Commuting - considering a trike

To say considering is a lie. I was visiting a friend in IN and test rode a terra trike at a dealer in auburn IN or near there. I am hooked. I have to clean off the med bills from a hip surgery first.
Sometimes I commute 40 miles RT, with my CP (although it is a mild case I never feel quite confident. I love the trike and will get one when and if I can afford it.

My ? is this. I comute in NE IL so there's bad roads salt etc.
Will the cruezer rust out from under me, should I spend the extra $$ and get the zommer since it is alluminum?

Q2? anyone know a way to attach a "roll bar like bar at the bike higher up gor lights etc in the back for traffic visibility??

thanks

For your purposes, a roll bar is overkill. For most trikes, the easiest thing to do is just mount a rack and then run some PVC pipe up the rack to attach the lights.

I wouldn't bother with lights for daytime riding. Comments motorists and others have led me to believe that even though I run a NR universal tail light, it only marginally improves visibility. On the other hand, a safety flag makes a huge difference. For night time riding, the light is absolutely essential. If you are riding in a lot of traffic, mounting the light up high as you are suggesting will make a big difference.

I live in Ill. and own a Worksman PAV trike that I use due to
my knee replacments. Salt kills steel and corrodes aluminum
to dust. That said I really can't recommend riding a trike in
the winter due to all the places for salt/gunk to hide all winter.

One other point......In Ill. you will need to install a "slow vehicle"
triangle that farmers use on farm equipment to indicate your slow
speed to drivers.

I have test ridden several trikes and have been amazed at the comfort and speed. I am hesitant to ride one around here, mainly due to the narrow width of the roads, traffic volume and insane redneck drivers. FWIW I have seen little lights that could be mounted on the end of the safety flags, I just don't remember where and what they were called. Perhaps the FireFly lights like people put on their valve stems would work.

Aaron:)

I live in Ill. and own a Worksman PAV trike that I use due to
my knee replacments. Salt kills steel and corrodes aluminum
to dust. That said I really can't recommend riding a trike in
the winter due to all the places for salt/gunk to hide all winter.

I rode a trike straight through winter (in Canada) and, well, it's true. Salt and dirt and water get everywhere, and can cause a nasty rusty mess. But, if you are vigilant you'll be OK. Just keep everything lubed, oiled and greased, and wipe off any water after each ride before it has time to dry.

Full fenders, proper maintenance, and frame saver should keep your trike operating through many winter without problem. Your frame is unlikely to be a problem but things like cables and derailers may be. If you can clean your bike on a regular basis and allow it to dry in a warm environment then you will keep it in great shape. Keep everything well lubed and wax the frame to make cleaning easier.
Trikes are great for winter weather as you don't have to worry about going down on a patch of ice. However the one wheel drive does not provide enough traction to push the 3 tracks through more than a light snow covering.
Good luck and enjoy.
Craig