what to buy..... decisions, decisions

DIscuss anything relating to non-standard cycles and their equipment.
sharpedge
Posts: 37
Joined: 2 Jun 2018, 9:29pm

what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by sharpedge »

New to the forum, and thinking of going to three wheels due to losing my balance (old age is a problem). But what to buy - ideally I want something that will go in the back of the car and does not have a low riding position. Delta or tadpole? Suggestions please as to the trikes to consider. Looked at a DiBlasi folder I saw recently but brakes on front wheel only and drive to the left rear wheel only - folded nice but a non-starter. So, probably a recumbent.
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by [XAP]Bob »

upright or recumbent?
ICE adventure might be a reasonable option
HASE kettweisel is another (can't recall if it folds at the moment)
Last edited by [XAP]Bob on 4 Jun 2018, 3:27pm, edited 1 time in total.
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.
reohn2
Posts: 45159
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by reohn2 »

What sort of car?
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
OldBloke
Posts: 137
Joined: 15 Jul 2014, 3:34am

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by OldBloke »

sharpedge, why have you decided on not a low riding position? Because you have trouble standing or for some other reason?

OB
sharpedge
Posts: 37
Joined: 2 Jun 2018, 9:29pm

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by sharpedge »

No, it's just that I saw the DiBlasi - did try a recumbent many years ago at a show - don't want a true recumbent with low down seat - cant get up from much lower than 14" seating position.
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Where are you based?

14" is fairly low. The adventure is still under 14" without the additional 'seat riser' optional extra.

Delta is probably going to suit better, because they tend to be higher to accommodate the required machinery under the seat.
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.
User avatar
hoarder
Posts: 151
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 7:04am
Location: South of Newmarket, SW of Bury St. Edmunds. ǝןƃuɐ ʇuǝɹǝɟɟıp ɐ ɯoɹɟ sƃuıɥʇ ʇɐ ƃuıʞool

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by hoarder »

Standard "new" Hase Kettwiesels don't fold, but the new EVO Kettwiesel design has a folding option, IIRC. Daveyboy has a new design Hase delta (the "Trigo"), and the seat on that is higher than on my ICE Adventure, and maybe higher than a Kett. Alternatively, the "heping hands" provide assistance for those who want to lower themselves into / out off the ICE tadpole design - there's a Sprint X with them already fitted on fleabay at the moment:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ice-trike-sprint-x-26-Recumbent-With-Extras/142818913777?hash=item2140abadf1:g:b-QAAOSw9NhbEuUT

Importantly - you haven't said yet what car you'll be wanting to put it in :wink: Bentley Corniche or Fiat 500 ?
tatanab
Posts: 5033
Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by tatanab »

sharpedge wrote: ideally I want something that will go in the back of the car
Upright trikes fit the back of many fairly small cars because you can lay them on their side. The front wheel flops over and consequently the whole is shorter than a bike laid on its side. I put one trike in my Honda Jazz just like that, with wheels off I easily fit 2 and at a push I can get three in there.
but brakes on front wheel only and drive to the left rear wheel only.
Perfectly normal, see Construction and Use Regs 1983 paragraph 9 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1983 ... 176_en.pdf which recognises that on a lightweight machine the rear brakes have little effect other than locking the wheels. Single wheel drive is again perfectly normal, being easy and cheap to make. Driving the left wheel helps push it up the road camber. Differentials have not been available since 1964, but in the 80s the old double driver (2 freewheels, we call it a 2 wheel drive) was reinvented. These were based on two Maillard freewheels and trikes (Longstaff) can still be found marginally under £500 - with the inherent problems of finding sprockets that have not been manufactured for about 20 years. Modern 2 wheel drives have a unit that is very much like afreehub with a set of pawls at either end, taking a cassette (Longstaff, Trykit) but these will not appear second hand very often and are expensive new because of course there is a limited market and all the frames are custom. Trikes with the Maillard system can be modified to take the modern cassette for a bit over 300 hundred pounds.
sharpedge
Posts: 37
Joined: 2 Jun 2018, 9:29pm

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by sharpedge »

Answers to the questions! I live in West Cumbria so low gearing is a must. At present I drive a BMW X1 (4wd for the bad weather we get here in the winter). Space in the car not normally a problem until we take my wife's folder at the same time and go off to Europe!
User avatar
squeaker
Posts: 4112
Joined: 12 Jan 2007, 11:43pm
Location: Sussex

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by squeaker »

[XAP]Bob wrote:Where are you based?

14" is fairly low. The adventure is still under 14" without the additional 'seat riser' optional extra.

Delta is probably going to suit better, because they tend to be higher to accommodate the required machinery under the seat.

ICE seat riser adds 4" so Adventure seat 16.2". I'd suggest trying the standard Adventure with 'helping handles' as part of the fun with trikes is the dynamic handling :wink:
A 20" rear wheel with MTB 22/34 gearing will get you a one foot (=12") bottom gear that should get you up most hills :shock:
If looking for secondhand, then an ICE 'T' (check with ICE that the handles will fit) might suit. Changing the standard 30T small front chainring to 26T will get you about 15" low gear...
"42"
Trikeyohreilly
Posts: 448
Joined: 16 Dec 2010, 6:06pm

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by Trikeyohreilly »

Plus 1 on what squeaker said. With the handles an Adventure might well work and be well worth the effort. Consider Adventure HD also. If you then find you need it the seat raiser adds to the options.
Trikeyohreilly
Posts: 448
Joined: 16 Dec 2010, 6:06pm

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by Trikeyohreilly »

Furthermore, if you do go for the seat riser option it would be good to have a wide track. The Adventure HD and the old T have the same, perhaps the Adventure is narrower?
Lodge
Posts: 142
Joined: 28 Feb 2016, 8:59pm
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by Lodge »

The Hase Kettwiesel folds. Ours would go inside the VW Passat estate but if was close fit. I suspect the BMW X1 could be a bit smaller. We sold the VW and have an A3 now but a trailer for the two trikes, the wife’s Kett and my Sprint. The Kett is definitely easy to get on and off and with two wheel drive gets good traction off road, better than a Full Fat we tried before buying it. More stable too.
User avatar
hoarder
Posts: 151
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 7:04am
Location: South of Newmarket, SW of Bury St. Edmunds. ǝןƃuɐ ʇuǝɹǝɟɟıp ɐ ɯoɹɟ sƃuıɥʇ ʇɐ ƃuıʞool

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by hoarder »

There's a new-design Evo Kett (folding) on Ebay at the moment - the seller has reduced their asking price from £3k to £2k650 or best offer. You can see what it looks like folded. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Recumbent-trike-Hase-Kettwiesel-Evo-FOLDING-full-suspension-2017/292595527572

Recent BMW X1s have a slightly smaller boot than my 318 Active Tourer - which currently has stowed in it a folded ICE Adventure. To do that I had to move the rear seats forward, shorten the boom on the trike, and remove the right front wheel (once it is loaded), all to ensure the boot will close.
climo
Posts: 590
Joined: 29 Apr 2009, 8:08am
Location: Warminster

Re: what to buy..... decisions, decisions

Post by climo »

Lodge wrote:The Hase Kettwiesel folds. Ours would go inside the VW Passat estate but if was close fit. I suspect the BMW X1 could be a bit smaller. We sold the VW and have an A3 now but a trailer for the two trikes, the wife’s Kett and my Sprint. The Kett is definitely easy to get on and off and with two wheel drive gets good traction off road, better than a Full Fat we tried before buying it. More stable too.

Sorry for going off topic but I'm amazed that a Kett is better off road. Apart from the weight over the drive wheels would you say this is due to any other factors? How about front wheel lift uphill?
Would you PM me the spec please?
Post Reply