The Vast Array of Wheelchair Tires

Joe Navarro, Service Technician with Active Mobility, presented to the staff today an in-depth look at Wheelchair Tires. Joe explained that wheelchair tires are different than bicycle tires as they are non-marking for in-door use. Tires come in a wide variety of sizes, and have different purposes.

Rear Tires range in size from 12” to 26”, and Casters range from 3” to 9” in diameter.  The rear wheel sizes affect the seat to floor heights and reach to the wheel by the wheelchair user.  The rear tires are offered in Pneumatic, Flat Free, or Polyurethane (Poly).  The Pneumatic are always the softest ride, and through research show that are the easiest on the shoulders.  Many uses do not want to have to check and inflate tires so they choose Flat free or Poly.  Flat Free uses the same pneumatic tires, where the inner tubes are removed and are replaced with plastic inserts.  Polyurethane tires are lighter than the Flat Free Inserts and are a little softer ride.

The width of the rear tires also come in different sizes from 1” to 2.25”.  The narrower tires reduce the rolling resistance so the are much easier to start moving and keep moving; whereas the wider tires work better over unstable and softer surfaces (grass /sand). 

High Pressure Tires are used on the many of the ultra-light and sports products. These allow inflation of 90-110 lbs, and offer significantly less effort for self propulsion.  These tires tend to wear faster, but allow for greater performance. These tires have tubes that are either Presta or Shrader valves, which may require a special pump adapter to fill.  Additionally there are tubes that are thicker, called thorn resistant, which offer greater protection from punctures.

Caster Tires, the smaller front wheels, are offered in 3” (rollerblades) to 9” .  Many of these have tires that are molded to the hub and require the entire caster to be replaced, where as others allow replacement tires in both polyurethane or pneumatic.

Although the presentation was dedicated to rear wheels, wheel locks were discussed as they are affected by the tire types.  Many times as wheels wear the wheel locks no longer grip the tires and require adjustment. Additionally some wheel locks perform better on pneumatic tires over solid types.

Scooters, powered operated vehicles, also use both pneumatic and solid tires. The same holds true with these products where air/pneumatic tires last longer in wear, but are susceptible in getting a flat tire and require regular maintenance. Solid tires wear faster than pneumatics however for many the compromise to not becoming stranded outweigh the softer ride and longer times between tire changes.

Joe provided a thorough presentation of tires, and made everyone realize how confusing it can be for a wheelchair user and their caregivers. It is a good thing that Joe is at Active to help advise and service the equipment. Joe can be reached at service@wheelchairguys.com. 

This article was written by Carey Britton, Seating and Mobility Specialist, at Active Mobility Center and can be reached at (954) 946-5793 or at cbritton@wheelchairguys.com.