jimmystewart200
08-01-07, 04:55 PM
Does anyone on here own a Terra Trike? Terra Trikes are manufactured in Michigan and they seem like a bargain. Just curious if anyone can give me some feedback on them before I buy one. Thanks.
Recumbent - Terra Trike owners - feedback wanted
Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.View Full Version : Terra Trike owners - feedback wanted
cjs1948
08-02-07, 05:17 PM
Does anyone on here own a Terra Trike? Terra Trikes are manufactured in Michigan and they seem like a bargain. Just curious if anyone can give me some feedback on them before I buy one. Thanks.
Few, if any, are manufactured in Michigan. They are made in Taiwan where most other bikes and trikes are made. They may be the best lower end trikes. When one considers trikes at the upper end, there are much better choices.
Chip
Few, if any, are manufactured in Michigan. They are made in Taiwan where most other bikes and trikes are made. They may be the best lower end trikes. When one considers trikes at the upper end, there are much better choices.
Chip
Shaman
08-02-07, 11:25 PM
Are you a bentrider onlie member? I know you will get real responses there on this question.
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/index.php
WizWheelz does provide options from the low price entry level trike to some pretty sophisticated machinery. They don't carry the "best in class" label but their service and customer support is touted to be excellent.
I can't believe I'm actually supporting WW, but I'll shut while I'm ahead.
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/index.php
WizWheelz does provide options from the low price entry level trike to some pretty sophisticated machinery. They don't carry the "best in class" label but their service and customer support is touted to be excellent.
I can't believe I'm actually supporting WW, but I'll shut while I'm ahead.
Dr.Deltron
08-03-07, 12:34 AM
Are you a bentrider onlie member? I know you will get real responses there on this question.
???
He can't get a real response here on BikeForums???
OH, wait . . ., here's one,
WizWheelz does provide options from the low price entry level trike to some pretty sophisticated machinery. They don't carry the "best in class" label but their service and customer support is touted to be excellent.
I can't believe I'm actually supporting WW, but I'll shut while I'm ahead.
perfect timing, as you stated your point so well. Sounds like a "real" responce to me..
except for that first part...somerider online or something..
(bikeforums RULES!)
I like the format better here anyway.
But the trike...YES, you will love "riding" :rolleyes: a tadpole recumbent trike (if you haven't actually tried one yet)
So whether it's a TerraTrike or not isn't as significant as there being yet another tadpole pilot.
the one-less-car idea sort of
And starting with a tadpole, I would bet you upgrade your tadpole or go to 2 wheels for even more speed & thrills within a year.
BTW, I can "wheelie" my trike! :p
Have fun & post your impressions here..:)
???
He can't get a real response here on BikeForums???
OH, wait . . ., here's one,
WizWheelz does provide options from the low price entry level trike to some pretty sophisticated machinery. They don't carry the "best in class" label but their service and customer support is touted to be excellent.
I can't believe I'm actually supporting WW, but I'll shut while I'm ahead.
perfect timing, as you stated your point so well. Sounds like a "real" responce to me..
except for that first part...somerider online or something..
(bikeforums RULES!)
I like the format better here anyway.
But the trike...YES, you will love "riding" :rolleyes: a tadpole recumbent trike (if you haven't actually tried one yet)
So whether it's a TerraTrike or not isn't as significant as there being yet another tadpole pilot.
the one-less-car idea sort of
And starting with a tadpole, I would bet you upgrade your tadpole or go to 2 wheels for even more speed & thrills within a year.
BTW, I can "wheelie" my trike! :p
Have fun & post your impressions here..:)
countersTrike
08-08-07, 01:17 PM
Does anyone on here own a Terra Trike? Terra Trikes are manufactured in Michigan and they seem like a bargain. Just curious if anyone can give me some feedback on them before I buy one. Thanks.
I thought I had answered this post! Yes, I have an old TerraTrike- made before outsourcing out of the US, about a 2000. Motorized in 2001 so it is a "special use" trike at this time for hills, distances, heavy towing.
countersTrike
I thought I had answered this post! Yes, I have an old TerraTrike- made before outsourcing out of the US, about a 2000. Motorized in 2001 so it is a "special use" trike at this time for hills, distances, heavy towing.
countersTrike
countersTrike
08-09-07, 12:00 AM
Does anyone on here own a Terra Trike? Terra Trikes are manufactured in Michigan and they seem like a bargain. Just curious if anyone can give me some feedback on them before I buy one. Thanks.
For the 3rd time, yes, owned it about 7 years. Very dependable and long lasting. US - made frame at the time it was built in Michigan. Almost no mechanical upgrades needed, but would accept many "add-ons": crank-arm-shorteners, fairing, roll bar, top, stereo & 2 small speakers, Pan-O-Ram speedometer, (for a while) clipless pedals, 3 panniers, motor/battery, trailer.
countersTrike
For the 3rd time, yes, owned it about 7 years. Very dependable and long lasting. US - made frame at the time it was built in Michigan. Almost no mechanical upgrades needed, but would accept many "add-ons": crank-arm-shorteners, fairing, roll bar, top, stereo & 2 small speakers, Pan-O-Ram speedometer, (for a while) clipless pedals, 3 panniers, motor/battery, trailer.
countersTrike
gcottay
08-09-07, 08:08 PM
I have many good miles on my TT 3.4, have found WhizWheelz an excellent company, and would highly recommend a TT to you but only after you have tested one that has been well adjusted to you.
I even recommend driving as far as necessary to test a variety of trikes. If you were to average 20 MPH on a trike (faster than I do!) and put only 5,000 miles on your ride of choice, that's still (hold on, fingers are too busy typing to be available for calculation) 250 hours. Well worth doing it exactly right!
George
Full disclosure: I'm talking myself into a CF Edge, so likely cannot be trusted for good advice. <G>
I even recommend driving as far as necessary to test a variety of trikes. If you were to average 20 MPH on a trike (faster than I do!) and put only 5,000 miles on your ride of choice, that's still (hold on, fingers are too busy typing to be available for calculation) 250 hours. Well worth doing it exactly right!
George
Full disclosure: I'm talking myself into a CF Edge, so likely cannot be trusted for good advice. <G>
Irodguy
08-09-07, 08:45 PM
I have owned a tour for about 6 months and 700 miles. I love the trike! I did upgrade the front idlers other than that no mechanical upgrades. The trike is a great deal of fun, the folks at WW our great to deal with.
While I was shopping I talked to several manufactures and found WW to be most helpful. In my case I was afraid of a catrike due to the upper end wait limit of 275. I am 260 and 6ft, I asked catrike and they thought I would likely have mechanical issues. The WW is solid and none of the issues that other manufacturer's thought i might have.
The only downside I see is that it's not foldable and takes the entire rear end of my XB. I am planning a trip from DFW to Florida at the end of October and will be doing a 100k. It would be a little nicer to have something that took a little less space, but other than that excellent.
While I was shopping I talked to several manufactures and found WW to be most helpful. In my case I was afraid of a catrike due to the upper end wait limit of 275. I am 260 and 6ft, I asked catrike and they thought I would likely have mechanical issues. The WW is solid and none of the issues that other manufacturer's thought i might have.
The only downside I see is that it's not foldable and takes the entire rear end of my XB. I am planning a trip from DFW to Florida at the end of October and will be doing a 100k. It would be a little nicer to have something that took a little less space, but other than that excellent.
Shaman
08-10-07, 08:02 PM
Here you go, Irodguy...
MOADIB64
08-27-07, 11:59 PM
Few, if any, are manufactured in Michigan. They are made in Taiwan where most other bikes and trikes are made. They may be the best lower end trikes. When one considers trikes at the upper end, there are much better choices.
Chip
The Cruisers, Tours, and Zoomers are all imported from Taiwan and assembled in the US. The Access/Sport/Race, and Edge trikes are all made in the USA. Frames welded, heat treated, and painted in Michigan from what I've been told. All the assembly is done by WW or a dealer.
Chip
The Cruisers, Tours, and Zoomers are all imported from Taiwan and assembled in the US. The Access/Sport/Race, and Edge trikes are all made in the USA. Frames welded, heat treated, and painted in Michigan from what I've been told. All the assembly is done by WW or a dealer.
Bill G
09-01-07, 10:37 AM
Are you a bentrider onlie member? I know you will get real responses there on this question.
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/index.php
WizWheelz does provide options from the low price entry level trike to some pretty sophisticated machinery. They don't carry the "best in class" label but their service and customer support is touted to be excellent.
I can't believe I'm actually supporting WW, but I'll shut while I'm ahead.
Not to offend, but whats wrong with supporting WW? Over all they make a darn good trike with the best seat adjustability on the market, for some thats pretty important. There customer service is tops and there trikes hold up pretty darn well. They also allow for a pretty darn good entry level trike that can be easily upgraded for those that do not want to or can not afford to spend $3000.00 plus on a trike. I did a lot of research and found them to be as good as most trikes on the market over all throughout the price ranges from the low end trikes all the way through to the top end trikes they sell.
Back to the original ?
I have two WizWheelz Trikes; one for me, and one for the wife. We like them a lot. The WizWheelz or Terra Trikes are hard to beat for the money. Best prices for trikes overall compared to other brands we looked at, good components as well as a big choice in trike models. Also, they have a lot more seat adjustability than any other trikes we looked at. The seat adjustability feature is what made the decision for us to buy the WizWheelz brand trikes. There were no dealers in my area so they delivered them to the door by truck. The guys at the factory are very nice. Check out there web page it is very informative. Also I find both trikes to be very stable in handeling including faster speeds such as down hill.
The only upgrades I made right of the get go was to install the Terra Cycle upgraded idler pullys on both trikes, I replaced both the front and rear idlers. This upgrade smoothed things out nicely and made the drive train noise almost nill. I recommend this upgrade on the front and rear idlers. It's a little expensive but worth it in the long run.
Bill G
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/index.php
WizWheelz does provide options from the low price entry level trike to some pretty sophisticated machinery. They don't carry the "best in class" label but their service and customer support is touted to be excellent.
I can't believe I'm actually supporting WW, but I'll shut while I'm ahead.
Not to offend, but whats wrong with supporting WW? Over all they make a darn good trike with the best seat adjustability on the market, for some thats pretty important. There customer service is tops and there trikes hold up pretty darn well. They also allow for a pretty darn good entry level trike that can be easily upgraded for those that do not want to or can not afford to spend $3000.00 plus on a trike. I did a lot of research and found them to be as good as most trikes on the market over all throughout the price ranges from the low end trikes all the way through to the top end trikes they sell.
Back to the original ?
I have two WizWheelz Trikes; one for me, and one for the wife. We like them a lot. The WizWheelz or Terra Trikes are hard to beat for the money. Best prices for trikes overall compared to other brands we looked at, good components as well as a big choice in trike models. Also, they have a lot more seat adjustability than any other trikes we looked at. The seat adjustability feature is what made the decision for us to buy the WizWheelz brand trikes. There were no dealers in my area so they delivered them to the door by truck. The guys at the factory are very nice. Check out there web page it is very informative. Also I find both trikes to be very stable in handeling including faster speeds such as down hill.
The only upgrades I made right of the get go was to install the Terra Cycle upgraded idler pullys on both trikes, I replaced both the front and rear idlers. This upgrade smoothed things out nicely and made the drive train noise almost nill. I recommend this upgrade on the front and rear idlers. It's a little expensive but worth it in the long run.
Bill G
Smallwheels
09-21-07, 02:27 AM
My first recumbent was a Terra Trike 3.5 (or was it a 3.4 in 2002?). The color was beautiful sparkly red. It had a few flaws. First of all and most importantly, it was about ten pounds heavier than advertised! Maybe they have that under control now.
The wheels were still the high quality Velocity at that time.
I really enjoyed riding it on smooth roads, but when hitting rough roads the twenty inch wheels jarred me out of the seat. My headlight and tail light broke off several times when hitting bumps. A trike with a suspension or a larger rear wheel will give a better ride on such roads. Hitting the rough spots would cut my speed in half.
One thing that was a problem for me with the Terra Trike was the lack of triangulation on the frame. There was only one small hole behind the seat through which I could run a cable lock. Running a spiral cable through the rear wheel and then through that small hole and around a post was difficult.
The steering back then was twitchy. I have read that the steering geometry is better on the newer models.
The seat was comfortable for me. I kept it in the maximum recline position.
Anyone who is tall with big feet should test a trike before buying. When my trike was for sale a tall man came to try it. The seat could be lengthened enough and the boom could be stretched out enough but his feet were too big. They would almost come in contact with the ground with each pedal rotation. Needless to say he didn't buy it. Someone my height bought it. He didn't even need to change the seat or boom length.
I'll buy another trike some day but it will have a larger rear wheel and maybe a full suspension. As time goes on such designs will be more common and more affordable.
I want to sell my RANS Tailwind and try a full suspension SWB. I've never been on one with Under Seat Steering. Since there are no dealers near me I'll need to mail order it just as I've done with each of my recumbents. It's expensive trying out bents this way.
The wheels were still the high quality Velocity at that time.
I really enjoyed riding it on smooth roads, but when hitting rough roads the twenty inch wheels jarred me out of the seat. My headlight and tail light broke off several times when hitting bumps. A trike with a suspension or a larger rear wheel will give a better ride on such roads. Hitting the rough spots would cut my speed in half.
One thing that was a problem for me with the Terra Trike was the lack of triangulation on the frame. There was only one small hole behind the seat through which I could run a cable lock. Running a spiral cable through the rear wheel and then through that small hole and around a post was difficult.
The steering back then was twitchy. I have read that the steering geometry is better on the newer models.
The seat was comfortable for me. I kept it in the maximum recline position.
Anyone who is tall with big feet should test a trike before buying. When my trike was for sale a tall man came to try it. The seat could be lengthened enough and the boom could be stretched out enough but his feet were too big. They would almost come in contact with the ground with each pedal rotation. Needless to say he didn't buy it. Someone my height bought it. He didn't even need to change the seat or boom length.
I'll buy another trike some day but it will have a larger rear wheel and maybe a full suspension. As time goes on such designs will be more common and more affordable.
I want to sell my RANS Tailwind and try a full suspension SWB. I've never been on one with Under Seat Steering. Since there are no dealers near me I'll need to mail order it just as I've done with each of my recumbents. It's expensive trying out bents this way.