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.
You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the two membership vetting questions and agree to comply with the group rules.
Gradual, a little at a time … or … just take the plunge, cold turkey, full speed ahead. I am talking about switching from a diamond frame (DF) bicycle to a recumbent bike or trike. There are some riders who never quit riding diamond frame bicycle. They ride both DF and recumbent. What’s the word for that? … masochist? Yeah, a person who enjoys an activity that brings pain. I pretty much made the switch rather quickly and never looked back. I remember the misery of riding a DF bike and how great it was to find relief from it all when I started riding a recumbent bike. Then after a few months of riding a recumbent bike I tried riding a recumbent tadpole trike. I found it even more comfortable so I made the switch to tadpole trikes. I tried going back to the recumbent bike but quickly returned to my trike as it was both more comfortable and more fun to ride than the recumbent bike. I eventually sold my recumbent bike since I didn’t ride it anymore. I still have a DF bike. I don’t ride it. I have tried to sell it but had no success. I am reminded of the TV commercial where a person is told “I bet you can’t eat just one”. It sort of parallels taking a ride on a tadpole trike and getting “hooked”. I speak from personal experience. It is a very rare person who takes a ride on a tadpole trike without falling in love with them. They “sell” themselves. Have you taken the plunge? You could be joining the rest of us who …
Anyone up for a race? Just 35 miles west of where I live is a small town where they have recumbent races. Here is a video highlighting some of the racing. I found it interesting that the tandems and the velomobile were not competitive at all. They got passed like they were sitting still. I thought the velomobile would be leading the pack followed by the tandems.
If I were younger I might participate in something like this. But, alas, I am now an old man and age has caught up with me. I am sure that this was a fun event for those who raced.
The era was the 1970s … 1975 as I understand is when the first of these were introduced here in the United States. A rather unique recumbent trike of the tadpole configuration came on the scene. Even though it originated in Japan it was the United States where they were most prevalent. They were big and heavy yet supposedly they were built for racing on oval tracks. Obviously they were not designed for touring and general riding. They were quite long compared to tadpole trikes of today. Their days were numbered and now they are more less a collectors item. Not only were they long, but they had a wide wheelbase so they are not too practical as far as fitting on trails and thru various openings. Speaking of being long … the chain on these was 13.5 feet long. That is a lot of chain in case you didn’t know it. Most modern day tadpole trikes have about 9 to about 10.5 feet depending upon how far out the boom is adjusted. Some say that these Masa trikes did not handle well and could tip over easily … that too much of the rider’s weight was on the back wheel. That being said you can also read that the trike handles well and doesn’t tip over as easily as modern day trikes. Take your pick. I give up. Well, I have already said more than I know about them. 🙂 SoI won’t say anything more. I will just post a couple of videos where they are featured and talked about.
GoPro cameras are very popular and take high quality pictures and video. Many tadpole trike riders use them. GoPro has numerous accessories and mounts available. Here are three videos explaining it all.
I grew up learning how to steer in a skid/slide … first on a bicycle, then a motorcycle and finally a car. As a kid my dad taught me how to steer a car in a skid. When I say taught I mean he showed me how to do it. At 16 years old I can remember driving my parents’ car down the city street purposely placing the car into a skid sideways between parked cars along the sides of the street and controlling the skid as I drove past them.
A few years later while in the navy I drove a ’63 Corvette on a particular curvy road south of San Diego, CA where there was a sheer drop off along the edge and very rough cliff like terrain below and nothing along the sides of the road to keep a vehicle from going off over the edge. I would put the Corvette into a controlled skid in the curves as I sped around them. Yes, it was foolish and dangerous as it could have very easily and quickly resulted like what is pictured above. I wouldn’t not do any of this today, but as a teenager and into my early 20s I thought nothing of it. I am saying all of this to say that learning how to control a skid or slide can save your butt should you find yourself in such a predicament.
I find in riding a tadpole trike on a slippery surface such as snow or ice the trike can all by itself sometimes seem to go into a sideways slide. Without taking proper needed action when this happens it could result in an unwanted unexpected disaster. For me it just comes natural to turn the handlebars and steer out of the skid. It is “second nature” as they say. I find it fun and challenging. Many times I have purposely put my trike into slides just to steer out of them.
As illustrated in the drawing above when the rear wheel of a trike slides sideways you should steer in the same direction you are sliding to control the skid. As the trike straightens back out you should turn the front wheels back straight. Learning how far to turn the front wheels and for how long is crucial to successfully controlling a skid. You can also over compensate and make matters worse. If you fail to straighten the wheels back around at the right time you can cause the vehicle to skid the opposite direction. It is best to practice all of this in an empty parking lot where there is plenty of room to slide around without concern of hitting anything.
This video shows the rider steering in a skid. Notice at the very end when he tips over it is the result of the trike going from the slippery surface onto dry pavement and the tire “caught” suddenly and caused the trike to tip over.
The best advice I could give anyone to learn how to steer out of a skid is as I stated previously … to practice in an empty parking lot where you have plenty of room around you. Of course, I am talking about riding on a slippery surface such as snow or ice. I would also caution you not to try this if the slippery surface is not continuous. What I mean by that is that the snow or ice needs to cover the entirety of the area where you are riding. You don’t want to be sliding sideways and then suddenly hit dry pavement (like the rider in the video above) as that could be very dangerous resulting in a bad sudden tip over … a violent one where you could easily get injured. Even if you don’t normally ride in such conditions it would be good to learn this skill so you know what to do if it ever happens to you when you do ride. You could find yourself riding on a surface where there is loose dirt or gravel or a wet spot suddenly come up where the rear wheel starts to slide sideways. Again, I caution you about the rear wheel sliding sideways and then suddenly hitting dry pavement as the trike is likely to tip over suddenly. I can’t over emphasize this.
Riding over uneven surfaces can cause a trike to go into a skid/slide … especially if you are already in a turn (going around a curve).
Even riding on some surfaces like in the image above can be hazardous. This was on dirt and probably loose dirt at that. The rider knew to steer with the slide to try to control it and recover from it. Most of the time this works, but sometimes things just go wrong and the end result is not what was expected or wanted. This person tipped over. Fortunately they were not injured. I personally think the reason they tipped over is because the rear wheel slid into a stone or something causing the slide to end and tipping the trike over suddenly. Just going over uneven ground can cause it. It doesn’t take much sometimes to cause such a scenario. It is also noted in the video that she could not maneuver as she would have liked to because of a cactus plant sticking out in her path. That in and of itself could produce the results she experienced.
Here is the video which goes with the picture above:
The rider is most fortunate that the rollover didn’t result in serious injury. She went right onto large stones.
Sliding sideways can be fun as long as you can safely control it, but it can also be extremely dangerous when things go wrong. Be careful out there. Do your best to keep it upright and …
I have covered this subject previously so it might seem like old hat to some of you who read this blog. Recently while out riding I went downtown in the city where I live and was riding down the sidewalk to get to the trail thru a park. While riding along I saw something ahead of me which caught my eye and reminded me of something that happened to me about 3 years ago I reckon. During the summer months there are a lot of various activities which go on downtown and particularly in the park. Under a pavilion something was going on and while I was riding along I was looking up toward the pavilion taking my eyes off of the pathway ahead of me. I turned my head back straight just in time to see this as I ran into it.
Now I knew they were there as I had ridden thru here numerous times before. My attention was elsewhere and I paid a price. Fortunately I didn’t get hurt nor did my trike. It was just embarrassing going along and riding into something like this. If I remember correctly it was just my left front tire that made contact with it. I braked hard so I was nearly stopped when I struck it. Otherwise it might have turned out far more serious. Here is a picture of the pavilion I had been looking up at and the handrail I ran into.
The bottom line here is … there are times it is relatively safe to look around some as we ride, but there are other times it is unwise to do so. Things could have turned out a lot worse for me that day if I hadn’t turned my eyes back straight ahead when I did.
It can happen to any of us and it can happen ever so quickly When I say that you (and I) better watch out if we don’t want to cry I am not making reference to some jolly old fat man dressed in a red suit who is coming to town. This is reality and I am telling no lie. Danger is lurking. Be safe out there. We need to pay attention if we want to …
Yes, riding a tadpole trike is fun at any age and tends to bring out the “kid” in all of us. Ha ha! I came across this video and thought others might enjoy it as much as I did.
This family lives in Ukraine and the husband has built several various recumbent trikes, bikes and at least one quad. He has produced several VIDEOS of the family riding them. I highly recommend the videos.
Speaking of “fun at any age” HERE is an article about “baby boomers” and recumbent trikes. A local cycle business where this article comes from reports that recumbent sales are a major player in their business and the reason for the business boom they are experiencing.
Another nasty winter day is here and so I am working on this blog trying to come up with something to post on it. I came across this video. I had watched it before quite some time ago and life went on. I didn’t realize that one of the people featured in it is someone I have come to know about since then. Upon revisiting the video I made the discovery. So without further ado here is Matt Galat checking out trikes at a dealership.
Of course, the trike he has now (the one he was riding when the wreck happened … when he got hit by a truck over in China) is none of these trikes mentioned in the video. That trike was an HP Velotecknik fx26 Scorpion.
I found this video on the Facebook Recumbent Trikes Group and thought I would share it here …
I am envious. I have one other tadpole trike rider I ride with. We can’t seem to get anyone else to get together to ride. Some say they will but we never see it materialize.
This blog is about tadpole trikes and I pretty much try to stick to that. However, every once in awhile I come across something that impresses me and gets my attention. So without further ado I present to you the reader a delta trike. It is still a recumbent trike. It is a bit unusual which you shall soon see. Meet the COMFORIDER TRIKE.
Remember all images in WordPress blogs can be clicked on to open in their own window. Oftentimes they will be displayed much larger so you can better see them. When done just use your browser’s back button to return to this page.
As you can readily see it is not a low rider. Here is what the manufacturer says about this trike on their WEBSITE:
Unlike any other existing model, this tricycle has several features that make it more versatile, more comfortable to drive, and incredibly easy to store and transport.
– Modular structure, variable configuration
– Spring suspended seat
– Leaning seat
– Car style steering
– Leg operated back pedaling brakes
– Folding for storage
– Disassembling for transportation
This trike can be set up in various configurations including a velomobile.
And there are various options available:
As stated this trike folds as well as disassembles for transporting and storage purposes. The first step is to remove the seat which is suspended on springs on the back side.
The trike has a single rear driving wheel, back pedaling brakes and automotive style steering. Here are some images showing this:
They have some videos of this trike available:
They even have a couple of motorized versions shown on their WEBSITE.
I assume that the engine is a 4 stroke and not 2 stroke, but they don’t specify. Here is an electric motor version:
You can check out some of their options HERE. And HERE you can check out a lot of details about the trike. Here are a couple of samples of what can be found on their detail page.
The Comforider is not a tadpole trike. It is not a low rider. It is a recumbent. And it does look like it would be a comfortable ride. It may be somebody’s “cup of tea”. (For the benefit of those reading this who are not Americans and don’t understand what I just said the term “cup of tea” means “what someone likes or is interested in”.)
For those who have been waiting for the Catrike Trail Folder model to make its appearance your wait is over. It is out!
To the best of my knowledge and understanding it is identical to the standard Trail model with the exception of the hinged frame so that it folds. This feature adds $350 to the cost. The Catrike Trail Folder incorporates a couple of neat features which I applaud. I am talking about the fact that the seat folds and doesn’t have to be removed in order to fold the trike. The other thing I really like is that the trike has small diameter wheels built onto the frame so that when folded the trike sits on these two small wheels as well as the stand which also helps handle and control the chain as the trike is folded. With this setup two things are accomplished. First the trike frame/seat is held up off of the ground. Secondly, the trike can easily be rolled around on these wheels eliminating the need to lift it and carry it.
Folding trikes have been around for a number of years and most certainly there is a need for them as not everyone has a means of hauling a trike which doesn’t fold to a smaller size. I have to admit there are times I wish my trike folded as I would love to be able to haul it in our car instead of having to drive the pickup truck. As a weldor/fabricator I have my thoughts and concerns about folding trikes. Don’t get me wrong. I like the idea … the concept, but having the frame fold creates areas where there is a chance of problems developing. When it comes to trike frame design Catrike’s “space frame” most impresses me among all the trikes out there. It is all one piece making it super strong and practical. There is nothing to move allowing inefficiency, or to make noise from movement or to come loose or to wear. It is simply the best way of designing a trike frame hands down. When you start adding in anything which takes away from this problems follow. Hinged seat backs, removable seats, seats that adjust forward and backward (or any other direction), suspension, etc. all invite various problems to develop. One thing that almost always occurs is the generation of annoying embarrassing frustrating noises. And that is just on a non folding trike. Adding hinges in the frame so that it can fold can quite possibly bring on some of these things I just mentioned. That is the way I see it.
That being said, still the concept of a trike which folds is appealing. Until fairly recently folding trikes required that the seat be removed in order to fold it. Some even involved removing wheels. I don’t claim to be an expert on folding trikes (or even on trikes for that matter), but to the best of my knowledge and understanding there are at least 3 (well almost 3) manufacturers now offering models which fold without having to remove the seat. I am for that as it is quite practical. Again, in my opinion, having to remove seats and wheels is a real pain. The 3 trikes I speak of are: Evolve, Catrike Trail, and HP Velotechnik Gekko. Catrike announced that the Trail Folder was coming out this year, but I haven’t heard (read) anything more about it since it was first made known so I don’t know what is going on. The last thing I saw was that it is coming out sometime this Spring. Well, Spring is pretty well over and Summer is almost here (5 more days) … and still no Trail Folder has emerged. Here are images and videos of these 3 trikes:
EVOLVE
*************************************************
Catrike has finally started selling these and they sell for $2750.
sorry, no videos of the Catrike Trail Folder available at the time of the writing of this article
*************************************************
HP VELOTECHNIK GEKKO
*************************************************
If I were looking into a folding trike to buy I don’t think I would consider any other trike but one of these … for the reason I stated … practical simplicity. We are talking about just a few seconds time to fold and unfold these trikes vs. several minutes with those where the seat has to be removed and put back on. Just removing and reinstalling the seat would be too challenging for some riders, especially if they have physical limitations making it difficult or impossible to get down and work under the trike to reinstall the seat. Some seats are not all that easy to reinstall compared to others. For anyone who is mechanically challenged this could be a serious matter. And dealing with removal and reinstalling wheels … forget it (I say). For me personally I think I would go with Catrike as their design just looks the best to me. The Evolve has its seat “on the ground” when folded and that concerns me. Both the Gekko and the Catrike Trail Folder have small wheels on the back of the seat frame so their seats don’t sit on the ground at all. Of course, the main purpose of these wheels is to allow it to be moved about without having to lift it. I like that idea … especially as I get older.
I mentioned the seat sitting on the ground being a concern. Another concern is the seat frame. Folding and unfolding a trike frame can result in messing up the physical appearance of the frame when it gets “abrasions” from the ground. I have seen it happen very quickly on a brand new folding trike. It is a shame to see this damage occur. To my way of thinking thought needs to be given to such things when the folding trike is designed and built as this should not happen. Of course, it is up to the individual person as to what measures they take or don’t take to help protect the trike during the folding and unfolding process. My point is that some designs are more difficult to deal with and prevent this from happening.
Anyway, here are some other models which fold. This may not be a complete list of such trikes but it will give you an idea of what is available. And to the best of my knowledge every one of these require that the seat be removed in order to fold it.
AZUB T-TRIS
*************************************************
CHALLENGE ALIZE
*************************************************
GREENSPEED GT3
*************************************************
HP VELOTECHNIK SCORPION FS
*************************************************
ICE SPRINT
*************************************************
TW MANTIS
*************************************************
TERRATRIKE TRAVELER
*************************************************
TRIDENT STOWAWAY
*************************************************
Whenever complexity enters the design and construction the result will be an increase in cost. So if we want a folding trike we will pay extra for it. Of course, hauling a trike in a car that gets 40 plus mpg vs. hauling it in a truck that gets 15 plus mpg one could recoup the difference in cost rather quickly I would think … especially at today’s gas prices. Of course, if you can ride back and forth from home rather than haul your trike you can save a whole lot of money. And just think of all the extra exercise you’ll get!
As is often the case I came across something while looking for something else. Here is a rather unique design for a trike transportation system.
It looks like it would do the job alright and have minimal effort involved other than having to lift and manhandle the trikes. The only way around that is ramps or a hoist of some sort … or maybe just get the wife to do it. 🙂 Oh, I am in trouble now!
Watch your language! Actually it would be more accurate to say watch your “terminology” but I thought the former would be more attention grabbing. 🙂
What I am getting at is the matter of speaking accurately and being understood correctly. I am all the time reading or sometimes hearing others refer to a tadpole trike as a bike (or bicycle). Obviously that is quite incorrect. A bike has two wheels. A tadpole trike has 3 wheels as does any trike/tricycle. Bi/by means two and Tri means 3. That hasn’t changed. I understand that there are times when it is probably easier to simply refer to a trike as a bike/bicycle. I am talking about when we are speaking to others “in passing” (quickly mentioning something about our mode of transportation and then departing them or at least moving on to another subject). Very few people know what a tadpole trike is if we were to tell them we rode or are riding one to get there. I agree that if they really aren’t interested and there isn’t time or reason to go into detail it is simpler to just say bike/bicycle and let it go at that.
There are other times, however, that it would be much better to not use bike/bicycle when referring to a tadpole trike. I have a simple solution I use. I have a picture of my trike set as wallpaper on my cell phone screen which I can quickly and easily show others so they know what I am talking about if I say tadpole trike. And usually I hear back from them when they look at the picture … “oh yeah, I have seen those before” and everything is cleared up quickly. This picture below is not very good quality but it is of the screen of my cell phone showing the picture I am speaking of:
So saying bike/bicycle instead of tadpole trike is one of those things many are all too guilty of. I am continually seeing trikes advertised for sale where the ad reads “trike bike” or “trike bicycle”. My question is … which is it? Is it a trike or is it a bike? It can’t be both. Again “bi” means two and “tri” means three. When I am talking about my truck I don’t say “car truck” or “truck car”. That’s ridiculous, yet people say trike bicycle all the time.
Another common error we make is saying “recumbent trike” and leaving it at that. The problem with this is that there are three kinds of recumbent trikes … tadpole, delta, and what I would classify as bordering between a delta trike and a “Florida trike”. Here is a picture of one:
I guess one could classify it as a delta trike but it most definitely is not in the same class as the ones like I am most familiar with. For those who don’t know what a delta trike is here is a picture of one:
So when we are talking about a tadpole trike it would be most accurate to say “recumbent tadpole trike”. This may all seem trivial to you but I think it is important to communicate clearly so others know what we are talking about. Besides it just might impress them that we know what we are talking about. 🙂
I have been riding tadpole trikes now for nearly 10 years and have ridden over 76,000 miles. During that time there are some things I have learned which I want to share here as it might be helpful to others.
1) Ride smart … don’t leave home empty handed. Carry important things along such as tools, inner tubes, a minimum of a 6 to 8 inch section of chain (to use for making a roadside repair to your chain should something happen to it … hey, it can happen!), master links, air pump, first aid kit, wet wipes, and whatever else you might personally find handy and practical. I carry maps, mosquito repellent, sun block screen, plastic cable ties, electrical tape, a few feet of solid wire, plastic shopping bags, a shop towel, and more.
2) Keep your tires properly inflated. It is best to run them up to their maximum pressure rating as you will get the best wear out of the tires and the least amount of rolling resistance.
3) Use Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires as it will mean no flats and much longer wear than any other tire. It still handles great and rolls well. By far the best price I have found on purchasing Schwalbe tires is from Merlin Cycles in the United Kingdom. HERE is a link to their website. That link is for those from the United States. To order from another country just change the information for country, money, etc. There is free shipping to the United States on orders over $75. Because of this in order to qualify for the free shipping I buy 3 tires at the same time. The next best price I have found for ordering my tires is from a company in Germany. HERE is a link to their website. They charge a flat fee for shipping but by ordering 3 tires the total price is still quite low. Try finding this tire elsewhere and compare prices. At the moment I can find this tire at a pretty good price ($41.62 including shipping) here in the U.S. In the past this has not been the case. So I guess one just needs to check it all out to see what is available as the situation changes. The tire lists for about $54. I usually pay $27 or so (less than $30 apiece).
4) When crossing speed bumps and gently sloping curbs I have found that if it is safe to do so approaching at a minimal acute angle works best as it almost entirely eliminates the “bump” encountered. You might have to make sharp turns on both ends to accomplish this but it is worth it.
I made a video showing my trike crossing some speed bumps. I held the camera in my hand as I filmed this. You can see the difference it makes crossing on an angle vs crossing straight head on which I do for comparison a couple of times during the video.
5) When dealing with small holes, bumps, debris, etc. in your immediate path and there is no time or safe way to steer completely over around it you can usually avoid it if you ride along and aim to have your pedal go right directly over it. Unless it is too wide you should be able to avoid it with all three wheels by doing this.
6) When riding with others be careful not to cut another rider off when going around a corner or sharp turn. And watch out for others doing this. Try to give sufficient warning to others behind you if you intend to slow down or stop. Colliding together could spell real trouble. Not only can the trikes get damaged but personal injury could result. It is unwise to “hot dog” around others or to do anything messing with their trikes while riding or even sitting still together in a group. Remember the golden rule … do unto others as you would want others to do unto you … or another way of stating it is don’t do anything to someone else (including to their trike) that you wouldn’t want them doing to you or your trike.
7) Take plenty of water with you and drink it (stay hydrated). Most of us don’t drink nearly as much water as we should. We should drink half of our body weight in ounces each day. In other words, if you weigh 150 pounds you should drink 75 ounces of water daily. Water is by far the most healthy drink there is. We should avoid most every other type of liquid drink as none are good for us and some are very bad for us (especially anything with sugar in it). If we do drink anything other than water it does not count against the quantity of water we are supposed to drink.
8) Take rest breaks as needed … especially on hot days.
9) Wearing a bicycle helmet and using some means of keeping your feet on the pedals so they can’t fall off and onto the ground and get swept back and ran over is a good idea. I personally do neither and have never had any problems with my feet hitting the ground. I understand the danger however so I would never advise against doing these things.
10) Always ride with good safety flags and flashing (in the daytime) headlight(s) and taillight(s) so that other see you. Read my article about safety flags HERE.
11) It is advisable to ride with at least one other person for safety reasons.
12) Don’t skimp on buying a trike just to save money. Get the best quality trike you can afford. You won’t regret it. You might regret buying a lower priced lower quality trike however. The saying holds true … you usually get what you pay for. I personally recommend Catrike over any other brand out there. They make a top quality trike and stand behind their product. Also figure on a minimum of $150 for accessories as they are important. I am talking about lights, safety flags, horn or bell, cargo hauling items (rear rack, panniers and/or rear rack trunk bag), a cable lock device to lock up your trike when parking it to shop, eat, etc. If you don’t already have bicycle tools these will be an additional investment. Again, buy quality tools … not inexpensive ones which will probably quickly fail you upon use. I personally advise against buying multi-tools where several different tools are together in one tool. They are very impractical to use and sometimes can’t be used at all as they are too big and bulky or not long enough. Instead I advise individual tools.
13) Check the toe in … it could be off or change after initial setting. Toe in is critical to proper handling and tire wear.
14) Check for chain stretch and replace the chain if it stretches more than a 1/16th of an inch between links. Sprockets should also be checked for wear and if need be changed. Usually sprockets should last thru two chains but a badly worn chain will quickly wear out brand new sprockets and badly worn sprockets will quickly wear out a brand new chain. A tadpole trike uses about 2.5 to 3 standard length bicycle chains to reach the length of the chain run around the front and rear sprockets.
15) Keep the chain and sprockets sufficiently oiled to prevent excessive premature wear.
16) Be a good ambassador (representative) for cyclists as a whole and tadpole trikes specifically. Obey the law and trail rules. You might even consider volunteering on a local trail maintenance organization.
17) When going over a bumpy surface you can’t avoid and you have no suspension on your trike you can eliminate much of the jarring by simply lifting your body up off of the seat. To do this use your shoulders on the top of the seat back and your feet on the pedals to lift your body. In the drawing below the black line represents the seat. The red line represents the rider’s body. The blue line represents the pedals. The green line (arrow) shows the gap between the seat and the body when the body is raised up in the air off of the seat.
I may add more onto this list if anything more comes to mind.
Lately I have found myself being challenged by one of the two guys I usually ride with. He just recently purchased an HPVelotechnik Scorpion fs 26 S-Pedelec e-trike. So trying to keep up with him is not possible as there is no way to compete against an electric motor assist. He is out there ZOOMING RIGHT ALONG! The other day while out riding on a local trail a “roadie” came whizzing by doing about 20 mph passing him like he was in sitting still. He let him get quite a way ahead and then decided to give chase. It took awhile but he caught up with him. His trike is capable of doing about 28 mph with the electric motor assist. When he came up behind the roadie he said to him “I thought you roadies were supposed to be fast?” And then he went zipping around him and went way on up ahead of him. The roadie didn’t know what to think. Of course, the roadie didn’t know that the trike was motorized as unlike most electric motorized trikes it is very quiet even at speed. And my friend didn’t tell him any different. 🙂 He just let him think that a tadpole trike passed him up going considerably faster than he was riding. It was kind of funny.
This trike is mighty quiet but it certainly is not cheap. I mean we are talking $7500 to over $8500 (insane cost) depending upon what you select in the way of the battery option. It has a dual battery setup available which doubles the range the trike is capable of. The motor draws its power from a 36 Volt Li-Mn rechargeable battery with a 530 Watt Hour capacity. The recuperation function involving the motor working as a generator when braking extends the range through energy recovery. It takes 4 hours to charge the battery from an electrical receptical outlet. The trike comes with a start assist function as standard, which propels the vehicle to a speed of up to about 3.75 mph at the push of a button. I am told that you can set the controls on a negative number (-1 to -3) and as you pedal it will charge the battery. I am also told that when doing this it is difficult pedaling and will wear you out if you try this for very long. On -1 pedaling is slightly more difficult and at this setting the battery is being charged the least. On -2 it is a little harder yet pedaling and the battery charging is increased. On -3 it becomes far more difficult and tiring to pedal while the battery gets maximum charging.
As you can see the trike folds which is a good thing because it is quite large and won’t fit as easily inside some vehicles to haul it. In order to fold it it is necessary to remove the seat which is a bummer. Reattaching the seat is a bit challenging in my opinion. I have watched my friend do this and as far as I am concerned it is a real pain in the butt to do. I really like the trike designs which fold with the seat left in place. Evolve and Catrike offer this as does the Gekko model offered by HP Velotechnik. Also when the trike is folded and unfolded it seems to have a tendency to get caught/hung up on the handlebars. The mirror is in the way and has to be moved every time the trike is folded. I am not impressed with some aspects of the design engineering I see in this trike. The trike comes with a guard over the largest front sprocket (chain ring). On my friend’s trike this won’t stay tight and is constantly rotating around either falling down or backward right into the front derailleur. I think HP needs to redesign this mounting of this guard (perhaps copy the mounting method ICE uses on theirs).
The trike is full suspension … probably about as good as a trike suspension system comes as it works quite well. It comes with a brake/tail light combination, headlight, front LED running light and an integrated computer. I need to qualify that about the lights. My friend’s trike came with these lights. I do not know for a fact that these lights come stock or are an option. The wiring going back to the taillight has plug in connectors which seem to come apart easily and can be difficult to connect back together. On my friend’s trike we moved this wiring slightly upward following along the rear rack and secured it in place using plastic cable ties. Since then it hasn’t given any more trouble coming apart at the connectors.
The trike has hydraulic disc brakes on all three wheels. The front brakes operate off of the left brake lever and the rear brake operates off of the right brake lever. It also has indirect steering but, unlike most trikes with indirect steering, it turns amazingly sharp. It is a very long wheelbase so this adds to the amazement. It has a choice of seats … mesh or hard shell molded. It is 27 speeds which surprises me since nearly all of the industry has gone to 30 speeds. Weighing in at 72 pounds it isn’t something you would want to pedal around much without the motorized assistance. It is also a bit much to manually lift in and out of vehicle you haul it in, especially if you are doing it alone.
Additional technical data:
Seat height BodyLink seat 29 cm (11.42 inches)
Seat height ErgoMesh seat 32 cm (12.6 inches)
Seat angle 32–41° adjustable
Bracket height 40–45 cm (15.75 to 17.72 inches)
Track 78 cm (30.71 inches)
Width 83 cm (32.68 inches)
Frame: Aluminum 7005 T4/T6
Rider height approximately 1.62–2.00 m(5 foot 3 inches to 6 feet 6.72 inches)
One thing about this trike … it is so quiet that most people would never know it is motorized. And since it is basically pedal assist it isn’t obvious as far as watching someone ride it. For me, I think the real attraction to a trike like this is in the climbing hills department.
Tadpole Rider 