Knack to riding a trike...

[Maz]

I went for a blast on a recently acquired old Pashley Picador last night. It was a real buzz and I ended up doing 5 miles, but I don't think I rode it too well.

You'd think it would be dead easy riding a trike, but I found myself constantly drifting towards the kerb and having to turn away from it in a zigzag fashion...possibly due to the camber of the road? Is there a knack to counteract that effect? Also, I tended to take corners waaay too wide (habits from 2-wheel cycling or something?)

Any hints/tips? Thanks.

 

[piedwagtail91]

i haven't ridden anything with wheels that small, mine were 700's.
it'll be the camber thats sending you to the kerb, be careful of it sending you further out into the road if the camber changes.
i think it's just practice, it becomes second nature after a while.
watch for lifting the inside wheel if you corner fast, i don't know if it'll be as much an "experience " as with bigger wheels, but you may have to hang off the saddle over the inside wheel to keep the wheel on the ground!
heres one of the top men, albert crimes, cornering. http://www.tricycleassociation.org.uk/Galleries.html?PHPSESSID=ae17d9535eec61d985a331ce5a43667d

 

[Arch]

What you have is the mildest form of tricycle blindness. The more you've ridden a bike, the harder you'll probably find it to ride a trike (well, an upright one).

Yes, the camber will affect your course, so you learn to compensate - you'll get less zigzaggy with time. Cornering - taking it wide is sensible until you're used to it. Trying to turn tightly can well induce a sort of opposite turn impulse. I think (and this is just my theory) that as you turn, you expect to lean, and when you don't lean, your brain thinks you're leaning the other way, and you can end up snatching the bars back to compensate. I've seen people totally fail to go in a straight line or make any headway. If you've done 5 miles, you're probably pretty ok, and just need to build up experience. But if you need to pass on tips to anyone else... The thing is to remember that you have to steer a trike, quite deliberately, with your arms, whereas on a bike you mostly do it instinctively, and by leaning slightly. Sometimes it helps to lock your arms very straight, so that you have to think about turning. Or ride one handed.

It's always funny, watching some swaggering roadie or MTB yoof get on a tricycle. "Have you ridden a trike recently" I ask. "Oh, I can ride a bike alright". "Ah but..." "Nonsence, I'll be fine!" and then you watch them zigzag three yards and get off terrified...

 

[Maz]

Thanks very much for the info. Think I'll give it another go later.
Cheers

 

[Maz]

It's always funny, watching some swaggering roadie or MTB yoof get on a tricycle. "Have you ridden a trike recently" I ask. "Oh, I can ride a bike alright". "Ah but..." "Nonsence, I'll be fine!" and then you watch them zigzag three yards and get off terrified...

I can well believe that...When I first rode the trike I started to suspect the rear wheels were different sizes!

 

[Joe24]

From helping out on the fun bikes sectin of the Get Cycling show and having a trike. One of the people there was telling people to ride it with one hand on the bars, the others behind their back. After a few laps they soon got used to it.
Could give that a go.

 

[Maz]

One of the people there was telling people to ride it with one hand on the bars, the others behind their back.

That trick worked, man. I was riding left-hand only and it helped me from veering into the kerb. Thanks.

One more thing, if anyone knows...on the rear brake lever there is what looks like a thumb press switch...hang on...I think I'm about to answer my own question...is that a handbrake, by any chance?

 

[Joe24]

It is Maz, You would be surprised how many people got on the trike, rode it around then when asked if it was hard, they said yes. When we said well try again without the handbrake on they laughed and shot around then.

 

[Hilldodger]

Best peice of advice for riding a trike in a straight line is to look where you want to go and not at the bike.

I did a live radio piece a while ago and the presenter thought it would be a good idea for her to ride our Maximus rickshaw while I sat in the back.

HD "not a good idea if you've never ridden a trike before...just have a quick go first"

RP " it's ok, how hard can it be..it's got three wheels!"

Seconds later

RP live on air " Well I'm down at Cyclemagic to talk to aaarrrggghhh!!"

RL picks up microphone " I'm afraid she's managed to crash our rickshaw into a wall and fall off, so I'd better hand back to the studio while we check she's ok"

She was by-the-way

 

[Yorkshireman]

Years and years and years ago ... I like many other 4 - 5 year olds had a trike as a first bike. The 'posh' ones had a little boot (just like many of the cars did in those days) and a socket to put a walking stick in so that an adult could help up hills. Triang even did a fixed front wheel drive model. We seemed to manage quite well (after a few tumbles), bombing about everywhere (on footpaths mainly - pedestrians had look out in those days ). One could get a bit of a twisted ankle if trying to help the brakes by trailing a foot on the floor - too much toe-down and ... zip ... foot backwards and under the rear axle ... made the eyes water a bit .

 

[Arch]

One could get a bit of a twisted ankle if trying to help the brakes by trailing a foot on the floor - too much toe-down and ... zip ... foot backwards and under the rear axle ... made the eyes water a bit .

Ah yes. "Foot suck". Why it's really best to have SPDs on a recumbent...

And yes, little 'uns or folk who've never learned to ride a bike have no trouble - they haven't got into the habit of wanting to lean. I remember a family - granny, grandpa and grandson - turning up at a roadshow and grandpa and grandson were trying bikes and granny was left out because, as they pointed out a little too gleefully and disparagingly for my liking "oh, she never learned to ride a bike!" So I persuaded her to have a go on a trike and she did - very slowly, but she did a lap. So then grandson wants to have a go, prove how great he is (he was a cocky little sod) and lo and behold, he cannot make it go in a straight line and got off after a couple of minute trying. I was well pleased with that...

 

[byegad]

Has anyone else noticed Arch's evil side?

 

[byegad]

Or is it me?????????????

 

[Joe24]

I noticed a long time ago. It was shown even more when i met her

 

[Hilldodger]

You know all that knitting she does..............Voodoo dolls