Folding Tricycle
 

Hey all!

My girlfriend’s father is getting quite old(83) and having balance issues. He’s an avid cyclist and doesn’t want to give up riding but we’re concerned he’s going to really hurt himself so I’m trying to find to an upright tricycle that would be fun for him to ride. Ideally we’d find something foldable to make putting it in a car easier.

So far my searches are turning up very ‘old man’ and heavy looking options. Does anyone have any ideas for something more sporty and real bicycle looking and not insanely heavy? In my mind I imagine what’s basically a road/hybrid bike looking thing with three wheels, but most seem to be cheap-o chunky cruisers.

Thank you!

Mike

I've seen road bike style trikes way back when. They were custom made, here's a link of something similar: http://classiccycleus.com/home/wp-co...gers-Trike.jpg

Don't know if this is what you're looking for. I've seen 3 wheeled recumbents, not foldable, but can fit in a hatchback or pickup.

There are some higher seating trikes among the recumbent trikes but not all of them fold. Folding trikes tend to be a few pounds heavier than a similar model that does not fold. One that folds is the Catrike 559. It's far from a budget trike. It is an excellent brand with a lot of long-time uses (like me but with a different model) who put a lot of miles on them. This one is 39.5 lbs. https://www.catrike.com/catrike-559

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...171e5ec9bf.png
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...90d7cedf03.png

Thank you. I’m concerned about his vision/visibility in a recumbent, so hopefully looking for an upright style. Sorry, I don’t know the technical term.

thanks!

Visibility for the rider or is not a problem. My Catrike has the most laid back seat configuration of any trike at 25 degrees from horizontal but your head rests on a neck rest so you are looking straight ahead. The field of view is far better than on the road bike I rode in the past where I was often looking at the pavement ahead of me. My two previous trikes had a 45 degree seat angle similar to the one shown in the picture above which is adjustable from 44 to 51 degrees. Trike owners will tell you that motorists give you more room than they ever got on a regular bike too.

https://www.hpvelotechnik.com/en/rec...uring-trike-2/

... is another option.. https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/w_121...6-1140x802.jpg

The Hase trikes are more upright, and sporty, but they are pricey. I'm saving up for a pair for my wife and I to be able to ride together. Hase trikes can be hooked together to make a tandem. :)

I have no experience with the Trykit, but they may work. Personally I’m a little leery of an upright tricycle and cornering, especially at speed, but it may work.

Downside is not being able to fold it, but I think that asking for an upright racing style tricycle that also folds is probably not available.

Lightweight Racing and Touring Tricycles and Conversions

John

Thanks. I guess my concern is him being able to see over parked cars, and things like that. I’m also not sure how he’d take to such a foreign device. At his age and general mental capacity I’m not sure he’s up for new tricks, haha. Thanks though!

83 used to be "quite old" but now it's only a little bit older than me. For the record, I ride a Catrike 559, much sportier than that three wheeled contraption you are looking for. I'm selective where I ride, mostly bike trails but some open roads.

The biggest things with trikes, is that they don't lean when you go around a corner, which is pretty critical to keeping a two-wheel bike from flipping over when you go around a curve.
Three-wheelers, particularly delta trikes, are more like a sailing catamaran, where they want to lean the 'wrong way' going around corners. Tadpole trikes get around this by having two wheels in the front, for stability, 'Granny' basket trikes are typically so heavy, and low geared, that they're really only capable of low speeds, so it's not as much of an issue there, either.

For an example of what I mean, here are some British racing trikes (apparently, that's a thing) You can see what it takes to go around a corner with all the wheels on the ground:

https://tricycleassociation.org.uk/w...-3-654x401.jpg

Which? The racing trikes in the above post, or trikes in general?

For the record, they are a ton of fun to ride compared to a normal bike, although I still prefer two wheels because I like to lean at speed (I race motorcycles too).

Some of the low, fast tadpole trikes are ridiculous amounts of fun, like riding a fast, pedal powered go-kart. (VTX, CatTrike 700, Greenspeed). My velo is crazy fast on level ground, but it's got a narrower wheel track, so it doesn't corner quite as well as some of those racier trikes.

Sources for trikes: Utah Trikes, Bent-up Cycles, Backcountry Recumbent Cycles, Azub, ICE Trikes, CatTrike,

See the list of sponsors at the top of Bent rider for all kinds of great links: 'BentRider Online

I'm not sure I'm using the right descriptions, but I'm not looking for a recumbent bike. Is there some other way to describe the non-recumbent tricycles?

You have a lot of conflicting, exclusive requirements. The upright trikes you describe that he thinks he wants are going to be heavy, slow, and tip over easily at any kind of speed.

If he wants any kind of performance at all, the trike will have to be lower to ground. It's physics.

I don't know why you/he are so resistant to recumbents. They are comfortable, easy to ride, and can be fast. I would say at least give a couple of test rides and see.

Fair enough. The hesitation is mostly due to him being in less than optimal health/mental acuity and I'm trying to help him find a way to enjoy riding with limited risk. I'll certainly explore the recumbents and see if he thinks he'll be comfortable with a new fangled contraption, haha.

Thanks.

Maybe something like the Sunseeker Eco-Delta would fit what you're looking for: it's a RANS-style semi recumbent (like sitting in a lawn chair) so you're still fairly upright, the controls and pedals are still similar to a 'regular' bike, but it's long and low enough to be stable if you get a little enthusiastic with it.

https://www.utahtrikes.com/uploads/u...419_101938.jpg

That thing is kind rad, thanks.I think regular handle bars would be more familiar for him.

I have the Pacific carryall.

It's fun, but there are some things to consider:

It feels significantly draggier to go uphill, there's no gears.
The wheels are tiny and there's little/no momentum, so it goes more slowly compared to a regular-sized bicycle.
Bumps in paths are bumpier, and
If a path tilts like this /, then the trike is effectively tilted, and it feels way scarier than a bicycle where you can easily correct for the tilt with your balance. One of the routes I like has a tilted, up-and-down sloping bike path that also has large cracks in it : I feel safer just getting off and pushing the tricycle

Upside:
You can fold and roll it
It's easy to fold
It's only 10kg (22 lbs)
It has a sturdy rear rack for groceries.
Edited to add: it handles well, and can turn small circles without you having to lean.