I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I have been a lurker here for several years. I have learned an enormous amount from this form and the website. Now, it is time to become a member and contribute, rather than just consume the knowledge of others. I will certainly have questions to pose as well.
I was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease 4 years ago and have been using a power wheelchair for a bit more than 3 years. My torso and all four limbs are affected, so I rely on a power wheelchair. My ability to type is affected, so I will apologize in advance for all the typos I will make going forward:).
I like to spend as much time outside as I can. I like riding on our local bike paths and trails. There is a wonderful bus system where I live and it is easy to catch the bus and take it to the base of our ski area. There, I can ride the gondola to the top and then ride the wheelchair down several dirt double track trails. It is a wonderful way for me to get out and enjoy life.
I ski in the winters with an adaptive ski program. I use a biski with fixed outriggers. You can take a look at me skiing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hpUwgXxauA We were going over 50 miles per hour on some of the stretches:).
Along the way, I have developed a bit of a passion for wheelchairs and currently have four of them:
1. Permobil C500s VS. This is the vertical stander version of the C500 front wheel drive wheelchair with the high speed "motors" (actually, just different gearing). It was my first wheelchair and was purchased through insurance. It suits my needs very well. I have found that it is very expensive to operate, requiring new motors about every 800 miles. It currently has about 2300 miles on it and I am in the process of getting the 5th set (including the ones that were originally on the chair). I ride the chair hard, but am careful not to abuse it. I love the chair.
2. Permobil C500 Corpus 3G. I quickly realized I needed a very capable backup wheelchair, so purchased a used C500. This one is not a stander and does not have the high speed motors. I find that its corpus 3G seat does not support me as well as the VS seat on my other C500. Still, this is a wonderful wheelchair and has served me very, very well as a backup.
3. Magic Mobility X4. This four wheel drive wheelchair came on the market suddenly as I was purchasing my backup C500. It was a derelict purchased from craigslist. My friend and I spent a few months getting it into working order and it now does most things pretty darned well. I live in the mountains of Colorado and having a 4x4 wheelchair to ride the trails and explore in the winter has been absolutely wonderful. It is slow, has limited range, bogs down and overheats, and is "interesting' to steer (especially in reverse). And. I absolutely love the thing. I am seriously considering building up a set of lithium batteries for this wheelchair.
4. Permobil C350 Corpus 3G. I have read reports from many long-term wheelchair users stating they prefer rear wheel drive. So, when I found this lightly-used rear wheel drive chair I bought it. It had been languishing at a charity-based health thrift store and was way more expensive than the items they typically sold. They were thankful I bought it and I was very glad to have it. My friend and I spent quite a bit of time changing out parts so it would fit me. It came with a head array and omni controller (which I expect to eventually use as my disease progresses). It was quite a learning experience to get it working just the way I want it. Along the way, we swapped out the manual seat post for a power elevating one. I sure learned a lot doing that.
Steve