Standard Manual Wheelchairs

Sideguards are mounted on the left and right side of your wheelchair. They help to protect your hands and clothing from the dirt and water that can be  kicked up by the wheels of your wheelchair. Sideguards an be fixed or removable and are available in a variety of shapes and sizes.

If you have a folding wheelchair, your serial number will be on the cross-brace (the folding bars underneath the seat of your wheelchair). If you have a rigid wheelchair, the serial number will be on the rear side of the frame.

Handrims (sometimes called pushrims) are the part of the rear wheel that you grip to propel your wheelchair. Attached to the outside of the wheel, they're available in a variety of materials (including aluminium, stainless steel or titanium). Handrims are also available with rubber coating or can be equipped with rubber strips that fits over the surface of the handrim to help increase friction. The distance of the handrim to the wheel can be adjusted according to your needs.

Camber is the angle of the wheelchair's rear wheels in relation to the ground. Traditionally, the rear wheels are at  90° to the ground, so the camber measurement is 0. A negative camber (usually seen in sports wheelchairs) adjusts the angle of the rear wheels inwards, so they're easier to grasp - helping to manouvre your wheelchair with less force. The increased width from the spacing of the wheels also helps to improve lateral stability (but can also make it more difficult when navigating narrow environments).

The choice of wheel size will depend on your height and desired seated position. Larger wheels can provide more comfort thanks to lower rolling resistance, especially when outdoors. Smaller wheels however are considered to make your wheelchair more agle. Youtrchoice of wheel size should allow you to sit comfortably whilst requiring the minimum effort to propel your chair.