DBrown9383

Guy across the streets G/F has one and brought it over, not sure of the brand but it appears very well built and engineered, not cheap at all. It had an 8 speed internal gear hub with was pretty slick. I really enjoyed riding it until I came to my first high speed turn and unexpectedly got the thing up on two wheels. If my hip arthritis gets worse I might consider one but I'd have to have it fitted as the one I rode actually made my hip hurt MORE than my bike. It was a windy day and I'd just done a few laps on my bike when I tried the bent. Best thing about it? headwinds are not felt nearly as much. Maintaining speed into the wind is a breeze (excuse the pun).. I did not try to climb any big hills though and worry it might not be well suited for that.. Anyway it was really fun and if could no longer ride a bicycle, I would get a recumbent in a heartbeat. Don't knock it till you try it!

Mobile 155

When I got back into cycling and started looking at bikes I took a hard look at bents. The trikes are comfortable and the two wheel ones can be pretty fast. The problem was I wanted two, one for me and one for my wife and they didn't tend to fit on a bike rack or even in my Tahoe. Two trikes were out of the question. I got a semi-recumbent in a Giant Revive LX just to ride around and it was one of the most comfortable bikes I had ever been on. And it did fit on a bike rack or in the Truck.

Fast forward a few years and a few bikes and I had several road bikes and two MTBs and still had the Revive. Three of my friends that rode in our C group had bents, two Cat trikes and some low rider two wheeler. Long story short I loved the Cat trikes and someday I might have to have one. And while the two wheeler was fast on the flats and real fast downhill it was a pain on long climbing hills. You start shifting as soon as the hill starts, at least I did, and thankfully it had a bunch of gears because you cannot stand to get over that last steep part of the hill.

I can see the temptation and they can be a blast to ride. I have no clue how they do in the dirt as a gravel bike or MTB or even if they can be used that way.

Tony Marley

'Bents are a lot of fun. To climb mountains, you have to shift down, be patient, and spin. That said, I have ridden my TiRush in the Rockies on 11,000+ foot passes.

The trikes are even more fun, but they are heavier, which you definitely notice when climbing.

Boudicca

The spouse just acquired a high-end recumbent trike, and I tried it, very briefly. (It would have been easier if I could actually have reached the pedals). He also got the two wheel on a curve experience, and says you really have to lean into the corners to stay on the machine. Machine is orange with a big flappy orange flag, and he wears orange (or day-glo yellow) when he rides it. But you are still really low to the ground.

Me: I'll stick to two wheels at the regular bicycle height from the ground.

Retro Grouch 

I'm betting that you're taller than she is. A shorter crank might fit you better too. I can just tolerate a 170 mm crank on my diamond frame beater but 165 mm is the sweet spot for me on my recumbents.

DBrown9383

I'd like to try a 2 wheel bent as well. This one was a trike but still tons of fun.

John_V 

My wife rides an ICE Sprint 26 recumbent trike that I have ridden on many occasions on days when she doesn't ride. While certainly not as fast as my road bike, riding that thing is a complete blast. It's as much fun as riding a go-cart. I love the way they corner and the fact that if you suddenly stop, you aren't going to hit the ground because you couldn't unclip in time. One day, I plan on getting one for myself but that will be when I can no longer ride the road bike.

JanMM

I get my recumbent bicycles up on two wheels every time that I ride!

Getting a recumbent tricycle up on two wheels is not uncommon. It's entirely possible to flip a trike, too, but much less common.

tcs

If I still lived on the Great Plains (a relatively flat place with relatively strong winds), I've imagined I'd own/ride the lowest recumbent trike I could find.

JanMM

My experience is that headwinds are less burdensome on a 'bent, but still no fun.

Garfield Cat

Electric motor assist on a recumbent for those long hill climbs?

Joe Minton

"Tadpole" (two wheels in front) trikes are less likely to turn over when cornering.

Joe

VegasTriker

Not necessarily. All tadpole trikes are not equal when it comes to handling. The one ridden by the OP is a Terratrike Rover TerraTrike It is a high-seat entry level trike. The COG is higher than on most tadpole trikes. I could easily lift a front wheel going into a turn on my Greenspeed GTO trike with the seat at 45, degrees and the bottom of the seat 9" off the ground but find that same maneuver difficult on my Catrike 700 with the seat angle at 27 degrees and the same height off the ground for the seat bottom.

Moe Zhoost

I bought an ICE sprint about 2 years ago and am well on the way to 1,000 miles on it. Although I don't ride it on the street (wife's orders) and it won't replace my other bikes, it is a real blast for long leisurely (relative term) rides on the local trails. It's one of the few things that allow an old guy to impress pre-teen kids.

rydabent

I have the best of both worlds, I have both a recumbent bike and a trike. When the winds are high, I always take the trike.

JanMM

I am the motor......

Joe Minton

VegasTriker:

The overturn problem is always about the CG (center of gravity) moving outside the triangle defined by the contact patches of the wheels.

The higher the CG, the less turn (lateral) acceleration is required for the 'effective' CG to move outside the triangle and raise a wheel.
The difference between two-in-front (tadpole) three wheeler and one-in-the-front three wheeler concerns the fore/aft loading of the wheels under braking and/or when going downhill.

If you are turning sharply and/or braking while turning, the one-in-front configuration is much more likely to overturn; same thing for turning while going downhill.

Many folks, and I know a few, have no problems with one-in-front trikes. But, they tend to be those of us who use their one-in-front three wheelers for going to the market, Starbucks, etcetera.

I would never buy a one-in-front trike.

I was responsible for and managed (1969-70) the testing of the Honda three-wheeled "ATC90." --- Intitially named "US90."
I told them not to build it because it was unstable. 'They', however, did build it (and got rid of me) and subsequently killed 1400+ riders and put 9,000+ others in wheelchairs or perpetual bed.

I'd love to have a "tadpole" e-Three wheeler for when I get older (I am 74).
It would be a low one (CG).

Joe

Mobile 155

Explain Patient? The one I tried was just very slow and spinning was easier but not any faster. But then I am not used to riding a bent.

BlazingPedals

I just got back from the Smokey Mountain Recumbent Rally in Tennessee. There were 95 registered cyclists, and of that number, I think 90 of them were on trikes. Trikes are generally heavier than 2-wheelers, and have the extra wheel's worth of rolling resistance; so they tend to be slower climbing hills than most 2-wheeled recumbents, and much slower than a good roadie. The main advantage, to my way of thinking, is that they can go extremely slow without falling over. Of the 90 or so trikes at the rally, maybe 2 or three were capable of even remotely matching my normal speeds.

It's pretty common for new bent riders (or test riders) to pedal slowly in a too-tall gear, which can make the hips and knees hurt.