Recumbent - My last bike...

Now that I am an AARP member, I realize that in a decade or two, I may be wanting a bike that is more stable, harder to crash (or at least, more pleasant to crash) It occurs to me that a three wheel 'bent might be just the ticket. My last bike, as I ride off to the "Old Folks Home".

Of the three wheel 'bents in current production, which are the most affordable models? And, what do you give up with a cheaper model, versus the more expensive models?

Obviously, the "three wheel" design has advantages while stopped at a red light. But, when riding at full speed, is a three wheel 'bent less likely to crash than a two wheel 'bent? My typical "crash" on a road bike have occured when I am daydreaming, and "sideswipe" a curb, or the front wheel catches a separation in the concrete. Is a three wheeler less likely to "flip over" than a two wheeler under those conditions?

I have a friend that rides a trike. He does so because of a hip injury. he has 2 and has owned several others. I would consider him extremely knowledgable about this subject. I can pass your email to him if you like. He does not visit this forum.

Catrike, in my opinion has the sweet spot relative to weight, cost and performance
among the current trike offerings. It is lighter than some SWB 2wheelers and fairly
widely available and has been continuously upgraded by its designer. There are others
that are close but I would look up one of these for a benchmark. www.catrike.com
Some of the others weigh over 40#! Steve

I have a friend that rides a trike. He does so because of a hip injury. he has 2 and has owned several others. I would consider him extremely knowledgable about this subject. I can pass your email to him if you like. He does not visit this forum.

It sounds like your friend would be a great addition to the forum. Why not get him registered? When you have a chance to talk with your friend, ask him which of his trikes seems to be the most stable and the least likely to be involved in a serious injury causing crash.

I got to thinking about this when an elderly friend of my fell with his road bike. His broken arm ended up costing $14,000 to fix. I suspect that an arm that was about fifty years younger would have been less likely to break in the same fall, and could have been fixed a lot cheaper.

I was reading about some time trials with 'bents, and the article said that sometimes there were spectacular crashes at speeds up to 60 mph. Because the riders were low to the ground, in a "feet first" position, they would just slide along with the bike until they came to a halt. Lots of abrasions, but no broken bones. No broken helmets. An hour later, the rider was riding his next trial. And, from all reports, broken bones are a lot less fun after someone reaches age 60 or 70.

Hi! Catrike has a new trike out this season called a "Pocket"...looks pretty affordable and lightweight compared to some. You might want to consider it. Hostelshoppe has details on it on their website. I am dying to test ride one myself!

Also, there is a "trike" forum over on Bentrideronline.com where you might get some insights from other trike riders. Might even snag a used one for a good price!