Jill

I am considering a recumbent tricycle and planning a trip to my LBS. I've been looking at trikes online until my eyes have glazed over. I am 54 and have significant disabilities. I am not strong so I'm looking for a trike that is lightweight and easy to ride. Can anyone recommend a specific make and model, and of course that is moder rately priced. An upright bike is out of the question. I know this is a loaded question but I thought I'd throw it out there. Thanks in advance!

10 Wheels

To start with, what is your budget?
Do you have hills where you live?

10 Wheels

My choice:
https://www.actionbent.com/TWTRIKE.html

Dan Burkhart 

Hi Jill. Welcome to the group. I've no experience with recunbent trikes, but I do have a recumbent 2 wheeler.
It might be helpful to know what you consider moderately priced. Recumbents are, by nature, priced higher than conventional bikes thanks to economies of scale, but there are some that are not too outrageously priced.
Be aware, however that cheap almost always translates as heavy.
Good luck in your search.

10 Wheels

Here is a nice ride with different bents:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpbo1...embedded#at=43

cranky old dude

Jill,

I can slightly appreciate your physical challenges as my wife faces many herself. A lightweight recumbent trike will put a pretty good dent in your pocketbook and it’s not an investment you should take lightly.

I would suggest that you open discussions both on the Recumbent portion of Bike Forums and especially on https://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/index.php The folks over at bentrideronline (BROL) are recumbent enthusiasts.

You should also look for bike shops that specialize in Recumbents and will offer you opportunites for test rides. Recumbent shops are few and far between so be prepared to travel. Rest assured, the trip will be worth every penny you invest as knowledgeable staff and test rides are what new recumbent shoppers need. There's nothing like riding a few different trikes under the watchful eye of a knowledgeable staff to help erase some of the confusion that internet overload can sometimes create.

A good shop in New York State is Bicycleman in Alfred Station N.Y. He also has a very informative web site. The folks over at BROL can direct you to a good shop in your part of the country.

Good Hunting

JanMM

Lots and lots of 'bent trike riders at bentrideronline.com. And they are eager to help newbies find trikes.
Try the Recumbent forum here, too
Sun trikes have good reputations and are available to buy although not always to see or test-ride, through most any bike shop, but are generally not light. https://www.sunbicycles.com/

Cranky beat me to it.

Retro Grouch 

Most likely your local bike shop is a mistake. You need to visit a recumbent specialist bike shop.

As you have already discovered there are lots of variations on the recumbent trike theme. Recumbent trikes have their own set of unique advantages and issues. Seating height and transportation and storage come immediately to mind. An experienced recumbent dealer will help you work through these things. A bike shop that carries recumbents only as a sideline is unlikely to have the experience to walk you through the many choices. The last thing that you want is for somebody to sell you what they have rather than what you need.

There are recumbent specialist bike shops scattered throughout the US. If you aren't aware of one locally, I'd recommend checking with one of the vendors listed on bentrideronline.com.

FWIW, Mrs. Grouch, who is somewhat older than you, bought herself a recumbent trike (tadpole) last fall. She loves it.

bikegeek57

Jill, you are not alone. I am also looking into trikes. Thanks for posting this. Finding shops that have trikes and knowledgable people is a challenge in some areas. I have lots of questions and want to test different trikes to see what the difference is. It's an adventure! I am considering one for my 22mile per day round trip commuting. One test ride recently was a blast but I would like to take more time to really consider alternative models and options. For me this is a major investment. Good luck on your search. Keep us posted.

Jill

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I am very fortunate to live about an hour from Austin where there is a shop that is totally recumbent. I didn't realize what a rarity this is. I plan to go down within a week or so and check it out. I live in a neighborhood that is pretty flat with only a few low grade hills. I was thinking about spending about $1,000. Thats if i can get my hubby on board with me. Silly me, when I was looking at all the forum topics I didn't even see the forum on recumbents. Duh. And I appreciate the link to BentRiderOnline and the other bike recommendations. I'm on a roll! At least figuratively...

katekosar

Jill, my husband was looking for a trike last year. He also has some disabilities. We put up a "Want to Buy" thread at bentrideronline, and the wonderful guys there walked us through the entire process. It was pretty enlightening and actually kind of fun. Just a thought. Take care and best of luck.

Kate

NOS88

I love the spirit. Good luck with your search and getting "hubby" on board. If he needs any convincing regarding the benefits send him on over to us. There are many would will make persuasive arguments.

tcs

TerraTrike Rover 8
TerraTrike Path
KMX Tornado F8
Sun E3 SX

As an interesting aside, despite a 110 year history of tamale vendors pedaling through neighborhoods, adult three wheel pedal cycles are not legally bicycles and not legal road vehicles in Texas.

Jill

No tricycles in Austin? Bummer for Austinites. Since posting I have down additional research and visited the recumbent shop in Austin. What an eye opener. My $1000 budget won't get me very far. The owner thought a good fit for me would be the Catrike Pocket. I test drove the Pocket ($1900?) and the Terra Trikes Rover's cheapest model ($700) The Terra Trike was very comfortable but felt heavy and the Pocket was uncomfortable but light. So the shop owner thought the Catrike Villager would be the best bet for me but he didn't have one for me to demo. So now I am weighing the pros and cons of buying new or used and continuing to read about the different trikes on the bent website. I have a bad habit of being a spontaneous, impatient person so I'm forcing myself to take my time with this .... And save some more pennies.