A few questions

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

chr4

Regular
Hi
I am thinking of buying a recumbent trike with 26" rear wheel. The cost is an issue so might not happen and the fact I do have some back problems sometimes means I am probably likely to explore the ones with rear or full suspension further increasing the cost. I have a few questions about recumbents.
1) I understand that with Azub trikes it is possible to move the seat forward or back a little to adjust the trike for different users - which means adjusting the chain could be avoided if my wife wanted to go on a ride. Do other makes have similar features?
2) I currently have an e-bike with Shimano E-steps but this extra option for trikes seems to cost as much as I paid (£1800) for my entire brand new Scott ebike a few years ago (granted I got £200 off as it was end of season but still). So if I ever get a trike I will probably look into getting a kit from Tongsheng. Is there any brand of trikes that I should avoid as their build is too tricky for the kits?
3) If I buy a trike through a cycle to work scheme would I be allowed to modify it with a kit as I am not officially the owner at this stage?
4) If I end up with only rear suspension can I have very low pressure in front tires as the weight at the front is shared between 2 wheels?
e.g. Schwalbe Big Apples can go as low as 30 psi. If needed can I go slightly lower e.g. 20-25 psi if I am not planning to ride very fast anyway?
Never tried any trike and I am conscious that the advice is to expect my preconceptions to be challenged and try a few.
So once the lock down comes to an end either visit D-TEK or some local dealers and check ebay for second hand.
My thoughts at the moment (if buying new):
1) Performer JC 26 - rear suspension - probably the cheapest new option - unfortunately the only dealer is in Scotland (I live south of London). A bit far. If I buy directly from the manufacturer I don't have an option to buy through cycle to work scheme and have to assemble it myself or find someone to do it for me. On one forum someone said import tax and VAT already prepaid which would mean it would be a lot cheaper than competition but I would need to confirm that with Performer.
2) Specbike technics -cheapest full suspension trike but again since shipped from Latvia can't be bought through cycle to work scheme. No local dealer support. Unable to try first unless I go to e.g. Spezi fair?
3) Azub -TRIcon like the moving seat feature but no dealers locally
4) Scorpion 2 - a local dealer in London - the most expensive trike on my list but if bought through a scheme the cost migth go down by 25%
 
Last edited:
I wrote a how to fit a tongsheng onto an ice ( or 3 ) trike . It's in the HPV trike/, folder .
Hope it helps

Tax not usually paid with overseas trikes
 

PaulM

Guru
Location
Portsmouth, UK
If you want to share a trike with someone then both ICE and HPV and have easy adjust kits for their trikes: https://www.icetrikes.co/products/accessories/product/113-easy-adjust-kit-for-leg-length
If you are thinking of electrifying a trike later then the 26" rear wheel makes sense for fitting a rear hub motor which is the cheapest way to go.
There's an Azub Tricon 26 on Facebook marketplace for £2K being sold by Neil who posts here regularly.
 

PaulM

Guru
Location
Portsmouth, UK
Tadpole trike steering might suffer if you go too low in front tyre pressures. Look for a 10-15% drop when seated. That should provide lots of comfort with BAs whilst still providing good handling. I'm running 40 mm Racers at 45 psi and the drop is less than 10% so I'll try them next at 40 psi. Minimum marked pressure on the sidewall is 55psi so those low markings can be safely ignored.
 
OP
OP
C

chr4

Regular
Thank you for your comments. Yes, I did see this Azub on Facebook. A bit tricky at the moment.
 

Nigelnightmare

Über Member
Tadpole trike steering might suffer if you go too low in front tyre pressures. Look for a 10-15% drop when seated. That should provide lots of comfort with BAs whilst still providing good handling. I'm running 40 mm Racers at 45 psi and the drop is less than 10% so I'll try them next at 40 psi. Minimum marked pressure on the sidewall is 55psi so those low markings can be safely ignored.

Quick word of caution when running tyre pressures lower than recommended.
:stop:
They are more likely to come off when turning/braking hard on the trike.
DAHIK!:whistle:
It's quite a harrowing experience trying to stop (downhill) with both front tyres off!:eek: and only a drag brake on the rear.
Had to re-rim both wheels
With the racers I wouldn't go below 35 psi on the front and 40 psi on the rear, and at those pressures the handling gets a little 'squiffy' at speed.

I now run marathon 47mm rear and Go-bike 50mm (Vredestien) front all at 45 psi on my Qnt (406 all round).
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom