Recumbent - recumbent trike - road safety/visibility

I just bought a used recumbent trike. I bought one because of a back problem. I really love my trike! It's a tadpole, so it's lower to the ground even than the deltas. But being so low to the ground below eye-level is a bit scary, especially when commuting to work on city streets. To get to work, I have to traverse a busy street that also has a pretty busy highway entrance/exit. I will probably have to try to detour, but that's also way out of the way.

I'm doing everything I can to be visible. I've got:

- a flag
- a terrific set of steady or flashing rear light and headlights so bright they hurt my eyes! They are the Blackburn Quadrant and Mars 3.0 lights sold as a set. They are EXCELLENT!
- a bright yellow fluorescent safety vest with two reflective stripes
- a white bike helmet

I've read that recumbents are actually more noticeable and drivers give them a wider berth than regular two-wheel bikes because of the wider wheel base, and because they are so unusual but I am still worried about the big SUVs and UPS trucks, etc.

What's been your experience?

Thanks!

You have done everything right so far. The last thing you need to do is to ride as though everybody else on the road is an idiot. I've ridden tadpole trikes over 17,000 miles since 2003 and never been in an accident. I have had a few close calls and I ride in an urban/suburban setting. Choose your routes carefully. Avoid narrow roads and minimize riding on very heavily travelled roads. Watch carefully for turning vehicles, be they coming at you or from behind (mirrors are absolutely necessary). If you are riding in a bike lane, don't come up alongside a vehicle at a light or stop sign unless you will be plainly visible and then still be ready for the driver to make a right turn even if they don't signal. By far the worst place I found is in shopping center parking lots. Ride in the center of the lane when passing behind parked cars and watch for drivers in a parked car.

Many bike car accidents are caused by not being seen or being able to see clearly. A local recumbent rider (Tour Easy with full safety green bodysock) was T-boned last year by a driver who ran a red light. My friend started out when the light turned green but he couldn't see the red-light-runner because he was stopped beside a big truck which obscured his view to the left.

OH, BTW one accessory that has saved my rear a few times is an Airzounds horn. I've woken up quite a few distracted drivers with mine. Use it liberally. The power is free.

When I had the fairing on my tadpole cross-traffic would wait until I had a Green light just so they could see me go by. Also a tall 5' ? 7' rod with a flag and blinkie at the top might help.

Riding down low definitely gives you a new perspective on car/truck bumpers! But in my experience cars will give a bent - even a very low one - more room than an upright. Trikes tend to get even more than other bents. One situation you want to avoid is riding alongside parallel-parked cars, where a driver coming out of a driveway or side street cannot see you over the hoods of the parked cars. For that situation, you should be out in the traffic lane further, so they can see you sooner. A good flasher might be good to have, but aside from the situation above, a flag really won't buy you much in the way of visibility. I've been riding a lowracer since 2001 and haven't had a single problem with being seen.

BTW, wearing a safety vest while riding a recumbent will only help from the front - the seat back will block cars behind you from seeing it.

Be as careful as you would with any bike, and always act like no one sees you - even though they probably saw you long before you thought they did.

What's been your experience?

No problems in 12 years of recumbent trike riding! :D

Do what you're doing, and adhere to the above posts (especially MIRRORS) and you'll be fine!

If you get over to Forestville, you can get a cup of reeeeally good espresso at Front Street Coffee Company. Have the owner to put it on my tab!
And ask her if she rode her Raleigh to work. :rolleyes:

Meanwhile, welcome to the wonderful world of wecumbent twikes! :D

Hello, Katycat.

Most of these have already been noted:


Ride as if invisible because for at least one driver you will be even if you are ten feet tall and eight wide with bright flashing lights on every surface, running a loud siren.
Even on a low trike with no flag I find drivers seem to notice me more than when on a DF.
Use both lights and extra caution at night.
Use at least one mirror.
Proceed with caution when you are appearing out of a blind spot.
When riding a narrow road with traffic, position yourself to take the whole lane so the poor drivers won't be tempted to squeeze you.
When riding a wide road with traffic, stay right to make it easy on the poor drivers to get where they are going and leave the cage.
Filter forward at your own risk.
Stay off sidewalks and if you have to ride on the rare sidewalk, ride at not much over walking pace.


I think the most serious danger posed by trike riding is to the lips. Letting them get too dry leads to painful cracking associated with trikers grin.

I also bought a used trike about 3 months ago and at first I was kinda sketched about the busy roads and the large trucks and getting squashed. The first few rides through downtown Seattle were a bit hairy to say the least. I ended up changing my route a bit partly to aviod traffic but also because trikes seem to work better on some roads than others. ie.. rough raods.. bad, curb jumping...aint happening, and parking lots do seem to be the worst area for trikes. I eventually just got use to the traffic and I found that being obvious with all my movments and acting like a car seems to make cars give me LOADS of room. And adding the front fairing on my trike really did help with cars letting me pass and slowing down around me to get a good look.
Anyway good luck and hang in there it gets easier.

Please feel free to ask questions.

http://phattkatt.blogspot.com/2008/01/old-man-winter.html

http://phattkatt.blogspot.com/

I have done very little research yet because I have not purchased a trike as of now.
My plan is to mount a 360 degree flashing strobe or LED light on top of a length of PVC pipe.
I'm going to have electric assist so if nothing else I'll power it from the battery.
Perhaps you're strong enough to use a generator.

shaman, isnt hillsboro down south of portland? Im headed down to wilsonville monday and bringing my trike for some ride that a friend recomended. know of any rides I have to do while Im there?

Just west of Portland, Squirl. Depends on how long you are going to be down here. We have the Worst Day of the Year ride going on on the 10th... REI and others are sponsoring it. a 45mile westside loop option etc.

http://www.worstdayride.com/

Other than that, Wilsonville is a layed back area and you could take some really scenic routes into Portland if you were so inclined. The only scenery on the west side is Henry Hagg Lake (11 mile loop of rolling hills and bike lane all around). Most of my rides are suburbia unless I go with a club into the backroads. There is a Vernonia trail that I know little about.

Also check out Portland Velo's calendar. http://portlandvelo.net/Calendar/Calendar.aspx Great people and large turnouts. Rode with them on my trike quite a few times as long as leading a DF pack doesn't bother you ;)

KatyCat... Not sure how into the scene you are, but Bike Nashbar is a great online bike shop. If you have a headrest on your trike, I can highly recommend the Bell CITI helmet. The 2008 model has a strap on the back for the Mars 3.0 light (great light, btw) and they have it in bright yellow at a decent price. It is hard to find a good helmet that lets you use a headrest:

Linked Here (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=60001108&sku=22282&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Brand%3A%20Bell)

The Metro is a similar helmet:

Thanks, I have a headrest on my trike, and I've fastened the holder for the Mars 3.0 rear light to the neck of my seat just under the headrest.

I'm doing everything I can to be visible. I've got:

- a flag
- a terrific set of steady or flashing rear light and headlights so bright they hurt my eyes! They are the Blackburn Quadrant and Mars 3.0 lights sold as a set. They are EXCELLENT!
- a bright yellow fluorescent safety vest with two reflective stripes
- a white bike helmet

I've read that recumbents are actually more noticeable and drivers give them a wider berth than regular two-wheel bikes because of the wider wheel base, and because they are so unusual but I am still worried about the big SUVs and UPS trucks, etc.

What's been your experience?

Thanks!
While it is important to do add the necessary items to be seen, the biggest safety advantage to trike riding is the rider's ability to watch everything around him/her. Since you don't have to look at the road surface as one does with a two-wheeler, all of your concentration is available for observing others. The most important safety device on my trike is missing from your list: dual mirrors. If you want even more ability to keep an eye on others, add an eye-glass or helmet mirror as well.

Chip
recumbenttrikestore.com