• New Videos
• Lithium Battery Warmer
• Mental Health Can Be A Ball
• New Tramper TWS Video
• An Eye On Eype
• Tramping Down To the Jurassic Coast - One Old Fossil Visits Other Old Fossils
• Through The Woods To Hardy's Cottage
• Scooting Through Salisbury Plain To Imber
• Train Hits Scooter
• Scoozy, Is There Room For A Joystick?
• Risking Hypothermia
• Lithium Battery Costs Go Through The Roof
• Lithium Battery Warmer
• Mental Health Can Be A Ball
• New Tramper TWS Video
• An Eye On Eype
• Tramping Down To the Jurassic Coast - One Old Fossil Visits Other Old Fossils
• Through The Woods To Hardy's Cottage
• Scooting Through Salisbury Plain To Imber
• Train Hits Scooter
• Scoozy, Is There Room For A Joystick?
• Risking Hypothermia
• Lithium Battery Costs Go Through The Roof
Beamer's Lithium Battery Warmer Worked
28 January 2022
I am qualified to go on the Muppet Show as a technical expert . In other words my technical expertise, and general scientific nonse, could be written on Kermit's incisor . However, for what it's worth you knowing having lithium batteries in my Tramper TWS and Beamer's new system that kicks in when temperatures drop below +5 degrees (I think ), to keep the area around the batteries from freezing in falling temperatures, I took my scooter directly downhill in about - 3 degrees this morning and the batteries were recharging with regenerative braking (seen watching the guage through frosty eyes ). It was also clear (because I did not have the charger on overnight and I could see from the reading before I started off that there had been a draw on the batteries) that their new heater had automatically kicked in, as it should have. When I got back the batteries recharged to full as usual.
If I've understood this right this should offer some reassurance about using Tramper which have lithium batteries in freezing temperatures once you have their add-on fitted.
Oh yeah, technically it's not a battery warmer as it's to stop the battery from freezing, not warm it up once it has. I think that that's an important point?
28 January 2022
I am qualified to go on the Muppet Show as a technical expert . In other words my technical expertise, and general scientific nonse, could be written on Kermit's incisor . However, for what it's worth you knowing having lithium batteries in my Tramper TWS and Beamer's new system that kicks in when temperatures drop below +5 degrees (I think ), to keep the area around the batteries from freezing in falling temperatures, I took my scooter directly downhill in about - 3 degrees this morning and the batteries were recharging with regenerative braking (seen watching the guage through frosty eyes ). It was also clear (because I did not have the charger on overnight and I could see from the reading before I started off that there had been a draw on the batteries) that their new heater had automatically kicked in, as it should have. When I got back the batteries recharged to full as usual.
If I've understood this right this should offer some reassurance about using Tramper which have lithium batteries in freezing temperatures once you have their add-on fitted.
Oh yeah, technically it's not a battery warmer as it's to stop the battery from freezing, not warm it up once it has. I think that that's an important point?
Fivo, 3 Muddy Wheel's Editor's dog, on the footplate of the Tramper TWS
Mental Health Can Be A Ball 16 January 2022
Beamer, who hand-build the Tramper and Tramper TWS to order, are very accommodating with adding to and adapting their off-road mobility scooters and I remember them telling me that they had made a scooter mounted holster for an owner's ball lobber. Mobility scooters are as much about improving mental health as they are about mobility, and being able to have a dog, and keep it entertained and exercised, can be good for the dog's owner as well as the dog.
Rempap, the charity that, through engineering and electronics, find solutions for individuals specific disability problems, also recognised this when they made a wheelchair mounted ball thrower for a lady.
I found a solution for taking my dog with me on scoots by opting for footplate extensions to my Tramper TWS, these are good for me being long-legged and good for my ageing Jack Russell, who then has the rest of the footplate to have a waterproof wheelchair cushion to sit on. I also opted for dual controls for the throttles, these give my hands a rest, and mean that when my dog wants to walk on either side I can use the opposite throttle, freeing the hand that may need to hold her lead.
Whether through Beamer, who can also fit a dog hitch to their scooters, or Remap, or by other means, I hope that you can keep on dog walking, if that's your enjoyment.
Beamer, who hand-build the Tramper and Tramper TWS to order, are very accommodating with adding to and adapting their off-road mobility scooters and I remember them telling me that they had made a scooter mounted holster for an owner's ball lobber. Mobility scooters are as much about improving mental health as they are about mobility, and being able to have a dog, and keep it entertained and exercised, can be good for the dog's owner as well as the dog.
Rempap, the charity that, through engineering and electronics, find solutions for individuals specific disability problems, also recognised this when they made a wheelchair mounted ball thrower for a lady.
I found a solution for taking my dog with me on scoots by opting for footplate extensions to my Tramper TWS, these are good for me being long-legged and good for my ageing Jack Russell, who then has the rest of the footplate to have a waterproof wheelchair cushion to sit on. I also opted for dual controls for the throttles, these give my hands a rest, and mean that when my dog wants to walk on either side I can use the opposite throttle, freeing the hand that may need to hold her lead.
Whether through Beamer, who can also fit a dog hitch to their scooters, or Remap, or by other means, I hope that you can keep on dog walking, if that's your enjoyment.
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Update: New Tramper TWS Video - Down In The Woods 13 January 2021
I'm getting more of a grip on the GoPro 10 workings so re-shot riding the Tramper TWS in the woods. I've now done about 500 miles on my Tramper TWS and it's performing brilliantly. I've got the new lithium battery cold weather protection that cuts in when its at risk of freezing, and I'm really glad that I had the throttle grips changed to Oxford heated ones, bliss! The suspension, at its softest setting, combined with the ergonomic seat that I kept from a Mini Crosser, is working really well to make longer, or rougher, scoots more manageable with my back injury. The hybrid tyres are ideal given that I do a mixture of road and woodland scoots, giving enough grip for going through wet mud, but smooth enough not to make road trips an ordeal. See more 3 Muddy Wheels videos here. |
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An Eye On Eype 05 January 2022
The road down to the car park at Eype beach isn't great (not the holiday park where you can hire a Tramper - that's good), and though at the time of writing it does form part of one of the permitted Countryside Mobility routes I don't recommend it, for a lot of the way it's not even wide enough for a mobility scooter and car to pass side-by-side. That said from the private car park it does afford spectacular views, so maybe afterwards, until the car park is built on (it has had planning permission for a few years now), you may like to drive down after your scoot to West Bay and take in sunset (just be careful of the eroding cliff edge that is the car park!).
The road down to the car park at Eype beach isn't great (not the holiday park where you can hire a Tramper - that's good), and though at the time of writing it does form part of one of the permitted Countryside Mobility routes I don't recommend it, for a lot of the way it's not even wide enough for a mobility scooter and car to pass side-by-side. That said from the private car park it does afford spectacular views, so maybe afterwards, until the car park is built on (it has had planning permission for a few years now), you may like to drive down after your scoot to West Bay and take in sunset (just be careful of the eroding cliff edge that is the car park!).
Tramping Down To the Jurassic Coast - One Old Fossil Visits Other Old Fossils.. Tuesday 04 January 2022
I went to Highland's End Holiday Park at Eype, in Dorset, today, to hire another Tramper, having already been to Hardy's woods, just 30 minutes distant. The holiday park overlooks both Eype and West Bay, and is in the heart of the famous Jurassic coastline, a world Heritage site, and popular with fossil hunters. However beware, the cliffs are very unstable, and just last November (2021) a major collapse happened, as can be seen in one of the photographs (with people sitting there!). West Bay is also famous for being a location of the popular TV series Broadchurch.
I went to Highland's End Holiday Park at Eype, in Dorset, today, to hire another Tramper, having already been to Hardy's woods, just 30 minutes distant. The holiday park overlooks both Eype and West Bay, and is in the heart of the famous Jurassic coastline, a world Heritage site, and popular with fossil hunters. However beware, the cliffs are very unstable, and just last November (2021) a major collapse happened, as can be seen in one of the photographs (with people sitting there!). West Bay is also famous for being a location of the popular TV series Broadchurch.
Through The Woods To Hardy's Cottage Tuesday 04 January 2022
On the 2nd June 1840 Thomas Hardy was born in a small thatched cottage, originally built by his grandfather, in Thorncombe Wood near Dorchester, Dorset. In 1872, he returned there after a 5 year absence living in London. So it was at the cottage that he wrote 'Under The Greenwood Tree', and 'Far From The Madding Crowd'. The cottage itself is now owned by the National Trust. This week I hired one of Countryside Mobility's Trampers from the Visitor Centre near to the cottage, the visitor centre and the woods are now owned by Dorset County Council, and I took it through the woods to the cottage. I knew ahead of time that the cottage would sadly be closed until the spring, but I'd been inside before, and this time just wanted to explore the woods, and see the outside of the cottage again. The route around the woods was often muddy, in one place impassable, but still very enjoyable, especially around the pond, where there is an attractive bench, a good spot to have a picnic. The Visitor Centre has a very good cafe, and loos. Thomas Hardy, having found financial as well as literary success, later moved to Max Gate, a house built by his brother for him, just 3 miles distant, that is also now owned by the National Trust, it can't be reached by the Tramper, but is also worth a visit.
On the 2nd June 1840 Thomas Hardy was born in a small thatched cottage, originally built by his grandfather, in Thorncombe Wood near Dorchester, Dorset. In 1872, he returned there after a 5 year absence living in London. So it was at the cottage that he wrote 'Under The Greenwood Tree', and 'Far From The Madding Crowd'. The cottage itself is now owned by the National Trust. This week I hired one of Countryside Mobility's Trampers from the Visitor Centre near to the cottage, the visitor centre and the woods are now owned by Dorset County Council, and I took it through the woods to the cottage. I knew ahead of time that the cottage would sadly be closed until the spring, but I'd been inside before, and this time just wanted to explore the woods, and see the outside of the cottage again. The route around the woods was often muddy, in one place impassable, but still very enjoyable, especially around the pond, where there is an attractive bench, a good spot to have a picnic. The Visitor Centre has a very good cafe, and loos. Thomas Hardy, having found financial as well as literary success, later moved to Max Gate, a house built by his brother for him, just 3 miles distant, that is also now owned by the National Trust, it can't be reached by the Tramper, but is also worth a visit.
Imber Scooting Wed 29 Dec 2021
Imber Scooting Wed 29 Dec 2021
The roads through Imber village, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, opened this morning until Monday morning, so I headed off there hoping that the weather would improve, it didn't. It was still a great trip on the scooter though, about a 14 mile round trip from the centre of Warminster. If you are going to do it when it's rained heavily be aware that there's likely to be a 6 inch deep flooded section of the road, and there's a steep climb out of the town, otherwise apart from a few pot holes, where tanks have chewed things up, it's a good road.
Imber was taken over, with only a few days notice, during the Second World War, the villagers expected to be allowed back after the war, but they were only allowed back to be buried in the grounds of the one building that's still open, occasionally, St Giles Church.
A few other other original buildings remain, the pub, Imber Court, and a few houses, including a farmhouse, the other buildings have gone up since, for urban warfare training. Imber sits in the heart of England's largest military training ground, occupying as it does, most of Salisbury Plain.
The roads through Imber village, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, opened this morning until Monday morning, so I headed off there hoping that the weather would improve, it didn't. It was still a great trip on the scooter though, about a 14 mile round trip from the centre of Warminster. If you are going to do it when it's rained heavily be aware that there's likely to be a 6 inch deep flooded section of the road, and there's a steep climb out of the town, otherwise apart from a few pot holes, where tanks have chewed things up, it's a good road.
Imber was taken over, with only a few days notice, during the Second World War, the villagers expected to be allowed back after the war, but they were only allowed back to be buried in the grounds of the one building that's still open, occasionally, St Giles Church.
A few other other original buildings remain, the pub, Imber Court, and a few houses, including a farmhouse, the other buildings have gone up since, for urban warfare training. Imber sits in the heart of England's largest military training ground, occupying as it does, most of Salisbury Plain.
view from train
Rail Accident Investigation Branch Says Rail Crossing Alert Time Too Short For Disabled Monday 27 December 2021
The RAIB has decided that a 40 second warning of a train coming was too short by a full minute for mobility scooter users to cross a railwayline safely. This follow an incident where a disabled man survived a train sideswiping the very back of his mobility scooter, fortunately he was not injured. Read more here.
The RAIB has decided that a 40 second warning of a train coming was too short by a full minute for mobility scooter users to cross a railwayline safely. This follow an incident where a disabled man survived a train sideswiping the very back of his mobility scooter, fortunately he was not injured. Read more here.
Scoozy
Scoozy, Is There Room For A Joystick? 24 December 2021
TGA have added to their off-road mobility scooter line-up with a rare joystick operated one, the Scoozy, built by Scoozy, in the Netherlands. Mini Crosser are the only other mainstream off-road mobility scooter company that offers one, the X-Joy, which is basically the X2 with the tiller cut off. The Boma 7 is also available with a joystick, though that's more an off-road wheelchair. The TGA Scoozy is set up for on-road and pavement use as well, having lights, and indicator, horn, wing mirror, and necessarily a switch limiting it to 4mph, for pavements and 8mph for roads.
Given the number of people who regret their mobility scooter purchase because they struggle with steering there is certainly a place for joystick options for mobility scooters, off-road and otherwise. But the compromise is that the Scoozy is more expensive than a comparable machine, at £8,995; is a less capable machine off-road, capable of just 10°/1:5.67/17.6% inclines, as opposed to their Supersport and Breeze, 12°/1:4.7/21%, which are not even the class leaders. The Supersport and Breeze S4 are £4,000 cheaper than the Scoozy. However the suggested range of the Scoozy, at 60 miles is twice that of either the Breeze S4 or Supersport, because it has lithium batteries, which explains maybe £2,000 of the price difference. Scoozy also only has 4 inches of ground clearance, the Breeze S4 and Supersport, have 5 inches of ground clearance, whilst the four wheeled Tramper has 6.5 inches.
Having tried all of the off-road mobility scooters suggested here on Disabled Rambling I'm settled, maybe, on my Tramper TWS with its own lithium batteries, so I'm not expecting to see the Scoozy as an alternative replacement in any situation off-road, but I do like the joystick on my wheelchair, and if I ever needed one on a mobility scooter with mild off-road capability I would be considering the Scoozy.
TGA have added to their off-road mobility scooter line-up with a rare joystick operated one, the Scoozy, built by Scoozy, in the Netherlands. Mini Crosser are the only other mainstream off-road mobility scooter company that offers one, the X-Joy, which is basically the X2 with the tiller cut off. The Boma 7 is also available with a joystick, though that's more an off-road wheelchair. The TGA Scoozy is set up for on-road and pavement use as well, having lights, and indicator, horn, wing mirror, and necessarily a switch limiting it to 4mph, for pavements and 8mph for roads.
Given the number of people who regret their mobility scooter purchase because they struggle with steering there is certainly a place for joystick options for mobility scooters, off-road and otherwise. But the compromise is that the Scoozy is more expensive than a comparable machine, at £8,995; is a less capable machine off-road, capable of just 10°/1:5.67/17.6% inclines, as opposed to their Supersport and Breeze, 12°/1:4.7/21%, which are not even the class leaders. The Supersport and Breeze S4 are £4,000 cheaper than the Scoozy. However the suggested range of the Scoozy, at 60 miles is twice that of either the Breeze S4 or Supersport, because it has lithium batteries, which explains maybe £2,000 of the price difference. Scoozy also only has 4 inches of ground clearance, the Breeze S4 and Supersport, have 5 inches of ground clearance, whilst the four wheeled Tramper has 6.5 inches.
Having tried all of the off-road mobility scooters suggested here on Disabled Rambling I'm settled, maybe, on my Tramper TWS with its own lithium batteries, so I'm not expecting to see the Scoozy as an alternative replacement in any situation off-road, but I do like the joystick on my wheelchair, and if I ever needed one on a mobility scooter with mild off-road capability I would be considering the Scoozy.
Risking Hypothermia 22 December 2021
Just a warning from this voice of recovering over-confidence about the dangers of cold weather.
I went out at about 2pm yesterday, the temperature was already starting to drop, but I had several layers on, thermal trousers and boots, good gloves, and I even have heated throttles on my Tramper TWS! So I thought that I would be OK, and 4 hours later I still thought that I was OK, until I got home. No it wasn't my dear wife that initially pointed out that I'd been pushing my luck (again), but when I went indoors. I immediately felt very cold, despite being in a warm home, fell asleep, woke for a bit, still cold, even leant against a radiator, and was still cold 3 hours later when I fell asleep for the night. Usually I don't particularly feel the cold, and I hadn't for the last couple of hours I was out, but hypothermia had crept up on me. When the body has got beyond the stage of shivering and feeling the cold, and yet the ambient temperature is very low, you may have hypothermia. I know that now, but didn't before. So please take care as we enter winter. I'm feeling duffed up, but recovering, fortunately for me hot drinks, baklava (chocolate will do, its sugar that helps), and an electric blanket, helped me recover (don't use alcohol, it worsens it, nor hot baths, gradual rewarming is needed, but really you need to attend AandE, or phone for an ambulance, hypothermia is easily a killer).
Update: Since then I've bought an heated waistcoat, don't give up, find a way of carrying on.
Just a warning from this voice of recovering over-confidence about the dangers of cold weather.
I went out at about 2pm yesterday, the temperature was already starting to drop, but I had several layers on, thermal trousers and boots, good gloves, and I even have heated throttles on my Tramper TWS! So I thought that I would be OK, and 4 hours later I still thought that I was OK, until I got home. No it wasn't my dear wife that initially pointed out that I'd been pushing my luck (again), but when I went indoors. I immediately felt very cold, despite being in a warm home, fell asleep, woke for a bit, still cold, even leant against a radiator, and was still cold 3 hours later when I fell asleep for the night. Usually I don't particularly feel the cold, and I hadn't for the last couple of hours I was out, but hypothermia had crept up on me. When the body has got beyond the stage of shivering and feeling the cold, and yet the ambient temperature is very low, you may have hypothermia. I know that now, but didn't before. So please take care as we enter winter. I'm feeling duffed up, but recovering, fortunately for me hot drinks, baklava (chocolate will do, its sugar that helps), and an electric blanket, helped me recover (don't use alcohol, it worsens it, nor hot baths, gradual rewarming is needed, but really you need to attend AandE, or phone for an ambulance, hypothermia is easily a killer).
Update: Since then I've bought an heated waistcoat, don't give up, find a way of carrying on.
TWS Tramper
Lithium Battery Costs Go Through The Roof 17 Dec 2021
I've ridden my Tramper TWS for a few hundred miles now, the furthest was in the summer when I rode 39 miles without recharging, and I still had 35% left in the batteries, in the winter I reckon it's good for 40 miles, but that's on lithium batteries. In August 2021 I paid £1370 for the upgrade to lithium batteries for my new Tramper TWS, Beamer, the engineering company that makes Tramper, are now quoting £1940. Wow!
So are lithium batteries, when your mobility scooter can accept them, worth it? Well it depends on your type of scooting, and whether you can afford the upfront cost. If you only ever do short journeys, say up to 2/3rds of the claimed range of your scooter with new standard batteries, then probably not, and of course if you aren't able the huge upfront cost then no. However through unfortunate circumstances, my mum died and left me some money, I could afford to go all out on having a TWS and wanted to use it long-range. Also whilst the upfront cost is huge lithium batteries used in the TWS over the years seem to be worth it, I have recently heard from two such owners with 5 year old TWS scooters who are still getting 40 miles from their lithiums! Given that bog standard batteries can pack in within a year, and obviously not take you anywhere near as far on a charge, maybe 30 miles when new rather than 50 with new lithiums, that's maybe worth it.
Of course lithium batteries, like most things have been hit with supply inflation that may retract, only time will tell.
I've ridden my Tramper TWS for a few hundred miles now, the furthest was in the summer when I rode 39 miles without recharging, and I still had 35% left in the batteries, in the winter I reckon it's good for 40 miles, but that's on lithium batteries. In August 2021 I paid £1370 for the upgrade to lithium batteries for my new Tramper TWS, Beamer, the engineering company that makes Tramper, are now quoting £1940. Wow!
So are lithium batteries, when your mobility scooter can accept them, worth it? Well it depends on your type of scooting, and whether you can afford the upfront cost. If you only ever do short journeys, say up to 2/3rds of the claimed range of your scooter with new standard batteries, then probably not, and of course if you aren't able the huge upfront cost then no. However through unfortunate circumstances, my mum died and left me some money, I could afford to go all out on having a TWS and wanted to use it long-range. Also whilst the upfront cost is huge lithium batteries used in the TWS over the years seem to be worth it, I have recently heard from two such owners with 5 year old TWS scooters who are still getting 40 miles from their lithiums! Given that bog standard batteries can pack in within a year, and obviously not take you anywhere near as far on a charge, maybe 30 miles when new rather than 50 with new lithiums, that's maybe worth it.
Of course lithium batteries, like most things have been hit with supply inflation that may retract, only time will tell.
