Review of the Trionic Veloped

It was on this site that I first learned about the Trionic Veloped, suggested as a rollator that could go anywhere off-road outdoors, but not reviewed.

I’m 70 years of age and had a back injury 6 years ago that affects the nerves in my left leg, making it painful when I walk on it.  The nerve pain took a long time developing; surgery as an option is not recommended.  I slowly lost more and more walking ability.  I hobbled along for a year, clinging to a trekking pole, not wanting to look “old” by using a cane, but when I finally tried a cane, things improved greatly.  I’m sure I looked a lot older hanging onto my trekking pole for dear life, than I look now, walking pretty well with a cane.  The problem is that I can’t walk far without becoming fatigued.

So that’s the prelude.  We live in a lovely community surrounded by 75 acres of open space with 4-1/2 miles of paved walking trails running through it.  I used to easily walk a mile to two miles when we first moved here 6 years ago.  As the nerve pain increased, I was down to walking my dog 1/4 of a mile with my cane and many of the trails were now off limits to me.

I chatted with Oshin at Trionic US in CA about the Veloped and sent for the brochure.  I read every review I could find.  Ultimately I ordered the Trionic Touring model with 14 inch wheels.  I’m 5’6″ and either the 12 or 14 inch wheels was appropriate.  The larger the wheels, the higher the off road capability.  All the models are basically the same, with 12″ or 14″ wheels, the main difference being the packages that come with the Veloped: trekking gear, hunting gear, golfing gear…the Touring model is different in that it doesn’t come with “gear” but has a larger and better seat.  I chose it because I have trekking gear from days back when, and, I thought that when outdoor concerts resume, this Veloped would help me get up the hill AND provide a comfortable seat that from which I could watch the concert.

[editor note: follow the link to see more about the Trionic Veloped in our listings database, including a picture, and link to website where you can learn more].

I don’t know how I lived without the Veloped.  It’s been almost two months now and I’ve taken this through snow, up and down hills, over gravel, up an 8 step (albeit shallow) set of stairs.  It goes everywhere and I’m looking forward to taking it on the wider mountain trails nearby and on the beach when we can travel again and rent a place on the beach.  Immediately upon receiving it, I went 3/4’s of a mile easily.  I’m now walking my dog a mile plus a day and building strength back in that left leg.  I’ve even developed a little jog/hop run on level surfaces and my dog and I just fly along.  My posture is greatly improved and because I can use all of my body to support my legs, my right rotator cuff is much improved.  My left leg is being used more fully and regaining strength.  But most of all, I can now walk any trail I want in our community. FREEDOM!  I’ve learned to approach curbs with a light hand and straight on and the front wheels pop up and over easily.  Going downhill, I gently apply brake pressure to keep from going too fast.  I bought a dog leash wrist band (Liberty Wristband) and a double handle leash for walking my dog.  The second handle is close to the collar so that I can bring him in to heel beside me when I need to do so.  I bought a small bicycle pump to put in the carrier and a small roll of Gorilla tape in case I run over something that makes a tire go flat while on the road.  It’s supposed to be a quick fix, to wrap around the tire to help stop the air from leaking, until you get back home.  However, this being the Southwest, on another user’s suggestion I purchased a small bottle of slime, marked off roughly 2 oz intervals and sure enough, ran over goats head prickers soon enough.  I ran over three of them and two of them didn’t pierce deeply enough in the rugged tires to cause a problem, but the third one did.  I waited until I got home to pull it out and the tire deflated.  We followed the directions for Slime, pumped the tire back up and like magic it’s good to go and another goats head won’t be able to make it go flat.  I haven’t slimed the other tires yet; waiting until/if I need to do so.

Anyway, the Veloped is great looking, extremely well made, and worth every penny.  I’ve had a few inquiries about it when out and about.  We have a good number of elders in our community.  Also, although I would have happily paid out of pocket for it, I still have HSA money that I set aside while working and the cost was covered by my HSA money.

I highly reccomend the Trionic Veloped.  I’m back to getting a decent cardiovascular workout but more importantly it has re-opened my ability to participate in my beloved natural world outside in a fulfilling way.  Now, I’m eyeing the Alinker next.  All of this because of this website.  Thank you.