Some ask, "Why a trike?"
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100% correct! While I prefer road bikes, my wife has an !CE Sprint "26" which I ride from time to time. It's a blast to ride. It's more of a touring trike so it isn't meant to be fast, but built more for comfort. I have, once or twice, done rides of 30 miles on it but I would never consider taking it out for a longer ride. For her, a trike is perfect since she has two artificial hips and refuses to ride a two wheeled bike.It gets her out riding, which is important to both of us.
The only issue we have found is transporting it. The ICE folds so that makes it easier to transport than ones that don't. Since we often go out of town to different places to ride, bringing the trike into the hotel room was not an option and neither was keeping it in the back of an unsecured pickup truck. The solution was a Transit Connect. Both bike and trike now stay in the back of the van unless we need the back seat.
An old photo of her first trike (Performer) and my Colnago ACE (backup bike).
The only issue we have found is transporting it. The ICE folds so that makes it easier to transport than ones that don't. Since we often go out of town to different places to ride, bringing the trike into the hotel room was not an option and neither was keeping it in the back of an unsecured pickup truck. The solution was a Transit Connect. Both bike and trike now stay in the back of the van unless we need the back seat.
An old photo of her first trike (Performer) and my Colnago ACE (backup bike).
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#52
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So I have a tadpole trike in addition to my many conventional bikes. No need for this discussion to be polarized since these two vehicles are quite a bit different, but both are endearing in their own special ways. I love to ride my trike, but I also love to ride my bikes. They are two different experiences, but both bring meaningful pleasure. I don't ride my trike because I'm unstable or have issues with clipping in. I ride it because it's a hoot. It's like the difference between a kayak and a rowing wherry.
The important thing is that you are out riding.
The important thing is that you are out riding.
Great post and I learned a new word.
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#54
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#56
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I never really thot about the wobbling and scratching around untill a few years ago when I rode our ride of silence. Sitting lower, and watching and listening to DF riders take off from a stop light was kind of funny. Yes they do wobble around while they are scratching trying to get clipped in.
#58
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I've never ridden a trike, but you making stuff up about lung compression isn't going to make me want to try one.
@Moe Zhoost 's post, however, might.
#59
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I never really thot about the wobbling and scratching around untill a few years ago when I rode our ride of silence. Sitting lower, and watching and listening to DF riders take off from a stop light was kind of funny. Yes they do wobble around while they are scratching trying to get clipped in.
I ride various kinds of DF bikes, all with platform pedals. I invariably get a better start off a traffic light than someone who has to clip in. While they do exhibit a little wobble on the starts, it's never enough that I think they're in danger of "tipping over".
Also, a little side-to-side motion is something you can use on a DF for leverage on the pedals--it's a pretty efficient way to start under some circumstances.
Why do you always seem to frame this as a DF vs. whatever thing? Much better to extol the virtues of the kinds of vehicles you're espousing than trying to convince people they aren't really enjoying their DFs. If people are having problems with their DF, chances are excellent that they're fully aware of it.
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If it's true (as OP professes) that he has experienced little decline in mental ability, would his starting the same thread every few months constitute spamming or trolling? I always figured he just didn't remember. However, if it's intentional, then you have to wonder why it's permitted.
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I don't remember an OP thread on trikes. Bents, gears and speed, yes.
Anyways, I like his threads. Even more so if he added some pictures.
Anyways, I like his threads. Even more so if he added some pictures.
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"Of course if you value your self as some kind of a racer boy you dont [sic] care. However for those of us that ride for fun and exercise will find that riding a trike is the most relaxed way of cycling."
One trick pony.
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I really don't like this us vs. them crap. This is silly. We are all cyclists.
For the record, I have a diverse fleet: My Current Velocipedes
For the record, I have a diverse fleet: My Current Velocipedes
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So I have a tadpole trike in addition to my many conventional bikes. No need for this discussion to be polarized since these two vehicles are quite a bit different, but both are endearing in their own special ways. I love to ride my trike, but I also love to ride my bikes. They are two different experiences, but both bring meaningful pleasure. I don't ride my trike because I'm unstable or have issues with clipping in. I ride it because it's a hoot. It's like the difference between a kayak and a rowing wherry.
The important thing is that you are out riding.
The important thing is that you are out riding.
Like @Moe Zoost above, I am strongly in the road bike camp for myself. I like climbing out of the saddle far too much than to deny myself this option. I mean: climbing & descending is the stuff. Can I gear down, stay in the saddle and take my time up a climb? Sure. Do I want to be limited to always being seated for climbing? No.
Is a moment of wobbly while starting out from a traffic light a deal breaker? For me, no. Every experienced clipless pedal rider will tell you that they made some mistakes along the way with falling while trying to un-clip being the worst one. Kind of like crashing. If you’ve never crashed, it just means you haven’t crashed, yet. Being timid while riding makes makes you dangerous not only to yourself but to others as well. Riding that raises your alertness is more exciting for me, since I am out on regular roads and exerting my right to be there.
There are some organized recumbent groups groups that I frequently run across while riding our extensive bikeway system here around Dayton and Xenia, Ohio. I’m delighted to see the ladies and gents on their excursions. They have big hats and kite like flags waving from the back of their recumbents. One guy who I see out riding in the evenings near Yellow Springs on his recumbent wears full headphones. When you try to say hello, he does not even respond because he is immersed. Luckily when recumbent couples are seen riding 2 abreast, they do seem to yield to oncoming riders and go single file. With that said, I can see a lot of risk factors for pop up crashes involving recumbents on busy bike trails.
Like others have already commented on, the OP of this thread is clearly in the camp of “pro recumbent” and that’s fine that he likes them. But exaggerating on the difficulty of clipping in or postulating about lungs being under-inflated via pinching one’s rib cage (huh ?), we all know is just silly.
The first longer road test I did on a Catrike, I went down a moderate downhill and shifted up into the big chainring. The out front crank was making the front of the bike sway side to side with each down stroke of the crank arm while I was in the big gear. I commented on this phenomenon to the Catrike bikeshop owner and he acknowledged that, yes - pulsing in the front is a thing with learning recumbents. He said that it smoothes out with practice. Pulsing, wobbling downhill descending would not stop me from getting a Catrike if I had my heart set on one. Honestly, one of my recumbent goals (if I indeed purchased my Catrike) would be to set a personal downhill speed record on one. Having crashed quite badly 2 years ago, destroying my wheels, splitting my helmet in half and breaking a bunch of ribs on a twisty, high speed downhill at 47+ MPH: you would think I would become timid. Nope. Even though I’m going to be 58 this year, my road riding story continues and my resolve to scramble and be there with the motorists is stronger than ever.
But those in posession of a tadpole recumbent probably have the capability at least (but maybe not the risk taking confidence) to exceed most road riders maximum downhill speed. I’m not sure if is less frontal area making the recumbent faster on downhill runs or perhaps some mechanical asset of spinning out while seated that gives the recumbent the capability of exceeding road bikes in this one, very specific metric. When slower bike riders try to crack on an accomplished, hard working road rider - calling them “Lance Armstrong” or “racer boy” it is hard to fathom what their end game is in provoking a street fight like that.
I am in an an active bike club that welcomes all members of all ability levels. If a “C” rider is ready to move up and hang with the “B” group, they are welcomed and given whatever support helps them to get better. If I can hang with the “B+” group, I need comradeship, not sneers. If I find myself way in over my head with the elites and I’m getting dropped, I doubt that addressing my faster riders as “racer boy” is going to get me invited back for them to welcome me into their fold again.
Last edited by masi61; 01-06-20 at 12:25 PM.
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I rode the old style, adult trikes a few times.
Quickly learned how to balance and ride for blocks on only two wheels.
I'm guessing OP's trike is a bit fancier, but maybe we shall never know.
Quickly learned how to balance and ride for blocks on only two wheels.
I'm guessing OP's trike is a bit fancier, but maybe we shall never know.
#69
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I remain perplexed as to where all these "racer boys" exist in Lincoln, having been around town a fair amount, including on my bike (where I guess I'd be the racer boy), I don't really see any. A hotbed for road racing, Lincoln is not (gravel is great though)
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My x-girlfriend had a balance disorder (Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome or SCDS) and she wanted to enjoy riding so we test rode the Catrike and ICE models. I really like the Catrikes and think they are really fun, fast and worth the money. I would totally buy one if I needed one (she really needs one).
Like @Moe Zoost above, I am strongly in the road bike camp for myself. I like climbing out of the saddle far too much than to deny myself this option. I mean: climbing & descending is the stuff. Can I gear down, stay in the saddle and take my time up a climb? Sure. Do I want to be limited to always being seated for climbing? No.
Is a moment of wobbly while starting out from a traffic light a deal breaker? For me, no. Every experienced clipless pedal rider will tell you that they made some mistakes along the way with falling while trying to un-clip being the worst one. Kind of like crashing. If you’ve never crashed, it just means you haven’t crashed, yet. Being timid while riding makes makes you dangerous not only to yourself but to others as well. Riding that raises your alertness is more exciting for me, since I am out on regular roads and exerting my right to be there.
There are some organized recumbent groups groups that I frequently run across while riding our extensive bikeway system here around Dayton and Xenia, Ohio. I’m delighted to see the ladies and gents on their excursions. They have big hats and kite like flags waving from the back of their recumbents. One guy who I see out riding in the evenings near Yellow Springs on his recumbent wears full headphones. When you try to say hello, he does not even respond because he is immersed. Luckily when recumbent couples are seen riding 2 abreast, they do seem to yield to oncoming riders and go single file. With that said, I can see a lot of risk factors for pop up crashes involving recumbents on busy bike trails.
Like others have already commented on, the OP of this thread is clearly in the camp of “pro recumbent” and that’s fine that he likes them. But exaggerating on the difficulty of clipping in or postulating about lungs being under-inflated via pinching one’s rib cage (huh ?), we all know is just silly.
The first longer road test I did on a Catrike, I went down a moderate downhill and shifted up into the big chainring. The out front crank was making the front of the bike sway side to side with each down stroke of the crank arm while I was in the big gear. I commented on this phenomenon to the Catrike bikeshop owner and he acknowledged that, yes - pulsing in the front is a thing with learning recumbents. He said that it smoothes out with practice. Pulsing, wobbling downhill descending would not stop me from getting a Catrike if I had my heart set on one. Honestly, one of my recumbent goals (if I indeed purchased my Catrike) would be to set a personal downhill speed record on one. Having crashed quite badly 2 years ago, destroying my wheels, splitting my helmet in half and breaking a bunch of ribs on a twisty, high speed downhill at 47+ MPH: you would think I would become timid. Nope. Even though I'm going to be 58 this year, my road riding story continues and my resolve to scramble and be there with the motorists is stronger than ever.
But those in posession of a tadpole recumbent probably have the capability at least (but maybe not the risk taking confidence) to exceed most road riders maximum downhill speed. I’m not sure if is less frontal area making the recumbent faster on downhill runs or perhaps some mechanical asset of spinning out while seated that gives the recumbent the capability of exceeding road bikes in this one, very specific metric. When slower bike riders try to crack on an accomplished, hard working road rider - calling them “Lance Armstrong” or “racer boy” it is hard to fathom what their end game is in provoking a street fight like that.
I am in an an active bike club that welcomes all members of all ability levels. If a “C” rider is ready to move up and hang with the “B” group, they are welcomed and given whatever support helps them to get better. If I can hang with the “B+” group, I need comradeship, not sneers. If I find myself way in over my head with the elites and I’m getting dropped, I doubt that addressing my faster riders as “racer boy” is going to get me invited back for them to welcome me into their fold again.
Like @Moe Zoost above, I am strongly in the road bike camp for myself. I like climbing out of the saddle far too much than to deny myself this option. I mean: climbing & descending is the stuff. Can I gear down, stay in the saddle and take my time up a climb? Sure. Do I want to be limited to always being seated for climbing? No.
Is a moment of wobbly while starting out from a traffic light a deal breaker? For me, no. Every experienced clipless pedal rider will tell you that they made some mistakes along the way with falling while trying to un-clip being the worst one. Kind of like crashing. If you’ve never crashed, it just means you haven’t crashed, yet. Being timid while riding makes makes you dangerous not only to yourself but to others as well. Riding that raises your alertness is more exciting for me, since I am out on regular roads and exerting my right to be there.
There are some organized recumbent groups groups that I frequently run across while riding our extensive bikeway system here around Dayton and Xenia, Ohio. I’m delighted to see the ladies and gents on their excursions. They have big hats and kite like flags waving from the back of their recumbents. One guy who I see out riding in the evenings near Yellow Springs on his recumbent wears full headphones. When you try to say hello, he does not even respond because he is immersed. Luckily when recumbent couples are seen riding 2 abreast, they do seem to yield to oncoming riders and go single file. With that said, I can see a lot of risk factors for pop up crashes involving recumbents on busy bike trails.
Like others have already commented on, the OP of this thread is clearly in the camp of “pro recumbent” and that’s fine that he likes them. But exaggerating on the difficulty of clipping in or postulating about lungs being under-inflated via pinching one’s rib cage (huh ?), we all know is just silly.
The first longer road test I did on a Catrike, I went down a moderate downhill and shifted up into the big chainring. The out front crank was making the front of the bike sway side to side with each down stroke of the crank arm while I was in the big gear. I commented on this phenomenon to the Catrike bikeshop owner and he acknowledged that, yes - pulsing in the front is a thing with learning recumbents. He said that it smoothes out with practice. Pulsing, wobbling downhill descending would not stop me from getting a Catrike if I had my heart set on one. Honestly, one of my recumbent goals (if I indeed purchased my Catrike) would be to set a personal downhill speed record on one. Having crashed quite badly 2 years ago, destroying my wheels, splitting my helmet in half and breaking a bunch of ribs on a twisty, high speed downhill at 47+ MPH: you would think I would become timid. Nope. Even though I'm going to be 58 this year, my road riding story continues and my resolve to scramble and be there with the motorists is stronger than ever.
But those in posession of a tadpole recumbent probably have the capability at least (but maybe not the risk taking confidence) to exceed most road riders maximum downhill speed. I’m not sure if is less frontal area making the recumbent faster on downhill runs or perhaps some mechanical asset of spinning out while seated that gives the recumbent the capability of exceeding road bikes in this one, very specific metric. When slower bike riders try to crack on an accomplished, hard working road rider - calling them “Lance Armstrong” or “racer boy” it is hard to fathom what their end game is in provoking a street fight like that.
I am in an an active bike club that welcomes all members of all ability levels. If a “C” rider is ready to move up and hang with the “B” group, they are welcomed and given whatever support helps them to get better. If I can hang with the “B+” group, I need comradeship, not sneers. If I find myself way in over my head with the elites and I’m getting dropped, I doubt that addressing my faster riders as “racer boy” is going to get me invited back for them to welcome me into their fold again.
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I want a "Racer Boy" Top Fuel pedal trike!
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