Has anyone ever tried changing out tires on their ECV, walker, or wheelchair from "solid" tires to softer, bike style tires?

[Simba's Mom]

If so, how did it go? Just curious. What got me thinking was using my walker in the 1 Bedroom at Hilton Head. If you haven't noticed, the bathroom has a tile floor that can be very bumpy, both in feel and sound as you "drive" over it. And last week, I was using my walker outdoors in areas with lots of tree roots. I thought how much more comfortable I might feel with air-filled tires. Any experiences?

 

[Chili327]

The problem is that tires with air can leak (slowly or fast), so they will go flat and then you're stuck dealing with that wherever you're at.
I work at a bike shop & can tell you we change more flats every day then there are coasters in Disney parks.

 

[voxparse]

I've had a lot of tires over the years both airless and traditional. Keep in mind I am very hard on my chair in general. I jump down curbs and do small flights of stairs when needed. If someone was going to blow a tire, I'd wager it would be me. I blew them all the time as a kid before I learned that cheap tires/tubes are cheap. Airless are convenient but the ride is awful (as you're noticing at HH). Also with airless tires, if something does go wrong they are incredibly tough to get off the wheel and replace in my experience.

Traditional can develop leaks but if you get good tubes and tires that are durable and carry some backups I've never had issues. Traditional tubes are easy to swap out in a few minutes and get back up and running. For tubes I don't recommend a specific brand just look for extra thick or tough and you're good. As for tires I swear by Schwalbe Marathon Plus Evolution. The tires are expensive but you get what you pay for.

For a trip to the parks I carry a couple things, all of which I keep at the hotel because I can always get back even on a flat. I bring 2 extra tubes, tire change tools (just two little plastic pry bars if you haven't seen them), and an electric air compressor because I'm lazy and pumping tires is annoying.

 

[mamabunny]

I've had a lot of tires over the years both airless and traditional. Keep in mind I am very hard on my chair in general. I jump down curbs and do small flights of stairs when needed. If someone was going to blow a tire, I'd wager it would be me. I blew them all the time as a kid before I learned that cheap tires/tubes are cheap. Airless are convenient but the ride is awful (as you're noticing at HH). Also with airless tires, if something does go wrong they are incredibly tough to get off the wheel and replace in my experience.

Traditional can develop leaks but if you get good tubes and tires that are durable and carry some backups I've never had issues. Traditional tubes are easy to swap out in a few minutes and get back up and running. For tubes I don't recommend a specific brand just look for extra thick or tough and you're good. As for tires I swear by Schwalbe Marathon Plus Evolution. The tires are expensive but you get what you pay for.

For a trip to the parks I carry a couple things, all of which I keep at the hotel because I can always get back even on a flat. I bring 2 extra tubes, tire change tools (just two little plastic pry bars if you haven't seen them), and an electric air compressor because I'm lazy and pumping tires is annoying.

The problem is that tires with air can leak (slowly or fast), so they will go flat and then you're stuck dealing with that wherever you're at.
I work at a bike shop & can tell you we change more flats every day then there are coasters in Disney parks.

I've never seen replacement traditional (air-filled) tires for a (standard) walker - or even the newer style "euro" walkers with the bigger tires, only the hard plastic airless, or solid factory style wheel/tire assembly. That doesn't mean they don't exist - I have just never encountered them

Are there standard-style tires in smaller sizes easily available, (thinking here like Amazon, or a local bike shop) or would it be a specialty vendor that she needs?

I fully agree that a wheelchair is always going to ride better on "real" tires, but it seems to me that the vast majority of OTC mobility devices (walkers, rollators, "transport" chairs, scooters/ECVs and the "lawn chair" style power chairs are all running around on solid plastic, blow-molded, or urethane/possibly rubber "tires".

I'm interested to hear if you have encountered any smaller sizes for other mobility devices. I know that child-sized bikes & wheelchairs can have real tires, but it seems as though once you get below that size, the majority of tires become either airless or solid.

 

[mamabunny]

If so, how did it go? Just curious. What got me thinking was using my walker in the 1 Bedroom at Hilton Head. If you haven't noticed, the bathroom has a tile floor that can be very bumpy, both in feel and sound as you "drive" over it. And last week, I was using my walker outdoors in areas with lots of tree roots. I thought how much more comfortable I might feel with air-filled tires. Any experiences?

Personally, I have never seen a "softer" tire for rollators/walkers; I always thought it might be an engineering issue, only because of how weight is distributed to the tires on those kinds of devices; they might require a firmer tire to be able to roll easily enough. Also those kind of mobility devices don't tend to have the kind of wheels that would accept an air-filled tire.

There are some styles of walker/rollator that have a "softer" feel when you are driving; I have personally noticed that the newer style "Euro" rollators make simple flooring transitions easier, and they are better (overall) on outdoor surfaces. But I also find that I struggle a bit with higher thresholds using that style (I'm not sure why) and a low (1-½") step that I encountered. I also believe it may help that they tend to have a softer grip on the handlebars, so fewer vibrations reach the human!

I saw a regular at PT a couple of weeks ago who had wrapped her walker tires in this kind of stuff. She said it was to help with noise on her kitchen floor (which is tiled). I don't know how long it would last with regular use, especially on paved surfaces outdoors; I thought it was interesting, but I'm not sure how many times around each tire that she wrapped it, etc.

I wish I had a better answer for you!

 

[SueM in MN]

If so, how did it go? Just curious. What got me thinking was using my walker in the 1 Bedroom at Hilton Head. If you haven't noticed, the bathroom has a tile floor that can be very bumpy, both in feel and sound as you "drive" over it. And last week, I was using my walker outdoors in areas with lots of tree roots. I thought how much more comfortable I might feel with air-filled tires. Any experiences?

Depending on your devices and how the wheels attach, changing out may not be possible- either sizes of how the wheels attach.

I have heard of this company, but never used them, so I can’t vouch for them, but they have an informative page about mobility device tires.
Link to tire buying guide

Tires with air have a smoother ride than solid ones, but need frequent checking for air pressure and maintenance.
You also need to have someone who can change a tire or tube if necessary (and keep them on hand). If you or someone else can’t check the air pressure at least weekly and change a tire/tube, they may not be the best choice. My husband and I bike a lot and check the bike tire pressure at least twice a week; he usually has to add air at least half the time.

My daughter’s first wheelchair as a toddler had pneumatic (air) tires on both the big back wheels and casters. We figured it would be no problem since my husband could change tires and tubes.
It was a pain, especially the little front casters. Because of their size, the stem was hard to access for checking air pressure and the tire tubes in that size were very expensive - not a common size and only available by order. We changed the front wheels out to solid tires before she outgrew that chair.
She had pneumatic rear tires on several chairs after that, but all her wheelchairs as an adult have had gel or foam filled ‘no flat’ rear tires. They have the ‘no maintenance’ advantage of solid tires because the tubes are filled with foam, not air. The ride is similar to air filled tires.
Her current manual wheelchair has upgraded (expensive) back wheels with spokes that are more responsive. She has no flat tires on the back. She has upgraded ‘soft roll’ tires on the front casters. They are softer and roll more easily than solid casters she’s had.

I personally would never go back to pneumatic tires. They are fine if you or someone else can maintain them, but we have been very happy with the no flat tires

 

[Simba's Mom]

I saw a regular at PT a couple of weeks ago who had wrapped her walker tires in this kind of stuff. She said it was to help with noise on her kitchen floor (which is tiled). I don't know how long it would last with regular use, especially on paved surfaces outdoors; I thought it was interesting, but I'm not sure how many times around each tire that she wrapped it, etc.

I wish I had a better answer for you!

I hadn't thought of that idea. Maybe next Thanksgiving I'll try using this at Hilton Head.

 

[SueM in MN]

I saw a regular at PT a couple of weeks ago who had wrapped her walker tires in this kind of stuff. She said it was to help with noise on her kitchen floor (which is tiled). I don't know how long it would last with regular use, especially on paved surfaces outdoors; I thought it was interesting, but I'm not sure how many times around each tire that she wrapped it, etc.

I wish I had a better answer for you!

I hadn't thought of that idea. Maybe next Thanksgiving I'll try using this at Hilton Head.

I have experience with that type product as both an RN and a mom experimenting with wheelchair hacks.
As an RN, it‘s great stuff for covering IVs, dressings on extremities, etc. But, it’s meant for short term use and gets tatty after a bit.

As a mom of a wheelchair user, it was a nightmare. We used it on the footrest hangers to help pad them when getting our daughter in and out of her wheelchair. It worked well for padding, but picked up dirt, hair and anything else in the environment. I thought ‘no problem. I’ll just put another layer on to make it look clean and nice again.
The nightmare part was when I tried to remove it. The multiple layers melded together and couldn’t be peeled off the same way they went on. I had to carefully use an X-Acto knife and a razor blade cover to cut it down the side to try to pry it off without scratching the paint on the wheelchair.
I would not recommend it or if you choose to try it, I’d recommend removing and re-applying it new every day

 

[mamabunny]

I have experience with that type product as both an RN and a mom experimenting with wheelchair hacks.
As an RN, it‘s great stuff for covering IVs, dressings on extremities, etc. But, it’s meant for short term use and gets tatty after a bit.

As a mom of a wheelchair user, it was a nightmare. We used it on the footrest hangers to help pad them when getting our daughter in and out of her wheelchair. It worked well for padding, but picked up dirt, hair and anything else in the environment. I thought ‘no problem. I’ll just put another layer on to make it look clean and nice again.
The nightmare part was when I tried to remove it. The multiple layers melded together and couldn’t be peeled off the same way they went on. I had to carefully use an X-Acto knife and a razor blade cover to cut it down the side to try to pry it off without scratching the paint on the wheelchair.
I would not recommend it or if you choose to try it, I’d recommend removing and re-applying it new every day

I never would have thought that Coban-type stuff would wear out so quickly, but it makes sense! My most common experience with it is after labs, to hold all the cotton balls in place!

At PT, the floor is a soft matting so that if someone falls, they get (hopefully) less injured. If I see her again, I will have to ask her if she has ever tried it on her wheels for any length of time, and what happened.

I think I would absolutely use those gel/foam filled tires if I had the choice to make!

Thank you for the information!

 

[mamabunny]

I hadn't thought of that idea. Maybe next Thanksgiving I'll try using this at Hilton Head.

Now that we know that our Sue has tried it, and it's *not* recommended, maybe you should see about padding the handlebars of your walker instead!

That might offer as much help as trying to "soften" the tires, and will be something you can control a bit easier.

One thing I have done with great success is to cut sections of pool noodles that are between 4 & 6 inches long (long enough to cover the original hand grips) and then I cut a slit down the length of each section. I slip each of the sections over the handlbars, and I use a length of my favorite stuff: the Velcro OneWrap! to wrap around and secure the pool noodle sections.

Here's a picture to show you what it looks like wrapped around the hand grip on my rollator:



It offers a good cushion for my hands and wrists, and doesn't interfere when I fold the walker. It won't make noisy wheels quieter, but it will help dampen vibrations that can make driving the walker uncomfortable. I can change them out easily whenever they lose their "squish"!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Now that we know that our Sue has tried it, and it's *not* recommended, maybe you should see about padding the handlebars of your walker instead!

That might offer as much help as trying to "soften" the tires, and will be something you can control a bit easier.

One thing I have done with great success is to cut sections of pool noodles that are between 4 & 6 inches long (long enough to cover the original hand grips) and then I cut a slit down the length of each section. I slip each of the sections over the handlbars, and I use a length of my favorite stuff: the Velcro OneWrap! to wrap around and secure the pool noodle sections.

Here's a picture to show you what it looks like wrapped around the hand grip on my rollator:

View attachment 768320

It offers a good cushion for my hands and wrists, and doesn't interfere when I fold the walker. It won't make noisy wheels quieter, but it will help dampen vibrations that can make driving the walker uncomfortable. I can change them out easily whenever they lose their "squish"!

That's a nice idea for my hands. The only thing is that I'm really concerned about how I must sound to the people below us as I "bump, bump, bump" across the floor. I'm sure I'm one of those dreaded people annoying the people below us. However, I'm not feeling guilty enough to ask for the first floor-a couple years ago, we were given the first floor, and we were sure they were throwing furniture around above us it was so loud. The worst part was that it went on late at night. At least I'm down for the count by 9:30-10:00.

 

[mamabunny]

That's a nice idea for my hands. The only thing is that I'm really concerned about how I must sound to the people below us as I "bump, bump, bump" across the floor. I'm sure I'm one of those dreaded people annoying the people below us. However, I'm not feeling guilty enough to ask for the first floor-a couple years ago, we were given the first floor, and we were sure they were throwing furniture around above us it was so loud. The worst part was that it went on late at night. At least I'm down for the count by 9:30-10:00.

You may not be as loud as you think - honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. I used to be terrified of bothering people below us with my rollator until I realized that the sound of my wheels might actually carry less than I thought.

The only place it makes noise is in the bathroom, because of the grout lines in the tile; most of the places we stay have either vinyl plank, or industrial short pile carpeting in the main area of the room, which makes little to no noise at all. At night, if I have to use the bathroom, most people won't ever hear it, because I am going to only make "noise" in the bathroom, and unless the folks below are sleeping in the bathroom, or are awake themselves, they most likely won't notice.

 

[Simba's Mom]

You may not be as loud as you think - honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. I used to be terrified of bothering people below us with my rollator until I realized that the sound of my wheels might actually carry less than I thought.

The only place it makes noise is in the bathroom, because of the grout lines in the tile; most of the places we stay have either vinyl plank, or industrial short pile carpeting in the main area of the room, which makes little to no noise at all. At night, if I have to use the bathroom, most people won't ever hear it, because I am going to only make "noise" in the bathroom, and unless the folks below are sleeping in the bathroom, or are awake themselves, they most likely won't notice.

Thanks so much. Sounds like you do understand my fear. Now, instead of being so afraid of disturbing people, I'll chuckle at the thought of people sleeping on the tile bathroom floor below me.