Practicalities of living with a trike

DIscuss anything relating to non-standard cycles and their equipment.
belgiangoth
Posts: 1657
Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 4:10pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by belgiangoth »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Could you let a rope down from the bedroom window and haul the trike up?

Can't remember when, but this was the vision of the bike parking space of the future, bike "trees" off lamp posts etc.
If I had a baby elephant, I would put it on a recumbent trike so that it would become invisible.
ambodach
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Joined: 15 Mar 2011, 6:45pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by ambodach »

My Ice Adventure lives in my Peugeot Partner car ready to roll. I can get it into the house and if prolonged bad weather in the winter that is what I do for fettling. To get it in tho' is a faff. The seat comes off and steering bars turned forward then it just goes in on its side. Not something I would do regularly.
nigelnightmare
Posts: 709
Joined: 19 Sep 2016, 10:33pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by nigelnightmare »

All three of my ICE trikes live indoors.
One in the Kitchen
One in the hall &
One in the back room/2nd bedroom Hanging from the ceiling on a modified Victorian clothes airer.

I also have a Linear & an Ultimate bikes LWB in the living room.

HTH
Cyril Haearn
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Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Care to post some pictures Nigel?
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
ONETAL
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Joined: 3 Oct 2018, 10:51am

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by ONETAL »

Would it not be easer to move house to one with room for a trike.
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by Jdsk »

This won't help the original poster, but...

... I used to store my Windcheetah above a car in the garage. All done using two parallel runs of wire rigging:
1 Trike in front of car.
2 Straight pull up to wires using roller pulleys.
3 Clipped on.
4 Horizontal roll over car.

Worked fine, very cheap components, one person job.

Jonathan
belgiangoth
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Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 4:10pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by belgiangoth »

ONETAL wrote:Would it not be easer to move house to one with room for a trike.

I know that trikes are expensive, but moving house would be even more so!
If I had a baby elephant, I would put it on a recumbent trike so that it would become invisible.
yakdiver
Posts: 1466
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 2:54pm
Location: North Baddesley Hampshire

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by yakdiver »

Have you no lock up garages near you, mine is 100 yards away from my flat, but it costs £60 per month, it is either that of no cycling :(
belgiangoth
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Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 4:10pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by belgiangoth »

Hmmm, £720 a year would be worth it if I *had* to use a trike (balance issues etc) - though I'd still be looking at an alternative (hello mrs, we now have a two-story secure bike store in the front garden - it will pay for itself over three years!).
If I had a baby elephant, I would put it on a recumbent trike so that it would become invisible.
reohn2
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Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by reohn2 »

I've always liked the idea of a 'bent trike,but everytime I've considered one I've come out of it realising it's not a practical vehicle.
My reasons against are :-
1) Potholes on small roads that I could struggle avioding compared to a two wheeler that I simply flick around.
2)Camber,on heavily cambered roads and lanes I'd be constantly leaning to the right and steering out of the gutter.
3)Traffic jams that I can slip down the outside of on a two wheeler are far more difficult on a trike and I'd end up sitting behind someone's exhaust pipe at low level.
4) Storage is more difficult,not insurmountable but it's much easier to store a two wheeler.
5) Most cyclepaths in my neck of the woods have anti motorcycle gates that are difficult enough with a two wheeler that would be nigh on impossible on a trike.
6)Generally more limited use than a two wheeler
7)sloowwww climbing.

Reasons for are:-
1)Fast on the flat and decsents
2)comfy seating.
3)Fun!

The negatives far out weight the positives for me.
I know the diehard trike owners will attempt to poke holes in those reasons but those are the reasons why I haven't taken the plunge
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
belgiangoth
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Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 4:10pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by belgiangoth »

I think an important point is that it's another bike for a different use. Same as you wouldn't commute on a full suspension mtb, the trike may not be your first choice for commuting.
My SPM is a happy medium, if I wanted to commute on it s a rule I would change to superman bars from tiller. I've noticed the potholes&camber issue with the cargo trike for sure!

Another issue you missed is that they use different muscles, so you have some significant adaptation to develop your bent legs (and they wither away faster than your DF muscles, which are closer to the muscles you use walking).

I have to say that I would rather do long miles on the SPM (than my DF fixed) and it's an excellent bike for riding with full panniers. A trike would be great for touring and longer relaxed rides away from rush hour traffic.
If I had a baby elephant, I would put it on a recumbent trike so that it would become invisible.
yakdiver
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Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 2:54pm
Location: North Baddesley Hampshire

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by yakdiver »

reohn2 wrote:I've always liked the idea of a 'bent trike,but everytime I've considered one I've come out of it realising it's not a practical vehicle.
My reasons against are :-
1) Potholes on small roads that I could struggle avioding compared to a two wheeler that I simply flick around.
2)Camber,on heavily cambered roads and lanes I'd be constantly leaning to the right and steering out of the gutter.
3)Traffic jams that I can slip down the outside of on a two wheeler are far more difficult on a trike and I'd end up sitting behind someone's exhaust pipe at low level.
4) Storage is more difficult,not insurmountable but it's much easier to store a two wheeler.
5) Most cyclepaths in my neck of the woods have anti motorcycle gates that are difficult enough with a two wheeler that would be nigh on impossible on a trike.
6)Generally more limited use than a two wheeler
7)sloowwww climbing.

Reasons for are:-
1)Fast on the flat and decsents
2)comfy seating.
3)Fun!

The negatives far out weight the positives for me.
I know the diehard trike owners will attempt to poke holes in those reasons but those are the reasons why I haven't taken the plunge

1. you get use to it....ouch
2. as above
3. yes agree cough
4. £60 per month
5. Up to now only one in my area
6. My trike now is used the most road bike is a turbo and the MTB gathers dust
7. fit a electic motor
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[XAP]Bob
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Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by [XAP]Bob »

reohn2 wrote:I've always liked the idea of a 'bent trike,but everytime I've considered one I've come out of it realising it's not a practical vehicle.
My reasons against are :-
1) Potholes on small roads that I could struggle avioding compared to a two wheeler that I simply flick around.
meh, potholes aren’t that bad - bit of a rattle across the vast majority of them IME
2)Camber,on heavily cambered roads and lanes I'd be constantly leaning to the right and steering out of the gutter.
dont to that close to the gutter then - I rarely find road that have a heavy camber across that much of them.
3)Traffic jams that I can slip down the outside of on a two wheeler are far more difficult on a trike and I'd end up sitting behind someone's exhaust pipe at low level.
Ive usually managed to go past most jams, but there is no obligation to get up close to the vehicle in front.
4) Storage is more difficult,not insurmountable but it's much easier to store a two wheeler.
often, if it’s easy it’s easy, if it is t it isn’t.
5) Most cyclepaths in my neck of the woods have anti motorcycle gates that are difficult enough with a two wheeler that would be nigh on impossible on a trike.
a lot of those I come across are narrower at the top than the bottom, and I can get through - not guaranteed. But also fairly Reasonable to insist that they are made wheelchair accessible
6)Generally more limited use than a two wheeler
why?
7)sloowwww climbing.
get stronger legs then

Reasons for are:-
1)Fast on the flat and decsents
2)comfy seating.
3)Fun!

The negatives far out weight the positives for me.
I know the diehard trike owners will attempt to poke holes in those reasons but those are the reasons why I haven't taken the plunge


I commuted ten, then five, then fifteen miles each way for about ten years. Predominantly on the trike. On the five miler I occasionally used an upright (testing tandems, got a nice old frame to use as well), on the fifteen miler Id use the raptobike for ‘fine weather’ cycling. But the trike did Aida was, commuting, shopping, local trips, everything.

It’s been an absolute joy - and, despite the heady initial outlay (£500) I have easily had my money’s worth.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Different muscles develop from riding an upwrong or a trike
What if one rides both, does one get super muscles?
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
reohn2
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Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Practicalities of living with a trike

Post by reohn2 »

Bob
Those are my personal reasons why I don't think a trike would work for me,you have a different opinion based on your use.
1)You've two extra chances on hitting a pothole on a trike and you can't unload the saddle if tyou do.
2)the camber on some of the small lanes I ride is quite pronounced.
3)I'm thinking of the roads I use and traffic I encounter.Plus your lower and in the firing line of exhaust pipes even if you aren't close.
4)TBH I wouldn't find storage too bad but a bit of a faff,though a two wheeler is a breeze by comparison.
5)I know the type you mean,the LA round our way decided against that type preferring gates that would be an absolute pig to get a trike through if at all,they're bad enough with a tandem,I'll post a photo of one next time I'm out for a ride.
6)for reasons given in 1 to 5.
7)they weigh quite a bit more than a two wheeler which doesn't help however stromg you are,and 'bents climb slower anyway.

FWIW, the title of the thread is about the practicalities of living with a trike,I can only give my opinion as to what discourages from owning one,your view obviously varies,mine won't :wink:
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
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