Also if we're sharing info. Here's some general etiquette on how to handle wheels if you spot us on both safety and how to assist if you wish and if the wheels takes it:
1. If you pass us on an uphill. Please remember you
will be passed on the downhill unless there's a huge gap. If you know is a wheels are coming please just try to keep off to the side were opposite from. Because we try to hug the side to prevent collisions. That doesn't always work because people intentionally or not will ignore us.
Yes wheels have brakes. No we do not come to sudden stops. One of my friends last year ended up in a hospital because of being cutoff (not malicious in that case. Because I've had that happen before) and ending up with so many injuries from it. The brakes will trim our speed but once we reach a certain incline were going to be coming down fast no matter how much we brake.
(Which was why I had to check with Revel if I was allowed to attempt it. I am. But probably none of the steeper ones. So White Mountain it is!)
2. Which brings me to my next point. If you use headphones. Pleae do not turn them up all the way. Yes even if they are bone conduction. There is more then enough ambient noise that combined with your music you will not hear us.
3. If you see us struggling. Please ask before you do anything to assist. Some wheels do not want assistance at all. Some of us do. Sometimes the inclines are too steep for all us us to make it up no matter what. But regardless please, please ask. Heck sometimes we might not need help at one point but will later.
This is less of an issue with my handcycle. But I've had people accidentally tip my chair when they grab the wrong spot in a well meaning attempt to help me. We know our physics than you do. We can direct you where to grab to push for better assistance.
4. Both pushrim and handcycles turn like trucks. Pushrims can turn better because they can pick up their front wheel and hop it over. But its still not the best and still takes room. We cannot do that in a handcycle. If we need to make a sharp turn we are either going to need a hand (and this is one of those cases where asking for help would be appreciated.) Or we have to take our foot out of our stirrup and do a 30 point k turn until we're turned enough to make it through the turn.
5. Related to that. Due to the difficulty of turns I'm planning to try and ask CMs if I can wait a few minutes and then get the photo for any that require me to go up the course to turn around and get in line. If you see a wheel doing this please don't assume we're cutting. We're doing what we can with our limited mobility. Not everyone stops for photos. But some of us do. And we do have to get creative.
6. Also on things that can help us without pushing us. If you see a runner and they aren't hearing us and you can hear us. Please try to get the runners attention. I can turn if need be. I am really good at finding holes. But its a lot easier if people heed the call of 'wheels on your 'insert relevant side here'.
7. Not applicable for me but for Duos (person pushing a person in a chair rig. These are not the pushrim chairs. I might go dig out a photo of the one time I did duo) and occasional ambulatory athletes. Sometimes you'll see runners packed together. If you see them marked as an AWD please go around and not through them. Ambulatories can have any number of reasons for sticking together. (for me it was balance issues for a friend it was to prevent dislocation. Because for those who don't know there is a disorder out there that this becomes a high concern for. And there's a number of them who do these events.) We're not trying to be course hogs were trying to do whats safest for us. Because especially with ambulatories who have vision and thus are there for mobility. A simple bump from you could be race ending for us.
8. Last thing we might need for help. Sometimes we might not be struggling to get uphill but the downhill is a concern. So if you ask you might be asked to go in front of us to help make a hole. I know this probably sounds weird off the hill speed lecture. But if someones making a hole I will be planning and being careful with my speed. This is usually for situations where especially I'm worried about being cut off and having nowhere to go. Because say if you cut me off suddenly in the castle for a jump photo. You're going to end up with a wheel in your heel.
This is not me threatening, this is not me being mean.
This is a matter of fact. You stop suddenly in a place where I don't have enough room to get out of it safely? Then there's going to be a wheel in your heel. Especially in the castle its physically impossible to do something if I'm suddenly cut off. Because either I go straight and we're both in for a bad time. Or I try to make a physically impossible turn. And not only potentially take myself out.
But at least three or four people with it. (Are devices are usually around 6-7 feet from one end to the other. We are not small.)
We've been asking WDW for Bike Guides for years now for this very reason. Unfortuantely nothing has ever happened. And the only people who get guides are the leads. DL stepped up big time to the request and assigned us each individual guides starting with Halloween. Based on a convo with the woman who normally is my bike guide during
Disneyland races this is a matter of a volunteer issue. Which idk how you even go about getting that.
If you have any questions feel free to ask. I think I covered everything major.
So lots of thinking to do still! And weather obsessing, though not for packing at least- I have winter parkas planned as a throwaways no matter what the start temps are. I have this other weather dilemma: do I try to move my flight up from Tuesday morning to Sunday with the snow my area might get, and doesn't handle well, on Monday? Any other DC-area folks concerned about travel? 
Just saw that Sunday night popped up as available for the same room category we have booked for Monday-Thursday. And now I'm trying to convince him to leave at day earlier than we had planned.
