Since this discussion is about hiking I will focus on only three manufacturers. Why? Well, there a a lot of all terrain handcycles out there, but only a few companies make rear wheel drives. This is very important. Manufacturers of the front drive wheel type make great claims, but deliver less. Front wheel drive handcycles are at their best on fire roads and dirt paths, but once the trail gets steep and rutted their deficiencies become quickly apparent. This is more than just our opinion it's physics. When you start climbing a steep trail your weight shifts back on to your rear wheels. If you are using a front wheel drive handcycle this shift makes you loose traction and at some point the only direction you are going is backwards. Additionally, when you are going downhill on rutted trails the front wheel drive get's a little dicey. As you descend a rutted trail the single front wheel handcycle gets really tippy, especially when you turn into the rut. If you are not really careful the handcycle will flip over.

There are only two manufacturers that we know will take far into the wild. They are both well over $5,000. They all will work well to a point, but they all suffer from the same issues. The manufacturers are: Reactive Adaptions and the Sport-On. These handcycles have two front wheels, a single rear drive wheel and more gears than you will ever need (this is a good thing). In our opinion, the optimum handcycle would have 2 rear drive wheels, but these handcycles will get you pretty far.

Even if you have all the gears in the world you will loose traction at some point. This is very apparent is deep sand. If you get into deep sand, I hope you brought a lunch because you are not going anywhere. I single rear drive will just dig a nice whole and the only way out will be with someone's assistance or you will have to grab the two front wheels and push your way out. This might change if your rear drive wheel is a large Fat Tire but we haven't tested this. On a very steep hill with a top layer of soft dirt you will also loose traction. If the trail is wide enough this can be remedied by traversing the trail (doing a zig zag pattern up the hill). You will have no problem though on hard packed dirt, rock or concrete. These handcycles have better stability, but you will still have to shift your weight fro side to side. I have flipped a similar handcycle going only about 2 miles an hour. One of my front wheels dipped into a whole that I did not see and suddenly I'm upside down.

In order to get the very low gearing they all use a Schlumpf Mountain Drive with the regular bike gearing options. The Schlumpf drive is a planetary gear reduction drive. With a push of a button you can reduce whatever your gear you are in by 2.5 times. This is great except you will have to crank a lot to just go a few inches, but you will be able to climb really steep trails.

Both manufacturers offer handcycles with a prone riding positions (kneeling, face down). Currently, Reactive Adaptions is the only manufacturer that has a handcycle with a recumbent riding position. Sport-On will be introducing it's recumbent handcycle sometime in 2018. The recumbent riding position we find to be better for hiking and exploring. It's more comfortable for long days in the saddle and is easier to get in and out of. In the recumbent riding position you can see the trail and all that is around you easier. In the prone position you since you are facing down you have to tilt your head back to see forward. This can put extra stain on your neck. The main complaint about the prone riding position is the chest pad. On a prone handcycle you lean forward and rest your chest on a pad that acts as a support for your torso and acts as a secondary steering mechanism. When you are cranking you can lean your torso side to side to make minor steering adjustments. You also have handlebars that you can use to make major course adjustments and when you are coasting downhill. The chest pad seems to irritate the riders chest after a while. Most riders eventually get used to this. Additionally, when you are hiking in higher elevations where the air is thinner, we feel the recumbent seating position seems to make it easier to breath. Sitting upright also gives you a better view of your surroundings. In the prone position you have to tilt your head up to see forward.

Our recommendation would be the Nuke Offroad Recumbent from Reactive Adaptions. The main difference between the Reactive Adaptions and the Sport-On recumbent is the Reactive Adaptions version has a secondary handlebar steering option. The main way recumbents steer is by turning the crankset left or right. This works well on flat ground and climbing, but on downhill sections the handlebars are easier and give you more precise turning capabilities. This also makes your descent safer. They make handcycles for both paraplegic and quadriplegics. If you are more interested in having the a more mountain bike experience then the prone handcycles might be better for you.