https://www.icsc2013.com/papers/kraus...r%20adults.pdf

https://www.jetrike.com/why-ride-a-trike.html

Or you can disreguard all that science and just say it is fun.
Rolling along on a trike is the most relaxing way to ride. You can ride at any speed or just stop for a while. No need to unclip. Besides that it is a great machine to ride to a location to view what ever you want to. You have your own lawn chair with you to comfortably sit and watch. Or----------you can ride it across the country without worrying about where to lean it.

I rode a trike exclusively for three seasons, didn't have another bike. When I traded it for a Bacchetta Corsa, and later a Strada, I was amazed how tired I got riding the two wheelers! What I didn't realize is how much energy is spend keeping a two wheeler, up on it's two wheels. The trike, as rydabent says is a relaxing ride. You just lean back and pedal, and watch the world go by, no energy spent on balance, only spent on the crank... I now have one of each, a trike and a Bacchetta Bellandare two wheel recumbent and still prefer the trike for a fun but relaxing ride.

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

Like this?

Why not? Best seat in the campsite, set your brakes and pause on a hill, no need to drop in the dirt if there's no where to lean it, able to walk normally after a long ride. Then there's the view.....'nough said.

trikin

Great point. After a long ride you dont walk funny!! Your rump dont hurt, and the back of your neck doesnt hurt. In addition to that you got to see everywhere you went rather than watching your front tire.

Fixed that for you.......

One of the great uses of my trike is to ride to sites that have something going on. When there are local races for instance, I ride my trike. I can park right on the race course, and I have my own lawn chair. I dont have to sit on the ground.

Yeah, those trike guys would have everyone believe than only 3-wheeled recumbents are comfortable. They're like super-evangelists in a group of regular evangelists.

You got that right....BlazingPedals

You've seen our light....... and it's bright!!

I know this may be hard to accept, but all those benefits apply to 2-wheeled recumbents, too. The only advantage I see to 3 wheels is that you can't fall over due to going too slow.

A significant percentage of adults, especially those over 50, are too unskilled and/or too afraid and/or too lazy to learn a new skill in order to ride a two wheeled recumbent. I think that's the main reason for trikes popularity.

Trikes are super easy to ride; even easier than upright bikes.

I've found that trikes are one of the few ways old guys can look cool to pre-teen kids, based on their exuberant reaction. Teens and above give a smile, but who knows what that means. I mentioned to my 30 YO daughter that folks smile when they see me. She then told me that it's probably because I look like a clown.

That's the Recumbent Response - not unique to trikes. On a club ride a couple of years ago I was following a fellow on a very nice Serotta titanium road bike - we rode past a young kid standing in his front yard who ignored the fine ti bike and looked right at me on my basic V-Rex and yelled: "Hey! Cool bike!"

BlazingPedals..........Another advantage to having 3wheels Thankyou

Steamer....try riding a trike on a highway with cars and trucks racing by at 120K, see how easy that is

No thanks. But it would still be easier than on a recumbent bike. Try that and see how easy it is.

I've owned five different trikes. After the novelty wore off, all I was left with was an inefficient machine that made it harder to go the places I wanted to go in a reasonable period of time. This is my perspective. I know for sure it's not other peoples. So telling me you have a different opinion or whatever is a straw man.

But, in any case, ease of use is the 'why' for many trikers. I have seen many times, a rider show up at my local recumbent shop, try the bikes, and after 10 minutes they give up totally (after flailing around a bit and sometimes having minor crashes,etc..) They are then shown the trikes, and, in often as little as a minute or two, they are sold on the trike. The typical comment is "Hey, I can ride this!", with a look of relief on their faces. Trikes are good for these people. But bikes might be ok too, or even possibly better, if they had the skill and courage and persistence to give bikes a more serious try.

Thankyou Steamer.... there's no denying you think your right.

Steamer Thankyou for the private message........ You're right..there's no denying the "straw man"

Here's a couple pic's....I'll ride with 2wheelers too, I don't discriminate

blazing

You are right about all the advantages of bents and trikes apply to both. I have the best of both worlds since I have a LWB bent and a trike. I am able to pick the proper tool for the job at hand.

I take the bent on my bike clubs spring and summer day long rides out on little used hiways, and I take the trike to events that I am a spectator, since I have my own lawn chair to sit in and watch. I also take the trike out on rides in high winds since it is more aero in these circumstances.

The bottom line here is the fact I dont have to put up with the pain and discomfort and other disadvantages of riding a DF bike when riding either the bent or the trike.

My Tour Easy gave me a much better performing body, So much so I was able to return to mountain biking and am now doing single track !

I will never part with that Tour Easy, Our Delta Trike Is a keeper also

Super low gears will let you tow loads up mountain roads that you will fall over if just on 2 wheels ..
for example a MountainTamer Quad Crank 16t Granny Gear turning a 36t cassette cog in a 26" Wheel is an 11.5" gear.


A Velo-mobile is a trike with a streamlined body , it's aerodynamic body around the rider

Lets it be it faster on the flat and downhills if the rider pushes it to do so.

fietsbob

Good point about the super low gearing. I have read about and seen pictures of the quad BB on Crazy Guy on a Bike.

With that super low gearing you wont get wind burns, but you wont have to get off and push either.

?? I didn't send you a PM.

Get real. Most of the people actually riding trikes are older guys (like me) with some health problem (broken hip, stroke, Parkinsons, etc) that prevent them from riding a DF bike, even if they wanted to. Much of the time there is no choice between a DF bike and a trike, just the choice between riding and not riding. I'd love to go back to my road bike, but it's not going to happen.
M Riley

mriley

Physical problems can also be a reason for some to ride a trike. However it is still a good thing since trikes allow people to continue to ride. The fact remains that riding a trike is fun, and if due to some problems the only thing they can ride, at least they are not setting and rusting.