Trike or two wheels for steep and rough roads?
09-10-08, 09:16 AM
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Trike or two wheels for steep and rough roads?
Live in the La Sal Mountains of SE Utah. The mountains are very steep. The rough road has grades of 14% to 19%. My Garmin reports a bit of 20% on one climb.
Would a trike be a good choice for these roads?
Ron Kiefel says the downhill is like nothing in the Alps. It is called "The Blue Comet" because it is very fast.
https://skinnytireevents.com/content/view/262/119/
What recumbent would you recommend?
Would a trike be a good choice for these roads?
Ron Kiefel says the downhill is like nothing in the Alps. It is called "The Blue Comet" because it is very fast.
https://skinnytireevents.com/content/view/262/119/
What recumbent would you recommend?
09-10-08, 12:05 PM
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If invited for a ride there and allowed to bring only one of them, I would bring the Trice Q even though the Rocket is good on hills. I'd make it to the top faster (ok, less slowly) on two wheels but would enjoy it much more on three.
09-10-08, 06:52 PM
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Climbing 14% for any distance and maintaining stability will be extremely tough with a two-wheeler. Maybe plan on walking. Plus, descending steep washboard without full suspension could be scary and stressful. As much as I like my SWB, I avoid roads like that.
09-10-08, 07:18 PM
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Moab Century
Moab's fall century is on this route. I live 7/8 of the way up the steep part. Maybe I could hide in the trees and wait until bikes start going by. I could emerge from the trees and people would think I simply took a leak.
09-11-08, 03:51 PM
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I love my trike and will be riding it along the main road through Zion National Park in Utah this weekend, perhaps not far from you. It gives a fantastic view. The downside to most trikes is they are heavy. I ride a Greenspeed GTO, one of the best on the market, but it weighs 42 pounds equipped for a distance ride. There isn't a hill it will not go up, even with this 65 year old engine, but it can be mighty slow on a steep grade. Someday I'm going to do the bike trail out the back end of nearby St. George. It has some pretty good ups and downs. This is a wonderful area to ride in.
09-12-08, 10:42 AM
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Trike beyond doubt.
The stability has 2 major advantages:
1) you can gear so low it would be impossible to stay aboard any two wheeler at a similar speed.
2) the off road and rough road stability is with out peer, you have 3 wheels after all, its very difficult to fall over.
Tom
The stability has 2 major advantages:
1) you can gear so low it would be impossible to stay aboard any two wheeler at a similar speed.
2) the off road and rough road stability is with out peer, you have 3 wheels after all, its very difficult to fall over.
Tom
09-13-08, 04:51 PM
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Trike beyond doubt.
The stability has 2 major advantages:
1) you can gear so low it would be impossible to stay aboard any two wheeler at a similar speed.
2) the off road and rough road stability is with out peer, you have 3 wheels after all, its very difficult to fall over.
The stability has 2 major advantages:
1) you can gear so low it would be impossible to stay aboard any two wheeler at a similar speed.
2) the off road and rough road stability is with out peer, you have 3 wheels after all, its very difficult to fall over.
09-14-08, 04:17 AM
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True on (1)...not quite so true on (2): A two-wheeler can stay upright on side slopes and uneven terrain that will tip over a 3-wheeler. Further, you need only a very narrow track to get a two-wheeler through a rough spot, where a three-wheeler rider might have an impossible time finding passable paths for all the wheels.
