Thanks for posting this.
I have been using a Swedish made Volaris walker which performs nicely on almost any surface, excepting snow, including hiking trails. The Trionic however appears to be able to handle snow, overall appears to be even sturdier, and might be an appropriate upgrade to the Volaris.
I need a rollator for guidance, not for support. Can you tell me if the Trionic allows one to walk standing between the handles? The Volaris has this feature and allows me to walk without compromising my posture.
Thanks
Trionic veloped: first impressions.
I bought a large Trionic Veloped trek after seeing this post. I live in Canada and it arrived from Sweden within 5 days of placing the order. It comes completely assembled; you only have to click the removable wheels in place.
I was using a Volaris walker, Swedish made, and high quality but not a stable as the Trionic in the wet and on windy days or on down or side slopes. The Trionic is a beast, about twice the weight of the Volaris (and twice the price).
I have used it for several consecutive days now in town and on trails. It is more stable that the Volaris as one might expect and therefore a good purchase for me as I do not want to be confined by the weather nor do I wish to feel as if I have to fight the unit to stay upright. I find that I expend less energy using the Trionic.
The suspension, inflatable tires, and brakes all perform as well or better than the Volaris but in practical use I find this is all marginal and it is probably the weight of the unit that makes it more stable. The hand grips on the Trionic are comfortable and vastly superior to the Volaris.
There is one design flaw; the right front wheel is extends too far back if you have a longer stride and will come into contact with the front of your foot. Alarming at first but I raised the handlebars higher than normal and can walk slightly behind the unit, not within it, without compromising my posture or gait. It also lack a means to secure the two halves when folded for lifting into a car. The Volaris has a simple fabric bank with a click fastener which does the trick. Hopefully Trionic will address both of these issues with future models.
I also dislike the fact that they do not disclose the country of manufacture. It says âdesigned in Swedenâ which usually means âbuilt in a sweat shopâ. I wish companies would be transparent in their advertising. Nevertheless the build quality is superb and the unit is very robust.
I would recommend that anyone who wishes to do serious walking, or just needs more confidence around town, consider this unit.
I made enquiries myself about the Trionic Rollator, I live in the UK and was told it could be shipped free from Sweden.
Itâs interesting to read your comment about âstride, and the wheelâ. I read a similar comment on a Facebook Ataxia Support Group, and the person was looking for an extra wide rollator as a replacement.
Currently, the rollator I use is called âletâs go outâ by Trust. Itâs very lightweight, and was adequate for safe use a few years ago when I bought it, but now I feel something more robust would be safer, and give me more confidence.
But the stumbling block for me is, Iâd like to âtry before I buyââŚThere is a stockist in this country but theyâre several hundred miles away.
Hi Beryl,
I like to âtry before I buy as wellâ but unfortunately all of the rollators I have seen in local retailers are little more than junk. You are lucky if you have a stockist in your country but more likely they are sales subsidiary only and do not keep inventory hence all units are shipped from Sweden.
I took an online look at the rollator you are using (funny all of the good ones seem to be made or designed in Sweden) and it appears to be very like the Swedish made Volaris that I am replacing the Trionic with. Overall the Volaris is more manageable that the Trionic. Itâs great virtue is that it is much more stable, probably due to itâs weight, than the Volaris. The Volaris will remain in the trunk of my car for navigating short distances where I need guidance to remain upright. The Trionic lives in the garage and is used for long walks. I find it much more stable in wet weather, on windy days, inclines and side slopes than the Volaris.
I neglected to mention that the Trionic has another problem. When the four wheels are down for town use it does not regain its directional line during and after turns without some effort particularly if you do a sharp 180 degree turn. It also takes some effort to get it in the trunk of a car, unless you remove the wheels first, due to its shape and weight.
Having said all of that I donât regret my purchase, I just wish that the product was better designed. If you lack confidence walking with your current rollator, and can overlook the quirks of the Trionic, there may be nothing better on the market at present.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Dennis
Trionic Update
I hope my last post did not prevent anyone from considering this product. I incorrectly mentioned that the âfour wheels downâ mode was for in town use whereas it is for hiking. Their is no problem with regaining directional line in three wheel mode and when covering rough terrain it is likely less of a problem in four wheel mode.
I cannot detect any loss of stability in three wheel mode and walked several km. today in high winds some through town and some through groomed trails. The wind was strong enough to stop me briefly in my tracks during heavy gusts but at no time did I feel any loss of stability.
I see on Trionicâs website that they also make a conventional 4 wheel rollator however it appears to be much more robust than any other on the market and also has independent front wheel suspension.
I do love my Veloped but I do have a concern My ataxia is in motion. It slowly get worse, despite my efforts, A Veloped is about $1200 , dollars and worth it, but if your ataxia is progressive then itâs useful life is limited. Sad but true.
It is actually the price that puts me off the rollator, and of course my own ataxia is worsening. My hopes were that if my rollator was more stable, it would give confidence, encourage me to walk outside regularly, leading to strengthening my muscles.
The veloped is not inexpensive but it does provide excellent stability.
As we know the progression of ataxia is uncertain and variable. I was diagnosed 5 years ago at age 70, when my balance became problematic. Genetic testing ruled our Friederichs so I am left with idiopathic very late onset ataxia likely caused by a recessive gene (I had indications since I was young that all was not right however I was athletic, able to do anything I wanted without restriction, and never thought to have it investigated).
I have experienced very little progression since onset which I attribute to lifting weights and walking several km. per day however I could be wrong. It may be that late onset
is not as aggressive as early onset. I donât take my slow progression for granted however as my original mobility problems came on quickly and could change quickly again.
I just consider myself lucky that I am able to exercise strenuously although I do miss running, playing tennis and squash, cross country skiing and other sports.
The rate of progression is uncertain for most of us, itâs very heartening to learn you can still lead a somewhat active life. My own symptoms became problematic in my mid 40s, prior to that I led a normal life. although from childhood I experienced odd sensations that eventually came to a head in my 40s.
At the moment, I feel as though keeping as active as possible is the best way forward