Sim Racing as an amputee

bigdunc · 29 Apr 2021 at 10:37

Hi

I'm after some advice as I'm looking into starting sim racing. I will be spending lots of time at home and need a new hobby to fill the time. The issue is I had my right leg amputated at the hip level last year and not sure how feasible it is with one leg.

I have had my car adapted with an electronic accelerator that I use with my thumb and use my left leg to brake. Is there anything on the market that is available that would resemble this? Cost isn't too much of an issue but ideally would like to keep costs down at least to begin and then upgrade as I go along

Cheers

something daft already!! · 29 Apr 2021 at 11:04

Most racing game will allow you to configure the controls to your needs. You could get wheel and peddles and map the controls to the wheel buttons which you find difficult.

Begbie · 29 Apr 2021 at 11:07

Yeah you can do this even with the logitech ones, so brake with your left and then use a paddle or something to accelerate. Or adapt your left leg to accelerate - though this might cause issues when getting back in the car

bazzabear · 29 Apr 2021 at 11:16

I can well imagine that you don't want to simply use your left leg for the accelerator because it will mess up your muscle memory when actually driving!

I found this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEZEIhmZAj0

And this website:
https://www.simability.com/

Which might be useful, albeit they seem to be aimed at slightly older wheels. Good luck!

mmj_uk · 29 Apr 2021 at 11:53

I'd imagine the biggest problem with remapping a pedal is its analogue nature, I did a search and found a link for a group of disabled racers maybe someone there can offer some good advice from first hand experience?

https://old.reddit.com/r/simracing/comments/muvgwi/every_lap_counts_racing_is_difficult_even_more/

stephenb · 29 Apr 2021 at 12:13

Hi bigdunc,

This is easily doable if you have the right kit. Of the mainstream manufacturers I know Fanatec has wheels with analogue paddles which you can remap to throttle and brake. I think their McLaren CSL elite wheel is the cheapest with this functionality.

CSL Elite Steering Wheel McLaren GT3 V2 | Fanatec

Be careful though, sim racing is a real rabbit hole once you get into it!

Zeeflyboy · 29 Apr 2021 at 12:27

Yeah as above most of the wheels with analogue clutch paddles would let you remap those as brake or accelerator which would give you proportional control.

grumpybeard · 29 Apr 2021 at 14:17

@bigdunc Found this posted on the iRacing forum, which has a dedicated, active sub-forum for folks with physical challenges, hope it's of interest - analog hand controller. Let me know if you dont have an iRacing subscription and want me to do some other searching on there for you
https://www.3drap.it/product/hand-controller-throttle-and-brake-gaming-is-possible

Another possibility is using a clutch paddle:
https://www.ascher-racing.com/shop/clutch-paddles/

Cully · 29 Apr 2021 at 14:54

bigdunc head over to racedepartment.com i recall seeing threads there about people in a similar position as yourself you might get some tips and also a community to help you enjoy it all the more.
I was also going to link simability.com but others have helped you out there.
Good luck with it all.

andy_mk3 · 29 Apr 2021 at 14:59

Would a joystick throttle control be practical to use?

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/logi...hrottle-joystick-pc-945-000003-gc-043-sk.html

You could perhaps mod it with elastic bands to spring back to the bottom.

MikeTheNative · 29 Apr 2021 at 15:05

I know on iracing forums there's a physical challenges sub thread but you need to have an active sub to view them.

bigdunc · 29 Apr 2021 at 16:33

Cheers all. Thanks for all the help and advice

Would Playseat Challenge and Thrustmaster T300RS be a good starting point? Does anyone have any experience of the T300RS and would it allow me to remap the buttons?

I'm also tempted by the 3drap.it hand control as it is quite similar to what I am using in my car

RyanF · 29 Apr 2021 at 17:45

https://www.twitch.tv/oboy7204

This chap is a growing streamer on iRacing and is paraplegic so does everything with his wheel - he's got a wheel with 4 paddles so has mapped 2 of them to throttle and brake. The likes of the Fanatec CSL McLaren V2 rim is really quite cheap (as far as sim racing equipment goes) for a high-quality, 4 paddle rim.

grumpybeard · 29 Apr 2021 at 20:49

@bigdunc

I'm not sure about the Playseat Challenge - I'd be concerned how sturdy and supportive that would be for you to get in and out of. I appreciate everyone's budget is different, however I would suggest you consider a rig based on 80/20 profile, as their beauty is they can evolve with your needs. Buy a cheap one (or even design your own and order a parts list), see how it works for you, and tweak it to suit your needs. A popular brand of 80/20 rigs:
https://sim-lab.eu/shop

I'd also be reluctant to recommend the T300RS. Appreciate might seem a good deal for both wheel and pedal set, but I'd question long term reliability. Cheaper DD (direct drive) wheels are on their way from Fanatec (which also means their CV 2.5 belt drive model likely to hit ebay). As you dont need a 3-pedal set, maybe a 2 pedal set from Heusinkveld, or even contact them and see if they will sell you the one pedal from the Sprint model that you need?
https://heusinkveld.com/shop/sim-pedals/sim-pedals-sprint/

Again, everyone's budget different, but I'd hate to see you in it for the long haul buy cheap, then end up buying again. Suggest you get on some dedicated sim forums, talk with folks with similar challenges, and also check out the classifieds for good gear going 2nd hand.

Good luck, and shout if you need any help

bigdunc · 2 May 2021 at 11:53

grumpybeard said:
@bigdunc

I'm not sure about the Playseat Challenge - I'd be concerned how sturdy and supportive that would be for you to get in and out of. I appreciate everyone's budget is different, however I would suggest you consider a rig based on 80/20 profile, as their beauty is they can evolve with your needs. Buy a cheap one (or even design your own and order a parts list), see how it works for you, and tweak it to suit your needs. A popular brand of 80/20 rigs:
https://sim-lab.eu/shop

I'd also be reluctant to recommend the T300RS. Appreciate might seem a good deal for both wheel and pedal set, but I'd question long term reliability. Cheaper DD (direct drive) wheels are on their way from Fanatec (which also means their CV 2.5 belt drive model likely to hit ebay). As you dont need a 3-pedal set, maybe a 2 pedal set from Heusinkveld, or even contact them and see if they will sell you the one pedal from the Sprint model that you need?
https://heusinkveld.com/shop/sim-pedals/sim-pedals-sprint/

Again, everyone's budget different, but I'd hate to see you in it for the long haul buy cheap, then end up buying again. Suggest you get on some dedicated sim forums, talk with folks with similar challenges, and also check out the classifieds for good gear going 2nd hand.

Good luck, and shout if you need any help

Cheers for the advice. Going to check out some dedicated forums and do some research before I get the credit card out. 2nd hand gear to get started might be a good shout in case I struggle and I haven't forked out a load of money. I can always upgrade to good quality stuff if I plan on investing for the longer term