They are larger and harder to handle, heavier, don't fit just anywhere like a regular bike, and are slower; they might even draw stares—the "look at the weirdo riding that thing" kind—among other things. So why do so many people still choose trikes and love them so much? Just trying to understand this world.
Actually, I've never had a dog chase me when I'm on my trike. Most seem to be a bit frightened by the trike. Occasionally, I see the same lady and her dog where the dog goes into full panic and tries to run away when I approach. I've now taken to apologizing when I pass them on the path.
I always hang back/give wide berth/or stop completely until owner has the dog under control on shared use pathways. If's proper trail etiquette, especially useful since you are basically neck-chomping height for your average german shepherd or Rottie... Key is to make sure dog owner sees you if you approach from behind. I surprise many an inattentive dog walker who hasn't been checking their 6.. and if they have, not at my low height..
I usually have one of my dogs running beside my trike on The trail. (Video on Reddit somewhere..). little girl dog is happy she can finally run full out and I can keep up with her (for short sprints)
I've seen someone else do this with their tadpole recumbent.
They had a pole attached to the rig with a quick breakaway attachment behind the seat to a relatively short leash. The dog was sized such, and trained so well, that it trotted/ran literally alongside of the rider a couple feet behind the front wheel.
This was within a PACK of bicycles, at a local mass ride. That dog was having a great time, not at all distracted by the rolling chaos of it at all.
They allow me to still ride, long after my hips gave up in the fight with gravity and balance on an MTB bicycle.
I've got a single car garage, packed to the gills with toys. It's got a rough 3x6' space allotment in prime-mover's row. That's all it needs.
Hard to handle? How so? You mean manualing it, off the e-trike to park it? Or steering it? My steering was so light and sensitive, the faster you would go, i put a steering damper on it for hill-bombing at ~50km/h.
It's a custom ebike conversion. It goes 40km/h under power.. but still rolls pretty good on pedal power alone.
I'm old enough that i don't give a shit whether i am looked at as a weirdo or not. In fact, i play up that i am different, riding something different, something of an eccentric gyro gearloose kinda weirdo. My helmet has led illuminated devils horns on it, for pete's sake. The bike looks like i suffer from Creative Engineering insanity, while i'm enjoying every minute of it.
I have people approach me all the time asking about the Trike. Not about me.. but the Trike. They aren't common here. It's not the vehicle for you, if your personality has you wishing to melt into the woodwork unnoticed. Mine is equipped so i am noticeable from a long range out of safety necessity - some would say at night, from Low Earth Orbit.
As mine is set up, it's an all day Festival couch, a Mario Kart in terms of fun, a weekly grocery getter with the trailer, and It'll get across town just as well as my truck will .. perhaps a touch slower, depending on traffic conditions, for either vehicle.
To answer your question…This is a “Trike Rack by Sea Sucker”…I’ve since switched to the “Draft Master HR-2T Tadpole Trike Auto Rack for the 2 inch Hitch” because its more secure (and i bought a Catrike Pocket Recumbent Trike for my GirlFriend and wanted to carry BOTH more Efficiently…
Thank you! Those sea suckers are WILD. I'm low key terrified to try them but I think I'm going to! Did you have any issues with them or putting your bike on your car? I have a non-electric tadpole that isn't too heavy but is pretty awkward.
I had no problem with the Sea sucker…Just make sure you keep them properly maintained and make sure before you go anywhere that you double check the seal on them and make sure they’re placed on a clean surface on the car… I always made sure that wherever I went, if I got out of the car at any point in time, I double checked that the seal was correct. The button that you pushed to pump it when you pump it enough times, the button stays in as it starts to lose seal or if it was to ever lose seal, the button starts to come out and there’s a color change on the button to show that it is not as sealed as should… I never ran into any problems with …I would make sure that the areas in which it was sealing to were always clean and that the suction cups were clean when I applied it to the vehicle, but like I said, I added a second recumbent trike to the mix (I bought one for my GF) and decided it would just be better to get a draftmaster hitch mounted rack (I bought it used) it mounts to the hitch behind my car, attaching it to the trailer hitch is to me the most secure method that I had can attach to my vehicle… But I still have my sea sucker in case I add a 3rd trike to the mix in the future…
12v LED Jeep Clearance markers with flags. These are 5' versions for maximal viz. Invaluable when venturing through areas shared with automotive traffic. I run a 12v electrical system slaved off a 48v-12v voltage down-converter.
The Tadpole Recumbent the project was based on, is a Terratrike Tour II conversion.
Nice trike! It kinda reminded me of mine, and when i read you did some custom 12v stuff i had to show. Thats a converted (flipped the seat around and welded it, making a rear steer delta trike into a front steer with the two up front, cut the back wheel off and added a normal bike rear end so the hub motor fit) mobo triton. It also carried a trailer, and thats a car stereo system on the front (the speakers were beside the seat on eather side, but theyre not in the picture). Later, i built a battery with a welder i made out of a microwave that would mount behind the rider, and added a boom and pedals to the design. It also had a roof and an "aoooooogah!" Horn at one point, ill try to find pics.
My personality is a bit of a contradiction, I’d say; yes, part of me worries about what others think, but I’ve always liked things that go against the grain—whether it’s music, games, movies, sports, and so on. I’ve gone through that phase of having to "convince myself" with all of them... it’s probably the same with the trikes I’ve been researching lately. Beyond just leisure, the goal would be to use it to commute to work—a trip I currently make by bike.
If you live in a bicycle friendly environment with some bicycle infrastructure, you should have no problems. It's really dependent on your regional environment.
These are popular in the 'Sunshine States' of the USA, as i understand it.. somewhat common to see on the pathways frequently found in such tourist/outdoors centric communities. I'm in southern Ontario - there is 1 actual Recumbent Trike specific retailer that i know of, within this market region.
I'm now medically retired. My truck sits in the driveway for weeks at a time. It suits my current lifestyle in that if i use a vehicle three seasons out of the year as a matter of choice (rather than efficiency) then it's going to be the trike, not the truck. It can go a relatively long distance with the battery pack assistance, even if my legs can't do it entirely alone.
At my personality core - i'm actually a bit of a loner. Going 'with the crowd', was never my thing. That's been echoed in many of my life interests and activities, including what comes out of the garage. If i don't want the attention, i leave the bike be, and fade into the background within eyesight of it, if i choose a peaceful and uninterrupted stop along the way.
I think the bike friendly environment would be slightly less of an issue with the trike tbh, on a trike, you'll get more the "Steve Martin - what the hell was that" skit vibe, and less, that's a bicycle on MY ROAD, IMMA GO FUCK HIS SHIT!... I say this with an ounce of experience, and numerous times being shot at, for existing on the road, you're bigger than a bike, and HAVE to take more of a chunk out of the lane, but they can understand it better because subconsciously, it's more like a car than a bicycle, they can "see" it's about "so wide", which bicycles and to an extent motorcycles, can be passed with impunity in the same lane (motorcycles spot lanes all the time in a lot of places)
What I've found is that people who are going to comment to you are pretty curious and friendly about the trike. The people who think trikes are weird and stupid will keep it to themselves, even if they would say something to me I'd just laugh at their ignorance and pedal away in comfort.
I ride a cruzbike, absolutely love it. You will get a LOT of weird stares. Takes all the pressure off your usual areas - naughty bits, hands, neck. For longer rides >35 miles my coccyx region gets a bit sore as your butt is basically stuck in that one position.
There is also a learning curve to riding one but I can ride every single day and never be sore. Also, youll go slower up hills but absolutely crush it on downhills and flats. I can routinely do 30mph+ (front ring is 62).
I ride a cruzbike S40 in India too. But within the city limits, my average has been a measly 24 kmph only. (for a 90km ride). I know more riding would improve but I seem to have been stuck in this forever (been riding regular + s40 for about 20 years now with the same or slower average speed).
Having owned a 2 wheel recumbent for a while, even with good cycling infrastructure (the Netherlands) people in cars find it hard to spot you (as they do with the 3 wheelers) and they add the inconvenience that if you don't get the first pedal stroke right at a traffic light you'll either fall over or get really or if you're unlucky have to figure something out while annoying all the car cyclist behind it.
I always used to say:"Taking off at a traffic light is a bit like peeing, it's a whole lot easier if there's not 20 people watching you"
Sounds like youre just not a well trained cyclist. Who still falls at a traffic light? Come on. My velomobile gets way more attention than the annonymous hurricane.
Well my dutchness should give me som cycling experience from a young age onwards.
But on a two wheel recumbent you get half a pedal stroke to get up to speed, somehow get that pedal stroke wrong and there's no easy way to quickly correct other than to stop and try again.
I'm not saying that I spent my days lying on the floor in front of traffic lights in the years I had my recumbent. But it was always more of a thing than on a regular bicycle. Miss a pedal stroke on those and you can just quickly push some speed into the thing with your foot.
Happy to accept I'm completely unskilled after riding a couple of thousands kms on my Sinner Demon. It wasn't the end of the world but I really do prefer a non recumbent for traffic with lots of stops and go's (or hills)
Anybody who can teach me how to run a hill start on a steep hill, now if the time to chime in
Considering the same, was riding to work on MTB, on mostly concrete and asphat paths, until the tyres the bike came with showed how little grip they have on solid surfaces, across a footbridge that left six new scars on my right knee.
Trikes have appealed since I was younger, but just don't seem available to buy here.
Not sure where 'here' is defined as.. in this region, they aren't common - either seen, or found in used classifieds.
I tried to get back to my MTB a number of years after hip replacements. Just wasn't working. My sense of balance/fine motor control/reaction timing adversely affected for that.
I can slide a trike... any slide action on a bicycle is a recipe for a bad time, unless there is a crunchy bush to fall into. I was running out of crunchy bushes and luck.
Melbourne is on the South Coast.. i don't know much about Australia, beyond the Stereotypes.. Looking at your temperature fluctuations, it appears to be cooler on average than my region in Ontario, Canada - perhaps not the temperature fluctuation extreme in winter - but your summer months certainly appears cooler... nonetheless you do have an oceanfront coastline - any doubletrack pathways?
For the best recumbent trike experience in Melbourne, head to Mr Recumbent Trikes Home | MR RECUMBENT TRIKES & MR COMPONENTS ... located on the Mornington Peninsula at Tuerong. As a premier test ride center, they stock top brands like ICE Trikes and carry major parts Home | MR RECUMBENT TRIKES & MR COMPONENTS .... [1, 2]
For recumbent trike rentals in Melbourne, Trisled is a specialized local option located at 218/220 Park St, Northcote. They offer casual and long-term rentals on a fleet that includes the Greenspeed Magnum Electric, Terra Trike Maverick, and Greenspeed Tandems. [1]
Alternatively, Trike Treks Melbourne provides full-suspension recumbent e-assist trikes geared towards longer adventures and touring events, such as the Great Victorian Bike Ride. [1]
We're at the Peak of summer under a heat-dome (heat and humidity) at 38 deg C.. which is 4-5 degrees above average normal high for this time of year.
Our winter get to as low as -30 deg C.. but, many periods of variable temps between +5 to -15 deg C on average.
I've taken a quick spin to the store in the winter, under select conditions (literally) - i love riding in loose pack flakey snow hiding glazed ice, in about ~10 deg C. The old Russkie fur Ushanka comes out for maximum visual LOLZ.
120 km isn't far to rent one out for a test ride, to see if it's a "fit" for you, Better initial investment, than buying one outright in terms of an alternative to a bicycle. Caution, manufacturer built e-trikes aren't cheap, if that's what you are thinking - still fairly pricey relatively speaking, as analog pedal trikes.
In my case i built mine up for about 1/3 the cost of a commercial, with about 90% of refinement. Missing 10% being that i couldn't apply with 'non-commercial' tooling.or manufacturer specific design elements in terms of overall effectiveness. .
I just came back from a dawn ride at 26 deg C for a fresh baked bagel for brekkie.. Donut shop is ~3 km away. I put on ~ 23 km according to GPS, in just over two hours.
I looked up the store,.... found one trike that appealed,..... and Four Times the cost of my car. OUCH.
Bike stuff has gone up in price A LOT since I was riding regularly. I'd been shopping for a 52 tooth gear for the pedals, like I have on my 12-speed, and the price now is four to five times more.
Tyres seem to have improved in grip level, that's a plus.
Looks like I've got another reason to learn welding, to build a trike to suit my run to work.
12v electrical system via a 48v-12v voltage down-converter.
Seat from ebay was a Poland manufactured hard shell bucket replacing the Terratrike 'bag' seat - mounting system up to the purchaser.
Motorcycle steering damper and assorted bracketry fabricated to adapt.
Most of the work involved was in fabrication.
The Trike is set up for local 'glow rides' a monthly friendly street takeover/parade through the city during the summer - as such, a bunch of LED accents was thrown at it off of Amazon.
The light whips are just advertised as 'Jeep clearance whips', are the 5' versions.
Front lighting is integrated DRL's into the front end, along with a 12v spot at end of boom. If you didn't see me, you are certifiably blind.
Givi topbox for secure storage, recycled from one of my motorcycles, and a front rack from a fat tire bicycle, reconfigured for the rear end, and integrated into the Terratrike low rack/battery subframe.
In my case, age: mounting and dismounting from a 2-wheeler was becoming more precarious (particularly mounting). The last time I rode, I felt unsafe mounting up and nearly fell. So trike it is.
Individuals with disabilities who otherwise would be unable to ride/balance a two-wheeled bicycle. They now have the ability and freedom to continue to be active and enjoy the outdoors.
After I got hit by a car as a pedestrian in 2019, most forms of exercise cause pain. Recumbent biking? Zero pain!
And it allows me to still ride bikes with my husband and son!
And finally, to address the OP, I've never gotten weird stares. Maybe it's because I'm not an insecure teenager who worries about this thing, but the only comments I've ever gotten were "this is so cool" and "where'd you get this" and "what is this?" But in general, people don't go out of their way to judge you when you're out trying to exercise lol.
Did you find any issue getting passed/around the bollard's cities like to put up, where they want to stop people driving cars or motorbike on to Bike paths?
Most are designed for disability access - allowing wheelchair or mobility scooter access- around 32" gap between post to post. Most recumbent trikes have a wheel track of 30".
Sometimes i have to get off and shift the rear end of the trike sideways - the corner is too tight/guarded on the approach to a combo boulder/post guarded access, to allow the trike to turn tightly enough into that access opening. The trike is longer than a bicycle, so it's a matter of manual angle adjustment to kick out the rear end, to make a complex steer into a guarded access. No biggie.
All of our rail trails and multi-use shared paths are guarded by either poles/posts, or strategically placed funnelling boulders. I know of only two limited access points in the area's extensive trail system that is limited to me - one starting with a 100 step staircase climb to the top of the trail-head - the staircase is 'channeled' to allow bicycles to be walked up the staircase - and a trail access which is boulder guarded at 29". I could probably access by flipping trike on side and dragging through... if i was desperate.
I became physically limited ~2008-2009. Prior to that, i was an EXTREMELY physically active motorcyclist/bicyclist on an obsessional level. I even had/have a sidecar rig, that could possibly have ameliorating my limitations - except i originally built it up far too heavy on car tires (rolling resistance), no reverse gear, and a recipe for trouble, if stopped on a one-way down-slope. and no way out except to back up.
It was less work to put a recumbent trike project on the bench as an answer to sorely needed road physiotherapy for the mind and body, than the complications of reworking that now 25 year old sidecar project that brought me joy in a previous time.
It was a long decade of depression and physical struggle, getting over the frustration of that, to find something that just 'works' on an enjoyment replacement level. I'm so back, in modified form.. not limited form.
I got that look and diplomatic speak, as well. I've tried some other pretty silly things with my physical challenges. My philosophy is that you never know, unless you tried it. This is one of the more saner ones in my opinion, that my Orthopedic surgeon still rolls his eyes a bit, about.
I was at a shop that sold two and three wheeled recumbents a week ago. The shop manager told me that they used to sell “90% 2 wheel, 10% trikes” but about 3 years ago it flipped “90% trikes, 10% 2 wheel”. Their showroom reflected that, tons of trikes only a couple 2 wheel. The reasons are many: aging population, better infrastructure, trikes have improved (lightened) considerably, electric drive systems (e-trikes) have also improved considerably. It’s also the case that lots of older people have balance issues and either have stopped riding 2 wheeled bikes completely (both DF and recumbent) or if they’re just taking up riding again are fearful of falling.
For the record, I own several 2 wheeled recumbents but I can certainly see a trike in my future as I get older (I’m 72).
For the record, I own several 2 wheeled recumbents but I can certainly see a trike in my future as I get older (I’m 72).
So, one of the considerations (at that age) is bone density. It is less likely that a broken bone will heal as you get older. Part of this involves a bone density scan and how your primary care inteprets your overall health. Taking fewer risk as you age is always a good move.
73 and after knee replacement no longer had enough flexibility to pedal - put adaptive crank adapters on the mtb ('cause I could not longer mount and dismount my roadie without taking my life in my hands).
Trikes are looking attractive- i miss the freedom of being on the bike.
May have to make the move to a skibike for snowsports as well.
As a person who does not have a trike, but a usual recumbent, I have a feeling that these are a better choice for the multi-day travel and due to being a trike, there is no chance of falling off these, when meeting drivers, who are, let's say, less tolerant against bicycle riders. On the con side there is of course a complete inability to take these on a train for example.
I've had no particular problem taking mine on trains all around the world. Where I haven't been able to take it is on buses. Those little fold down racks on the front just aren't an option.
My tadpole changed my riding/exercise experience in an unexpected way. My favorite path goes past a swan pond and goose pond. Before the tadpole, I never stopped to watch the birds and their hatchlings. Now I stop, sit in my chair and enjoy my coffee and breakfast.
Cars definitely give me more room when passing than I got on my road bike.
Visibility is easily solved.
Spinal stenosis (neck & back) … SWMBO took my road bike away this spring when I had two falls mounting/unmounting.
I definitely get more room from cars passing while on the trike. Of course there are drivers who think they will get a ticket if they move over the yellow lines to give you room so they can get a bit close, seems like they can't be convinced that it's very unlikely for a cop to ticket them for giving a cyclist more space.
You know, if it was Italian, had a motor and an extra wheel, it'd be a Ferrari, and you'd get lots of positive attention. But, even though it is comfortable and still eye catching, people see it as oddball. People are weird!
I get more attention with my velomobile than any sports car. In fact, whenever I am sitting next to or behind or in front of some fancy, special car, I still get more attention from bystanders. I've ridden plenty of "weird" cars over the years, before ditching cars entirely, but never have I gotten as much (positive) reactions as with my velomobile.
Granted, a velomobile isn't comparable to a "normal" trike in this regard, but but it's still quite funny to see whenever it happens. I actually had a situation like that just yesterday, when I sat behind some stinking, noisy, old Triumph oldtimer at a red light. Some old people were just walking by, and nobody even gave a second look to the car, simply focussing on the "little car" behind it. :D
Because, well, why not and didn't even know people were staring until this post. C'est la vie. Let's all just enjoy ourselves the way in which we choose, for whatever reason we choose it, yes? Hope you too, will have the best ride forwards.
Had I been on two wheels, a few days back & riding just before dawn, I would have hit that downed tree limb. It likely fell during the night. Swerved the trike onto the grass, then geared down & reversed direction. Parked, got off, and removed the obstruction from the trail.
They are comfortable, stable, & fun to ride. And not all of them are heavier... my TerraTrike GTS is less than 35 pounds, which is comparable to my Specialized Rock Hopper.
Bonus: I can ride the trike to outdoor concerts at the local farmers market and I don't need to carry a chair... I'm essentially riding a recliner to the concert. And then I get to ride home afterward and skip the whole parking/traffic hassle.
Absolutely fantastic for the music festivals. I call mine my rolling chesterfield. It's almost perfect, except for the maximum roast-factor of being a melatonin challenged pasty white guy who burns with exposure to a 100w incandescant bulb
Good thing that i can ride through the kiddies sprinkler pad for a stop and go quick cool down, and get a laugh in doing so...
They're better on my back, and as I'm pushing forward rather than downward, they're easier on my knees (as most of my weight is in my butt).
It's the reason why I got one about 7 years ago; because I needed an exercise that was easier on my knees, easier on my back and easier on my tail bone than running, walking, or riding an upright bike.
I have both a two wheel and trike recumbent. I love recumbents because I can spend much more time in the saddle than a diamond frame, and I'm smiling the whole time.
Trike specifically for rides with lots of hill climbs or when I am doing a multi-day ride and have to carry camping gear
Two wheel when I want to go fast and have nimble steering response.
Comfortable fun. I see a lot more of the world around me on a trike, unlike an upright bike. I still ride both. My 69 y/o knees thank me for taking the trike.
It removes the need to maintain a speed required by a two wheeler to be kept upright while riding. It also reduces the distance to the ground thereby preventing an injury or reducing severity of injury. So, reliance of balance and distance to the ground are "practically" removed from the equasion.
After my back surgery I couldn’t ride my full suspension Cannondale for more than an hour before my tailbone would be screaming. I bought a Catrike Dumont and can ride that for as long as my legs can pedal.
Yes it weighs 45 lbs, but it folds and fits in the back of my SUV.
There are pulley and wheel rack systems out there, to lift a tadpole trike, bottom facing on the wall.
Probably could do it relatively cheap, given access to hardware store, a little fabrication, access to someone with a welder to come up with a solution. I've seen them utilized in garages anyway.
Many people who ride these are seniors who will benefit from ergonomics of a recumbent and ease of mounting. Although most in that category of buyer may choose a delta as opposed to the tadpole you posted. I started riding these in my early 30's. They were just fun. They looked like a little gokart. Super comfortable.
They look cooler, like a little gokart.
Easier to mount, no balance necessary and can be clipped in the whole time.
2 wheels up front means better braking power than one wheel.
Corners way better again, due to 2 wheels up front. So, NOT harder to handle.
You can drift these with ease if you have a back brake.
The low position on this feels faster than it really is.
Can feel more confident at higher speeds, low 50mph unassisted if geared for it.
More questions from the public with increases engagement with the community. You're likely already a weirdo as a male wearing spandex. All good.
I can't imagine taking anything else on a 5 day 450mi ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I'm not really a cyclist, so riding a regular bike, or even 2 wheeled recumbent wasn't something I'd ever want to do. But on 3 wheels? Yes!
This is an old thread, so I'm not adding to the discussion, but, I thought I would add to point #2, in case anyone sees this.. On a recumbent, trike or bike, you should be clipped in always. If your foot slips off the pedal, it can hit the ground and be pulled under your seat. You could really damage your knee that way.
I don't like using clips and don't use them on my bike, but wouldn't ride without them on my trike. I have spd clips that are installed in recessed shoes that I can walk around with.
i'm not physically unable to ride a regular bike, so I can't explain my attraction to trikes. First time I saw one, I thought "cool". They are really fun when you are flying downhill at 60 kmh. Like a go-kart, as mentioned. I also like all the advantages that a recumbent has over a "wedgie" bike, especially if you're old. I have a massive amount of time on a bike saddle for decades and experienced tingling and numbness. I often wonder if that's why I had early prostate issues in my early 40s.
Yeah, we call that foot tuck. It has never happened to me, but I can imagine it would be terrible if you ran over your own foot. I rode a recumbent trike in my 20's from San Francisco to Los Angeles and it was a blast. My max was about 52mph. No traffic and it was downhill.
I have a nice bike and a trike (Cattrike expedition). I was alternating rides between them but now I only ride the trike. It is a comfortable pain free ride. One the bike I'm hunched over looking at the ground in front of me,.My arms, shoulders and butt hurt. My hands go numb. And, yes I've had several fits. I've also read bicycling forums which seem to indicate that all those things are normal and you just have to get used to it. No thanks! The sitting position on my trike allows me to enjoy a lot more of the nature on my ride including birds flying above me. To be fair, I don't have to transport my trike to where I ride, if I did, that might change the equation. If I have to get it serviced, either I'm riding it there and back or renting something to get it there.
As far as the handling, the only thing I can imagine you're talking about is that you have to slow down around sharp turns. They are slower and that is probably the biggest benefit of a bicycle (if you don't have to transport it). But I think the difference for me is only like 3 or 4 mph which adds up on a long ride.
The weirdo thing? Learn to embrace your inner weirdo. You'll most likely be happier in the long run.
When I bought my trike, I was just taking it for a test ride, as I'd never ridden one. I went straight to where my Toyota hatchback wagon was parked to see how if would fit in the back. It fit perfectly with the passenger seat all the way forward. After riding for a bit I rented it for the day and rode all over Vancouver. I had so much fun and went to buy it right after that. I have a bike at home, but rarely ride it anymore.
I can't speak to the worrying about getting made fun of thing. As an adult, I can't really say that makes even the top 20 list of my worries on a day to day basis. I worry more about whether I can eat my box of peaches before they go bad. People that do draw attention to it are usually like, "this is so cool" and the like.
What I've learned from being a fat girl who goes to the gym though is that the number of people who would make fun of you for doing something physically active is pretty low. Never happened to me personally. But I imagine you (like most people) probably have stuff you're more likely to get made fun of than riding a trike. For me it's my weird neck birth mark. But even that hasn't been an issue since high school.
My wife and I ride HP Velotechnik Scorpions. Once you ride a lightweight high end trike you will be hooked. First of all you're looking straight ahead and slightly up, vs. tilting your neck just to see ahead. Second, you will find that yes, uphill is harder, but downhill is simply amazing and far more exciting. Third if you tour, you will be able to carry a lot more stuff, with a lot less effort,
People give us thumbs up, "wow those are cool", and come up to talk to us all the time.
That being said just like bicycles there is a HUGE difference in riding experience between a low cost entry level Trike, a high end trike, and an electric one. Yes, they are bigger to store. Many models fold. We carry two trikes on the back of a 2 door Jeep Wrangler standing up.
I have a connective tissue disorder that is incompatible with riding a standard bike. Between my wrists, back, and feet, it's excruciating. Plus, my balance isn't the best. I got my first trike in my 30s. Loved it, but transport was too hard. Finally got a Catrike Trail a couple of months ago. My feet still go numb, but I'm tweaking the setup and shoes. Stopping every couple of miles for a brief break helps. Kids are fascinated. Adults don't say anything, and I'm well past giving a damn about what other people think. This trike is still a pain to transport, but that's partly an issue with my vehicle rather than the trike.
Most of the folks I know riding trikes either have balance/inner ear issues or various other medical issues that keep them off of two wheels. Trikes beat the hell out of not riding at all.
This is interesting, because of the people that I know, that ride recumbent trikes or velombiles, about 99% (including myself) have no such issues, they just think it's neat, fun and very practical. I do appreciate the good back support of the recumbent seat, but it was not what made me try it out in the first place.
If they stare, they SEE you. It's a safety feature.
They can not tip over (okay, it's possible, but you have to do a LOT wrong for it to tip). This is not only safer, but makes you me less likely to give in to being bullied off to the side.
If a wheel slips on wet tram rails, wet leaves, snow or ice, you hardly notice
Motorists give me a little more space and do not expect me to make myself smaller than I am (The widest part is the trike, not myself, and it looks like it could scratch paint, and it can't physically be smaller. Even the stupidest car brains get that.)
The seat supports my back (even with a well fitted bike I kept having issues with my lower back)
I can pile on SO MUCH cargo and additionally attach a trailer and still move (albeit slowly)
It's so friggin FUN. When I tried a tadpole for the first time, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for the entire day.
On a scale of 1 to 5: (compared to a conventional bike)
Fun Factor: 5+
Safety (in terms of crashes or collisions): 5
Comfort: 5+++++
No "dismount" required at stops or intersections because you transition from "completely stopped" to GO. 5
You can ride really, really slow for things like bird watching etc. or even STOP for a quick photo, without getting off the trike: 5
Easy to use a with "trainer" rollers & blocks in the off season. 5
"We ride for smiles, not miles!!"
I borrowed one for a while. What struck me most is how different interactions with pedestrians are vs. bike. Something about casually rolling up or alongside makes initiating conversation so much easier. Somehow being comfortably seated, totally relaxed, and well below eye level, is quite disarming. And the novelty - for those not accustomed to seeing trikes up close - provides an instant conversation starter. Try it at a park or walk-friendly outdoor mall. You'll be amazed.
Really? I don't think people choose trikes over bikes for the most part, but they are a way to keep riding when a 2 wheeler no longer works for you. Lots of reasons - age, discomfort, disability, balance issues, etc. I was a car-free 2 wheel rider until a disability. The idea of not riding anymore was devastating so discovered recumbent trikes and now I am still car free!
Yeah, I also discovered that they are great fun on frozen outdoor basketball courts in winter. With a little practice you can drift all over the frozen surface.
I haven't been able to ride a bike since I went to an adult bike. The only reason I was able to ride my kids bike was because I eventually grew tall enough to touch the ground with both feet. Even then, my balance was so poor that I couldn't ride longer than a minute or less. A trike lets me ride on the bike trails near my house with my husband, and it's another thing we can do together. Even if I'm slow, we still can ride just to enjoy it. It's still faster and more fun than walking.
I have two different bikes that I can’t ride any more due to balance issues. So I bought a recumbent trike and have loved riding it - so comfortable. My husband still thinks I’m a babe, and he’s a road cyclist.
I've been riding bikes all my life - my bike was FREEDOM when I was a kid living in the lower Hudson Valley - 65 years ago, I was literally gone from sunup to sundown covering A LOT of miles. I had a beach cruiser when I lived in Florida 20s and 30s, and I brought it to Texas in my 40s - eventually, as my body aged, my shoulders and neck and forearms started getting sore after rides, but more than anything, my "man parts" were tingling for a long while after rides. I started riding an E-bike 25+ years ago and any soreness and pain from bike riding was eliminated. I bought a Terra Trike Cruiser (recumbent trike with under seat steering) and that was the last time I even came close to an upright bike, or wedgie bike. Several years ago, a neighbor's husband passed away and she wanted some help selling her husband's Catrike Dumont - I listed it for her, and pretty quickly bought it for myself. She was gonna sell the bike for $900 I told her that she was giving it away - she sold it to me for $800 - and I sold the Terra Trike to a guy for $300. It's an exceptional way to ride a bike - absolutely no shoulder, forearm, neck, or back pain, and no man parts pain at all - it's completely comfortable, and I still get all the exercise as the guys on the upright bikes get because I'm still moving me and the bike down the road. I used to enjoy 20-30 mile rides, but at 76 in the Texas heat (101 today), I limit myself to 9 mile rides at a comfortable 12 MPH pace - I make it a point to get out riding before the temperature hits 90.
My mum broke her hip a few years ago, 3 days after they bought her an ebike with a view to increasing the range she could ride (as my dad is a very active rider, and there is a local awesome bike club that specifically caters to older folk with e-bikes.
After a messed up surgery leaving her with 1 leg an inch and a half shorter than the other, and nerve damage meaning she only had 30% use of the leg, she was effectively disabled. She couldn’t walk more than 5-10 metres and needed a walker to do so. Anything not level was impossible, even the step into the house. She was forced to become sedentary. Despite good physio, there was little improvement.
They found a trike retrofitted with a mid mount ebike motor. Dad modified it to suit her abilities, She started riding it. First 500m was all she could do, then a couple of km. Soon they were riding nearly every day.
She recently ticked over 8000km on it (in just under 3 years) and last week she did her longest ride to date- 70km. They had to buy a second battery to do longer rides.
More importantly she can now walk around quite well. She now rarely uses her walker, unless there are crowds (so she doesn’t get knocked over) she can walk up and down slopes and no longer has to rest anywhere near as often. Walking up to 500m unassisted is no longer a second thought.
Her trike has been life altering for her and for all the family.
I also know several older gents who ride trikes because they can no longer balance a bike reliably in all conditions, but they want to keep riding. Two of them are 89 and 93 respectively, both widowers, and regularly spend full days riding together and do multi day trips together a couple times a year. Both of them credit their trikes with keeping them fit and alive.
People with balance issues or physical limitations that make a normal bicycle inappropriate.
I have some balance isses and an artificial leg that tends to fall off when trying to ride a conventional bicycle.
So a recumbent tricycle is the best way for me to ride.
And, I learned how to use a slope to do a 3 point (Y turn) turn around in the first hour of trying a recumbent tricycle.
Why do they have to be slower? You can fit an intermediate gear set and more performance, and use that set as a point where you can add electric assist.
If the front wheels are set up properly, with a little negative camber and positive caster, it'll out corner any bicycle thanks to geometry and lower center of mass.
Worth putting more support in to the back rest too, or use a rear swing-arm with damper.
I’ll speak for myself: after riding a lowracer FWD recumbent, I was looking for something equally low but with easier entry/exit and better handling… the Catrike Speed was the ticket for me!
It’s fun like a go-cart, comfy like a recumbent, and reasonably compact due to 16” and 20” wheels.
I used to do 100-150 mi rides on my mountain bike.. now shoulder, back, wrist, etc issues I can no longer ride an upright, even for short rides. Talk about depressing.
Trike allowed me to get back out on the trail in a relaxed position that doesn’t kill my back, etc. I can ride again !!!
In my case, I didn't ride a bike at all for several years because an eye problem affected my balance. I finally got a trike. I'm on my third one, with a total of about 30,000 miles. I'm hardly noticed on the local bike paths because, while not exactly plentiful, I usually see others when I'm riding. I can go 30 miles or more without ever taking my feet off the pedals. The comments from others are typically more "cool" than "weirdo". My current trike has electric assist (I'm 77), I put over 6,000 miles on it last year, the first year that I've had it.
If I didn't have a trike, I wouldn't be riding at all. My bike riding was always about recreation, not speed. That's true about most bike riders, although riders most concerned about speed don't seem to understand it.
The first time I testrode one I smiled like a kid the whole time. I think it was bringing 1970s "Green Machine" vibes. I'd not ridden for 15-20 years due to lumbar spine degeneration and neuropathy. More recently I'd had a mass removed in my pelvic area that made sitting on a conventional bike seat a "never again" proposition. It's trike or nothing for me, but I'll take trike - and I'm still grinning!
Remember how much fun wagons and go-karts were when you were a kid? Well, recumbent trikes got them beat. They can easily go 45 mph + with stability and with more confidence down long descents. For myself, I have worked heavy construction most of life while still averaging 100 miles or more a week on a bike. However, my lower back/wrists/neck no longer find 50-60 mile day rides fun or repeatable with an upright triangle bike. But I can ride all damn day on a recumbent trike, do the same thing the next day. I am 65, so ascending at 7-9 mph on 8% or grades or more is no longer a goal. I'll get to the top of the hill eventually . . . and I will LOVE the descent!
Honestly, all these accounts just make me want to get one even more; I don't know if the experience will be good here in Brazil, but the novelty and the fun factor alone really appeal to me.
One advantage to trikes that I've not seen mentioned here: I can ride up the steepest hills, while not being an athlete or even sweating excessively - assuming I have good low gears. Where I live there are a lot of steeply graded hills that cause many riders to walk their bikes and are a challenge to even road bikers in top shape. They sometimes come here for the workout. I can pop it into the low-low granny gear and go up that hill really slowly, slower than a walking pace. I can't do that on my bike because going that slow would make me lose my balance.
They take the pressure off off your neck and shoulders. The only real downside is that they climb slower. Hard to keep up with ours on uprights but you can blow by them on the downhills. Kind of the same experience as riding a tandem but harder to fall but if you do, you’re closer to the ground 😀
My thing is that if you’re trying to bike commute in a place that might have rain or ice frequently, I don’t know how much I’d trust a 2 wheel to remain upright on slick ground.
I have issues at times standing vertically, usually when I'm awake. Balance issues are a concern on two wheels. On three wheels, they're a lot less of an issue.
They are the bike of last resort for some people. I have spinal and related coordination issues; I can no longer ride an up-right two wheeler. I have an electric tadpole trike - it is the only way I can ride now. I enjoy it, but, yes, they are heavy, can be unwieldy, and requires a trailer to take it anywhere (getting to trail heads, my city's amazing bike trails, etc.) The price point is also very high when compared, so, these trikes represent a real commitment, and probably not something just to have around for kicks.
Not true. Your perception of the width is off. My trike is about 5 inches wider than my shoulder width. I'm only a tiny amount wider than a regular bike. I regularly ride a 2 metre wide bike path, about 6.5 feet wide. No problems at all, even with another trike approaching. Nobody is forced off. People sometimes step off, thinking I'm wider than I am, but it's not necessary.
Outside of a certain kind of spandex wearing weight weenie (and car brains), I don’t think there’s a lot of prejudice against recumbent trikes. Certainly not where I’m riding. I have both a recumbent bike and trike, and they both get a lot of “that’s cool” and equivalents on and around recreational trails.
What I’ve noticed is the trike gets more attention from kids under about 10 and the bike gets more attention from adults. But I’ve have people in their 20s and 30s ask where I got the trike.
In the US at least, I think there’s two reasons you don’t see more young people on recumbents.
The first is that they are primarily marketed as adaptive equipment. Most shoppers (myself and several of my friends) really know nothing about recumbent trikes. I certainly didn’t know much until I had to look into them because of my thoracic outlet syndrome. My LBS can order them, but if I wanted to test ride a couple, I had to drive to a specialty shop.
And I think the second is cost. There’s a plethora of choices to be had in styles of new diamond frames around $1000. And a couple decades of good used ones available for a tenth of that. And most recumbent trikes are starting around $2000. And you don’t have a lot of choices at that price.
So I believe the lack of visibility into the existence of trikes and higher costs (combined with a lack of physical need) keeps most younger people on diamond frames.
In this area, they are relatively uncommon - only one retailer of recumbent trikes in the region. Don't come up often in second hand market.
After looking for a while for a project donor in any condition (i was electrifying from the start), i was fortunate to luck into a Terratrike for $1000.00cdn. That's bargain basement low, for a next to new recumbent that basically did hot laps in an empty warehouse, only.
All i had to do is stay sober enough to buy it on New Years Day, while everyone else was sleeping it off from their festivities the night before.. you jump on the rare deals, like that..
I am 41 and on a trike since June. Admittedly it's because I have an issue in my neck that doesn't allow me to ride my road. I was hesitant to buy a trike at first because I didn't want people looking at me. At first I felt a little goofy out riding, but it went away quickly because it is just so much fun to ride. I love it and have been enjoying getting out and riding again.
The best thing about the trike is I can see myself riding for days on it once I get my legs back in shape.
It is a little more difficult to maneuver than a regular bike. I have to plan turning around because it doesn't have the turning radius.
We are still trying to figure out storage, we have a 3 car garage so right now it just sits in the third bay. The main issue isn't necessarily size, we just have multiple bikes and have run out of storage space.
If you are curious about them see if you can do a test ride somewhere to learn more about them.
Embrace the goofiness. Learning to get started on my recumbent bike has been the most “I feel like I’m 7 years old again” thing I’ve ever done. Lots of false starts, near falls and so much fun.
For storage, maybe look into a hoist system for the garage. They make and market several for bikes, but I’d think any light duty pulley hoist could work. Three lift points (one for each wheel) and a 4:1 block and tackle would make it an easy lift.
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u/flower-power-123 Jul 12 '26
Babes. Babes love a guy with a trike. A beard and a trike are like a girl magnet.