Tricycles

[jbswagger]

Hi

I have a medical condition which is going to eventually stop me riding traditional bicycle due to effect it causes to my balance.

With this in mind does anyone have any experience of tricycles and any tips.

Thanks

[smifffymoto]

Which configuration of trike,2 at the front and 1at the back is by far the safest configuration.
I have only had very short test rides but I don’t think the main brands have much between them in terms of quality and build.
ICE,Azub and HP velotechnic are all reputable brands as far as I know.

ICE Trikes in Falmouth are probably the best option for a UK resident.

[jbswagger]

As I've only been considering tricycles recently I wasn't aware the difference in stability offered by the various versions. Will test ride at one point
Thanks for the reply.

[JQ]

I can provide no advice but https://wheelsforall.org.uk/ have a centre local to me and they have a huge range of bicycles / tricycles for people with disabilities. They hold weekly events for people to ride them.

I suspect they’d love to let you try out all the different types of tricycle and provide you with advice. A friends son volunteers at our local one and apparently all the volunteers are lovely.

[jbswagger]

Thanks for the great link provided.

I will contact a local centre and speak to them.

[defblade]

I've got a friend getting very old now, he swapped to trikes a good few years ago. Main reason was/is you can fit them with very low gearing indeed for crawling up the hills, without them falling over/zig-zagging like a bike has to. And you may well be able to have your favourite existing bike converted to a 2 at the back trike.
However, they do steer a bit differently to bikes, you need to shift your weight the other way than on a bike to keep the wheels down at speed (with 2 at the back).
Tadpoles (2 at the front) are more stable at speed, but I'm struggling to think if I've ever seen one that wasn't a recumbent.

[smifffymoto]

I can’t think of any disadvantages of a recumbent.

OP,is it for staying in shape or as a practical tool for shopping etc.
If you need practical there’s always Bakfiets or other delivery/kiddyhauler models.

[defblade]

smifffymoto said:

I can’t think of any disadvantages of a recumbent.

Poor visibility - both of you, especially in traffic, and for you, not being able to see over walls/hedges/etc
Ridiculously long chain lines
Initial purchase cost (also an issue with trikes, even conversions)
Small choice of models available

Plenty of pros as well... I like the idea of them, but don't have one mainly due to the purchase cost and not getting a view - I love looking around when I'm riding; I think I'd feel very hemmed in on a lot of the roads I use.

[jbswagger]

Hi the main reason for considering a trike is practical for shopping, going to work etc.

[defblade]

jbswagger said:

Hi the main reason for considering a trike is practical for shopping, going to work etc.

Again, low gearing is a great advantage here if you're going to be load-lugging, and there's any hills.
Electric ones available too, but ££££
As mentioned, you will need a certain amount of balance still if you want to get/keep the speed up on corners.

Google "cargo trike" for a load of ideas - these tend to be designed to be ridden reasonably sedately

[Mars]

I have been looking into leaning trikes for a friend. His balance is reduced but not gone completely - it's a result of an injury to one of his eyes.

Anyway, he doesn't like recumbents so asked what I knew about tadpole trikes but he wanted one that he could lean into corners. There are some shown on Google Images but I can't find any real world reviews.

[Mars]

Like this

https://youtu.be/c3a0sSPOhb0

There's a link to a Facebook page where you can order the front fork/mechanism for £1500. Given that it's a custom item, I really like it.

Edited by Mars on Monday 24th July 18:00