I am very disappointed the used older model JM trike I bought is turning out to be more trouble than it's worth. I am not happy with the manufacturer.

I am looking for recommendations for a new or used recumbent tadpole trike.

The typical $3000 price on most new trikes is a bit high. Used is fine as long as it's super reliable. I love the tadpole trike design and really want a tadpole trike that will fit through a door. That's why I got the JM - the front wheels fold in, and I could lift and drag it through our garage side door. I prefer storing it inside. It needs to be able to fit me - I'm short: 5 ft. 4".

I'm planning on using it for basic transportation and exercise: getting back and forth to work, and taking some of the local bike trails, paved and unpaved/gravelly. Where I live (Santa Rosa, CA) is pretty flat. And it's pretty bike friendly - there are lots of bike lanes. I am not planning on doing any speed or downhill racing.

Do you know of any that will fit through a door? Hopefully under 30 inches wide - folded in is OK.

I am interested in the Actionbent tadpole trike which is only $1295, and got a good review!!! But it's 32 inches wide.

bentrideronline.com/reviews/abtadpole/abtadpole.htm

I've heard people can turn a trike a bit sideways to bring through doorways, can anyone tell me more about this? How about with two panniers on the rack in back?

Aside from a couple of months on a tadpole trike, I'm also totally new to the world of biking in general. Any tips appreciated.

Thanks so much!

The Catrike Pocket is 31.5" wide, it's from a reliable company, but it's a bit more than Actionbent's price

http://www.catrike.com/pocket.htm

A used Pocket is probably the ticket for you. Keep your eye on the cattrike bulletin boards for good deals.

Stay away from Actionbent. They are good products but trying to get parts for them is just about impossible. And like any trike, they have some parts that are are not common with other trikes and bikes.

I am not sure on the width, but a Catrike Expedition is a good all around trike. If you need something a little cheaper, try a Wizwheels tt cruiser.

We just took notice that the Actionbent T1 trike gained some weight... it is advertized at 42 lbs! [with rear rack]
The second generation Actionbent trikes were a true 35 lbs.

My 2 cents worth from a 50 year old guy with his new 'toy'

Recently I was also looking for a good and "affordable" compact recumbent trike that I could easily carry and fit through my front door, however most were just too prohibitive for me. After some research, only 2 trikes came close to what I could afford to pay, and they were: Terra Trike Path and the KMX entry level adult sports trikes.
I'm 50 and weigh 200lbs, so I had to take this into consideration and eventually decided on the KMX Tornado. (Price was the deciding factor) So I purchased 2 KMX Tornados and they cost me $1000 each, including all taxes, fully assembled and shipped to my door in Toronto CANADA. The Terra Trike paths would have cost me $500 more for each trike, so I saved $1000 in total.(That's a LOT for me!)

How do they ride? ....... All I can say, is this is the MOST FUN I'VE HAD ON 3 WHEELS :D
These trikes are well built, have disk brakes on all 3 wheels, also has a convenient parking brake and has 7 gears compared to only 3 on the Terra Trike Path.
The Tornado also has a very nice, fully adjustable & comfortable hard shell seat with weatherproof 3/4" neoprene for comfort. In my opinion, in the looks and features department, The KMX wins hands down. It really is a very sporty looking trike, which looks more like a go-kart than a trike and rides as good as it looks, with great features not found on it's higher end 'competitors'.

Does it fit through my front door? Yes with ease ... the trike is only 23" high, so going in sideways is easy and the trike is manageable for one person.

For the price, this trike is a no brainer. Lots of fun and built to take a beating on those off roads.
Best decision I made :D

I LOVE MY KMX TORNADO & I FEEL LIKE A KID AGAIN!
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/563508236UchEma?start=12
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=0ROx7zIv1aA
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Bb9zIAsnk

Did I mention the height of the KMX Tornado is only 23" so you should EASILY be able to get it through the door SIDEWAYS? ;)

Good Luck!

Quick suggestions:


Test ride for at least five or ten miles or more before you buy.
Do not listen to our specific trike suggestions except as you may want to test them. What's right for me might be a bad choice for you.
Though you may catch a bargain and spend less, be prepared to spend the $3K for the trike you love.
Get a Trice QNT. (See #2 above.)
Learn and practice some bike repair and maintenance skills. It doesn't take much to keep your ride fun.

I just got a Catrike Pocket and like it a lot, but there is something to think about as the wheelbase gets narrower. That is that the turning radius gets bigger as well, as there is less room to maneuver. My turning radius is about three feet wider than the street, and often find myself doing the back and forth trying to come about, even standing up and just walking the rear about to point in the other direction. Narrow enough to get through a door is one thing, but turning around to go out again may need some thought as well.

Dragon, make some adjustments to your steering arms. The Pocket can be a very menouverable trike.

If you haven't already, introduce yourself to the Catrike forum:
http://catrike.yuku.com/

my only question would be why through a SIDE garage door?? why not just open the garage door and put it in. Thats how I do mine.

Dragon, make some adjustments to your steering arms. The Pocket can be a very maneuverable trike.

I have the arms adjusted to the max, any more and they would be rubbing the tires. If there were arms that ran 3-4 inches higher I could turn in a street but then the wheels would be giving road rash on my legs instead of the steering arms. No matter what, it is a case of smaller or wider set tires can make a smaller radiusturn than bigger or narrow set. Putting them forward some might make the turning radius bigger for a specific turning angle, but perhaps the fact that your body narrows towards the knees you might pick up more than enough extra turn to compensate

Aha Dragon... sounds like your steering arms are put on upside down. The tires should be able ot turn all the way to the seat without the steering arms hitting the trike. On my wife's Road, the horizontal steering arms are mounted with a slight upward angle from the kingpin. Could that be your limitations?

On another note; check that you have some narrow washers under your rod ends. The rod ends should move freely all the way through a turn. These are often left off during assembly.

sounds like your steering arms are put on upside down. The tires should be able ot turn all the way to the seat without the steering arms hitting the trike.

Perhaps I have an earlier model but there is no other way to install them as the handles are welded to the arms. Though slanted down from the Kingpins they do miss the seat by an inch, but not the excess amounts of me sitting in it :(

I have however, figured out how to twist a bit to get the last bit of steering to make a U-Turn in the street but even at that steering is still pretty minimal when stopped compared to a regular bike.

On the other hand I have also experienced the importance of a narrow wheelbase having nothing to do with getting through doors. There are many places where riding on the sidewalks is necessary because of traffic or brick roads (or both) and encroachment into such public space is shocking.

There are many places where I have been able to get through but a 36" trike would have many problems. Also the ramps at the end of the side walk would be problematically narrow for a person in a wheelchair, and so also for a wide trike. Always fun also is to come around a bend and find someone has parked their car across the pathway.

Catrike Speed on BROL classified now in Visalia, CA (sort of near Berkeley) better than a JM IMHO. Sorry the JM failed so miserably. I only got 2 good rides out of it (I feel sort of guilty I dumped it off on you every time I see this thread).

How can you test them when none of your LBS's stock 'bents?

How can you test them when none of your LBS's stock 'bents?

For some of us testing requires a fair amount of travel. The good news is that there are bent dealers worth the time and fuel and traffic aggro. The dealers who are Bentrider Online (http://www.bentrideronline.com/) sponsors tend to range from excellent to good.