Thanks again for all the advice! Does anyone have experience of hub gears on a trike?
Also how does the steering work (stupid question, I know)? Is it just like a conventional bike except handles low down?
Some lovely machines here!
First... I have three trikes with Rohloff, the Catrike Expedition, the Gekko and the Kettwiesel.
I think hubs are ideal mainly because it can be difficult to start off when in thh wrong gear,and hubs sort this as you can change when static
Then we have steering!
You may as well have mentioned h*lm*ts as each design has its advocates and naysayers.... these are MY comments. They are neither right nor wrong and it is up to you to try and decide
My Catrike has two bars atached direct to the headsets. The two wheels are then connected by a single rod. This is direct, responsiva na dheaps of fun. However it can be affected by wheel motion and without damping has more vibration to the hands
The Gekko has an indirect system. Here there is a handlebar that is attached to a headset then linked to the wheels independently by rods-here on a TRice:
Still responsive, but the links mean that there is some damping that means less vibration and is more comfortable for that reason
Finally with the Delta trikes there is a pair of handlebars that connect by a steering rod to the front wheel
Utah Trikes in the US make both direct and indirect steering trike models... they describe it like this:
Indirect steering– The Path/Cruiser/Tour/Access/Sport/Race/Commuter/Tandem trikes all have linkage steering. Linkage steering separates the input of your hands from the wheels. The steering is set up so that the steering bar uses leverage to turn the wheels. This approach provides for very smooth steering and makes it easy to make subtle corrections and turn the wheels at slow speed. Linkage steering is sometimes compared to that of a luxury car like a Lexus or Cadillac.
Direct Steering – The Zoomer/Zoomer Elite/Edge trikes all have direct steering. With direct steering the steering handles are connected directly to the kingpin. Alignment is maintained with a single tie rod connected between the two wheels. Very little rider input is needed to turn the wheels which can make steering a little harder to get the hang of at high speeds. Direct steering is sometimes compared to that of a sports car like a Ferrari or Porsche.