Any Elderly Trikesters Here?
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Tractorlegs
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Any Elderly Trikesters Here?
I'm 68 now, with balance (and weight) issues, and have switched my pedaling to an adult tricycle. I stopped 2-wheeling about three years ago. Anyone else resorting to 3-wheeled life?
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Trikeman
Trikeman
#2
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I'm 65, and although I own a Catrike Speed (tadpole recumbent trike,) I really don't use it very often. My tastes run more into the fast machines, and trikes ain't. There are a TON of recumbent trike riders out there although maybe not so many on this forum. They tend to hang out on the recumbent sites.
Edit: Including a pic of my trike, which is a work-in-progress, trying to make it just a bit faster with each upgrade.
Edit: Including a pic of my trike, which is a work-in-progress, trying to make it just a bit faster with each upgrade.
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82 here. We bought a trike for my wife to ride with me. She has since given it up and I mainly ride it around town on the trails. It is the easiest way to ride in town with all the stops and starts. You just remain clipped in. My bike goes out of town on bike club rides. If the weather is nice I ride about 25 miles or more every other day.
Last edited by rydabent; 06-09-21 at 06:32 PM.
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Tractorlegs
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I'm 65, and although I own a Catrike Speed (tadpole recumbent trike,) I really don't use it very often. My tastes run more into the fast machines, and trikes ain't. There are a TON of recumbent trike riders out there although maybe not so many on this forum. They tend to hang out on the recumbent sites.
Edit: Including a pic of my trike, which is a work-in-progress, trying to make it just a bit faster with each upgrade.
Edit: Including a pic of my trike, which is a work-in-progress, trying to make it just a bit faster with each upgrade.
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Trikeman
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#5
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Thanks! Right now it's about the same speed as my Trek 7500 hybrid. Since the pic it's gotten carbon handlebars to lighten it up a teeny bit. Next up will be to upgrade the front wheels from the current heavy ISO 349 rims to some carbon 20" rims. I'll be happy with it if it can keep up with the 14 mph riders on the 'B' rides here without working me to death. (Last ride on my 2-wheeler averaged 19mph; so you can see a bit of a speed difference there.)
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I haven't tried a recumbent trike or any two-wheels-in-front trike, but I was unable to steer my friend's pedicab. He warned me that some people with a lot of bicycle miles have leaning so heavily ingrained that they have trouble forcing a trike to turn without being able to lean the machine. He was right about me, anyway.
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Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
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I guess Mrs. Grouch and I qualify. We're in out upper 70"s and riding Catrikes.
My advice is to visit a recumbent specialty shop and plan on spending at least a half day. There are MANY variations on the tadpole design and they all ride a little bit differently. If you are new to recumbents, probably your first consideration should be how low are you comfortable sitting. A recumbent specialty shop will be able to talk you through the other design decisions but, if you can't get up and down reasonably easily, nothing else really matters.
To put things into perspective, neither of us has ever been particularly athletic but we do have a significant bicycling background. The last two miles of a typical ride for us would qualify as a Tour D France Cat 5 KOM hill. Not an epic climb but enough to get anybody's attention. We're happy and doing okay.
My advice is to visit a recumbent specialty shop and plan on spending at least a half day. There are MANY variations on the tadpole design and they all ride a little bit differently. If you are new to recumbents, probably your first consideration should be how low are you comfortable sitting. A recumbent specialty shop will be able to talk you through the other design decisions but, if you can't get up and down reasonably easily, nothing else really matters.
To put things into perspective, neither of us has ever been particularly athletic but we do have a significant bicycling background. The last two miles of a typical ride for us would qualify as a Tour D France Cat 5 KOM hill. Not an epic climb but enough to get anybody's attention. We're happy and doing okay.
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Tractorlegs
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I haven't tried a recumbent trike or any two-wheels-in-front trike, but I was unable to steer my friend's pedicab. He warned me that some people with a lot of bicycle miles have leaning so heavily ingrained that they have trouble forcing a trike to turn without being able to lean the machine. He was right about me, anyway.
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Nope, but I tell my wife when I have to give up my drivers license I getting one.
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Went trike after my 2014 crash.
Got this First 2002 GTO 81 Gears
Could Only Average 10 MPH. Need 14 mph to complete The Indy Track TDC of 100 miles.
So then Got This.
Speed Problem was Me. Not the Trike.
So then got this for Comfort
Got this First 2002 GTO 81 Gears
Could Only Average 10 MPH. Need 14 mph to complete The Indy Track TDC of 100 miles.
So then Got This.
Speed Problem was Me. Not the Trike.
So then got this for Comfort
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I ride a trike about 50% of the time. It’s a 2020 ICE VTX DI2 Word Champion model. Oh, and I'm 70.
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Last edited by Trsnrtr; 06-09-21 at 10:58 AM.
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#12
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I am now 68 and added a Catrike Expedition to my stable in 2014. But I still ride my Ti-Rush recumbent bike, as well as Bike Friday upright bikes.
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#13
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Tandem Trike
Most of my miles are on an upright two wheeler, but I have had a Greenspeed Tandem Trike since 2005. It's named "Big Red." I got it in hopes of getting my wife some exercise. She had severe osteoporosis and was using a walker. I had thought of an upright tandem, but she correctly pointed out that one fall and she would be a pile of broken bones. When one of our friends got a recumbent trike and she saw a photo, she thought she could do that. So we did. She never really rode it very much. On the other hand, I've had "guest stokers," and taken it on "real rides." It's been around Keuka Lake, NY (42 miles) perhaps 6 times, the Lancaster, PA bicycle club metric century, the NYC Five Borough Ride (42 miles) and I've taken it out for a few solo rides of 30-40 miles locally. In 2013, we helped long time friends from Belmont, NY celebrate their 70th birthdays over the July 4th weekend. We took Big Red, decked it out patriotically and rode it in the Belmont July 4th parade. We were going to ride it in the local Memorial Day parade in 2014, but my wife's health was declining and she died in 2015. Since then, I've met and become very good friends with an avid cyclist and Big Red has been making appearances in the Hopewell, NJ Memorial Day Parade and the Titusville, NJ July 4th Parade. Each of those is roughly a 20 mile round trip for about a mile of parade riding. The photo is of Candace, Big Red and me on Memorial Day, 2020 in Hopewell.
Her is a link to a description of the trike, its assembly, and some enhancements and modifications.
- Ed
Her is a link to a description of the trike, its assembly, and some enhancements and modifications.
- Ed
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Tractorlegs
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Most of my miles are on an upright two wheeler, but I have had a Greenspeed Tandem Trike since 2005. It's named "Big Red." I got it in hopes of getting my wife some exercise. She had severe osteoporosis and was using a walker. I had thought of an upright tandem, but she correctly pointed out that one fall and she would be a pile of broken bones. When one of our friends got a recumbent trike and she saw a photo, she thought she could do that. So we did. She never really rode it very much. On the other hand, I've had "guest stokers," and taken it on "real rides." It's been around Keuka Lake, NY (42 miles) perhaps 6 times, the Lancaster, PA bicycle club metric century, the NYC Five Borough Ride (42 miles) and I've taken it out for a few solo rides of 30-40 miles locally. In 2013, we helped long time friends from Belmont, NY celebrate their 70th birthdays over the July 4th weekend. We took Big Red, decked it out patriotically and rode it in the Belmont July 4th parade. We were going to ride it in the local Memorial Day parade in 2014, but my wife's health was declining and she died in 2015. Since then, I've met and become very good friends with an avid cyclist and Big Red has been making appearances in the Hopewell, NJ Memorial Day Parade and the Titusville, NJ July 4th Parade. Each of those is roughly a 20 mile round trip for about a mile of parade riding. The photo is of Candace, Big Red and me on Memorial Day, 2020 in Hopewell.
Her is a link to a description of the trike, its assembly, and some enhancements and modifications.
- Ed
Her is a link to a description of the trike, its assembly, and some enhancements and modifications.
- Ed
,
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Trikeman
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I ride an upright trike and love it
I'm 69 and also have balance and weight issues because of a head-on collision. I bought a Miami Sun trike several years ago and then changed out the front wheel with a Hilltopper 24v hub and 24v lithium battery. I pulse the battery going up inclines but mostly try to pedal as much as possible, so my battery lasts a good long while between charges (about 25 miles on a "12-mile battery," ha!). I love the Sun trike because it is the best made and sturdiest of the adult trikes I tried. I also love the huge saddle for my big butt!
I only ride on paved bike paths or roads (fairly untrafficked roads, and if canted, as close to the center as possible). I'm on my fourth battery (currently a 36v "universal" battery). I can go 25mph if I want to, but who needs to? I'm into cycling with my husband for pleasure and exercise. It took me no time at all to get used to leaning differently. I've only had one spill on my trike, which was preventable because I wasn't paying attention, and that was not fun, so I'm pretty cautious about speeds and turns. I definitely wear a helmet and ride with a detachable mirror to keep an eye on what's coming behind me. Also have a bell to let riders in front of me know I'm coming.
I am SO grateful for this trike! I wish I could trust airless tires so I can go on gravel paths, but I'm not confident they would be good for a heavy trike like this. I could be wrong, though. Would be interested in knowing if they would work well.
I only ride on paved bike paths or roads (fairly untrafficked roads, and if canted, as close to the center as possible). I'm on my fourth battery (currently a 36v "universal" battery). I can go 25mph if I want to, but who needs to? I'm into cycling with my husband for pleasure and exercise. It took me no time at all to get used to leaning differently. I've only had one spill on my trike, which was preventable because I wasn't paying attention, and that was not fun, so I'm pretty cautious about speeds and turns. I definitely wear a helmet and ride with a detachable mirror to keep an eye on what's coming behind me. Also have a bell to let riders in front of me know I'm coming.
I am SO grateful for this trike! I wish I could trust airless tires so I can go on gravel paths, but I'm not confident they would be good for a heavy trike like this. I could be wrong, though. Would be interested in knowing if they would work well.
Last edited by klucabike; 07-12-21 at 03:17 PM.
#16
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Hopefully it will be some years before I need a trike, and when it happens it will be a Sun adult upright trike. We sell recumbent trikes and frankly they are awful to get in and out of. Not for me.
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I tried recumbent - no thanks!
Yes, three reasons I don't like recumbents (and I did try one before getting the upright Sun): 1. Like you said, hard to get in and out of, especially if you have knee/hip/back problems, 2. My belly gets in the way of pedaling and it's very uncomfortable leaning back like that also, 3. Visibility is sketchy/scary, both for me and for auto drivers seeing me. I don't think those little flags are all that visible.
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#18
Senior Member
Sun also makes a delta recumbent trike. Deltas have one wheel in front/two in back. With only a few exceptions, deltas are generally higher than tadpoles, so easier to get into/out of; but the trade-off is that they don't corner like slot cars. If I were to get a delta of any type, I'd want a differential to power both wheels so that I wasn't applying power off-center.
#19
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I am a bit younger than some of you, will be 51 this year.
I purchased a Catrike Road for the wife, as she had really bad balance issues at the time. I liked it so much that I took it over and we purchased another Catrike Road. Both of them were well before there was a shock offered on the rear, but I get ahead of myself...
Where we lived at the time was a very rural small town with excellent roads and a lot of good paths within town that made nice even length loops based on what you wanted to do. The ride could be almost completely flat, or throw in a couple of hills if you wanted. They were excellent and we rode and enjoyed them immensely.
After a while the mechanical issues started. The front derailleur was junk, and to top it off was kind of hard to find a decent replacement for given the size of the big chain ring. Microshift IIRC was the only company that offered one that could replace it. The previous one had been discontinued and would have required going to a smaller chain ring. The replacement liked to drop chainrings towards small. It became such an issue on one of the bikes that I opted to remove the cable and lock it on the small chain ring. We had also gotten SRAM internally geared hubs by that point, so there were still plenty of gear inches to use....other things were just bothersome, like head set bushings, and tensioners, such little things that add up.
We moved to a location that, even though cycling is prevalent here, a lot of it has to be out on State Highway. The rolling hills and such led to a couple of situations where we, and particularly me, almost ended up under a car or truck. We tried flags and lights and so forth but one afternoon after having to dive off the road into a ditch I decided that riding on the roads here was no longer an option.
The area has a close by network of very expansive golf cart paths, so we took to riding there. We found that the root heave and other bumps in this pathway were very uncomfortable for the lower back. We considered upgrading to the then new model with the rear shock but decided the expense, limited ride options, and the having to get them up into the bed of a truck or purchase a trailer was more than we wanted to contend with in order to keep riding them what was basically two of the same places.
I sold the pair of them to a couple a few years younger than ourselves who live on a military base and basically got all but a few dollars of what we had in them.
The point being, they are really fun if you have a good place to ride them. Don't expect to get anywhere fast. Don't expect your "riding legs" to be the same. Also, as a complete aside to that, you may have to change your hydration habits. As you may know, when you recline it causes water to be processed out of your system quicker. It took me a minute to figure out that I had to hydrate less before the ride, wait until I had a good sweat built up to start re-hydrating, or you had to find good wooded areas along your route to relieve...a LOT.
I purchased a Catrike Road for the wife, as she had really bad balance issues at the time. I liked it so much that I took it over and we purchased another Catrike Road. Both of them were well before there was a shock offered on the rear, but I get ahead of myself...
Where we lived at the time was a very rural small town with excellent roads and a lot of good paths within town that made nice even length loops based on what you wanted to do. The ride could be almost completely flat, or throw in a couple of hills if you wanted. They were excellent and we rode and enjoyed them immensely.
After a while the mechanical issues started. The front derailleur was junk, and to top it off was kind of hard to find a decent replacement for given the size of the big chain ring. Microshift IIRC was the only company that offered one that could replace it. The previous one had been discontinued and would have required going to a smaller chain ring. The replacement liked to drop chainrings towards small. It became such an issue on one of the bikes that I opted to remove the cable and lock it on the small chain ring. We had also gotten SRAM internally geared hubs by that point, so there were still plenty of gear inches to use....other things were just bothersome, like head set bushings, and tensioners, such little things that add up.
We moved to a location that, even though cycling is prevalent here, a lot of it has to be out on State Highway. The rolling hills and such led to a couple of situations where we, and particularly me, almost ended up under a car or truck. We tried flags and lights and so forth but one afternoon after having to dive off the road into a ditch I decided that riding on the roads here was no longer an option.
The area has a close by network of very expansive golf cart paths, so we took to riding there. We found that the root heave and other bumps in this pathway were very uncomfortable for the lower back. We considered upgrading to the then new model with the rear shock but decided the expense, limited ride options, and the having to get them up into the bed of a truck or purchase a trailer was more than we wanted to contend with in order to keep riding them what was basically two of the same places.
I sold the pair of them to a couple a few years younger than ourselves who live on a military base and basically got all but a few dollars of what we had in them.
The point being, they are really fun if you have a good place to ride them. Don't expect to get anywhere fast. Don't expect your "riding legs" to be the same. Also, as a complete aside to that, you may have to change your hydration habits. As you may know, when you recline it causes water to be processed out of your system quicker. It took me a minute to figure out that I had to hydrate less before the ride, wait until I had a good sweat built up to start re-hydrating, or you had to find good wooded areas along your route to relieve...a LOT.
#20
Senior Member
I love the concept. I would be hesitant for a few reasons.
I have trouble getting up and down from very low seats.
How do you lug that thing around?
In Florida I would worry that it would make you low hanging fruit. If you know what I mean.
I have trouble getting up and down from very low seats.
How do you lug that thing around?
In Florida I would worry that it would make you low hanging fruit. If you know what I mean.
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Out of shape!
I'm 69 with ankolosing spondylitis. I'm having trouble getting out of my Sun tad. Any advice other than strenghtening my legs with exercise?
#22
Senior Member
Trade it for a Sun Delta? Some tadpoles are higher than others, but they're all fairly low.
#23
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Check for the availability of "accessory aids or exit assist bars" at major recumbent shops. It's akin to grab bars in a shower. Two companies that come to mind are Utah Trikes and Power On Cycling in TN. Both offer accessory aids that may fit your trike. Much cheaper than a trade in. https://www.utahtrikes.com/UTCAT-820.html Mark Powers has been active in modifying trikes for disabled veterans. https://www.poweroncycling.com/produ...t-bars-839.htm
I vowed to never respond to the original post as I refuse to be classified as "Elderly". Old, yes but elderly no. That conjures up the image of being really rickety.
I vowed to never respond to the original post as I refuse to be classified as "Elderly". Old, yes but elderly no. That conjures up the image of being really rickety.
#24
Tractorlegs
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How do you lug that thing around?
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Trikeman
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