BikeArkansas

Lingering injuries have forced me off the bike, but I am now on the recumbent trike, and not finding it all that bad. Actually, it is a fun ride. Much different than my 15# CF race bike, but still fun. Went for my first ride on the bike trail yesterday, I rode with a group for a while and managed to keep up, but also keep out of the way of the DFs.

Today I climbed a local hill a couple times. SLOW. I did find it does no good to try to force a trike on a climb. Just pedal within yourself or you will get winded very quickly on this heavy contraption. Still fun.

More doctor visits this month, but it is looking like the trike will become my full time friend. It does not appear that fighting the neck injuries to keep riding the DF is worth it. My rides on the trike have produced no neck and shoulder pain. Riding the DF had become very painful. Unless the doctors find something different, I will accept the trike and have fun with it.

BobbyG

I have tried a few recumbent trikes. They don't handle like bikes, but are still a lot of fun and have a "bikiness" to them. My personal preference was one with a 26" or 700c rear wheel. It felt more familiar, although identical smaller tires are more practical.

BobbyG

Good attitude towards a lot of things.

Aubergine 

Yep!

OldTryGuy

Outstanding reading about your acceptance of bent riding. MUCH more comfortable and PRACTICAL at this time I would imagine. Eventually in my future I imagine but as of now the bridge is still some distance away.

VegasTriker

You were spoiled by the 15 pound bike. Give it time. You haven't gained your "trike legs" since the muscles used to propel a trike are different from a DF bike. It comes with the miles and time.

The HP Velotechnic Scorpion FX (full suspension) is a 36 pound trike and runs around $4K so you are not riding one of the ~50 pound entry level trikes that a lot of people first try. Pushing 50 pounds of trike is going to turn off a lot of riders. The one you bought is good for years and many thousands of miles.

BlazingPedals

Trikes are very popular about now; so it's easy to go into a recumbent shop and think that bent = trike, which of course is not true. If you want more speed capability in a bent, go to two wheels.

John_V 

My wife rides a 2014 ICE Sprint 26" and absolutely loves it. She has around 8,000 miles on it since she bought it new. Every once in a while, if she isn't riding and I don't have someone to ride with, I pull her trike out of the van and go for the same 40 mile ride I would do on my road bike. They really are a blast to ride, especially on tight curves. Like riding a human powered go-cart. Hers is a touring trike with wide tires but I offered to buy her narrow wheels, rather than keep the 1.25" wheels, but she refused. I would have liked the narrower wheels.

Give yourself some time with the trike. I think you'll really come to enjoy it.

canklecat

I may need to consider a recumbent sooner than expected. The old C2 injury from a car wreck years ago isn't going to cooperate with my ambitions.

Since getting a drop bar road bike in June, my first in 30+ years, I've gotten into better shape. It shows in faster average speed on 20-30 mile rides.

But beyond 30 miles it gets uncomfortable. And I've ridden one metric century per month since July and am miserable for the next day or two. By the 50 mile mark I can hardly hold my head up and the neck pain is so bad I'm just crawling home the final 10-15 miles. Even with a couple of rest stops to stretch it's been really tough to finish those 100 km rides, and a standard 100 mile century is out of the question.

Saturday I tried for a standard century (my goal by the end of the month when I turn 60). Was feeling pretty good, and started with a faster local group ride, then dropped off to ride my own route after a brisk 10 miles with the group -- I can't hang on with their 20 mph pace for long, especially on climbs.

But I was thwarted by GPS sync errors. At least three times the sync dropped and by the time I reached the 75 mile mark that I'd mapped out in advance, the cycling apps showed only 63 miles. My neck was aching and I felt like I'd had a pretty good ride so I called it a day.

But to be realistic I'm not sure a standard century is a realistic goal for me on a conventional drop bar bicycle. I may tackle it on the flat bar hybrid next weekend, take more breaks and see how it goes. If that doesn't help I may be looking for a recumbent soon.

JanMM

I wasn't forced into riding 'bent bikes by injuries, etc., but do find them more comfortable, or should I say less uncomfortable, particularly on longer rides. Have never ridden a full century on any style of bike, but have ridden lots of metric centuries, most of them in recent years on 'bents. Aiming for my first century in 2019, which will be my first retirement year - should have plenty of time to ramp up the miles towards that goal.

Wildwood 

I have no problems with DF bikes, but have accepted other limitations to my 'cycling lifestyle' and life in general. Graciously accommodating the changes that may be dictated by age/infirmity/cognition makes life more pleasant - especially for the other people around us.


On a related note, WHAT SIZE BIKE DID YOU RIDE **********?

zjrog

Given my continued fears, I may look at a recumbent trike soon...

groth

Here's a trike I got to try and help my late wife get some exercise. Turns out it's good for parades. Here's a friend and me in the Titusville, NJ 4th of July parade this year!

- Ed

BikeArkansas

My local bike shop called me last night to inform me of a trade in they are receiving in a few days. It is a Catrike 700, which I understand is one of the faster trikes on the recreational market. I will be taking a look at it on Friday or Saturday.

Ed, I like your recumbent tandem, and I am sure you can handle it, however with a partner that young you will need to train a lot.

Maelochs

You know he got the tandeme just to get riding partners.

"Hey, little lady, want to be in a parade?"

When I first saw the pic I didn't realize it was a tandem and it was pretty confusing ....

That thing is as long as a car.

ModeratedUser150120149

I really like the Tadpole Trikes, on relatively flat terrain and no airplanes are involved.

The combination of weight and pedaling inefficiencies makes hills tough. You can add electric assist. But that adds weight and expense. Whether the elecric motor powered vehicle would still be allowed on MUPs seems to be an unsettled question.

Even folding trikes seem to be large and awkward with which travel. I think the battery is large enough to require special handling .

elocs

For any who end up riding a recumbent trike due to injury or disability and find it to be a fun experience, you may well have found it to be fun before your injury as well but just never tried them out.

rydabent

Of course trikes may be the answer for people that have physical problems that make a trike the about the only way they can continue to ride.

How ever no matter what age you are, trikes are a fun way to cycle. Even at 79 I have been blessed with exceptional health, but I wish I had known about bents and trikes 40 years ago. When it comes to trikes, they are simply the easiest way to ride in town there is. With all the stops you have to make even with MUPS, being able to stop and start still clipped in is fantastic. Of course comfort goes with out saying but the safety of the view while riding in town makes for a much safer ride.

tcs

Warning to those susceptible to N+1: Trike porn!

The new Trident Gossamer SL is under 10kg/22 pounds!

The very low, uber cool Greenspeed Aero is argued to be today's speediest trike. Other swift three-wheelers include the Catrike 700 and ICE VTX. On the used market, there's also the legendary, record holding Windcheetah.

Then for a trike with enough sex appeal to match your own, there are the Carbontrikes models.

BlazingPedals

Sadly, there's a thread on BentriderOnline to the effect that Windcheetah may be kaput. Nobody has heard from them in months, even the locals. Beware, don't send them any money.

Trsnrtr

Yeah, tell me about it.

Bob Ross

oh god, why did I click on those links?!?!? Damn you, tcs!

BlazingPedals

It's too bad, it seems like the whole thing is so modular... except for the castings, anyone could put one together. I wonder if the castings could be outsourced to Asia?

I was going to put out feelers to a guy in my club this spring. He has a Windcheetah Club that he no longer rides. Now I'm not so sure I want something that might not have any support.

tcs

Didja' notice the SRAM electronic wireless shifting, hydraulic disc brakes and titanium straight pull spokes on that Trident Gossimer SL?

tcs

Cheap enough to be a stocking stuffer (well, for 50+ who have been good): the Performer JC70.