The Trekinetic GTE Mark II is a highly customisable powerchair designed with the adventurer in mind. This family run company, who design and build the wheelchairs themselves, are passionate about creating wheelchairs that use cutting edge design elements (by former Formula 1 engineer Mike Spindle, no less!) to allow wheelchair users to access areas previously unattainable in a typical wheelchair.
Trekinetic recognise the challenges of having more than one wheelchair. Finances, storage space and the need to be able to tackle a variety of surface areas in a single outing, mean that, for many, having two different wheelchairs isn’t a feasible option. As a result, Trekinetic’s wheelchairs have been designed as all-terrain, rather than off road, wheelchairs.
Specification
The Trekinetic GTE is a highly customisable all-terrain powerchair. Being manufactured by hand in Trekinetic’s own workshop, the GTE can be configured to an individual’s clinical and social needs.
This 34kg (including batteries) front wheel drive powerchair has a variable wheel camber, rear shock absorber and retractable arm rests. It’s 24V 120W power is located in each of the front 24 inch wheels, giving a speed of up to 6km/h.
The Trekinetic GTE has a Nickel Metal Hydride battery as standard, making it suitable for air travel. The estimated battery life of the Trekinetic GTE is 3-4 hours. This will vary, depending on the terrain. On returning home from our 2 hour adventure, the battery level was at 35%. If you feel that this isn’t going to be enough, you can purchase additional batteries. It’s worth noting that the battery is located at the back of the GTE. We had to get down on all fours and wedge the battery compartment open to remove the battery for charging. As a result, changing the battery while out and about won’t be possible for everyone.
As an upgrade, Trekinetic offer a Lithium Ion battery that gives a greater range. It’s worth noting that this is bigger and heavier than their Nickel Metal Hydride battery. As a result, a GTE with Lithium Ion battery will fold down a little bigger than it would with the Nickel Metal Hydride version. It’s also worth bearing in mind that some airlines restrict the ability to fly with Li-ion batteries. If your adventures include flying to other countries this is an important consideration.
Driving
The first thing to note with the Trekinetic GTE is that the centre of gravity point is very different to any other wheelchair on the market. To give this wheelchair optimal stability in off road situations, a rear wheel bias system, a F1 element, has been implemented. Effectively, this makes the wheelchair more likely to tip forwards than it is backwards. This took a little getting used to, having come from a ‘tippy’ active user wheelchair. We’ll talk more on this when we come to discuss the GTE’s seating.
With the GTE’s centre of gravity making the front of the chair tippy, we found reaching down to pick up an active toddler and all of the random toddler stuff that fell on the floor challenging and rather precarious at times. Granted, parents aren’t necessarily Trekinetic’s target market.
We wanted to test out the Trekinetic’s everyday and off road claims, so started by headed down to the GP surgery. For context, this is a surgery that is too small to access the consultation rooms with a small, portable mobility scooter.
Moving around the surgery was easy, including the small play area. Notably easier than with the Invacare Fox powerchair, which we have recently reviewed (check out our Invacare Fox review for more on this). The three wheeled design came into its element when accessing the consultation room – there was just enough space to get in and close the door. Had this wheelchair been designed with the standard four wheels set up, there wouldn’t have been enough space to shut the door.
We then popped to the supermarket. Having no space in my bag, which attached conveniently to the handle bars, I precariously balanced two yoghurts on my lap and headed home. This is where I noticed the Trekinetic GTE’s off road level suspension being useful in everyday life. Those precariously balanced yoghurts stayed on my lap where, had I been using my active user wheelchair, they would have fallen off (several times!).
When it came to testing out the Trekinetic’s off road-ing abilities, we headed to our local park. This has a poorly maintained pavement, a large grassy area and a children’s play park constructed on sand.
The Trekinetic GTE handled the grass and pavement easily. While at times it felt a little bumpy, this wheelchair handled the terrain with ease. I felt safe and was confident in the GTE’s ability to tackle uneven ground. In particular, I noticed how easily the Trekinetic was able to move from the pavement to the grass, which is separated by a small concrete lip.
We then headed to the sand park, a particular favourite of ours. The sand was dry and fine. While there is adequate space to manoeuvre around and between the different apparatus, when there are children playing a tighter turning circle is needed. With standard tires, the GTE was able to move well in a straight line and with small changes in direction. When attempting a particularly turn, the single wheel at the back of the GTE got stuck. Regular readers will know that we like to push the wheelchairs we test out to their limit and this was one of these instances. While the standard back wheel didn’t perform brilliantly in a sharp turn, Trekinetic have 3 inch tyres available as an option. With their larger surface area, these are better placed to tackle more challenging sandy areas.
While out and about, particularly in everyday situations, we noticed that the footplate scraped against the ground as we mounted dropped curbs. On closer inspection, we found that the footplate of the Trekinetic GTE, when in it’s more upright position, was closer to the ground than that of our Kuschall K-Series. This is partly out of necessity – the footplate acts as an anti-tip mechanism, complete with two small wheels on either corner. The footplate can be raised safely by reclining the chair. We say safely because reclining the GTE moves the centre of gravity further back, making it even less likely for the user to need the use of the anti-tip.
Seating
The Trekinetic GTE has a carbon fibre seating ‘pod’ that is available in 2 sizes, 16 inch and 19 inch. These can be customised with a variety of cushioning, lining and other support options. Getting the correct postural support in any wheelchair is important. Particularly when you want to tackle rough terrain.
Along with the customisable seating, Trekinetic offers two headrest options as standard. One supports the back of the head, the other the back of the neck. Again, should you need it, Trekinetic is able to work with you to produce a customised headrest for your clinical needs. Previously, they have incorporated controls in a custom headrest for a client who was unable to use a joystick.
As standard, the Trekinetic GTE has a slightly reclined seat. This further stabilises and distributes the user’s body weight evenly across all three wheels, giving higher levels of traction. This can be further reclined depending on terrain and clinical need. In total, there are three different angles that GTE users can make use of.
We know that a reclined or partly reclined seat isn’t suitable for everyone. In addition to adding a headrest for those who need additional support to sit in this position, Trekinetic are able to work with each individual to create their ideal seating set up. Just be aware that if your clinical needs mean that you need to be particularly vertical (more than the GTE’s most upright position), you will lose some of the chair’s stability. It’s designed with specific angles and weight distribution in mind, so if you need particularly upright seating, an all terrain wheelchair might not be the right choice for you. Initially, we found the seating angle counter intuitive, coming from an upright active user wheelchair. We got used to it fairly quickly and would definitely have benefitted from a headrest.
For off road-ing, those clever people at Trekinetic, have designed their shock absorber with a second purpose – a tilt in space mechanism. This allows the user to recline the Trekinetic seat further, raising the footplate to avoid all the lumps and bumps that come with off road-ing, and giving the GTE additional traction and stability. All the things you want when heading off the beaten path.
Controllers
The standard Trekinetic GTE controller has 5 speed options, a USB charging point and a user-friendly joystick. The controller display is larger than standard, which makes it a great option for those with reduced vision. The joystick was comfortable to use. It’s grippy texture makes it easy to control with minimal exertion. Great for those who find gripping a joystick difficult. The standard joystick also offers different levels of sensitivity.
Options
The Trekinetic GTE has lots of options available as standard, including your choice of colour for the seat ‘pod’. At the trekinetic workshop, they are able to match almost any colour, allowing users to personalise the visual aspect of their wheelchair.
There are also a number of additional options available with the GTE. A locking and retracting footplate, moves the footplate out of the way for easier transfers. A raised footplate is also available, if you’ve got short legs like editor Tania. Folding handlebars allow the chair to fold down smaller for those who wish to take their wheelchair travelling. There is also an option for handlebar extensions, allowing the chair to be pushed manually by an attendant. On this note, an attendant joystick is also available. For those who want a little more support from their cushion, a foam cushion upgrade is possible.
With the raised footplate and Trekinetic’s Hyperforma seat insert, the GTE makes a great wheelchair for children – allowing them to take part in more activities than a standard wheelchair can. Trekinetic use the same sized ‘pod’ and as a child grows, the Hyperforma inserts can be changed. This offers optimal seating and makes the GTE value for money that you don’t get in the same way from a standard child’s wheelchair.
If you’re planning on lots of off roading, a spare tyre and battery may be right up your street, as well as Trekinetic’s safari kit (spare rear wheel and puncture repair kit). These give peace of mind that whatever your adventures bring, you have the tools you need at your disposal.
As well as a choice of tyres for your Trekinetic wheelchair, you can opt for heavy duty inner tubes, puncture sealant, lap belt, attendant breaks and much more!
Price and Conclusion
Starting at £9,795, the Trekinetic GTE Mark II is an investment. As such, we would highly recommend working with Trekinetic and your local dealer to create a bespoke chair that is suitable for your needs and lifestyle.
As well as changing the battery, there are a few other elements of the Trekinetic GTE that users may find difficult to use independently. The Varicam system, which changes the camber of the Trekinetic’s wheels, is located underneath the seat. This requires the user to be out of the wheelchair to change the camber angle. This isn’t always practical. We found that we needed the wheels set with no camber to be able to get in and out of our slim doorway. Which meant that changing the camber had to be done out and about, which wasn’t very practical. Saying this, there is no other wheelchair that has the ability to change the camber of the wheels in this way.
Similarly, we found reaching the tilt in space mechanism a little awkward to reach when sitting in the GTE.
Located at the back of the wheelchair, means that not everyone is going to be able to access the tilt in space independently. As with the Varicam system, this feature still gives the user options. For those who are using it independently and are not able to make the adjustment themselves, setting the GTE up to the most appropriate posture position for your activity, before sitting in the wheelchair, may be the best option. Alternatively, using the GTE on the half way reclined setting can be a good way of getting the best of both worlds.
It’s important to remember that the Trekinetic GTE is highly customisable wheelchair. If there’s an element of this chair that you want, but can’t use independently as standard, have a chat to the brilliant people at Trekinetic before ruling this wheelchair out. One of the things we love about Trekinetic as a company is their passion for improving access for wheelchair users through chair design and functionality. They may be able to customise that element for your specific needs, so you can use it independently. When you’re looking at this level of investment in a wheelchair, it’s worth paying a little extra to make the chair perfect for your needs.
As standard, the Trekinetic GTE is a great chair for those with lower clinical needs, who want to explore their surroundings more than a standard wheelchair will allow. With the right seating setup and headrest, we can see it being a good option for those with higher clinical needs too.
Transporting the GTE is easier than many powerchairs. Folded and with the wheels removed, it can fit into a larger car with the help of a hoist or two people to lift it. This makes adventures even more accessible!
Head to trekinetic.com to find out more about the options available, contact the team and book a demo!
