Cambry has been restricted to the pavement for most of her adult life. She's paralyzed and gets around in a wheelchair. So, trying to help her go more places, her then-boyfriend Zack Nelson spliced together two electric bikes with a seat in the center. And it worked. Cambry said she experienced a whole new level of freedom with it. Not only could she overcome -- or should I say, overdrive -- obstacles that seemed impossible before, she could do miles without her shoulders getting sore.
Fast forward a year, Cambry and Zack are married and they're starting to mass-produce the vehicle they call 'Not-a-Wheelchair'. Throughout that time, the couple built upon the original design, making it a reliable off-roader.
More info: notawheelchair.com | YouTube
Image credits: zacksjerryrig
Here's their video introduction of the off-roader
According to the couple, when choosing an adaptive off-roader, people have a few options but basically, but they either cost as much as a car or are super slow. So they put their heads together to try and build something that’s quick and light with a super long range. But getting it done wasn't easy.
"The toughest challenge when developing 'Not-A-Wheelchair' is the price. We wanted to create something that is affordable for everyone. Finding quality components, and a simple enough design at the cheapest price possible took quite a bit of time," Zack told Bored Panda. "But I think we have something now that everyone will be able to enjoy, at a fraction of the cost of other 'off-road wheelchairs' currently on the market."
Image credits: notawheelchair
'Not-a-Wheelchair' is definitely not an indoor machine, so Cambry still uses her normal wheelchair for inside their home but any time she and Zack go to the park, or on a hike, she jumps in The Rig. "Its silent, which means that we can all still talk and chat while she rides next to the group," her husband explained.
During these trips, 'Not-a-Wheelchair' really showed what it's capable of. "We have taken The Rig to Hawaii twice for testing. The bike has to be shipped with a freight company before we go, but we ship The Rig about a week before we fly out ourselves, and it's waiting there for us when we arrive. All this travel was before COVID was a thing. Luckily, we also live near mountains and snow with long wide flat trails to try the bike out on."
There are currently about 2.7 million wheelchair users in the United States. The powered and manual mobility market globally is projected to grow exponentially due to aging baby boomers and increasing longevity, so special needs vehicles should become only more and more important. However, Zack wanted to remind everyone that 'Not-a-Wheelchair' is just a bike, with all the normal maintenance and issues that come with a bike. "It's not a fine-tuned, polished, medical device." That being said, the couple is very happy with it and hope other people will also enjoy it as much as they have.
'Not-a-Wheelchair' is fully electric and super quiet
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
The accessible bike can go 12mph
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
It has a range of 10-20 miles with one battery, and 25-35 miles with two batteries (depending on terrain, the weight of the rider, and weight of the cargo)
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
"Our whole goal is to provide something that is capable and affordable"
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It has a rear rack mounting system to hold wheelchairs, coolers, camping gear, or a picnic basket
Image credits: notawheelchair
'Not-a-Wheelchair' was constructed using bike parts, so maintenance and repairs are really easy
Image credits: notawheelchair
It has an aluminum frame, detachable bumper, and four-inch off-road bike tires
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
With the bumper off, 'Not-a-Wheelchair' is 5 feet long and 32 inches wide
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Which makes it fit in shortbed pickups with the tailgate up and also Jeeps and Subaru Outbacks
Image credits: JerryRigEverything JerryRigEverything
And can get through most doorways
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Even though it handles most places pretty well
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But it can struggle with loose sand or loose snow, as a bike would
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Image credits: JerryRigEverything
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
The recommended weight limit is 225lb
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And the base model with no suspension and one battery costs $3,750
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
Image credits: JerryRigEverything
Image credits: notawheelchair
Image credits: notawheelchair
Image credits: cambrykay
Here's what people said about the couple and 'Not-a-Wheelchair'
