A broken neck would mean immobility and despair for some, but not for Peter Carruthers. For him, adversity was the mother of invention. He builds wheelchairs. Not just ordinary wheelchairs, but the sort that pirouette around basketball and tennis courts, tackle rugby pitches and win medals. Bromakins have become fiercely competitive wheelchairs, the choice of top-level athletes worldwide. At the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta, David Holding set a new world record for Britain, winning the 100m in a time of 14.45 seconds (see picture, right). He was in a Bromakin, and so was the man who came second.
All this started in a garage, welding together bits of bicycle tubing and moulding fibreglass seats. If that sounds like the way many recumbents got started, it's no coincidence. Peter Carruthers soon turned his mind to recumbent trikes, and started with the proven Crystal Engineering Trice. The task of converting it to hand-drive was not easy: the modified crankset must transmit the power of possibly Olympic-strength arms, and let the rider steer, change gear, and brake. The adaption unit is fitted with ankle-loops and bumpers to protect the protruding lower legs. Since the photograph was taken, the three chainrings and front changer have been replaced by a single ring and the Sachs 3x7 hub gear system, and detail changes have been made to the braking and gear systems. Handling and braking are still excellent.
Peter's attitude is that when he cycles, he leaves the world of disability behind and becomes a cyclist, albeit (he says) slightly on the lunatic fringe. We agree with the first half of that sentiment, and vehemently disagree with the second.
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