Recumbent - My bike is...

My commuter bike is a Schwinn World Avenue One. Pretty basic, straight forward bike with nothing fancy.
I commute to work which is 5 miles. I suppose I average about 12 mph with not to much effort.

I've been looking at this recumbent trike...http://actionbent.com/tadpoletrike.html

I have no idea...so help me out here...will this trike hold the same mph with about the same amount of effort? Not that I'm to concerned with speed...at my age :) I'm more concerned about comfort and reliability.

Thanks for any and all replies.

You will slow down at first. Trikes are very easy to ride right off the bat, but they do use different muscles and you will notice it. I went from a Fuji Cross commuter to a trike and did notice the extra effort due to new muscles and lower speed.

After you log 500 or so miles you will have started getting your legs and you will feel great on the trike. Trikes are great for commuting as they are highly visible, can start and stop on a dime and very friendly to riding in work clothes. Just get a strap to keep your right leg cuff out of the chain. Carrying a load on a trike is very easy, especially with the racks you will have on that one.

Eventually you will be doing the same average speed as your schwinn commuter. The actionbent trike will move well on the flats if you give it a chance, but it will take time to accelerate as it is heavier than your current bike.

Are you sure that you don't want a recumbent bicycle?

Are you sure that you don't want a recumbent bicycle?

I've considered them...I'm leaning towards a trike for a couple of reasons...comfort and ease of operation...no balance issues...and besides that I just think they look cool. :D Just my opinion.

But I'm always open to new ideas...

Can't argue with your sense of what is cool or uncool but a 'bent trike has no advantage in comfort compared to a 'bent bike. Likewise, don't know why a trike would be easier to operate - trikes are more complicated than bikes, by far. Balance.......certainly harder to fall over on a trike, I agree. But, riding a bicycle helps to maintain and improve your sense of balance, which becomes more important as we get older.

It's hard to say, but 12 mph is totally within the range of what I'd expect out of a trike. Like djwid wrote, most people are slower at first on a recumbent; but recovering normal speed is just a matter of riding. The faster you are on an upright, the longer it will take to get your 'bent legs' up to your expectations. With the bar set at 12 mph, I don't think the acclimation will be too tough.

That trike's a bit heavy, IIRC, so 5 miles of relatively flat shouldn't be a problem but big hills will definitely slow you down. Just how the heck old are you that you don't worry about speed? Old enough to be concerned about getting in and out of a seat that's 6 inches off the ground?

On the monthly recumbent group ride, I can regularly do 13-14 mph and the other people pull away frm me, with the majority of them on trikes. Even if you intitially slowed to 10 mph, that's only 2 mph less than what you do now.

I think getting opinions about recumbent trikes from people who DON'T RIDE recumbent trikes is kind of like getting a medical opinion from your mailman. They have opinions, but they may not be based on facts or experience.

I ride a Catrike Trail recumbent trike. I used to ride an Actionbent Jetstream I short wheelbase recumbent, so I think I have a valid opinion, and I'm NOT a mailman...

My Catrike is AS FAST as my Actionbent short wheelbase recumbent, and a LOT more comfortable to ride. The Actionbent I rode had a hardshell seat that I never really liked and the Catrike has a mesh seat that is really nice. I have upgraded the trike with thumb shifters and different tires from stock, along with a couple of other minor things that I have fabricated for the trike. I just LOVE my trike and it's so much more fun to ride than my Actionbent was that you won't believe it.

My statement to you is simple. If you start riding a trike, you'll never be happy with a two wheeler again. As for long hills, on a trike you can gear down and climb as slow as is necessary to climb the hill, and not have to worry about keeping up enough to speed to keep your balance. This is especially true when touring with a load on the trike.

Good luck with your choice of trikes. Remember that the Actionbents require a bit of assembly, and if you aren't sure you can do this, you need to find a recumbent friendly bike shop to do the work....

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

It's hard to say, but 12 mph is totally within the range of what I'd expect out of a trike. Like djwid wrote, most people are slower at first on a recumbent; but recovering normal speed is just a matter of riding. The faster you are on an upright, the longer it will take to get your 'bent legs' up to your expectations. With the bar set at 12 mph, I don't think the acclimation will be too tough.

That trike's a bit heavy, IIRC, so 5 miles of relatively flat shouldn't be a problem but big hills will definitely slow you down. Just how the heck old are you that you don't worry about speed? Old enough to be concerned about getting in and out of a seat that's 6 inches off the ground?

I'm fifty with a sometimes hurting back. I guess I should have said "speed is not my primary concern". Glad to hear someone point out the "6-9 inches off the ground" issue, that did cross my mind and that is a valid point. Thanks!

I think getting opinions about recumbent trikes from people who DON'T RIDE recumbent trikes is kind of like getting a medical opinion from your mailman. They have opinions, but they may not be based on facts or experience. FL

Right on Tractortom!!!!!!!:thumb: Sometimes it really gets tiring!!!!

Mike B.

Like other forms of cycling Trikes come in all flavors.

If you want speed and performance then a Trike like the Catrike 700 or Greenspeed GLR /SLR would be the way to go. However,if you have back issues or are concerned about the low seat recline / ground clearance then that might not be an option for you.

If you want a more upright seat and higher ground clearance then there are many other choices such as the Catrike Trail , Greenspeed GT3, Anoura ,EZ3 , etc. which will fit the bill and be fast enough for you.

I have never ridden a trike, but your new trike looks really sweet. It seems to me you don't need fenders for the trike because your fanny is in front of the rear wheel and halfway between the two front wheels. Is this true on a wet, rainy day commuting? If so, then that could be an advantage. However, the disadvantage would be hauling the trike indoors.

"I think getting opinions about recumbent trikes from people who DON'T RIDE recumbent trikes is kind of like getting a medical opinion from your mailman."
:)

"I think getting opinions about recumbent trikes from people who DON'T RIDE recumbent trikes is kind of like getting a medical opinion from your mailman."
:)

But they stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night! :lol:

Here's more to read:
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/003118.php

http://www.bicycleman.com/recumbents/greenspeed/greenspeed_gt3.htm

"I think getting opinions about recumbent trikes from people who DON'T RIDE recumbent trikes is kind of like getting a medical opinion from your mailman."
:)

It would be, if your mailman went to 6 years of medical training. I've researched and test-ridden and watched friends who have gotten trikes (most of whom sold them after a year or so,) and decided that a trike has drawbacks that I'm not willing to live with. That does not make my opinions uneducated, it merely makes them different from those of somebody who IS willing.

"It would be, if your mailman went to 6 years of medical training. I've researched and test-ridden and watched friends who have gotten trikes (most of whom sold them after a year or so,) and decided that a trike has drawbacks..."

So, you have never owned a trike, but you have "seen them and ridden them", therefore your opinion is valid, right???? Well OK then....


Tractor Tom

Given the stated goal, average speed of 12mph, the listed trike will do as long as the route is not excessively vertical. As I stated above I went from a Fuji Cross DF to a trike and did notice some slowdown but I was able to recover after getting the muscles adjusted to my trike.

If speed is the primary concern, I do agree that a trike won't be blazing fast. But given that the current speed is 12mph, I don't think that is the major concern. Trikes do have the advantage that you can start commuting on them on day 1. No relearning how to balance or ride. The trike will be stable and responsive right off the bat.

Now if the original poster was concerned about keeping up with or catching roadies, then a different design would be called for.

12mph is a VERY reasonable goal, dpending on the engine and of course you'll need a bit of muscle adaptation. If you want a trike, get a trike - don't let others talk you into something else. Treikes are sower than most 2-wheeled bents, and many trikes are pretty heavy - especially that one - but they are also a LOT of fun.

So, you have never owned a trike, but you have "seen them and ridden them", therefore your opinion is valid, right???? Well OK then....


Are you saying that I must like and own trikes in order to have a valid opinion? Yeah, that's a GOOD way to get an unbiased viewpoint.

After reading all of these I"m beginning to think I got a slow trike and a heavy one. I didn't get it for speed but I am a man and can't help myself once in awhile. As far as heavy I have seen heavier trikes and lighter ones, but I have also seen Riders that out weigh me by 100 + lbs. So my question is which one is heavier my 33# trike with me or a Bacchetta Giro about 30# and a rider that is 20 or more lbs. than me?

I have back issues and to be honest, it doesn't make it any harder getting in or out the seat of my Trice QNT that I can tell. My back was the reason I got a trike. No falls to hurt myself with. :p

As for speed, I can't really offer too much of an input on that since I also have wrecked knees and go up hills at a crawl which completely ruins an average speed. On flats with very little wind, I can easily cruise along at 14 or 15 mph. On a perfect stretch with a wind at my back, I've ripped along at 19 mph for a 3 mile stretch. There's not many long flat stretches like that even in this part of Sweden though.

Are you saying that I must like and own trikes in order to have a valid opinion? Yeah, that's a GOOD way to get an unbiased viewpoint.

The quick answer is YES.....:thumb:

And yes, you can have an opinion but not necessarilly a valid one.

Given the stated goal, average speed of 12mph, the listed trike will do as long as the route is not excessively vertical. As I stated above I went from a Fuji Cross DF to a trike and did notice some slowdown but I was able to recover after getting the muscles adjusted to my trike.

If speed is the primary concern, I do agree that a trike won't be blazing fast. But given that the current speed is 12mph, I don't think that is the major concern. Trikes do have the advantage that you can start commuting on them on day 1. No relearning how to balance or ride. The trike will be stable and responsive right off the bat.

Now if the original poster was concerned about keeping up with or catching roadies, then a different design would be called for.


Yes you are correct if you are refering to a Terra Trike Tour which is quite heavy...........

And yes, you can have an opinion but not necessarilly a valid one.

If it is invalid, please explain why. Have I written anything that was demonstrably false?

OK, I do own two trikes, a Cat Road and a Cat Speed, and I do ride regular recumbents, meaning a Volae Team, Fujin SL-II and a Velokraft VK2 so I guess that I have "permission" to give an opinion.

My trikes don't begin to compare in Speed to my bents. There, I've said it.

At my peak fitness level last Summer, I routinely averaged 19-20 mph for rides up to 50 miles in length. The fastest that I ever averaged on a trike over any distance was 16.0 which I did twice and that was with the help of a group.

Fast trikes? Hell, yes, if you compare them to other trikes. :)

And, BP, you've been around bents, both two wheeled and three, long enough to give any opinion that you want. :thumb:

OK, I do own two trikes, a Cat Road and a Cat Speed, and I do ride regular recumbents, meaning a Volae Team, Fujin SL-II and a Velokraft VK2 so I guess that I have "permission" to give an opinion.

My trikes don't begin to compare in Speed to my bents. There, I've said it.

At my peak fitness level last Summer, I routinely averaged 19-20 mph for rides up to 50 miles in length. The fastest that I ever averaged on a trike over any distance was 16.0 which I did twice and that was with the help of a group.

Fast trikes? Hell, yes, if you compare them to other trikes. :)

And, BP, you've been around bents, both two wheeled and three, long enough to give any opinion that you want. :thumb:

OK Dennis T,You have made your pronouncement from on high and we can all give our biased opinions.:thumb:

OK Dennis T,You have made your pronouncement from on high and we can all give our biased opinions.:thumb:

Thank you. Carry on. :)

Yes you are correct if you are refering to a Terra Trike Tour which is quite heavy...........
The TT tour is lighter than the OP's prospective trike.

Other things roughly equal, I'm just under 2 MPH slower on my Trice Q than on my RANS Rocket. Though I enjoy both and would not want to give up either one, the trike is more fun and gets about 70% of my miles.

Whether you decide or bike or trike, be sure to do some good long test rides before you buy.

Interesting posts...

another trikes are slow thread.

I've done server Seattle to Porland rides and last year was my fastest time at 12.5 hours total time averaging 18.4 MPH for the one day 200 mile ride (the first 100 miles I averaged 19.8!).

It's the mindset that trikes are slow that make them so. I don't think they are that slow.

And since you don't have to pedal to stay upright, its also easy to go as slow as you want.

I ride a Trice Micro, it weighs in at 34 lbs. My averages on my trike are in the 18-20 mph range for a given 20 mile route. The longer the route, the more consistant my averages are.

I've been ridding the Micro since 2002 with my first STP taking me 15.5 hours averaging over 16 mph for the 200 mile ride.

Doug
http://www.crazytrike.com

Thank you, Doug, for sharing the photos of your tricycle. I did not know that a tricycle could weigh so little! I am edified. How comfortable is it after pedaling for hours? Seattle to Portland - that's all pretty much at sea level, isn't it?

The hardshell seat of the Micro is actually quite comfortable - I'm unable to sit in anyhting that doesn't give me back support for very long.

As far as the STP goes, here is a graph from last year:


Not really sea level - and not really flat...

Doug
http://www.crazytrike.com

Comfort and speed? The names "Easy Racer", "Tour Easy" and "Gold Rush Replica" say it all.

http://www.easyracers.com/vbb/ Used ones are going cheap on the net and Ebay.

The OP asked specifically about the Actionbent trike. Unless he asks something else, useful answers will be ones that refer to that trike: opinions, specs, reliability, etc.

The OP asked specifically about the Actionbent trike. Unless he asks something else, useful answers will be ones that refer to that trike: opinions, specs, reliability, etc.

So true, however, sharing experiences with other trikes opens the door for other possibilities and potentials.

I am curently putting together a Qnt26 from a frame kit, and soon will have everything together and weighed (my goal is to get it under what my Micro weighs).

Sometimes the lack of knowledge limits your point of view. That's why I share my experiences with my trike. Expand the possibilities.

Doug
http://www.crazytrike.com

Sometimes the lack of knowledge limits your point of view. That's why I share my experiences with my trike. Expand the possibilities.


I don't disagree; but that's how the 2-wheeler suggestions came up, which then generated a few complaints about 'anti-trike' postings. A statement to the effect that trikes don't have to be slow is at least related to the question. Nice performance, BTW! I'm just suggesting that we try to avoid simply chiming in to recommend our own favorites, unless of course that's what the OP wants.