HIGH-TECH WHEELCHAIRS OFF BEATEN PATH; NEW INDUSTRY PATIENTLY AWAITS OFF-ROAD BOOM.

Byline: MARK LANGTON Cycling

The mountain bike revolutionized the cycling industry and changed the face of the sport by introducing hordes of new disciples, but its most worthwhile contribution may be to the field of adaptive recreation.

In the early '90s, designer and inventor John Castellano of Petaluma fabricated a wheelchair for a disabled friend that was part mountain bike, part go-cart. The Cobra off-road wheelchair featured a chassis with four-wheel disc brakes and a unique steering mechanism that allowed the rider to steer the chair much like an all-terrain vehicle.

Despite early success, Castellano's dream of mass producing his 4WD wheelchair was met with formidable hurdles.

``There just aren't enough people demanding this product to make the economy of scale viable,'' Castellano said. ``The market is very small, and those people who do want one don't always have a lot of money.''

While technology exists to mass produce off-road chairs, demand is low and even an inexpensive chair costs around $2,500.

``The reason that a full-suspension mountain bike costs $1,000 is that they're going to sell 25,000 of them. We'll sell maybe 25 or 30 wheelchairs this year, so it's all volume,'' explained Michael Whiting of Denver-based Wildernet, one of only two companies producing off-road chairs.

Wildernet's Phoenix 3 features fully independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and sophisticated aluminum I-beam frame technology. It sells for around $5,000. The Razor, at about half the cost, features a steel frame and a suspended seat and shock absorbing handlebar assembly.

But expensive, high-tech, off-road wheelchair equipment is not essential to enjoying the trails.

``The technology is irrelevant to the essence of the sport,'' Whiting said. ``It's part of the reason the sport is becoming more popular . . . but it doesn't have to be `full-suspension hydraulic downhill monster chairs' for people to ride.''

Industry insiders are confident that, like mountain biking, the demand for off-road chairs will increase as more people are exposed to the experience.

Whiting's seven-event World Off-Road Wheelchair Series is helping to do just that. This year nearly 400 people participated in the series, which included a stop at Big Bear Lake. Next year's series schedule has not been determined.

The National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) has created a class for off-road wheelchair downhill racers. Gerard Moreno of Los Angeles has been racing for nearly five years and is the current California state downhill champion.

Moreno, 41, has always been active in sports. That nearly changed 17 years ago when he become paralyzed after being shot during a robbery. But as soon as he was able, Moreno sought activities in which he could participate using a wheelchair. He discovered an Enduro ATC off-road wheelchair at an abilities exposition and began racing almost immediately.

``I used to go out with my two Siberian Huskies up to Sycamore Canyon (in the Santa Monica Mountains) and have the dogs pull me in a regular wheelchair,'' Moreno said. ``It was fun, but I took a lot of nose dives. The folks at Enduro were looking for someone to race their chair. They sent me home with one, and I've been racing ever since.''

Moreno, a member of the U.S. wheelchair fencing team that placed 12th in the saber competition at the World Championships in Germany over the summer, has made several modifications to wheelchair mountain bikes over the years. For example, he has added custom shock absorbers and an air-activated seat-height system. With the push of a button, Moreno can raise the seat for better leverage while pushing the wheels or lower it for a better center of gravity on the descents.

``Off-road chairs can go almost anywhere a mountain bike can go,'' Moreno said. Of course, he added, it helps to have a couple of mountain bikers along to tow the wheelchair and rider up the steeper hills - or a hiker or runner to push them up.

As a board member of the U.S. Adaptive Recreation Center at Bear Mountain ski resort in Big Bear Lake, Moreno witnesses the transformation of disabled people who get out on the trails with the aid of an off-road chair.

``Some people think it's unsafe, but I know the people who come up and try it, and they love it. The freedom is incredible.''

The U.S. Adaptive Recreation Center plans to purchase at least two Phoenix chairs and make them available for test rides. Also, the World Off-Road Wheelchair Series will add high-performance riding skills clinics this year.

Whiting speaks for many in the industry when he says his biggest goal is to get as many people as possible to enjoy the experience. ``A disabled person getting in an off-road chair is like an able-bodied person being able to fly.''

For more information on the World Off-Road Wheelchair Series or off-road wheelchairs in general, contact Wildernet at [phone]. The U.S. Adaptive Recreation Center can be reached at [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) GERARD MORENO

The off-road wheelchair racer is also on the U.S. wheelchair fencing team.

(2) Gerard Moreno, 41, began racing off-road wheelchairs five years ago and is the current California state downhill champion.

Tina Gerson/Daily News