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Christian Bagg and the Icon Explore

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10 m
Nov 23, 2018
Categories
Engineering & Technology
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Road Transportation
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User profile image
By: Cédric Brosseau
Ingenium Canada
Christian Bagg testing a prototype of the Icon Explore in a park on a spring day.
Photo Credit
Christian Bagg
Christian Bagg testing a prototype of the Icon Explore in a park.

For Canada History Week 2018 - A short blog post highlighting Christian Bagg’s creativity and innovation, which helped him develop the Icon Explore adaptive off-road vehicle.

 

An avid outdoors person from Calgary, Alberta, Christian Bagg was a semi-professional mountain biker and snowboarder. After injuring himself in a snowboarding competition, Christian became interested in adapted sports and technology. As existing technology tended to limit his ability and comfort, Christian started using his machinist skills to design and fabricate custom technology adapted to his needs. Rather than adapting to the wheelchair, Christian decided to adapt the wheelchair to him.

Icon Explore prototype in a museum warehouse.
Photo Credit
Ingenium, C. Brosseau

Christian Bagg donated this Icon Explore prototype to the Canada Science and Technology Museum in 2016.

Christian’s love for nature and the mountains soon had him thinking about ways to access the backcountry bicycle and hiking trails he missed so much. Over five years of experimentation and hard work, he developed the Icon Explore, an adaptive off-road vehicle designed to travel over rough and sloping terrain. Built around an innovative and high-tech articulating frame, with a suspension and levelling mechanism that allows the rider to stay upright in rough backcountry environments, the Explore is a three wheeled vehicle that is independently propelled and controlled, allowing the user to explore nature on their own terms.

Christian Bagg and his family using the Icon Explore during a hike in a National Park in Alberta. Mountains and a forested valley in the background.
Photo Credit
Christian Bagg

By developing the Icon Explore, Christian was able to join his family on backcountry hikes in National Parks.

While initially focused on designing himself a “cool mountain bike”, Christian’s project expanded after an unexpected encounter. While testing an early prototype, Christian was asked by Lindsay Frilotte, a young girl living with a rare mitochondrial disorder, to borrow his vehicle for a ride. Upon seeing Lindsey’s enthusiastic reaction, having described her experience as “the best day of my life”, Christian realized he could develop his tricycle to help other people with disabilities access the outdoors. He then started testing different versions and adaptations, each designed to suit the different needs of riders while giving them as much control as possible over their experience. The rider’s experience was the key part of the project, with Christian developing his innovative and high performance technology in order for the rider to experience, and enjoy, the sights, the sounds and the smells found in Canada’s great outdoors.

“From a child with cerebral palsy to an able-bodied 30-year-old, everyone has the same grin on their face while driving it. The sense of freedom is equal.”

- Christian Bagg

The addition of a battery pack and electric motor proved to be a milestone, as it revolutionized the vehicle’s mobility and drastically increased riders’ options and their social inclusion among fellow mountain bike enthusiasts. Indeed, the battery powered Explore not only made it possible for more people to use the vehicle, but also for them to travel farther and faster. By using this version, Christian was able to go cycling with his father and friends, keeping pace even on challenging terrain, something he had been working towards for 22 years. The battery pack and electric motor not only made it possible for Christian to simply enjoy the ride, but also to take his young son out for a bike ride and challenge his friends to keep up with him for a change!

Christian Bagg on a battery powered Icon Explore on a backcountry trail.
Photo Credit
Christian Bagg

The battery powered Icon Explore has made it possible for more people to use the vehicle, and for them to travel farther and faster.

Video of Christian Bagg testing the Icon Explore in a backcountry mountain bike trail.

A hand-cranked prototype of the Icon Explore is featured in the Into the Great Outdoors exhibition at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. It is part of an exhibit exploring the accessibility of the Great Canadian Outdoors and the challenges that people with disabilities often have to face in order to fully participate and experience the outdoors. The Icon Explore stands as an example of the creativity, resourcefulness and the innovation put forward by people with disabilities who want access to outdoor adventure. However, as not everyone as the skills and means to design their own technology, it also represents the challenges and barriers faced by people with disabilities who want to participate in outdoor activities.

A High-Roller mountain-climbing rig, a nordic sit-ski, an adapted kayak and the Icon Explore on display in the Canada Science and Technology Museum
Photo Credit
Ingenium, P. Martin

The Adapting Adventures display of the Into the Great Outdoors exhibition at the Canada Science and Technology Museum examines the accessibility of the Great Canadian Outdoors. It explores the barriers and  challenges faced by people with disabilities who want to participate in outdoors activities. It features many adaptive technologies that h...

The Adapting Adventures display of the Into the Great Outdoors exhibition at the Canada Science and Technology Museum examines the accessibility of the Great Canadian Outdoors. It explores the barriers and  challenges faced by people with disabilities who want to participate in outdoors activities. It features many adaptive technologies that have been developed by, and for, people with disabilities to help them access and enjoy outdoor recreation.

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The Icon Explore prototype on display in the Adapting Adventure exhibit at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
Photo Credit
Ingenium, P. Martin

The hand-cranked prototype of the Icon Explore is featured in the Adapting Adventures display of the Into the Great Outdoors exhibition at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

Front view if the Icon Explore prototype on display at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. The image shows the articulating frame that allows the rider to stay upright in rough backcountry environments.
Photo Credit
Ingenium, P. Martin

A front view of the Icon Explore showing the innovative and high-tech articulating frame and levelling mechanism developed by Christian Bagg. It allows the rider to stay upright in rough backcountry environments.

Acknowledgements:

I would like to acknowledge Christian Bagg for his dedication to adapted sports and technology. His passion for the outdoors and increasing their accessibility is unmatched. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Gabrielle Trépanier for her leadership and dedication to accessibility, which has helped the Canada Science and Technology Museum become more inclusive and representative organization.

Tags
accessibility, innovation, craativity, technology, bicycle, mountain biking, nature, outdoors, museum., Christian Bagg, Icon Explore.
Author(s)
User profile image
Cédric Brosseau

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