Handcycling and Paracycling Avatars

Ken_Handcyclist · February 19, 2021, 10:43pm

The Handcycling/ Paracycling community would like to request that avatars matching our physical appearance be added to Zwift. This would be consistent with the inclusion of gender as well as skin tones/ hairstyles for ethnicity and thus help to continue, and support, inclusive cycling for all. As with other communities, the Zwift Paracycling community would simply like to be able to be represented as we are in life, just as other riders are able to.

I have created mock-ups below of potential Handcycle avatars (currently being refined). These could also be adapted for amputees and similarly, upright avatars could also be created/ adapted to represent amputees. As well, Trikes and Recumbents could be created so as to be inclusive to those with disabilities that that utilise cycles other than the traditional 2-wheeled upright.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to your efforts.

Paul_Kilgore · February 20, 2021, 12:49am

Great work thanks would love to see adaptive
cyclists visually represented in Zwift besides
just some tag line in our names!

Paul_Allen · February 20, 2021, 1:40am

Here are ALL the other thread for this request: Search results for 'handcycle ' - Zwift Forums

Make sure you vote them up.

Ride On!

alessandro_donofrio · February 20, 2021, 8:14am

Great !!!

Don_Fallon · February 20, 2021, 8:22am

Hold on I can only ride a clip on hand-cycle what about a Zwift for us riders?

Steven_Marsh_Handbik · February 20, 2021, 8:37am

Brilliant idea, I use zwift 6 times a week for my training and have thought how there should be a handcycle avatar. Hopefully zwift make it happen.

Jay_Carlson_handcycl · February 20, 2021, 9:53am

love the idea. I would love to see something like this that represents people with disabilities. like myself.

Ken_Handcyclist · February 20, 2021, 11:20am

Thanks for that Paul_Allen. Unfortunately, many of those are archived or small additions to other threads. But there are a lot of posts on this very same theme. It showcases how much interest is there, particularly with the posts from non-Paracyclist. I agree, let’s vote them all up as much as we can and perhaps there’s a way to consolidate them into one big post.

Ken_Handcyclist · February 20, 2021, 11:23am

Cheers Don_Fallon, a clip-on is simply another form of handcycle and could be modelled. My personal thought is that if there are riders using them on Zwift, then it would fit into this category. There have also been people asking for wheelchairs for those who don’t run, or who role as an alternative to riding. A clip-on model would be a very easy modification for me to put together and I’ll put it on my list of mock-ups to do.

Ken_Handcyclist · February 20, 2021, 11:31am

Cheers, Paul Kilgore. I agree on on the improvement over tag lies in our names. Currently we can only have 78 handcyclists (as an example) before people have to start getting really creative. Right now we could have: K. Handcyclist, K. Handcycle, K. Handbike (K being variable A-Z) and you could stretch to K. Handbiker if you really wanted to, but I don’t hear that term used often.

But, once you run out of first initials, you’ve run out of names. Plus, as you can see, that method makes everyone look the same and you lose the ability to differentiate between riders as individuals - they are all lumped together by their equipment and by a disability.

Xose_M · February 20, 2021, 2:54pm

Subcampeon de la Copa de España de Ciclismo Adaptado Categoria MC4. Amputado transtibial pierna izquierda. Me gustaría un avatar de ciclista amputado.

carlos_costa · February 20, 2021, 5:52pm

I’d love to be represented on Zwift. I ride a handcycle and the pictures look like what I ride. Stop wasting time making another bike type and give us a handcycle avatar. This is a human rights issue.

carlos_costa · February 20, 2021, 5:53pm

Totally agree. Equality for all.

Michael_Naumann_eCKD · February 20, 2021, 7:36pm

I hope one day we are lucky enough to get an Avatar in one of the many virtual cycling worlds. It would be so cool.
Whether it will be one that you have shared or this model. Does not matter to me. Also if it is a lie on knees bike. Only it is a handbike model. I do not see the need for 10 different models. Just there is 1 model, with a man and a woman.
https://grabcad.com/library/handbike

Steven_Peace_Trike_U · February 21, 2021, 8:25pm

Andy_Shuttleworth_H4 · February 23, 2021, 4:18pm

As a trike rider, this is something I would wholeheartedly support. There are many trike riders and hand cyclists in the wounded, injured or sick (WIS) Veterans and serving military communities across the world who are desperate for appropriate recognition and representation on Zwift. The Invictus Foundation, Help for Heroes (in the U.K.) and many other organisations such as USMES encourage our community to ride on Zwift and other groups representing the broader para-cycling and adaptive cycling movement do similar things for civilian riders. This usage is only likely to grow. It’s time that Zwift took a lead and represented us in the virtual world.

Henning_Ulfarsson_HF · February 23, 2021, 3:42pm

I love Zwift for so many reasons. Sure there are many little things to get annoyed about. The lack of support for handcycling and paracycling is the only thing about Zwift that makes me furious.

F_ossy_Double_Ampute · February 23, 2021, 11:12pm

I have thought about this for the last 2 years. It would be so great to see different types of cycles. Zwift has the opportunity to be so much more inclusive and lends itself to a safe cycling. Environment. As a double amputee can ride a traditional bicycle but know a lot that use adapted cycles.
It would also be great to get my avatar to look like me by being able wear prosthetic limbs

Zul_Fadzli · February 24, 2021, 7:52am

I fully support this cause!

Cullen_Jackson · February 24, 2021, 3:59pm

Fantastic idea and definitely should be added to Zwift!