Triride
Italian manufacturers Triride specialise exclusively in handbikes, and are rightly considered the market-leaders. Their products feature their own electronics and motors that they have developed exclusively for their handbike models. This allows their handbikes to offer performance levels - whether that be speed, torque, power or range - above and beyond the competitors.
Each of Triride's handbikes is made to order with a range of configuration options. This allows them to be tailored to meet your requirements, rather than being "off the shelf" products with a "one size fits all" approach. The wide range of options includes matching handlebars and controls to your hand function, tyres and batteries to meet your lifestyle demands, or frame colours to complement your wheelchair. Electronic options include adaptive cruise control that can even keep you at a constant speed going downhill, and Triride's Intelligent Braking System, with both mechanical and hydraulic disk brakes available.
Triride handbikes fit to almost every model of active wheelchair on the market, including those with swing-away leg rests, and can be easily mounted and dismounted to allow for quick switching between self-propelling and powered driving, and also to allow for simple transport in a vehicle. Optional T-stands can aid with mounting and demounting, depending on your core strength and experience.
Triride T-Rocks
The Triride T-Rocks Handbike is the ultimate handbike, the biggest, most powerful, and most impressive model you will find. It has a large 16" wheel to cope with the roughest ground you can find, and a 1500W motor that gives you a top speed of 18.6 mph. The twin batteries result in a mind-blowing range of 50 miles, allowing you to drive further and faster.
The T-Rocks has to be paired with an appropriate off-road rear wheel to get the most out of it - we recommend Loopwheels Extremes as the best option, for integrated suspension, but you can use lower-cost Fat wheels or Spinergy equivalents instead.
With these fitted, you can take your wheelchair anywhere outdoors - there isn't a handbike around that will better this performance. To achieve this, the T-Rocks is bigger and heavier than standard handbikes, and the large wheel does mean it doesn't manoeuvre so well - but these are trade-offs well worth making for the outdoor off-road specialism.
Our Verdict
The T-Rocks is unrivalled in what it offers - a step above even Triride's MadMax for performance. If you want a dedicated handbike solely for adventurous driving over aggressive terrain, this is the best you can get. The only model close is Rehasense's PAWS Tourer, which is of a similar size and features unique clamping mechanisms but isn't nearly so powerful.
For those newer to handbikes, the temptation is to think the T-Rocks is the best place to start. However, we find that for most people, the best-selling Special Compact HT from Triride is the better option - it is still great at off-roading, but is small and light enough for more conventional use too.