2 vs 3 wheels.

[BlackPanther]

I've had the Baccetta Strada for a month now and done 450 miles on her. It's been a lot of (fast) fun. I have of course been pointed at, laughed at, and had a couple of car passengers film me on their mobiles.
It's a long way off (maybe Christams?), but I'm already thinking how nice it would be to add a trike to the collection. The thing that stopped me really looking into trikes was that one wouldn't fit down the side of the house, but looking at the weights of the sort of trike I'd be interested in (I like the Catrike 700/Ice Vortex/Windcheater Clubsport kind of machines) it wouldn't be a problem to carry it down the side or through the house?

Anyway since many on here seem to have loads of experience with 2 and 3 wheelers, can I pick your sizeable brains please?

1/Are trikes easy to carry (without breaking them down)?
2/Would a low trike be much slower than my high racer 2 wheeler overall?
3/The one thing I don't like about the Strada is setting off uphill (still wobble a tad). Obviously this wouldn't be a problem on a trike, but are there any disadvantages (other than weight/storage) to owning a trike over a 2 wheeler?
4/Other than the trikes I've mentioned above, are there any others that I should consider? I'm not bothered about off road ability, so I would be looking for fast, comfortable and 'nearly new' without spending silly money (under £2000).

 

[byegad]

1. Most are easy enough and the ones you mention the easiest of them all.
2. Yes, but you'll get more notice and more room from overtaking vehicles.
3. Your right hills are no problem, you can stop and restart with ease. You've mentioned the storage/access issue. Also the access to cycle tracks is harder, if you ride them at all, I don't!
4. See my signature for my trikes, the Trail is one I'd suggest foe you, three 406 tyres means only one size of tube needed. Mine, with BB7s cost me £1600 and I added barend changers myself so less than £1700 for it on the road. The seat folds down and makes it easier to get through doorways and passages.

 

[starhawk]

1. Well if you are not carrying them in a staircase it's really not that hard, if you are two carrying it then there are no problem at all
2: Well I average about 5 km/h faster on the trike then on my upright mountainbike
3. No disadvantages only advantages as I see it
4. Well my own experience is only the TRICE Q so I can't help you there

 

[HovR]

Seeing this post reminded me of something mentioned in your original recumbent researching thread - Cunobelin was right!

 

[windmiller]

I found the main advantage a trike has over 2 wheels is hills starts and somewhere to kip when you're knackered.
However they are not easy to carry through doorways etc. I got no more noticed than when I am riding a two wheeled recumbent. The freak factor while riding in the city is even greater than two wheels. This won't go away and you just have to bite the bullet grow thicker skin and ignore it.

On short to medium journeys they are about the same speed as an old dutch clunker. However on longer trips and fully loaded tours they come into their own and would be my vehicle of choice.

 

[Tigerbiten]

1:- It depends on what extras you add to the basic trike as to how heavy it is.
By extras I mean ..... Back rack, mud guards, side pods, fairing, etc, etc.
Its easy to add another 5-10 kg to the basic weight.

2:- Your probably looking at 10-15% slower overall. Thats the figure I've heard mentioned about the speed difference 3 wheels vs 2.
Its from slightly more rolling resistance, 3 wheels vs 2, slightly more air resistance due to the extra width and more weight to winch uphill.

3:- On a trike the main disadvantage is the extra width, but that can also be an advantage.
It's harder to filter in town due to the extra width, but then again it easier to take up a lane due to the extra width. So it works out very 50-50 on the question of width.

4:- ?? No idea

 

[byegad]

The 'extra' width is very little. my shoulders and elbows are the widest part of me when on two wheels. The trikes stick out all of 2 or 3 " on each side of my elbows on my Kettwiesel, which is the widest of my trikes. Not a lot in it!

 

[Tigerbiten]

The 'extra' width is very little. my shoulders and elbows are the widest part of me when on two wheels. The trikes stick out all of 2 or 3 " on each side of my elbows on my Kettwiesel, which is the widest of my trikes. Not a lot in it!

I agree agree physicaly theres not much in it but on the road my trike rides a couple of feet wider than an upwrong.
On an upwrong if your wheels are one foot from the curb, then your sholder is another foot further out, add a couple of feet for the safety gap and thats a four foot space.
On my trike if my inside front wheel is one foot from the curb, the outside front wheel is another three feet further out, and a two foot safety gap and thats a six foot space needed.

 

[byegad]

True but I'd never run a two wheeler that close to the kerb/edge of road. In proctice I don't even notice the width of my trikes on the move.

 

[ianrauk]

I would sooo like a trike to add to my collection...3 uprights and a Bent. I borrowed Auntie Helen's hubbie Trice for a few months and had such a great blast with it. I would have bought it but for 2 things. 1: The storage problem 2: In London, a trike is not great in all the traffic.

If I did get a Trike it would be a Catrike 700... they look superb.

 

[GrasB]

1/Are trikes easy to carry (without breaking them down)?
2/Would a low trike be much slower than my high racer 2 wheeler overall?
3/The one thing I don't like about the Strada is setting off uphill (still wobble a tad). Obviously this wouldn't be a problem on a trike, but are there any disadvantages (other than weight/storage) to owning a trike over a 2 wheeler?
4/Other than the trikes I've mentioned above, are there any others that I should consider? I'm not bothered about off road ability, so I would be looking for fast, comfortable and 'nearly new' without spending silly money (under £2000).

1) duno, never tried.
2) look around on 'bent riders online forum, there's a guy that's taken appart his performance on an upright, low racer & trike.
3) depends on the trike but there seems to be plenty of stories from tadpole riders getting too confident with the stability & in over their heads only to roll it. Oddly most reports show they tend to tip at slow speeds & high speeds but far less frequently at medium speeds.
4) take a trip to a decent dealer who holds good second hand stock. I doubt you'll find a Vortex or Windcheetah under your budget ('bents in general hold their value well which is good when selling buy bad when buying). I'd not discount old trikes, most of them are well cared for & there are some real gems out there.

I like the thought of a trike but I really feel like I'd just not use the trike because it's too slow for my speed obsession. A velo trike would be more 'me' but jumping straight into a velo from bikes seems a little excessive.

 

[byegad]

The only riders I've witnessed rolling a tadpole were asking for it. One tried to climb a 45 degree grass bank, stalled rolled backwards a few yards and then got full lock on while still on the 45 degrees. He rolled off the trike. Another, on the same ride tried to ride on two wheels, got the thing up on two wheels then grounded the rear rack (ICE rear racks are wide!)and on one wheel and the bottom of the rack went on his side into the hedge! Very funny!!!

Over on BROL there are a few reports of riders rolling their trikes. Mostly at very low speeds. My guess is this:- larger than average American turns handlebars full lock to execute dramatic U turn and is surprised when the trike rolls.

I've very occasionally lifted an inside wheel, usually on the QNT and going fast, I've in each case automatically reduced steering input and the wheel has dropped back onto the ground. Very controllable and not at all scary. As I tend to throw the QNT at corners with gay abandon the speed was very high for the corner each time so for me that's downhill to get the speed. I lean into the corner, the faster I'm going the further I lean. I'd suggest that you've got to be really trying hard to roll one.

 

[TheDoctor]

I've ridden a fair few 'bents now. Bikes I find a bit wobbly, some far more so than others. The first time I rode a trike I did 20 miles on it. No problem at all. They're certainly difficult to roll - I'd say you've got to be trying to get it onto two wheels and then overcooking it.
And they're not impossible to carry - Tdr1nka (formerly of this parish) used to keep a KMX in a flat which was down a flight of stairs.

 

[starhawk]

I've ridden a fair few 'bents now. Bikes I find a bit wobbly, some far more so than others. The first time I rode a trike I did 20 miles on it. No problem at all. They're certainly difficult to roll - I'd say you've got to be trying to get it onto two wheels and then overcooking it.
And they're not impossible to carry - Tdr1nka (formerly of this parish) used to keep a KMX in a flat which was down a flight of stairs.

I have carried mine up and down from my flat, thats four flight of stairs, the second time I took it down it was uppgraded to an e-bike i.e. much heavier, the only tricky part was the door

 

[GrasB]

byegad, I thinking of rider gets used to the trike, gets complacent with its stability then just tries their luck. Yeah there seem to be a lot of low speed turning tight corners ending up on their side. These spills result in a heavily damaged ego but nothing of consequence. However I've also heard stories of riders tipping their trikes into medium tight corners at speed when it's wet/slippery, the trike slides before gripping again & then flips the trike, these are potentially dangerous situations.