Published: Silent Sports, July 2002 Author: Rolf Garthus, Hostel Shoppe High-tech Trikes New generation of recumbent trikes aren't kid's stuff So why are recumbent trikes becoming so popular? It's the comfort and efficiency of a fast recumbent combined with total stability. These high performance trikes are built for long distance riding by demanding enthusiasts but also fill the needs of many riders with special needs. There is no learning curve on a trike. Just get on and go. No longer do people with balance problems have to settle for heavy, slow trikes that aren't much good for anything but an occasional ride around the block. It's also the fun. Just move the handlebars and lean into the turn like you would on a go-kart. Sand or gravel on a corner or some obstacle in the road won't cause a crash on a trike. Also, no more worries about doing the embarrassing "Laugh-In fall" at a stop sign while trying to get unclipped from the pedals. There are a number of advantages to hill climbing with a recumbent trike. On a bike there is a minimum speed, which is needed to maintain balance. If you are not strong enough to maintain this speed on a steep hill, you either get off and walk or tip over. On a trike you can use lower gears, and go as slow as you like, with complete stability - even stop, rest and restart on a steep hill if need be. One of the more dangerous biking situations is being passed by one vehicle while meeting another. You can escape these dangerous situations on a trike by simply riding onto the shoulder. It's easy to maintain control on soft, mushy shoulders due to the stability of three wheels. Recumbent tricycles are available in two configurations, tadpole trikes (two wheels in front) and delta trikes (two wheels in back). Tadpole trikes tend to seat the rider lower and more aerodynamically, and they usually have a wider gear range. The delta design seats the rider a little higher and allows the rider's heels to slide back under the leading edge of the seat, which makes sitting down and getting up very easy. Delta trikes also tend to have a shorter turning radius. Transporting trikes can be a bit of a challenge depending on your vehicle. Vans, Pickups and Sport Utility Vehicles usually have room to easily carry trikes. Some hatchback sedans also will work. I transport a tadpole trike in the back of my Saab 9000 with the rear seats folded down. It's possible to carry the trikes on a good roof rack with some minor customization. Also, Draftmaster makes a receiver hitch rack that will carry the Delta Trikes. If all else fails you may need to use a utility trailer. The brands of trikes that I am most familiar with are Greenspeed, Organic Engines, Hase and Easy Racers. Other brands of trikes are available but these are the brands that I focused on for this article. Greenspeed is legendary for it's durability. Its toughness has been proven in heavily loaded tours around Australia. One of the older trike manufacturers on the market, Greenspeed has had ample time to debug their trikes and they have used this time wisely. The seat is an integral part of the frame so there is virtually no movement of the seat while riding, no matter how much force the rider applies when pedaling or cornering. Thus, Greenspeeds are an excellent choice for the more aggressive and/or larger rider. This super rigid and tough frame comes at the expense of seat back angle adjustability. However, I have yet to have a customer complain about the forty-degree seat back angle on the GTO or GTR. The GTO and GTR models account for the majority of Greenspeed sales. Both the GTO and GTR are very solid all-purpose touring frame sets with a comfortable forty-degree seat back angle. The GTO combines one S&S coupler with a removable seat so it can be broken down into small enough pieces to take along on an airplane. It's a great choice for trike riders who want to be able to travel abroad with their trike. The GTR is similar to the GTO but cannot be disassembled. Both the GTO and GTR are available in a variety of gearing combinations ranging from 24 speed models to 54 speed models. Greenspeed also makes an elegant tandem trike, the Gtt2S. This tandem uses two S&S couplers so allow disassembly for transportation. The 39" wide wheelbase of this tandem adds a noticeable amount of stability in the corners. The seats are not adjustable so the range of captain/stoker size combinations that can be fit is limited by the size of the tandem. The standard/small will fit captains from about 5'6" to 6' 4" and stokers up to about 5' 11". The large/standard is designed for even larger captains and stokers. Hase is a German company that makes the Kett Wiesel and the Lepus. The Kett Wiesel is the lightest and best performing delta trike that I have seen. It's available as either a nine speed or an eighteen speed and weighs in at 37.5 pounds, which is light in the trike world. It tracks well at speed on the straight-aways, has a very short turning radius and is remarkably stable in the corners. This is an excellent around town trike that is also a good ride on a fifty-mile tour. I test rode one of these twenty miles at an easy pace in about one hour and fifteen minutes. Not that much longer than I would have taken on a good two wheel recumbent and faster than some of the two wheeled recumbents and uprights that I have ridden. The twenty-seven speed Lepus is a folding suspension trike that is an excellent example of German engineering. It folds in less than a minute and unfolds just as easily. The elastomer suspension on this trike really smoothes out the bumps. At forty-eight pounds, it's on the heavy side, even for a trike. The rider sits higher which makes sitting down and getting up easier but reduces the aerodynamic efficiency and cornering stability. It's ideal for leisure rides and around town commuting. Hase makes a tandem hitch that allows two Kett Wiesels or a Kett Wiesel and a Lepus to be linked together to make a tandem. The resulting tandem has true independent pedaling. Each rider has control of the gearing on his/her portion of the resulting tandem. This allows tandem team members to pedal at different cadences and to pedal or coast at any time. Organic Engines is a Florida based company that makes a variety of recumbents including tadpole trikes and tandems, two-wheelers and even an S.U.V. (Sensibly Utility Vehicle). The S.U.V. is a front wheel drive, lean steer utility trike that recently caught my attention. You may want to check this out on the Organic Engines web site. The Triclops is well-designed tadpole single trike. I like the seat comfort and high speed tracking ability. It corners very well and has a seat with adjustable seat-back angle that can be adjusted forward or backward as well. By combining this super adjustable seat with a telescoping boom, Organic Engines has created a one-size-fits-all (well almost all) trike. This is a great choice when more than one family member may want to ride the trike. The seat also removes, making this a fairly easy trike to travel with. One of the most popular recumbent tandem trikes on the U.S. market, the Troika features sliding seats to easily accommodate a wide range of captain/stoker height combinations. At around $4,000, depending on equipment, this tandem is economically priced for a tandem trike. It's equally at home on longer tours and around town leisure rides, and it's a perfect choice for couples with shorter captains or any tandem team that needs more stability. The two wheel recumbent tandems don't fit shorter captains so tandem teams with captains less than 5' 6" are advised to consider tandem trikes. The Troika is a perfect choice for these teams. The above trikes all sell for over $2,000. However, an economically priced recumbent trike is now available from Easy Racers. The EZ-3 trike is a delta design trike that sells for $750 and is well suited for around town riding. This is a great special needs trike that won't stress the budget. It's fun to watch people test ride trikes. They sit on the trike and inevitably a big grin begins to form. The gleam in their eyes is indicative of some long forgotten childhood experience being revisited. Customers who wouldn't think about trying a two wheel recumbent sit down on a trike and are soon pedaling around the sales floor. The next thing you know they are out in the parking lot and beyond. If you are thinking about recumbents but are not too sure about the balance and handling, try a trike. Web sites with additional information about these trikes are listed below. - Rolf Garthus Additional References: http://organicengines.com http://www.greenspeed.com.au http://www.hase-spezialraeder.de

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