I took a new trike for a ride today

[Greens]

It was slow, very slow, and tiring. It was a brand new trike. I don't
remember the brand name, but they wanted $1995. The chain was too long. I
couldn't put it in it's lowest gears, but even when I got it going it felt
slower than my two wheeled mountain bike with low air pressure. The mechanic
said he thought one of the wheels on the trike had low air pressure, but it
looked alright to me. We didn't check it.

I think most of the problem was that you have to lift your legs. The trike
wasn't fitted with clips at this point, but also the way your legs are
horizantal, I don't think it would have mattered that much. I felt like I
was constantly doing leg lifts, the most hated exercise of them all.

I'm pretty big too. I had room to get in, but the little wheels up front
were right on me in turns. Not much room at all. Very comfortable though and
a great looking machine. I'd love to take it out for a few months. Don't
know if it's worth keeping. The thing it needed most was an electric motor
and maybe stomach muscles for me. Maybe I could rig up some sort of pole
that would arc over my body from where my head is and from that I'd hang
some bungees to go around my knees. They could help with the leg lifting
until I developed some muscles. Anyhow, if this is typical of a first trike
experience, I can see why they never caught on in a big way. A regular
bicycle that costs a hundred bucks you can take it out and feel like you're
flying. With the trike I felt all the freedom of a person turning over the
garden.

 

[Tom \Johnny Sunset\ Sherman]

Greens who? wrote:
> It was slow, very slow, and tiring. It was a brand new trike. I don't
> remember the brand name, but they wanted $1995. The chain was too long. I
> couldn't put it in it's lowest gears, but even when I got it going it felt
> slower than my two wheeled mountain bike with low air pressure. The mechanic
> said he thought one of the wheels on the trike had low air pressure, but it
> looked alright to me. We didn't check it.

The front wheel alignment could have been off, or a brake could have
been dragging.

> I think most of the problem was that you have to lift your legs. The trike
> wasn't fitted with clips at this point, but also the way your legs are
> horizantal, I don't think it would have mattered that much. I felt like I
> was constantly doing leg lifts, the most hated exercise of them all.

Foot retention on all by the lowest bottom bracket height recumbents is
a must for rides of any significant distance.

Yes, the leg muscles are used a bit differently than on an upright, and
yes it takes some riding time to adjust.

> I'm pretty big too. I had room to get in, but the little wheels up front
> were right on me in turns. Not much room at all.

There are trikes with a wider front track that would suit you better.

> Very comfortable though and
> a great looking machine. I'd love to take it out for a few months. Don't
> know if it's worth keeping. The thing it needed most was an electric motor
> and maybe stomach muscles for me. Maybe I could rig up some sort of pole
> that would arc over my body from where my head is and from that I'd hang
> some bungees to go around my knees. They could help with the leg lifting
> until I developed some muscles. Anyhow, if this is typical of a first trike
> experience, I can see why they never caught on in a big way. A regular
> bicycle that costs a hundred bucks you can take it out and feel like you're
> flying. With the trike I felt all the freedom of a person turning over the
> garden.

I like the trike because I can ignore road hazards such as railroad
crossings, steel utility covers, loose aggregate, etc. that could easily
cause a fall on a bicycle.

The trike is a bit slower up hills, but a match for a road bicycle on
the flats (despite its ~18 kgf mass).

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
A Real Cyclist [TM] keeps at least one bicycle in the bedroom.


--
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