Continental Tires

I have used the same 26x1 inch “Continental” tubular (no innertube) tires on my wheelchair for the last 25 years.  A year or two ago, they changed how the attached the valve stem to the tires and now they go flat as soon as I put them on the wheels for my wheelchair about 2 out of 3 times I replace them.  That sucks.  I love those tires.  There is no other product in my life I have used that long on a consistent basis.

Medical products vendors suck for customer service.  They are the worst shopping experience I know of.  Imagine used-car salesman being paid by insurance companies. I used to have 3 choices for local vendors.  Now I have one vendor in two locations.   They used to be a mile away.  Now they are at least a half-hour drive in good traffic.  It is more work to get worse service.

I have taken to ordering online from SportAid in Atlanta because my local venders have consolidated into an even crappier version of support.  Price is not the issue—I have good insurance that covers 100% of the cost.  I simply can’t get what I want from my local vendor in less than an dozen phone calls over a timeline that stretches for months to get something as obvious as wheels for a wheelchair.  NuMotion sucks!

I am grateful for alternatives such as SportAid and Gregg’s Greenlake bicycle shop.  One phone call or one visit will get what I am seeking headed my way.  They might not have said items in stock, but they will get it in a timely manner.


While being paralyzed sucks, I am blessed and grateful to have money from industrial insurance and to live in one of the best locations in the world to treat physical medicine ailments.  The UW Medical Center rehab department is rated tops in the country making it a de facto worldclass medical facility to treat for my issues.  The UWMC is the primary reason I live so close to Seattle.

2 comments:

  1. I used to work in the VA up at the hill as it was called, I tell you the rehab dept. was messy for many Vets, this is a longtime ago..Now no Veteran can get into see doctors and some die before their appointments are even held, SHAMEFUL SHAMEFUL AND MORE SHAMEFUL...You happen to live in the best place in Washington state, our only got very ill, she was taken to a private hospital paid by her insurance from NYC and was there for a week, all the doctors wore and nurses wore street close, it was like a spa, my hubs and I were with her all the way, the bill was something else, one college dear friend's Mother had privileges at that hospital, she our daughter got no bill whatsoever, can you imagine, and she recovered and was great, she changed her life and no longer puts in 100 of hours a week for her job..Her health is far more important..I saw what the vendors and how they did the veterans at the VA hospital and it was terrible, they never got the stuff to the Veterans Hospital or Veterans timely at all, how blessed you are, see how many blessings you have living in Seattle the jewel of all of Washington state?!!!!!!!!!!! Be thankful for that indeed, many are denied medical and rehab in this beautiful state because they do not live near the U of W and Seattle at all..

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  2. The VA hospital was in Portland Oregon not Seattle Washington, now most VA hospitals don't give anykind of service whatsoever, how fortunate and blessed you are to use the U of W rehab services and get service many cannot get anything but a hard time in small cities in USA!!!!!!!!!!!

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