV infections cause no symptoms and 90% resolve spontaneously within two years. In some cases, an HPV infection persists and re ...

meets and are beginning to be seen on the streets. They commonly follow a delta design with front wheels driven by standard derailleur gearing powered by hand cranks. Brake levers are usually mounted on the handholds which are usually mounted

in phase In physics and mathematics, the phase of a periodic function F of some real variable t (such as time) is an angle-like quantity representing the fraction of the cycle covered up to t. It is denoted \phi(t) and expressed in such a scale that it ...

, unlike

pedal A pedal (from the Latin '' pes'' ''pedis'', "foot") is a lever designed to be operated by foot and may refer to: Computers and other equipment * Footmouse, a foot-operated computer mouse * In medical transcription, a pedal is used to control p ...

cranks, which are usually 180° out of phase. This allows the rider to more easily use their torso to help propel the cycle. The entire crank assembly and the front wheel turn together, allowing the rider to steer and crank simultaneously. Some designs use two front wheels and a single rear wheel, while others use lean-steer designs. A handcycle is not a

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...

; a handcycle has a crank and gears, while a wheelchair has push-rims directly on the main wheels.

Styles

Handcycles come in a variety of styles, making them accessible to people with a wide variety of disabilities. There are also hybrids between a handcycle, a recumbent bike and a tricycle.

Fork steer

Fork steer handcycles represent the majority of handcycles sold. They work well for both low and high-level spinal injuries, and most have adjustable footrests, seat angle, and come with a variety of gearing, wheel and

tire A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

configurations depending on intended use: racing, recreation, or touring. Manufacturers of this type of handcycle include Invacare (Top End), Intrepid Equipment, Varna, Schmicking and Sunrise Medical (Quickie).

Lean steer

Riders turn lean steer handcycles by leaning into the turn. There is a longer learning curve with lean steer handcycles and they are significantly less stable at high speed. The lean steer system feels similar to mono skiing: using your whole body to steer the handcycle. Lean steer handcycles can work well for lower-level injuries; although, some athletes with high-level disability use them as well. Manufacturers of this type of handcycle include Lighting Handcycles and Brike International Ltd. (Freedom Ryder). Another type of lean steer hand trike has two steering rear wheels and one non-steerable, powered front wheel with handholds offset at 180°, similar to

cranks, that can be operated with only one hand, thus making it easy to ride uphill, and it can be ridden in a tighter curve with the automatic rear wheels steering system.

Off road

The off-road is different from other handcycles in that there are two wheels in front and one behind, and it has a lower gear ratio range. This gives the cycle the ability to tackle steep slopes and permits handcycle mountain biking. The addition of a wider tire with suitable tread makes some mountain biking possible on standard road bikes.

Touring

Handcycles have also been used for touring, and to better accommodate this interest, some manufacturers incorporate mudguards and pannier cargo racks. As handcycles have evolved they have become progressively lighter, and they have better gearing for long climbs and long-distance touring.

Racing

Racing handcycles tend to be extremely low to the ground to minimize air drag and maximize the lateral acceleration that can be generated in a turn without rolling over to the outside.

Wheelchair conversion

An attachment, consisting of a steerable front wheel and crank, can convert a wheelchair into a handcycle.

Gallery

File:Hand-cycling_clinic_a_new_start_for_wounded_soldiers,_veterans_120404-A-KH311-111.jpg, Tricycle handcycle File:2015_Air_Force_Wounded_Warrior_Trials-_cycling_(16496893660).jpg, Tricycle handcycle intended for racing File:170706-D-DB155-004_(35723999326).jpg, Handcycle racing File:Johann Mayrhofer (2003).jpg, Handcycle racing File:Kompaktes Handbike.jpg, Handbike add-on/conversion for wheelchair File:Championnat de France de cyclisme handisport - 20140614 - Handbike.jpg

References

{{Human-powered vehicles Mobility devices Human-powered vehicles