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"Frog Legs" Smooth Out Wheelchair Ride
Avid bicyclist Mark Chelgren couldn't understand why wheelchairs don't come equipped with shock absorbers. His mountain bike has full suspension and he doesn't even spend all of his time on it.
  It was this observation that spurred the Vinton, Iowa man to invent "Frog Legs" shock absorbers that replace the castor forks on the small front wheels on wheelchairs. He is also working on a rear suspension system.
  In early 2003, Frog Legs were approved for Medicare coverage. This is a huge triumph, he says, since it proves that his product has medical value and is no longer considered just a luxury item.
  Chelgren's invention reduces vibration of wheelchairs by 76 per cent, reducing back pain, fatigue, cutting down on spasms, and eliminating being pitched forward when the chair encounters bumpy conditions.
  "I had talked to wheelchair users who complained about vibrations being transmitted from their chair to their bodies, and I decided to do something about it," Chelgren says. "Now they can go places they never imagined they could. The looks on peoples faces the first time they try them out is amazing. They're thrilled with the improved ride."
  He says wheelchair users can continue to use their own wheels, or obtain new wheels from Frog Legs, Inc. when they order shocks. He manufactures and sells four styles of wheels designed especially to work with the shock absorbers.
  The four models of Frog Legs shock absorbers are priced as follows: Flex Forx (designed for institutional-type chairs) - $129; Frog Legs Classics - $299; Ultra Sports - $329; and Bull Frogs Power Chair Shocks - $399.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dave Ruzicka, marketing director, Frog Legs Inc., Box 465, Vinton, Iowa 52349 (ph 800 922-2129 or 319 472-4972; fax: 319 472-5008; email: info@froglegsinc.com; website: www.froglegsinc.com).


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2003 - Volume #27, Issue #4