Wileyrat

I would like to try one just because they look fun to ride.

Carbonfiberboy 

You can see in the video how badly these guys are getting beaten up. We were riding our upright tandem behind a tandem trike in the '14 STP. A couple of young guys, engineers judging by their small talk. We followed them for quite a while and could see they were taking a heck of a beating on every little thing, while we were quite comfy on our upright tandem.

DropBarFan

Neat vids, thanks. Heavy/deep/wet snow can be tough for cars/trucks/bikes/peds/skiers alike. Once rode a sport-touring bike easily thru 6" deep powder but that was a rare situation. This fall I'm gonna fix up an old hardtail MTB into SS or fixie, might order some studded tires just to see how they work. A friend from Oklahoma said that the farmers used narrow tires on their pickup trucks, supposedly they sink down to a tractable layer instead of skidding around on the top.

Last winter I saw a guy riding an old road bike quite speedily across rutted icy patches on the bike path, as if the snow/ice wasn't even there! Maybe he was from Northern Europe or something. Or maybe it's like Paris-Roubaix where you're supposed to stay relaxed & not grip handlebar tightly.

StephenH

On a bicycle, if you're going straight, the rear wheel is following the path of the front, so you only have 1/3 the rolling resistance of a trike in the snow.
The guy you saw riding may have had studded tires, not sure what all is available along that line, but they do exist.
One friend that rode year-round in Minneapolis said one trick was to get used to going down gently, just catch yourself with one leg. Not sure of the details there, either. I guess it's kind of like riding a unicycle, you don't expect to never come off of it, you just hope to do so in a controlled manner when it happens.

BlazingPedals

I used to ride to work year-around and had studded snow tires for winter. Glare ice was almost as easy to ride on as bare pavement. It's the heavy, sloppy snow that caused the most problems; and would for a trike too.

DropBarFan

Did you leave the snow tires on thru the whole snowy season? Intuitively it seems as if they'd be slippery on bare pavement, however I'm read some posts that studded tires are not too bad on bare pavement.
@StephenH, I like to lower the saddle so it's easier to put a foot down when tire slips. My LHT & Randonneur are still tricky in the snow w/the high top tube & drop bars. As a courier I got halfway good at riding drop-bar bikes in the snow but folks on MTBs did much better. BTW, now that ebikes are getting big, maybe they'll have etrikes so avg senior can ride comfortably.

MadKaw

He'd just fall off and hurt himself.

xrayzebra 

You know, there are all kinds of reasons for doing all kinds of things. If you're in the mindset of the-lighter-the-better and the-faster-the-better, maybe trikes won't be any fun for you.

But, there are exceptions to every rule and enlightened departures from every herd mentality.

"Being older" certainly offers you new reasons for trying new things. I never thought I'd own a trike, but I've recently indulged in the great pleasure of owning a couple of them. I'm not talking about high end recumbent go-fast trikes, either, I'm talking about "granny" trikes or "industrial" trikes that most serious bike people would consider junk: Worksman Trifectas like you can buy through Walmart or the Worksman website.

I bought an older single speed Trifecta of the sort that doesn't even have the brackets for a geared and/or coaster brake hub for around $100. Somebody spray painted it black, including the rusty steel hubs and rims, even painting the tires black, and painting the rusty handlebars with aluminum spray paint. It's a real hulking piece of crap at first blush, but it has a certain charm that you just have to experience personally to understand it. I bought another newer one, single speed but with the idler and IGH/coaster brake hub brackets. Got it under $200, and it's in pretty good shape overall. (These are both 20 inch trikes by the way.)

These have given me many hours of pleasure in the last couple of months, tinkering and fixing and upgrading. They have also introduced my 68 year old wife to riding for pleasure for the first time in her life, and have allowed us to share something we've never shared - that special intimacy with your surroundings that you can only enjoy by walking or by biking.

We moved to Florida this summer, where it's really flat. We live among lakes and areas that are great for bird watching.

One of the great things about a trike is that you can ride really SLOWLY. You can creep through a scenic area and view the birds and flora, and carry on a conversation, while taking a load off your feet. You can STOP dead without putting your foot on the ground, and you can do long lens still photography from your mount.

Life isn't always about being in a hurry. When I first got my wife her trike, I could NOT ride my bike slow enough to match her excruciatingly slow pace and stay together, it was just too damned slow. So, I got my own trike to slow down and share the experience. Using trikes has allowed my wife to enjoy a form of cycling for the first time in her life at 68. Getting a trike for myself has allowed us to share something we never shared before - the pleasure of biking, and mixing in some wildlife photography and sight seeing, as well as enjoying each other's company in a new way.

I spent part of this evening converting the newer trike, adding a three speed coaster brake hub. I enjoyed that, and the test ride showed me I can now ride the trike at 10 mph without exertion, and I can run it faster if I feel like getting a cardio workout. I'm enjoying the tinkering and modding as well as the riding.

In case this all sounds too geriatric, I installed a used 20 inch Bionx front wheel from another bike on the funky black single speed trike. That's the little lady's machine, but it runs at 20 MPH full out if you want, and has only a wimpy front caliper brake. I kinda like getting out around midnight, and screaming down the back streets on that trike with a cold beer in my hand. You wanna a little excitement? Try cruising around in the dark on a trike with hardly any brakes at 20 mph.

The arguments one or two people have offered about trikes flipping over or beating you up are total bs. Ever watched motorcycle sidecar races, and the way those dudes lean way out of the sidecar to keep the bikes from flipping over? Have you ever watched somebody sailing a little Hobie Cat - how they stand it on one pontoon and ride it?

You can go as fast as you dare on a trike, you just can't lean the entire bike into the curve. You have to shift the weight and/or lower the center of gravity in a different way. As to beating you up? Unless we're speaking of "lawnchair" recumbent trikes, you simply stand on the pedals of a trike as you would on a regular bike to reduce the bumps.

When I ride fast through a curve on a trike, I stop pedaling and stand on the pedal that is on the inside of the curve. That places the great majority of my weight, which is easily 6 times that of the trike itself, 5 or 6 inches off the ground and very nearly in-line with the front wheel and the rear wheel that is on the inside of the curve. I'm no physicist, but I'm guessing you'd have to be generating well over 5 or 6 Gs of lateral force to flip the trike. If you leaned out into the curve beyond the line of the front wheel and the inner wheel, you could generate an even higher lateral force without flipping the trike - you might break a wheel or an axle before you flipped it.

So - a trike can be a little like an old geezer "mobility product" or it can give you some new kinda daredevil thrills you never had before. It all depends on your own imagination and willingness to break away from "common sense" and the obvious. It can perhaps be even more versatile than a conventional bike - although I'll give you the point that it is not the best choice for displaying your buttocks in brightly colored spandex or climbing mountains.

There's no such thing as bad biking. As long as you are out, doing it, enjoying it, sharing it, and living, biking is all good. There are many varieties of the blues, there are many different positions in the Kama Sutra, and there are many kinds of beer and ale. Some people enjoy a cigar. Some enjoy sushi and some enjoy a big old thick steak done "Pittsburgh rare," a little bloody on the inside and a little burnt on the outside. Some like a sailboat, some like a speedboat, some like a yacht.

Don't write off a trike - even a granny trike. It's got its own unique and unexpected charms.

rydabent

I have a recumbent bike, a Stratus, and an recumbent trike, a Cruiser. With the two of them I have the best of both worlds, and can pick the right tool for the ride at hand. The trike is great riding in town on bike trails. You dont have to unclip at stop lights and street crossings. The bike is mainly for riding out on hiways.

I am 77 and have no physical reason to "have" to ride a trike. As I say they are a better choice to ride hiker biker trails in town. If it is really windy I also take the trike. In high winds, a trike is not blown towards traffic like a bike is.

And again, trikes are just a blast to ride. And------------for some people with infirmities they may be the only way some can bike.

PaulH

I rode an upright trike several times when it was the only surface transportation available at the B&B where we were staying. I kept trying to initiate turns by leaning, which, of course did not work. It was horrible -- one of my worst transportation experiences. It would probably by OK if either a) you had no significant experience with two-wheel bikes or b) you could somehow retrain yourself to think of it as a sort of car with no engine.

DropBarFan

Nice post. Flat Florida roads can be great for biking, if bike/trike is on heavy side it doesn't matter too much. On FL Atlantic coast rides I was surprised that sun exposure was not really a problem, seems that skies usually get some clouds that help make things more comfortable. With trike one can simply toss luggage/groceries into basket.

Haven't ridden a trike but checked out some trike videos like from the '08 World Champs in Belgium. Trike racers riding a rain-slicked winding course--yes they have to go fairly slow in corners but bikes would have to go pretty slow there too.

Insidious C. 

I just picked up a 70s vintage Free Spirit trike. Heavy, rusty, and free. Over the winter I will modify it for hauling significant loads of yard debris.

Jeffkilly

I honestly am not trying to be argumentive. To me, this is a topic I would expect to see on an 80+ thread. But not on a 50+ thread. Why would a healthy 50+ year old want or need a trike? I could understand if you have a disability of some sort, but why else would a physically helathy person want a trike? Forgive me if I do not understand this. Maybe there is a 3 wheel bike sport that I am not aware of. I am 50+, not in great shape but I do not feel like a tricycle is in my near future. Maybe 20 or 30 years from now, but not in my 50's.

qcpmsame 

The main reason you see this here it the wide range of ages out forum encompasses. We have a number of members that ride trikes, or other adaptive styles because it keeps them riding and active. We aren't simply an group of 50-59 year old people, we are diverse in our make up. Our forum is much more than just the younger end of the mature rider spectrum. Its not the majority, but its important to us to be inclusve, we welcome your view point as well, Welcome to the 50+, btw.

As far as competition for the trikes, the video above shows a WC level race for trikes, they are popular in Europe, and a lot of the various Para Olympic events/organizations use trikes as a class for their disabled riders. We have several disabled members within our group, various types of adaptations are in use here, and some of the older members prefer them, just that simple.

Personally, I am looking into these trikes for the future since I have Parkinson's Disease, balance issues are my major symptom, right now. Actually, the racing, upright trikes are pretty difficult to master, cornering, is difficult, as mentioned in earlier posts, and current engineering is looking into various differential rear drive designs to facilitate easier cornering, under power.

Regards,
Bill

BlazingPedals

Trikes aren't just for the disabled. They're also fun to ride if you're a fully-enabled person who isn't quite as concerned about going fast. Or, if you want to REALLY go fast, a velomobile is technically a trike.

.be

sail

Thats kinda the deal isn't it, to get out there and have fun. Heck, take your Radio Flyer if it looks like it will bring a bigger grin than the Colnago.

Jeffkilly

Thank you for your concise response. I get it. I have been trying to get my father to ride a bike to stay young. But he is concerned about falling and getting hurt at his age. Maybe I should have him consider a trike.

rydabent

Simply for the fact they are great fun to ride. When riding trails in town with a lot of street crossing and stop lights, simply being able to stop with out unclipping make for a lot easier ride. No scratching and clanking to get clipped in, and no wobbling. As I stated many times they are a great way to bike to a destination such as a bike race or what ever. You have your own lawn chair.

Having a trike along with some other type of bike means you can use the best tool for the ride at hand.

peterws

Funny thing is I felt like you when I was your age! Since my neck and shoulder are much better now, the need isn`t so immediate. But I ddn`t know it was gonna get better. . .

Now, would some technie tell me what would happen with a trike where both rear wheels did the driving? Rather like a railway loco . . .

Road Fan

Same as with a car that does not have differential drive - when you negotiate a turn, the wheel on the "inside" of the turn needs to turn slower than the wheel on the "outside" of the curve, since the outer one travels farther. To accommodate that speed difference cars have what is called a differential drive gear. With a drive shaft or gear drive it allows different wheel speeds while power is still delivered to the ground. If you don't have this the bike or car will rock side to side as it turns, as first one wheel then the other dominates traction. It would not be comfortable and with the power of a car can be downright dangerous in a fast curve.

When power in a trike is derived to the rear axle with a simple sprocket, it's easiest to have one rear wheel driven and one just turning freely - a cheaper but less "perfect" solution. For a bad-weather trike you'd really want a differential drive.

The same thing would happen in a front-drive trike with two wheels leading, if there's no differential.

Road Fan

For me it's when they pry my 531db road bike out of my cold, dead hands, but I'm 62 and haven't had much in the way of skeletal or other issues. Ask me again when I turn 70. I want to prevent problems, but the little ones I've had have hit me from behind so I'm perhaps a little more sober than I was.

Road Fan

I have been there, Jeff, but my experience is don't delay getting him moving, if he isn't and if you can. My dad moved to Ann Arbor and I had hopes of getting him onto a bicycle or tricycle. As a young man he had been an intrepid cyclist. But by the time he got here he already had such trouble walking (even with a walker or Rollator) that he was too anxious about falls - he had experienced a few. Three years earlier would probably have made a big difference.

rydabent

What does age have to do with it. Virtually everyone that has a trike no matter what age, they report they are a blast to ride. IMO every bike stable should have one.

North Coast Joe

I bought one for my 22 year old son with balance issues, but you can't keep me off it!!

No speed horse, a SS Worksman, but too much fun!

Every Sunday morning I ride to the store for a paper, one or two THIRTY packs of beer (depends on how much company we have for football games), chips, salsa, etc. Can't do that on my roadie!

We've moved tons of firewood for neighbors....it'll carry as much as a wheelbarrow and WAY more fun. We use it in the yard for fallen branch clean-up, mulch distribution, etc. It travels on turf just fine.

You can have fun on the road, too. Yeah 8mph is pretty common, but 14mph flats and almost 20mph descents (according to My Tracks) are getting common as I get used to the differences in handling. The fellow above who posted about standing and throwing your weight around is quite accurate...you can make them handle better with some riding effort.

No, I'm not giving up my speed horses, but selling the trike isn't in the picture, either. Way too much fun and a great change of pace!

DropBarFan

Copenhagen cute mom cycling chic on a Bella Bike. Flat terrain & in Denmark it's common for folks to dine in restaurants while leaving babies outside dozing in their prams.