A reminder of why I ride a recumbent

[Cunobelin]

I started out when the entire UK market was:
KIngCycle
Linear
Ryan Vanguard
Radius Peer Gynt / Dino
Peter Ross Trice '/ Speed
WindCheetah


Yep - that was the entire availability for the UK, one importer "Neatwork", the three independents and a couple of shops.


Now there are dozens of models, in all shapes and sizes. The price has (comparatively) dropped as mass production has brought prices down, and the number has increased.

However, despite being a ride and advocate for over 30 years I personally think that it will always be a "niche" market

[Cunobelin]

I'm often asked "where is you flag?" in fact almost as often as I'm asked "where is your helmet?"

The answer to both questions is simple "in the garage somewhere"

I love the helmet question on a trike...

One was a roadie who at a cafe stop harangued me about the lack of helmet.

Waited until he stopped and simply informed him that as with motorcycles, tricycles are exempt.

Blank look huffed and he walked off


As for flags - love them as an extension of my individuality - at the moment alternating between a red and yellow Celtic design, and a large red Jack Rackham Pirate flag

[tatanab]

Waited until he stopped and simply informed him that as with motorcycles, tricycles are exempt.

The problem is that if helmets are ever made compulsory, tricycles will not be exempt - be they upright or recumbent. This is because in the eyes of most people, children ride trikes and we must of course protect them. I know this deviation from topic really belongs in the helmet ghetto.

[pjclinch]

I love the helmet question on a trike...

ICE were, for quite a while, rather keen on pointing out on their website that helmets were something they thought you should be wearing. It's still the case that all of their promotional models wear them... I don't know why, I'd never felt they would be particularly crash-prone machines, but I guess their builders think differently!

Pete.

[hercule]

I love the helmet question on a trike...

ICE were, for quite a while, rather keen on pointing out on their website that helmets were something they thought you should be wearing. It's still the case that all of their promotional models wear them... I don't know why, I'd never felt they would be particularly crash-prone machines, but I guess their builders think differently!

Pete.

I suspect their largest market might be the USA where the helmet pressure is so great that it seems you are branded as morally corrupt if you don’t have one every promo photo. It’s also mentioned at the start of the users manual. Real world use in Trenoniggie might differ of course...

I’ve only had one bad response from fellow road users in 13 years, that was on an early morning weekday ride when I was passed by a single occupant car who made various gestures at me and nearly drove into a tree as a result. This was on a wide country road with no other traffic and good sight lines, I think he might still have been under the influence of whatever he’d consumed the night before...