Recumbent - trying out a tandem terra trike, what to look for?

On saturday we are taking a tandem terra trek for an hour test drive on some bike trails, I will be the captain, hubby the stoker, which will mean the shortest person is in the front. is there particular questions I should ask before we get on the trail or certain things I should look for while riding? When is the best times to shift? ( still struggle with that on our DF tandem sometimes.) We did a test drive with the trike n the parking lot last week and it was great. Can't wait to get it out on the trail.

TP

As it sounds like you have limited recumbent experience, be patient as you will be developing different muscles to use in the changed riding position. IMHO, most bent riders have developed a smooth, rapid cadence at around 90 rpm's or faster. At least, that is what happened to us. As tamdemists, you find the balance or make the compromise so that you both feel comfortable with the spin. Unless you are riding a tandem with ICS, that's the only way to go. So, find a cadence you are both comfortable with and then try to maintain that even as the terrain changes (uphill or downhill) as you need to change gears. We seldom crank a gear that we can't maintain our "comfortable" cadence. It's a lot easier and kinder to your knees to spin. Your spin may be higher or lower than ours. We don't see the need to pedal going down steep hills as the bike will gain speed quickly. The best time to shift gears, i.e. to something easier, is before you actually need to. As the captain, I call out "shift" to my stoker and we immediately let up a bit of pressure, while still pedalling, so that the derailleur can do it's thing without too much load. Lastly, a tandem trike is a lot longer than a tandem DF so you will not want to make sharp turns on a narrow trail. Good luck, and have fun! Mike

Your DF is much lighter than the trike so don't be discouraged if you are unable to attain comparable speed on the trike. You are heavier so braking will be different, too.

See if the steering stays true when braking. Careful that you can bottom out going over speed bumps and the like.

Have a great time and enjoy each other's company. They are great together machines.

My only suggestions are to try for a longer test ride, pack a lunch, take it easy, and be prepared to have fun.

You will likely find yourself enable to make some turn or another without backing up. With a tandem the usual practice of putting back on front wheels may not suffice, but one or both of you can just put feet down and do the traditional awkward reverse shuffle.