hypnobassman

This week I am going to get my bent. But I can't make up my mind between a two wheeler or a trike.

What are the down sides to getting a trike?

I can think of one. I it would be difficult to fit it on my bike rack on my Jeep Wrangler!

Thanks for the input.

(Sorry for the typo in the subject line. I meant trike not tricke.)

bentrox!

My friend has several bents, including a Greenspeed GTO trike. Despite the stability, comfort and pure fun of the trike, he does lament the weight disadvantage on hills. It's a streak going down but a slug going up.

Also, front end alignment is critical otherwise it'll eat up treads on the front tires like you wouldn't believe!

RonV

I've only been riding a bent for a couple weeks, so take my opinion for what it is worth. I've read a lot about trikes and would probably make one my next bike. What style are you thinking about. The two wheels in back (Delta or arrow?) would seem to be unstable in a high speed turn just as a child's trike. As mentioned, weight is a factor if you will be using it on hills. I have read some complaints about the width being a factor if you ride on roads without a shoulder. I've read some tour reports where riders mentioned the scariest part of their trip was being passed by big trucks on narrow 2-lane roads without paved shoulders.

Hope this helps a little. Please report what models you buy.

Ron

Triker

I have 7-8,000 miles on home built Greenspeed trikes. Comparing a 'bent trike to a 'bent bike I'd say the trike may be a bit slower on climbs, but not much slower. On steep climbs one can put more energy into climbing, and less into staying upright. I have climbed 1-2 miles, 8% and better grades in Wyoming. As I recall, the hills in Coon Rapids are not too savage

I have never found the width to be a problem. A couple of times, when I did get "squeezed," I could put a wheel on the gravel and not fall over. I am not much wider than a touring bike fully laden with panniers, and I can ride with a tire right on the edge of the pavement, becuse dropping off the edeg is no big deal on atrike, as on a bike.

I have had no wheel alignment/wear problems. I put nearly 1,000 miles on my front tires (Tioga Comp Pools) before the mold strip was gone.

What I like about a trike is stability. I ride to softball games, etc., pull up, and sit in my trike. Comfort is umsurpassed. and a trike is big-time fun to ride. But they are a pain to transport.

beowoulfe

I rode a Vision R40 for 4 years, great bike. Went to a GTO last July. Haven't ridden the
Vision since. I spend far less attention on road hazzards than I did on the Vision. If I
dropped a wheel off the tarmac on the Vision, I probably would be eating dirt. On the
GTO it's nothing.

As for hills, well......I ride more now than ever before. Therefore my "engine" has grown.
On an upright, I used to be able to crest the overpass (few hills in FL lol) at 15+. On the
trike now, I crest at 14. I took it on the NC ride last fall and there WERE some hills on that
ride. No problem. True a moderate pace line (18-19mph) would drop me on a bad hill;
but it wasn't hard to catch up.

Mentioning pace lines. It's tough to be out front pulling, there just isn't any draft!!

My front Comp Pools have 3700 miles on them and still have a lot of tread on them. I plan
to ride them on a 1200 ride up to Richmond VA in a couple of weeks.

My GTO is narrower than the stock. I ordered from Greenspeed direct and specified
a narrower version. It's 32" instead of 35". I like it better that way.

mtessmer

I have a Vision R44 SWB bike and a S & B Venice trike (tadpole, 2 wheels front) and I like them both. There is a difference, the trike is like a go cart... sort of, stable and not that much slower then my R44. I use the trike for winter riding but I do enjoy cruisin' around other times of the year too. Needless to say my trike doesn't even compare to the GTO Greenspeed or Trice, but it's still a hoot.

hypnobassman

Thanks for all of your input! Today I went out a bought a two wheeler. I got the EZ-1 SC Lite. I decided if I was going to have only one bent then I would start off with a two wheeler. This one was in seven hundred dollar range. I did like some of the cool looking trikes and delta bikes but generally they were just too much cash to start out on

Thanks again for the help!