Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Clyde/Athena on Trikes

My darling wife is tired of me and the kids leaving her at home while riding and she's decided she wants to buy a trike.

I've seen from past threads that CrazyLady rides a Sun EZ3-SX and that is sort of the first entry point that she is considering. I'm encouraging her to try lower center of mass trikes such as the Terratrike cruiser or less expensive Catrikes. She is about 250lbs with an xseam of 43.

She wants stability and visibility. I want to keep the family riding a reasonable pace. She is concerned about control in the downhills.

Any guidance or issues from you Clydes and Athenas out there? Where do the trikes start to feel unstable? Any trikes out there more suited to the wider seated of us?

Well, I can chime in here. Crazylady has dropped hills on her trike in excess of 40MPH. Granted, the steering gets REAL twitchy with the geometry of the EZ-3, but a light grip and relax the arms on the descent make it very enjoyable. She screams all the way down the hill, but it's not "Oh my God, I'm gonna die!", though, the scream is "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

That said, the Tadpole design IS much more stable. There is more of a visibility issue though as well. Put a flag on it.

Continuing my thoughts:

Look at Greenspeed if you have the budget. There is no better Tadpole, IMO. Cat Trikes are a good choice as well. Another, but on the pricier end, is the Skorpion.

Not shelling out for the Greenspeed yet. Is CrazyLady's trike the SX or the higher end AX?

SX. It's chief drawback is that it's slow on flat ground, 12 MPH average

I'm thinking the easier it is to pedal and ride, the more motivated she'll be. I'd get something light and fast even if she plans on riding it slow. Her falling behind while working her butt off on a heavy slow trike could kill motivation if that's a problem.

Cain,

You rode with me... I guess you remember that once I get warmed up, I can make good time. :P

I agree with you about a slower trike serving as a demotivator. She says she is somewhat intimidated by speed and not motivated by it at all. If it weren't for a health condition that keeps her off of a saddle, she would still ride her old navigator 200. Having put on a few thousand miles, I think she will have more fun with a more responsive ride and _want_ to get out and go.

Cain,

You rode with me... I guess you remember that once I get warmed up, I can make good time. :P

I agree with you about a slower trike serving as a demotivator. She says she is somewhat intimidated by speed and not motivated by it at all. If it weren't for a health condition that keeps her off of a saddle, she would still ride her old navigator 200. Having put on a few thousand miles, I think she will have more fun with a more responsive ride and _want_ to get out and go.

I know they are hard to find, but are there any locally that you can test ride with her? The easier it is for her to keep up the more she'll want to ride.

I'll be ready for you this year at Mille Lacs..:D

You've lost weight, I haven't. I bet you are ready right now. :thumb: I am training for RAGBRAI, though. I can't wait.

We are going down to cool shop in Chariton, IA. Small town, but lots of trikes in this store. I plan on test riding several myself.

You've lost weight, I haven't. I bet you are ready right now. :thumb: I am training for RAGBRAI, though. I can't wait.

We are going down to cool shop in Chariton, IA. Small town, but lots of trikes in this store. I plan on test riding several myself.


I've traded the bike for a hammer and saw for the next couple months, so I won't be really ready again till fall.

What brands do they sell? Keep us informed of what you come up with. I've been wanting to get my mom into a trike for a while. So i'll be interested in what you find out.

KMX, Catrike, WizWheelz, Sun, OrganicEngines, Greedspeed, Sherer

http://www.cypbikes.com/recumbent_trikes.htm

KMX, Catrike, WizWheelz, Sun, OrganicEngines, Greedspeed, Sherer

http://www.cypbikes.com/recumbent_trikes.htm

Dang, that's a bent lovers dream come ture. Take lots of pictures!

Yeah, and those are just the trikes. The bents are good too. There's a place called the bike barn near me in Ogden, IA that has quite a few bents, but only Sun Trikes.

Good idea, I'll try to take a few pics.

Well, the bike shop trip went well. We came home with a used, TerraTrike Cruiser for my darling Athena. On the test ride, she came around the corner with a big old recumbent smile and I knew that she was hooked. I don't have my pics yet, but I will post them in another thread.

She also rode Sun EZ3-SX and the AX, both Delta Trikes. Said that they felt less stable and they are a lot heavier than the Cruiser.

Remind her that trikes must be named. :)

Even if one doesn't crave speed, a light weight trike (or bike) accelerates and climbs better. Congrats on the TT. I looked at them when I shopped at the Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point, WI. The steel frames are comfy and the adjustable seat angle is a plus too.

Here's a recent video of a nice, fast hill descent on my Catrike:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKnhNgoMJfM