How to Handcycle

Handcyclers have many options when choosing their cycles and venues. Learn how to handcycle in this sports video.

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Check the cost
Look at the features
Competition is available
Helps shoulders
Good cardio workout

About this Author

Mike Schlappi is a consummate athlete involved in Wheel Chair Tennis, Wheel Chair Basketball, Adaptive Snowmobiling, Hand cycling and many other adaptive sports and pastimes. He is Four-Time Paralympic Medalist in USA Men's Wheelchair Basketball, Two-Time World Champion in Wheelchair Basketball, Olympic Torch Bearer for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and Monaco Placard Bearer for Opening ceremonies. Honored by the State of Utah as one of its Top 50 Athletes of the Century. Mike is the only wheelchair basketball player in the USA to be a member of the past four Paralympic teams. Mike was honored by his peers as a member of the all-world wheelchair basketball team. Mike is also a tennis champion, winning the U.S. Open in the "A" Division in 1990 and 1994.Mike is an outstanding motivational speaker and talks to associations, public and private corporations throughout the USA.

MIKE SCHLAPPI: Well, obviously I'm sitting in my handcycle, and again this is a very basic one. The real intense one is that they compete in the 50-milers and they're sitting real low to the ground. They have 20, 24 gears. This one has seven gears. Obviously, on the uphill, I'll put it in a higher gear; and on the flat, I might put it on three or four, but it's got a lot of gears which allow you to crank at different intensities. So I transfer into the cycle, I strap my knees together. I don't have much strap on right here. So as I'm cruising along, if I push the hand back like this, it breaks it. So normally, some handcycles are independent, one hand and then the other; but this one, both hands go at the same time. And if I let go, I'm going to go rolling down the hill here. So right now, I'm holding the brake on. Handcycles can range anywhere from $800 to $5,000, just depending on the features and how fancy you want to get. Again, this one is real basic. I'm sitting upright. You might see in competitions, like in marathons or triathlons, you'll see the guy is sitting really low and they're almost laying flat and they're like about a foot off the ground. I'm sitting upright and just comfortable and just cruising around the neighborhood. So this is not a competition handcycle, but there are a lot of people that make them. Fifteen years ago, everybody would go out and they would take their racing wheelchair and just push like a wheelchair push. But handcycles in the last five or ten years have become the more popular thing. And when you're in a wheelchair over the years, your shoulders tend to wear out. So handcycling, if you use the right technique, it's very appropriate to keep your shoulders and strength. It's a great cross training, endurance for the heart, cardio, but also muscular for the shoulders, because you can go forward and you can also go backwards. It's good for the shoulders.

How to Handcycle Video

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