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02-06-06, 07:09 PM
More than once on this board people have said they would not feel safe or comfortable riding a low trike like mine in traffic. I would like to dispel the myths and offer some info for those current or future vc instuctors out there, as a sort of trike advocacy for bike advocates.
Following is a message from a triker who took a LAB course, and after that are notes taken by the instructor during a Road 1 class:
I discovered that I get more courteous treatment from motor vehicle drivers on a trike than I ever did on a 2-wheeler -- and I'm a confirmed vehicular cyclist.
I do not ride on sidewalks and am very careful on bike paths (really multi-use paths). For the most part, I feel quite at home in traffic, driving my trike as if I were driving my car. At 76 I'm slower than I used to be, but have not experienced motorists honking or yelling at me. I drive my trike, as I do my car, defensively, courteously and legally. Also, I make sure I stay alert no matter which vehicle I'm driving.
Becasue of osteoarthritis and extreme discomfort on an upright bike, I switched to recumbent bikes back in 1984. It was shortly after I moved to SLO from Davis in 1998 that I began having problems with balance and switched to a recumbent trike (actually I've had three trikes).
I definitely recommend using a mirror (I have one on my left mudguard, and always use a Take-a-Look on my glasses) so that you know what is behind you.
David Stone, a new League Cycling Instructor (LCI) in Huntsville, AL, rides a trike because of serious injuries received when he was hit by a car on his upright. I've attached his PDF that he just uploaded to his web site www.knology.net/~BikeEdHSV/courses.htm.
Road 1 Course Modifications
For Recumbent Tricycles
This is a compilation of lessons learned while taking a Road 1 course, getting LCI certification,
and personal experience. Many of the practical exercises had to be modified or were not as
useful to a cyclist on a recumbent tricycle. Many of these depend on the type of trike and
equipment configuration.
Slow riding A balance maneuver that has no applicability to a tricycle. A trike can easily win a
snail race.
Scanning Possible, but may require extreme twisting to get the head around to look behind
while in a reclined position. It depends on the trike as well. A mirror is a must for some trikes
and my dealer provides one with every recumbent he sells. However, looking over the shoulder
still provides a visual indication of an upcoming turn or lane change.
Rock Dodge This exercise, while it can be accomplished, did not have much applicability.
Balance isnt an issue when striking an obstacle with one front wheel on a trike. Trikes can
easily avoid small debris without loosing control. Three wheels can make it difficult to avoid
larger obstacles.
Quick turns This maneuver can be modified to apply to a trike. Rather than using balance, this
maneuver on a trike involves leaning into the turn, steering into the turn, and applying the inside
brake if differential brakes are installed. However, at high enough speeds this maneuver can tip
the trike over, resulting in a more dangerous condition to the cyclist. Tipping the trike over
throws the cyclist into the obstacle, such as a car, where as on an upright the bike would slide out
from under and send the cyclist away from the obstacle. It was concluded that a quick stop would
be more appropriate since it does not put the cyclists head or torso at as much of a risk as
tipping the trike over in a quick turn.
Tipping Knowledge of when a trike will tip is useful. Ride the trike on a grass field &
experiment on how fast and how quickly you can turn without tipping. Different trikes,
especially between delta and tadpole designs, have different levels of stability. Familiarity with
the limitations of the particular trike is needed to avoid a crash.
Quick stops An appropriate maneuver but shifting body weight back on the bike is irrelevant.
However, on a trike you can have left & right brakes. Differential braking helps in turns, but
learning to do a quick stop with only one brake is a possible modification to this drill (say you
have a water bottle in the other hand?). The goal of quick stops with one brake is not to lose
control. It should be tried at progressively higher speeds to retain control while braking.
Lane positioning Since a tricycle takes up more road width than an upright, different rules
apply to lane positioning. Even at a right hand lane position, the trike takes up enough road width
to essentially take the lane. Bike lanes also cause a problem if they are not wide enough. The
conclusions on lane position were: Right lane position should be based on the right wheel thus
providing adequate clearance for the right wheel compared to the edge of the roadway. When
taking a center lane position, the center wheel should be used. When taking a left lane position,
such as when making a left turn on a two-lane street, the left wheel should be used.
Hand signals Since my left arm is paralyzed, standard hand signals are almost impossible
since my right hand is required to steer. When riding in a group, verbal signals must be used for
turns, slowing or stopping to prevent collisions with other riders.
Cadence For a recumbent or trike, a cadence of up to 120 rpm can be used depending on the
preference of the rider.
Visibility One feature my dealer includes is a windsock. It includes bright colors with motion
as a way to get drivers attention despite the profile of a recumbent or trike.
Group Riding Care should be taken when riding in a group due to the different nature of
riding a recumbent or trike. Going uphill the tendency will be to go slower than uprights. Going
downhill the tendency will be to go faster than uprights due to the lower drag of the
recumbent/trike. Be careful with changing position since other cyclists may not see you in their
blind spots.
I hope you find the info helpful. My experience has been much the same.
Following is a message from a triker who took a LAB course, and after that are notes taken by the instructor during a Road 1 class:
I discovered that I get more courteous treatment from motor vehicle drivers on a trike than I ever did on a 2-wheeler -- and I'm a confirmed vehicular cyclist.
I do not ride on sidewalks and am very careful on bike paths (really multi-use paths). For the most part, I feel quite at home in traffic, driving my trike as if I were driving my car. At 76 I'm slower than I used to be, but have not experienced motorists honking or yelling at me. I drive my trike, as I do my car, defensively, courteously and legally. Also, I make sure I stay alert no matter which vehicle I'm driving.
Becasue of osteoarthritis and extreme discomfort on an upright bike, I switched to recumbent bikes back in 1984. It was shortly after I moved to SLO from Davis in 1998 that I began having problems with balance and switched to a recumbent trike (actually I've had three trikes).
I definitely recommend using a mirror (I have one on my left mudguard, and always use a Take-a-Look on my glasses) so that you know what is behind you.
David Stone, a new League Cycling Instructor (LCI) in Huntsville, AL, rides a trike because of serious injuries received when he was hit by a car on his upright. I've attached his PDF that he just uploaded to his web site www.knology.net/~BikeEdHSV/courses.htm.
Road 1 Course Modifications
For Recumbent Tricycles
This is a compilation of lessons learned while taking a Road 1 course, getting LCI certification,
and personal experience. Many of the practical exercises had to be modified or were not as
useful to a cyclist on a recumbent tricycle. Many of these depend on the type of trike and
equipment configuration.
Slow riding A balance maneuver that has no applicability to a tricycle. A trike can easily win a
snail race.
Scanning Possible, but may require extreme twisting to get the head around to look behind
while in a reclined position. It depends on the trike as well. A mirror is a must for some trikes
and my dealer provides one with every recumbent he sells. However, looking over the shoulder
still provides a visual indication of an upcoming turn or lane change.
Rock Dodge This exercise, while it can be accomplished, did not have much applicability.
Balance isnt an issue when striking an obstacle with one front wheel on a trike. Trikes can
easily avoid small debris without loosing control. Three wheels can make it difficult to avoid
larger obstacles.
Quick turns This maneuver can be modified to apply to a trike. Rather than using balance, this
maneuver on a trike involves leaning into the turn, steering into the turn, and applying the inside
brake if differential brakes are installed. However, at high enough speeds this maneuver can tip
the trike over, resulting in a more dangerous condition to the cyclist. Tipping the trike over
throws the cyclist into the obstacle, such as a car, where as on an upright the bike would slide out
from under and send the cyclist away from the obstacle. It was concluded that a quick stop would
be more appropriate since it does not put the cyclists head or torso at as much of a risk as
tipping the trike over in a quick turn.
Tipping Knowledge of when a trike will tip is useful. Ride the trike on a grass field &
experiment on how fast and how quickly you can turn without tipping. Different trikes,
especially between delta and tadpole designs, have different levels of stability. Familiarity with
the limitations of the particular trike is needed to avoid a crash.
Quick stops An appropriate maneuver but shifting body weight back on the bike is irrelevant.
However, on a trike you can have left & right brakes. Differential braking helps in turns, but
learning to do a quick stop with only one brake is a possible modification to this drill (say you
have a water bottle in the other hand?). The goal of quick stops with one brake is not to lose
control. It should be tried at progressively higher speeds to retain control while braking.
Lane positioning Since a tricycle takes up more road width than an upright, different rules
apply to lane positioning. Even at a right hand lane position, the trike takes up enough road width
to essentially take the lane. Bike lanes also cause a problem if they are not wide enough. The
conclusions on lane position were: Right lane position should be based on the right wheel thus
providing adequate clearance for the right wheel compared to the edge of the roadway. When
taking a center lane position, the center wheel should be used. When taking a left lane position,
such as when making a left turn on a two-lane street, the left wheel should be used.
Hand signals Since my left arm is paralyzed, standard hand signals are almost impossible
since my right hand is required to steer. When riding in a group, verbal signals must be used for
turns, slowing or stopping to prevent collisions with other riders.
Cadence For a recumbent or trike, a cadence of up to 120 rpm can be used depending on the
preference of the rider.
Visibility One feature my dealer includes is a windsock. It includes bright colors with motion
as a way to get drivers attention despite the profile of a recumbent or trike.
Group Riding Care should be taken when riding in a group due to the different nature of
riding a recumbent or trike. Going uphill the tendency will be to go slower than uprights. Going
downhill the tendency will be to go faster than uprights due to the lower drag of the
recumbent/trike. Be careful with changing position since other cyclists may not see you in their
blind spots.
I hope you find the info helpful. My experience has been much the same.