From our customers
We’ve had the Aurora just over two years now. LOVE it. This thing can go where so many others can’t. We’ve used it from the cobblestone streets of Prague to the trails of Olympic National Park, and so many places in between. As to the first, cobblestone streets are a bear and conventional wheelchairs will perpetually have their front wheels lock between stones. We know, we tried it and spent most of our time pulling the old chair backwards. The Aurora tackles most of these inconveniences in stride. It doesn’t soften some of the bounciness, but so greatly reduces all those ejector-seat snags.
As to more off-road activities, well when one or both of you are National Park geeks, you have a lot of opportunities to test it out on all sorts of conditions. We have taken our Aurora to Alaska, along the boardwalks and back trails of Katmai National Park to witness the grizzlies feeding on salmon at Brooks Falls. It’s taken on trails at Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park and many others. There will always be some potential challenges; large root snags, mud, deep sand or pea gravel. But most everything else, it can handle it. The Aurora allows us to go further and delve deeper than we would have otherwise.
Our daily lives are easier but we live in the burbs and that’s not too tough. What really has changed is that we can plan more travel than we ever might have.
Submitted by email — shared with permission
I bought the chair so that we can take my elderly mother, who still walks, with us to places that require too much walking for her. We used it in downtown Charleston, SC on both the asphalt and cobblestone surfaces. We also use it when we go somewhere with grass and trails. It works great on outdoor surfaces that a regular transport chair will not roll on. It has worked just fine on gravel and dirt walking trails with roots and other uneven areas. We push her in the chair; she doesn’t operate it herself. It’s only used as an all-terrain transport chair. I have not taken her on any steep hills because I don’t know if I could push it up a steep hill or control it going down a steep hill.
Submitted by email — shared with permission
I bought the RoughRider to be able to get my girlfriend outside and we have put many wonderful miles on it! Numerous trails and boardwalks mostly in Florida State parks and now that she can’t do that anymore I take her on a stroll through the neighborhood streets weekly, we could have not done any of it without this chair.
Submitted by email — shared with permission
Reviews submitted directly to Roughrider America. Names shown with the reviewer’s permission.
To find the distance between your hips, first position yourself seated with pelvis upright on a firm surface. Then, measure the distance between the widest points of the hips and thighs without compressing any tissue. Finally, record your measurements. It is important not to have a chair that is wider than necessary as it will be harder to push and may prevent you from passing through narrow doorways.
Position yourself seated upright on a firm surface. Measure the length of your upper leg, the distance from behind the knee to the back of the pelvis (back of your lower leg). Subtract 1/2” to find the maximum seat depth, to allow for space between the back of the knee/upper leg and seat fabric. Record the final measurement.
Your preferred backrest height is determined by your personal comfort level and physical ability. Whirlwind recommends, generally, that the top of the back support should fall just beneath the bottom of the shoulder blade. For less active riders who require more torso support, the back support should be higher, falling just beneath the armpit. Position yourself seated upright on a firm surface. Hold your hands flat against the surface you are sitting on. Measure the distance from the seated surface to the desired, most comfortable point for support on your back. To this number add the height of your cushion when you are sitting on it. Record the measurement.
Backrest angles are determined by the torso control of the rider. Whirlwind recommends that those with less torso control, such as quadriplegics, sit with a backrest angled further backwards to avoid falling forward in a wheelchair. Those with more torso control, such as amputees, can sit with the backrest more upright. Proper backrest angle is best determined by an occupational therapist or healthcare professional. Although there is only one option – 8 degrees – in the drop-down list below, you can adjust the backrest angle by adjusting the backrest straps (i.e. looser at the bottom and tighter at the top for a more erect position).
Now please enter your measurements into the fields on the product page before ordering. For more information about measuring, please refer to the RoughRider Fitting Sheet. You are responsible for choosing the right chair for yourself. If you are uncomfortable with determining your wheelchair size, please consult a professional.
