Category: buying a trike

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERNT FOLKS

I can remember as a kid growing up some families had Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Imperials, etc. while others had Ramblers or similar bottom of the line orferings. And it is not always about what they can afford. Some people just went with the “entry level” offerings even though they could afford something more. It is the same with buying a tadpole trike. I have a friend who bought  a TerraTrike Rambler. For only $300 more he could have bought a Catrike Villager and had a much better trike. He realizes that now and regrets that he didn’t. Oh well, what has been done has been done and can’t be changed.

There are just so many people who end up with buyer’s remorse after buying a trike that lacks quality and good engineering design. They end up buying a better quality trike and wasting good money going thru this process. Of course, some folks are satisfied with a Nash Rambler.

I had a Rambler once. It broke down little by little. First both shocks on the rear quit working at the same time and the back of the car would bounce up and down like crazy. I was in the navy at the time. I had orders to go out to Mare Island, California from Norfolk, VA … a drive from the east coast to the west coast over two ranges of mountains. The night before I left the overdrive went out on it resulting in the inability to get the gas mileage I had been getting. While driving out there the engine developed a leak in the headgasket resulting in engine coolant water mixing into the engine oil and the engine overheating. Steam came out of the exhasust. I had to carry lots of water with me to keep filling the radiator up. I started sleeping in the day time and driving at night time when it was cooler. This coolant leaking was a common problem on Rambler’s aluminum 6 cylinder engine. My dad had it happen on his Rambler. Upon getting out to California the shocks on the front end quit working and the entire car would bounce like crazy while driving down the road. Needless to say,  I never bought another one. It pays to buy quality.

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IT PAYS TO BUY QUALITY UPFRONT

Having a frame failure or some other component failure leaving you broken down while out on a ride would be quite frustrating. I knew a guy who bought a low cost Taiwanese made tadpole trike which I won’t name. (It no longer exists.) He rode it until the frame broke and left him with a pile of chrome-moly tubing. The manufacturer had gone out of business so he could not get any help from them. He probably could have taken it to a good weldor to have it repair welded, but he didn’t. Finding someone who is qualified and capable of repair welding it would be challenging. If he had bought a better quality trike to begin with it would probably still be serving him today.

I understand that money is an issue for many. It was for me. However, I learned long ago in life that it is best to buy quality … even if you have to delay to save up more money or buy used to get more for your money. It is well worth it. There are lots of really nice used trikes for sale which you could take advantage of. If fact, I would have to say that the majority of used trikes I see are still in very good condition. And sometimes you can get a really good bargain.

I waited for awhile until I had saved the money needed to make my purchase. I am not a rich man so I knew I would probably only have this one opportunity to buy a trike. I chose Catrike. It is American made which meant a lot to me. That was 2009. I now have over 106,000 miles on it and am well pleased with it’s quality with the exception of the stock wheels which I have replaced with heavier duty BMX wheels. I have all of the confidence in the world that it will keep on serving me as it has thus far. Without doing one thing to it I would not be afraid to take off on a cross country journey.

I have a webpage with trikes listed according to their price. It is a very handy resource. However, be aware that it has not been updated since I first published it in 2014 with the exception of just a few brands which I updated in 2019..      TRIKE PRICES

There is an old saying that rings true …

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” ― Benjamin Franklin

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AFFORDABLE VS CHEAP TRIKES

There are both affordable trikes and cheap trikes. My advice is to buy the best you can afford even if you have to delay to save up. There are also dealers who offer financing enabling customers to buy a better trike paying for it over time. I definitely caution people not to by a cheap trike as you get what you pay for. Fortunately there are not very many “cheap trikes” being manufactured. I personally would suggest a Catrike or an ICE or HP Velotechnik or an Azub. I think you would be happier with your purchase as the quality is so much better.

You might be wondering why I did not include TerraTrike or Trident. Well, defintely they are more affordable, but I personally don’t think they offer the quality found in these others I have listed. I think you would be more content with one of the other brands I mentioned even though they cost more. Certainly there are a lot of testimonies to back this up. It is true that both trike manufacturers offer good customer service but that does not equate to product quality.

I left out Chinese trikes. The trikes themselves may be alright but customer service can be a major concern. If components parts fail and you can’t get them it would probably mean you would have to replace them with brand name parts which cost a lot more. Over time you will probably spend more than what you saved and deal with down time where you can’t ride.

Definitely avoid Mobo and Kent.  In my opinion a reputable dealer who cares about their customers won’t sell these cheap trikes.

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2023 TERRATRIKE MODEL LINEUP

TerraTrike boasts that they are the largest manufacturer of recumbent trikes. Certainly they are popular and sell a lot of their trikes. And they have acquired Australia’s Greenspeed trikes  as well as the North American distributorship of Great Britain’s KMX trikes. Here is a video sharing their 2023 model lineup and a bit about future plans.

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RECUMBENT TRIKES … ARE THEY FOR YOU?

You may be asking … “is a recumbent trike for me”? Keep in mind that one does not have to be old  or disabled to ride a tadpole trike. But if you happen to be old or disabled recumbent trikes are likely your answer. They are highly modifiable and can be equipped to meet the needs of nearly everybody. From a basic tadpole trike to a FAT trike to a sophisticated velomobile there are lots to choose from. When it comes to riding on thru the winter most definitely 3 (or 4) wheels are far better and safer than only 2.

That is how I got started with tadpole trikes. Winter was fast approaching and I wanted to keep riding … riding safely. I knew 2 wheels were unsafe as a bicycle goes down readily on slippery surfaces. I had already experienced that more than once. Fortunately I never received any serious injury, but I was well aware it can happen. So I built me first tadpole trike and rode it thru the winter. I fell in love with riding a tadpole trike. It is so much more fun than riding a bicycle and it is much much safer. When Spring time finally came around I tried switching back to a 2 wheel recumbent bike, but quickly discovered that I much preferred riding the trike so I sold my bike which I didn’t care to ride anymore. That was in the winter of 2007-2008. So for 16 years now I have had the infamous “recumbent smile” on my face and never a moment’s regret. Recumbent tadpole trikes are difinitely for me. I bought a 2009 Catrike Trail and sold my homemade tadpole trike.  I now ride a 2013 Catrike Trail.

Recumbent trikes come in two completely different design builds … a Delta with one wheel in the front and two wheels in the back …. and a Tadpole (originally called a Reverse trike) with two wheels in the front and one wheel in the back.

Although my personal preference is a Tadpole design you may find you prefer (need) a Delta design.  A Tadpole is like driving a sports car (Corvette) while a Delta is like driving a family sedan (Rambler). Not everybody is able to get in and out of the low seat of a Tadpole trike so for them the Delta is the only way to go. In all fairness there are some Delta trikes which are made low to the ground and built for speed and cornering.

These videos address these subjects:

As shown in the video above there is a lot of difference between a Delta recumbent trike and a Tadpole recumbent trike. I fully agree with the thumbs down for the Delta and the thumbs up for the Tadpole.

One last comment … I have found that riding a tadpole trike brings a whole lot more respect from motorists than one gets riding a bicycle. That, of course, adds greatly to the safety factor.

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IF I WERE A RICH MAN …

 

If I were asked what tadpole trike would I get if money was not a factor. Well, IF I WERE A RICH MAN … Ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum … Here is what I would buy … Ta Da … a highly customized UTCustom Catrike Fat Cat-4 Quad which the total cost would be nearly $10000 with shipping. It would have the Bafang Ultra 1000 watt e-motor with torque sensing. Ideally though I would much prefer it mounted behind the seat instead of on the boom and using its own chain to drive the rear axle so it doees not use the quad’s drivetrain.

Utah Trikes offers a custom quad utilizing the Catrike Expedition model and with 20 FAT tires in the front and 26 inch FAT tires in the rear.If I were a rich man that is probably waht I would want. Otherwise I would go with 20 inch tires all around.

I love the idea of having a quad vs. a trike … mainly because it would be more stable and not tip over as easily as a trike does. Riding off road would be a safer venture.

Yep, if I were a rich man and money was not a factor that is what I would have. But, alas, I am not a rich man and so I will stick with my 2013 Catrike Trail and consider myself richly blessed to have it. Ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum and all that jazz!

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WHY GET AN ELECTIC ASSIST ON A TRIKE?

This video states that 70 % of tadpole trikes are being sold with electric motors. All it takes is a ride on one to understand why this is so.

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UTAH TRIKES … PREPARING A CUSTOMER ORDER

Many of us are familiar with Utah Trikes. Here is an opportunity to get more familiar with them. This video takes you thru the process of receiving a customer order and all that is involved in preparing it … building the trike to sell it to the customer. I found it interesting. Hopefully you will too.

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2021 CATRIKE LINEUP

Here is a video featuring the models Catrike offers this year (2021). Sadly the Eola model was discontinued. It was my favorite model. The Road model has also been discontinued.

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECUMBENT TADPOLE TRIKES

Different strokes for different folks means different types of tadpole trikes for all those riding them. Here is a video on the subject. All the trikes shown are of the ICE brand.

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MY PERSONAL STORY CONCERNING CYCLING & RECUMBENTS

There is nothing I am about to share here that I have not shared before. I decided to put it altogether in one article so others will know where I am coming from and help them understand my passion for tadpole trikes.

To start with all my life I have been an avid cyclist starting when I was about 6 years old I think. An older cousin helped me learn how to ride a bicycle. I never had training wheels. I just learned to balance my bike right from the start. I first rode a 20 inch bike and gradually got a 26 inch. As a teenager I bought with my own money a white Schwinn 3 speed internal hub English racer style bike. I inverted the handlebars to make it into what was  called a  racer type bike. I was the fastest cyclist where I grew up.  I had a 52 tooth chainring installed and I could really go on that bike.

Stingray style bicycles became popular in my teen years so I made my own 20 inch bike with high apehanger handlebars and banana seat. I could ride wheelies until I decided to end it (literally miles)… far longer and farther than anyone else in town.

When I was in the Navy I bought a lightweight Gitane racing bike … a 10 speed which was all they had at the time. It was a pretty sky blue but it was a prima donna . I swear that spokes would break if I looked at them crosseyed. Over the following years I had several different bikes and continued to ride. It was not unusual for me to ride 50 to 100 miles in a day when I had the time to do so. I was still doing this into my late 30s. I moved to Georgia and found that there was no safe and practical place for me to ride so more than 13 years passed by when I did not ride. I moved back up to Indiana and soon after started back cycling. I found out that there are local bike trails available to ride where I live so I started riding on them. That was almost 17 years ago during which time I have accumulated well over 120,000 miles on them.

As time passed by and my body aged I got tired of dealing with all the discomfort involved in riding a diamond frame bike. It greatly took away from the fun and enjoyment of cycling. I had heard of recumbents and seen a couple of them. I had heard that they are comfortable to ride so I decided to make a recumbent bike.

I used  “donor bikes” and bought a few things like a recumbent seat but I managed to come up with a recumbent bike I started riding which eliminated all the discomfort I had been experiencing on a conventional diamond frame bike. I was really enjoying riding a bike once again. After putting a couple of thousand miles on my homemade recumbent I bought a Sun recumbent bike. In fact, I bought two of them … one for my wife who used to ride with me. They were better bikes than the one I made so all was going well. I put a couple of thousand miles on my Sun recumbent.

However … winter was approaching and I wanted to keep riding. I was concerned about attempting to do so on two wheels as it would be quite risky and dangerous.  I had heard of tadpole trikes so I decided to make my own. I was still working full time so it took me about 3 weeks to design and build my trike. I cut up my homemade recumbent bike and used parts of it to make my trike. It was made out of mild steel so it was heavy. It rode and handled great though as I had done my homework and got everything right in  the construction of it.

I rode it thru the winter and was so happy to have it as it was so safe and so comfortable compared to my recumbent bike. I did not have to concern myself with “going down” riding in snow and  on ice. I made it thru the winter and as planned I switched back to my Sun recumbent bike come Spring only to discover that I much preferred riding the tadpole trike. So I switched back to the trike and never looked back. My recumbent bike just sat around so I decided to sell it. I had my wife’s recumbent bike I could ride if I wanted to. She had stopped riding it and it just sat around.

After I put a couple of thousand miles on it I was able to buy a new 2009 Catrike Trail and I sold my homemade trike to a guy who said he planned to motorize it. As things have always gone for me I was not even able to get the cost of the various components I had purchased to build it.

I loved my 2009 Catrike Trail and it’s “space frame” as they call the solid all one piece frame. After about 3 plus years I discovered a “hairline crack” along the edge of a weld on the underside of the cruciform crossmember. Being a professional weldor I understood what I was seeing and the concern of future failure of the weld so I contacted Catrike sending them this picture to show them what I was seeing. They replaced the frame under warranty.

I was thankful that I received a new frame however, I was not happy that I could not get another space frame. This was 2013 and Catrike had changed the design of the Trail model.  The new frame featured an adjustable seat back angle and the frame design change added 2 pounds of weight to the trike. Ever since then I have wanted to find a used space frame to buy and go back to it. I have no use of the adjustable seat back and definitely don’t like have the trike weigh more. I was hoping Catrike would still have a space frame around that they could send instead of the new design but no such luck. I did not think about it at the time but I wonder if I could have got an Expedition frame and paid the difference. In hind sight I wish I would have checked into it. My 2009 frame was silver but Catrike told me I could have any color they were currently offering so I went with green. All of my old components off of my 2009 trike were reused with this 2013 frame. That is why I have a silver boom with a green frame.

I rode my Catrike for about 7 or 8 years I think before I made the decision to motorize it. BionX  was the big name in e-motors at the time so I went with BionX. That turned out to be a big mistake as it was not only expensive but it didn’t hold up and I went thru a big mess trying to get another motor that worked right … which I never did. So I asked for and received a full refund. This was just before BionX went out of business so it turned out to be good timing. I then tried a Golden Motor and it was faulty right out of the box. I got a refund on it as well and  then went with an eZee hub motor which has been great … until about 6 months ago when a problem developed.  The power would shut off just like I was turning it off with the battery key switch. I checked various things but could not find anything wrong. I suspected that the problem was in the controller which is a rather expensive item to replace. Consequently I did not jump on replacing it. I just dealt with the problem in frustration until finally recently I decided to take the gamble and buy a new controller. I was elated to discover my hunch was right. The new controller fixed the problem and now I am once again enjoying my e-motor assist.

Yes, I am sold on tadpole trikes. I new have about 100,000 miles on my Catrike. It is truly a well engineered and built machine which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a recumbent tadpole trike.

Well, this is my story and I am not only sticking to it but I am stuck with it.

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A FREE GIFT awaits you!

 

 

THE WAIT IS OVER–NEW TRIKE HAS ARRIVED

Some of us follow this fellow tadpole trike rider. He has interesting videos which are always well done. Here is one of his recent ones. The new trike he ordered has arrived. Needless to say he is a happy camper … or maybe I should say happy triker. He went with e-motor assist on this trike and is really enjoying and appreciating it. May you enjoy many thousands of miles of trike riding on it David.

Here is a link to all of his YouTube videos … https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHLiC0Jo0lsF4YHimM4qkHA/videos

David has a website … http://davidridesatrike.com/

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ONE USUALLY GETS WHAT THEY PAY FOR

“One usually gets what they pay for “… an old adage most of us are familiar with. And  it has proven to be true in most cases. The lower the cost the lower the quality and usually fewer features and cheaper components. When it comes to recumbent tadpole trikes it certainly applies. For sure these trikes are expensive and there are many who just don’t have the money to buy a high quality trike. They have no choice but to buy cheaper products. I understand that but I will make the suggestion to buy the best you can afford. Save a little longer so that you can buy a better quality trike. Buy a used trike and save hundreds off of the price of buying new. If buying used if you don’t know much about trikes and mechanical matters have someone knowledgeable involved in checking out the trike you are considering buying.

Years ago I put together a page on this blog to help people know what is offered in the way of new trikes and the prices involved. Please note that it is not up to date. Models may have changed and prices no doubt have increased but at least this should give you some idea of what is available and the price range. I also have another page concerning used trikes. And I have an article I wrote on buying a used trike.

Very few people are satisfied with their purchase of trikes with very little gearing available on them so I would advise against buying a trike which offers a small gear range. If you have any hills to climb you will definitely regret it. And one trike I definitely would advise against is a Mobo. I don’t know of anyone who wasn’t disappointed after purchasing one. I have never read or heard anything good about them. Definitely it proves the adage … you usually get what you pay for. In short, buy the best you can afford. It will help reduce regrets. One more word of caution … just because a trike has a well known name does not mean it is high quality. I won’t name names here but one name comes to mind that is very popular but I consider them on par with a Walmart bicycle when it comes to quality.

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PRACTICING PATIENCE WHILE WAITING ON A TRIKE ON ORDER

Most of us know that this PLANdemic (not pandemic) has made a big mess of lots of things in life. Bike shops are struggling to get bicycles, trikes and all sorts of accessories delivered in a timely fashion once ordered. I was in my local Catrike dealer the other day. They not only don’t have any Catrikes available to display but because they don’t and because it will be awhile before anymore come in they removed the display racks. They have several different models on order but it will be a long time before any arrive. So as frustrating and aggravating as all this is it all comes down to practicing patience … as hard as that is to do. It helps to have a trike to ride while waiting on a new one to come in. Such is the case for David. He is waiting on a new trike he ordered.

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106,000 MILES AND COUNTING … A TRIBUTE TO CATRIKE QUALITY

I bought my Catrike Trail new back in 2009. Now, some 13 plus years later I have about 106,000 miles on it. And I am elated to be able to report that it is  like new as far as mechanically. I would not be afraid to start off on a world tour on it just as it is. So I don’t mid tooting their horn. They make an excellent product.

That does not mean that there isn’t room for improvement. I have had problems with their wheels not holding up to what they go thru here where I live and ride. Between bad pot holes and bumps all three of the Catrike wheels have been destroyed. I replaced them with more Catrike wheels only to have them destroyed even quicker than the original ones. So I stopped buying the Catrike wheels and bought some heavy duty BMX rims and had my local bike shop lace my hubs into them. The BMX wheels have held up great and I no longer have spoke breakage problems like I did with the Catrike wheels.

My 2009 frame

 

Other than the wheels I can’t say that I have had any other issues which come to mind. Of course, I have experienced the usual … various components wearing out such as tires, wheel and headset bearings, brake pad and rotors, shifters, derailleurs, chains and sprockets wearing out, etc. Even so most of these have lasted incredibly long … far beyond their expected life.

About 4 years after buying my 2009 model I discovered a hairline crack alongside of the weld on the bottom side of the crossmember. I am a highly experienced and accomplished weldor so I knew what I was up against. The weld could fail anytime or it could last for many years. Catrike warranted the frame so I contacted them about it sending them pictures to show them what I was talking about.

In my opinion I think they should also have placed a gusset on that side like they did the other side.

Anyway, they replaced the frame under warranty. However, they no longer offered the space frame like my 2009 model had. They sent their new frame which was a 2013 model. I don’t like the new frame and ever since I got it I have wondered if I should have taken my chances on that weld and kept the 2009 frame. Too late now.

For what it is worth I have never seen any pictures of a Catrike with a broken frame. I certainly have seen pictures of other brands with broken frames. In all the years I have been following and reporting on tadpole trikes I have never heard of a Catrike with a broken frame. I would guess that they exist, but it is interesting that I have not seen or heard of any.

My 2013 frame

 

I am sold on Catrike. I don’t think there is a better tadpole trike made regardless of the cost. And I don’t think there is a better engineered tadpole trike. There is one competitor which I won’t name other than to say they claim to have inspired engineering. Their trikes are quite expensive but in my opinion Catrike is much better engineered and built. I would not trade my one Catrike for three of their models of my choice unless I would be allowed to sell them and buy what I want.

Thru the years I have made changes adding and removing various stuff. Here is a picture of my trike with a canopy I had just installed on it. I also have a hub motor in the rear wheel and two batteries.

I have never owned any brand than Catrike but I have ridden a few other brands. It is a clear choice for me.  Now if I could just figure out what they were thinking when they name it. I am referring to the spelling. I know it is pronounced CAT TRIKE, but it sure isn’t spelled that way. CAT RIKE … CA TRIKE. Several times I have seen people spell it CATTRIKE. I wonder why Catrike didn’t do that. But no, they spelled it ….

 

… just to mess with our minds, me thinks. Hey, whatever you ride and whether you can spell it or not …

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5 BEST RECUMBENT E-TRIKES

I came across this video and found it interesting although I noticed these guys are not doing much pedaling … just using their e-motors to propel them.

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TADPOLE VS DELTA … “IN” VS “ON”

We all know the saying “different strokes for different folks”. When it comes to adult tricycles we have choices … many choices actually. But I am only interested in talking about “recumbent” so that narrows down the selection some. Basically there are tadpole trikes and delta trikes.

One big difference in these two configurations is the seating position. On a delta trike the rider sits “on” the trike. On a tadpole trike the rider sits “in” the trike. That is to say the seating position is much lower so that the rider is much closer to the ground. There are exceptions to this, of course, as some customers want to sit up erect and high rather than be “recumbent”. There are big trade-offs with this in the handling dept. A low slung tadpole is a blast to ride as it handles like it is riding on rails. But a tadpole with a high seat has no advantage over most delta trikes in the handling dept. Oh well, if that is what they want they can have it. I may be nearly 74 years old but I still enjoy riding a “recumbent” trike which handles great and is so much fun to ride.

Anyway, most delta trikes and tadpoles with high seats can’t begin to compare to a low slung tadpole when it comes to handling.

 

A few months ago I rode a Catrike 700 … a trike built for speed and handling with a 25 degree seat back angle. I have always wanted to ride one so I asked my local Catrike dealer if I could. That is about as recumbent as one can get on a recumbent trike.  My trike is a Catrike Trail which has a seat back angle of 45 degrees. That is quite a difference. I have to admit I preferred riding my Trail over riding the 700. Maybe if I were in my 30s instead of my 70s I would choose the 700. Truthfully at my age I did not find the 25 degree angle very appealing to me. I have never ridden a Catrike Expedition which has a 37 degree seat back angle. I think I would like that angle as the 45 degree angle always has disappointed me in that it won’t go back down any further. If I am going to have an adjustable seat back I would prefer it go back down further rather than up further. Oh well, Catrike didn’t see fit to provide this in their design build. They seem to cater to those who prefer not having a recumbent trike.

Delta trikes can tip over easier than a tadpole. Again, there are exceptions to this. Tadpole trikes can and will tip over. As dirty Harry said … ” a man has to know his limitations”. Delta trikes tend to be much longer than tadpole trikes. This may not be an issue for some folks but it is a real “turn off” for me.  Definitely most folks seem to prefer the tadpole design over the delta.

IN vs ON … speaks volumes to me. IN equates to a sports car. ON equates to a family sedan. So whether you ride a “Corvette” or a “Rambler” (and I am not talking about TerraTrike Rambler) be safe and …

ENJOY THE RIDE!

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

A Rambler isn’t all that bad. Do you remember this song?

 

REAR WHEEL DIAMETER … 20 VS 26/700

Frequently the subject of rear wheel size comes up as people want to know which is better or preferable. I don’t think I have ever addressed this in all my many postings. Since it is asked so frequently I figured it is past time to do so.

Well, like most everything else there are pros and cons involved. I have had both a 26 inch rear wheel as well as a 20 inch rear wheel. Personally I didn’t notice all that much difference. Never the less I will cover the good, the bad and the ugly of the matter. Don’t ask me why I said that. All I can say in response is that it happens to be the movie playing on GRIT TV as I am composing this.

Let’s start out by covering the obvious … or at least what should be obvious. Having three 20 inch wheels on a trike means that you only need to deal with one size when it comes to spare inner tubes and spare tires to carry along with you.

What may not be obvious is in the realm of performance and handling as well as weight carrying capacity. That is something to consider if you plan on touring and loading the trike down with gear.

A smaller diameter tire will accelerate faster than a larger diameter wheel. That being said a larger diameter wheel will result in a higher top speed than a smaller one. Of course, I am talking about having stock gearing and not messing with the gear ratios. Once one starts changing the gear ratios all of this can and does change. One can accomplish the same things with existing wheel diameter by changing the sprockets diameters in use.

A larger diameter wheel will roll over objects easier than a smaller diameter wheel which means that a larger diameter wheel yields a smoother ride than a smaller diameter wheel.

A smaller diameter wheel is stronger than a larger diameter wheel so it will carry more weight and handle better. A larger diameter wheel has more flex to it than a smaller diameter wheel so it is noticeable in cornering.

A smaller diameter wheel is usually less costly than a larger diameter wheel when it comes to tires to install on it. That being said 26 inch is a very common size with lots of tire choices available. So one might very well come across some good prices on tires.

A smaller diameter wheel requires a smaller trike frame. That may or may not make any difference to people. It is just something I wanted to be sure to point out.

When it comes to folding a trike again obviously a smaller diameter rear wheel folds smaller than a larger diameter wheel.

I have mainly been talking about 20 and 26 inch wheels. I only mentioned 700. Another popular size is 24 inch. They have their advantages but know that 24 inch tires are not as common as 26 inch so the selection won’t be as good.

Changing from one size to another may be problematic as the trike is designed for a certain size. The frame may not be built so that a larger diameter wheel and tire will fit. Also making a change in the rear wheel size will effect the trike’s handling and it may not be as safe. Raising the rear of the trike with a larger diameter wheel/tire will result in lowering the front end of the trike. This will bring one’s feet closer to the ground and cause more of a concern in the matter of “leg suck” and injury.

Anyone considering a hub motor a larger diameter wheel provides more room for a motor to be installed. That means there are more choices of hub motors and with more space available a more powerful motor can be installed than what will fit on a smaller diameter wheel.

Personally I prefer a 20 inch wheel over a larger diameter. It comes down to a personal choice. With either choice one can …

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