Posted: 14 August 2009 at 7:54pm | IP Logged

Hay gang Im new here My name is Travis and im looking to get a recumbent tadpole style trike. I have been trying to find somthing that fits me well and is comfortable and i only found one that i like so far but cant bring my self to buy it due to the way i was treated by the companys owner on the phone. Im teying to keep my purchase 2k and under. I have rode many and cant seem to find any at my local dealers i like. Does any one have any suggestions. I was in a sever ATV accident and my doctors have told me that im not to ride a mountain bike any more but suggested a recumbent. So here i am im a heavy guy now since ive not been able to be as active as i used to. Im 5'11" and 260 lbs so i need a really sturdy Trike. If any one has any suggestions i would greatly appricate them.

Sorry about the long winded post

Travis

Posted: 15 August 2009 at 8:03am | IP Logged

 Hey Travis  !  Welcome to the adicting world of trikes ! 

I have very few  complaints with my Terratrike path eight. I got it from a company in Payson Utah ( I live WAY up north in Edmonton, Alberta ) The company deals only in trikes and I found the staff to be very friendly and helpfull.   Perhaps you should look at the Terratrike Quad, maded by UtahTrikes. As I understand it , the frame can support more weight than a tadpole. Either that or a delta frame. Tell us what your needs are and what you intend to do with your trike ( ie: gearing, cargo capacticy, steering type, casual city riding VS iron man offroading ) I find trikes highly variable and customizable . Each and every one is different as we tweak and upgrade them to suit our needs. This is what led me to buy a TT Path 8. I wanted a nice basic model with lots of potential for upgrading. It has been an incredible learning experience as I learn more and more about tricycle mechanics and phsycs. It took me nearly three months of doing research before I settled on my model. I had to delve into forums just like this one to find what I liked and what I didn't ( I poo on direct steering, I find it too stiff and the twisting motion feels alien to me)

Posted: 23 August 2009 at 12:18pm | IP Logged

Well I live in Ft. Wayne Indiana and i have 2 bike shops here in town and tried all there recumbants. I Really liked the action bent cause of how easy they were to steer and didnt bump steer at high speeds but if the owner (Steve) of the company is going to treat me the way he did on the phone, because i want to be knowledagble on there products before a purchase then i dont want to deal with them. I have tried all the sun trikes and really wasnt impressed at all the ez tadpole jerks the steering as you pedal and at speeds over 7mph there all over the place and jerk you all around with every bump. I did like the terra trike cruiser but the flimsey steering drive sorta bothered me but if you guys think there well enough built i may go with one of them. the proablem is that is all i have withing a 150 mile radious i think. if any ones got any other ideas it would be great to here your input.

Thanks

Travis

Posted: 24 August 2009 at 5:12pm | IP Logged

Any one around sorry it took me so long to reply i was back at the doctors for another round of injections and theropy. If any one has any ideas of where i should start im up for any sugestions.

Thanks

Travis

Posted: 24 August 2009 at 8:59pm | IP Logged

The only trike i didnt like the steering on was the sun ez tad. the only reason i was worried about the streangth of the terra is the dealer i test rode one at said to absolutly put no other force on the stearing other than the pressure to turn. Personally out of all the trikes ive rode so far the terra cruiser seems to be the best. I rode a sun for several miles and every nook and crack and bump it felt as if it was going out of controll and that was at only a moderate speed. But as i said i do like the terra trike but was conserned that there local dealer told me i couldnt put any waight at all on the steering controll. I actually liked the Terra Trike Cruiser allot but was afraid of possiably damaging it due to getting in and out of it and the nerve damage i have in my spine. Somtimes left leg is sometimes not there at all i just cant feel it and i stmbel or lose balance and i didnt want somthing flimsey, when even there own sales rep is telling me they cant take much force. If i would stumbel getting in or out and land on it i wouldnt want to brake it. I am no little guy either so thats where my problem is with the terra. But if you all think there well made for a entry level Tad i think this is what im going to go with. I was a fabricater for a living before my accident and still have many tools like lathe mill welders and so in so i guess if somthing would become a issue ill just make it stronger but didnt want to have to deal with things like that for some time. Thanks Larrry if you like your and think its a solid bike and you dont think the steering drive gear is week im may just go with it. Thank you very much for your input.

Travis

Posted: 25 August 2009 at 3:21am | IP Logged

Hi Travis, I'm not familiar with the Terra trikes themselves but I wouldn't be too concerned about the strength, or percieved lack, of the steering yoke, the yokes are pretty strong on trikes. I wouldn't use them to support all my weight but I do occassionaly partially support my weight getting on and off with no problems.

Trikes are exceptionally strong for having so little to them, here's a picture of what a 1 ton car does when it clips the front wheel axle at about 45-50mph from behind. I was stopped when it happened. The centre spine of the frame is straight, the damage took place at the weld points. (not exactly a steering yoke problem though)

Mike Savage

South West Cork

Posted: 31 August 2009 at 3:31pm | IP Logged

Hi Travis,

I ride an EZ3 Delta and have not yet ridden a tadpole so I can't speak for them (although I think others have done a great job describing them). As Larry said, you just step over the frame and lower yourself  into the seat. They do come with a brake lock which is handy but not really necessary for this style. Mounting and dismounting is pretty simple.

As to the steering I would agree that it's a little sluggish and awkward at slow speeds and can be twitchy at higher speeds, but then I didnt buy the trike to jet, if you know what I mean. I think it's similar to riding a long wheel base two wheel recumbent...you have to think about where your knees are. My one other thought on this would be that I would have liked to get the AX with a twenty inch front wheel instead of the sixteen inch as I believe it would be more stable. I believe Peabob has the AX and from what he has said in the past, its pretty stable. Also, because the delta is higher from the ground than a tad it can feel a little tipsy if you crank the bars over too fast.

That said, I really like my delta-its comfortable and very easy to ride and it's a little more visible, which for me in this town is somewhat important. I'm sure I will buy something else eventually, but that's the nature of recumbent riding, there's lots to choose from.

Posted: 23 November 2009 at 11:40am | IP Logged

 Hey Lowtoy.  Like the others, let me assure you that the handle bars are solid enough to assist with entry and exit of the trike. I too enter my trike by standing over the crossbar, squating down and grabbing the handlebars into a controlled flop ( like what most of us do on the couch )  and for exiting , I place my hands on the handle bars and roll forward into a stand. Terra Trike was my first choice because it was a good quality trike with lots of space for cargo racks, my trailer, lights, bell, horn, and computer and sensors. The seat was highly adjustable and it came with a rear hub ( to increase the ground clearance ) .

Getting used to the steering took about an hour. I work in a small warehouse and it was the middle of our quiet season when my trike was delivered and I spent the afternoon zooming around the warehouse and the parking lot outside. My coworker had so much fun riding mine that he ordered a trike of his own the next day ( a KMX ) 

 I hope you take the plunge and get a trike. Its a completely different experience than that of a bike.

~Chris

Posted: 04 December 2009 at 3:08am | IP Logged

Hi pd, fenders shouldn't be a problem with studded tires, on the rear just set the fender farther out on the stays for more clearance. The front fender supports should have some adjustment vertically to clear the tire. The fender/mudguard I got is this one. http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/trikes/accessories.htm#FrontMudguar ds

They're designed for up to 2 inch tires on a 20" (406) wheel but could be raised with shims under the mounting on the steering point if needed. Though, if snow acts anything like mud, the snow could build up on the tire and jam in the fender. (sorry about the large size of the pic don't know how to re-size them)

Posted: 05 December 2009 at 4:43am | IP Logged

Hi pd, no prob. Setting the fender high would clear any tire studs. Mud, tar and road chippings would be my equivalent of sticky snow, west cork being famous for snow. The liquid variety.

The pic above is from the ICE website, here's a pic of my Steintrikes right'hand' fender.

Couldn't afford a Trice at the start.  The fenders are just thermoplastic blades, flexible on their own but the brackets are solid alu alloy 4mm thick.

http://picasaweb.google.com/myksav/NewTrikePics# for more pics.

Mike Savage

South West Cork