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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
