Wheelchair Spoke Guards Guide

Wheelchair Spoke Guards Guide

Clear, opaque, or colored plastic disks that are attached to and cover the spokes.

Advantages of Spoke Guards

• Originally these were home made and used by athletes to keep other athletes out of their spokes during competition.
• Helps protect the spokes during impact.
• They are also used to protect users who may have a tendency of getting their fingers caught in the spokes while pushing (ouch!).
• Most recently they have been used to make a statement or project a self image. This wide open space lends itself nicely to political statements, decal collections, artwork, and a host of other methods of self expression.

These are the "feel good about yourself" items of the wheeled world.

Disadvantages of Spoke Guards

• No way! These are my favorite wheelchair components so it's difficult to think of the down side. But, for those who insist that every coin has a flip side, here it goes.
• If you're cruising around in a strong (very strong) crosswind the guards may not allow wind to pass through the spokes. This results in a sail effect which may blow you off your original or intended course. Sounds good doesn't it?