♪♪
Narrator:
THEY BEGIN BY TAKING DETAILED
MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATHLETE
AS SHE SITS IN A DEMO CHAIR.
THEY MEASURE THE WIDTH
AND HEIGHT OF HER KNEES
TO DETERMINE
THE BEST SEATING POSITION.
THEY CHECK THE BALANCE POINT
TO DECIDE HOW THE REAR-WHEEL
AXLE SHOULD BE POSITIONED,
AND THEY MEASURE HER ARMS SO
PUSH RIMS CAN BE SIZED FOR HER.
THEY THEN PRODUCE
A DIGITAL DRAWING
OF THE RACING WHEELCHAIR,
COMPLETE WITH ANY EXTRAS
REQUESTED BY THE ATHLETE.
THE FABRICATOR SELECTS
THE APPROPRIATE ALUMINUM TUBING
AND CUTS IT
TO THE DESIRED LENGTH.
THIS ONE WILL BE THE MAIN TUBE
FOR THE RACING CHAIR'S FRAME.
ROLLERS CURVE THE TUBE SLIGHTLY
AT ONE END
SO THE FRAMEWORK
WILL ACCOMMODATE THE SEAT.
A PRESS THEN FLATTENS THE TUBE
QUITE A BIT.
THIS STIFFENS THE METAL
AND WILL MAKE THE RACING-CHAIR
FRAME MORE AERODYNAMIC.
HE NOW TAPES A STEERING
MECHANISM FOR THE FRONT WHEEL
ONTO THE FRAMEWORK
AND CONFIRMS THAT ITS PLACEMENT
IS EXACT BEFORE WELDING.
THIS DEVICE WILL KEEP
THE FRONT WHEEL ON AUTOPILOT,
FREEING THE RACER'S HANDS
TO PUSH THE REAR WHEELS.
THE WELDER NOW POSITIONS
THE OTHER END OF THE MAIN TUBE
PERPENDICULAR TO THE WHEEL AXLE.
HE WELDS THE AXLE
TO THE MAIN TUBE,
GIVING THE FRAMEWORK
A "T" PROFILE.
THEN, A HYDRAULIC MACHINE
BENDS AN ALUMINUM TUBE
INTO A "U" SHAPE TO MAKE
THE RACING CHAIR'S SEAT FRAME.
HE POSITIONS THE SEAT FRAME
ON THE REAR AXLE
AND DOES A FEW MORE WELDS.
FINALLY, HE INSTALLS FENDERS
ON THE WHEELS.
THE MAIN FRAMEWORK OF THIS
RACING WHEELCHAIR IS COMPLETE.
BUT TO MAKE IT LOOK FLASHY,
THEY SPRAY-PAINT IT RED.
THIS IS A POWDER COATING.
IT'S A THERMOPLASTIC PAINT
THAT'S TOUGHER
THAN THE CONVENTIONAL KIND.
NEXT, THIS MACHINE ROLLS
THE PUSH RIMS,
WHICH THE ATHLETE USES
TO PROPEL THE WHEELCHAIR.
THEY WELD ON PEGS FOR ATTACHING
THE RIMS TO THE WHEELS,
THEN GLUE A RUBBER SLEEVE
ONTO EACH RIM.
THEY WRAP IT IN TAPE TO CLAMP
THE TWO AS THE GLUE DRIES.
THE TAPE STAYS ON
UNTIL THE CHAIR IS DELIVERED
TO THE CUSTOMER.
THEY INSTALL THE REAR WHEELS
AT AN ANGLE
TO MAKE THE RACING CHAIR
MORE STABLE WHEN CORNERING.
THEY ADD PADDING
FOR THE ATHLETE'S KNEES,
THEN ASSEMBLE THE NYLON SEAT
TO THE CHAIR.
NEXT COMES THE FRONT-WHEEL
STEERING FORK AND HANDLE.
THEY COMPLETE THE ASSEMBLY
WITH A SPRING-LOADED CYLINDER.
THAT'S PART OF
THE STEERING AUTOPILOT SYSTEM.
AFTER TESTING THE STEERING FORK,
THEY INSTALL THE FRONT WHEEL,
WHICH IS SMALLER
THAN THE REAR TWO.
ONCE IT'S BEEN EQUIPPED
WITH BRAKES,
THIS CUSTOM RACING CHAIR
IS READY TO TAKE ON
THE COMPETITION.
AN ELITE ATHLETE WILL BUY
A NEW RACING CHAIR EVERY YEAR.
SOME CHOOSE REAR WHEELS
MADE OF LIGHTWEIGHT CARBON FIBER
BECAUSE ANY ADVANTAGE
IS WELCOME IN THE PUSH TO WIN.
