Pear-shaped & Bristol Fashioned!

[henleazehen]

Hello me hearties! Being a Bristol resident, it's impossible to avoid the 'Get on yer bike' vibe going around the city - especially with the loss of two local bus routes in my neck of the woods. I'm no spring chicken and haven't ridden anything other than a bus for years - never learned to drive, but did ride a moped until the rules changed and I couldn't use it on my Provisional Licence. But that's ancient history (rather like me!) - I'm now seriously considering buying an e-trike to get me and my shopping around this monstrously hilly city. I'm liking the idea of the Batribike Trike 20, which has an articulated frame to provide a more natural feel to the steering. However, I know nothing about e-bikes or the practicalities of riding/owning a trike, so am hoping the good people of the tricycling fraternity will be willing to share the wisdom borne of experience - bitter or otherwise! Indeed, I would welcome any and all advice - plus a modicum of encouragement to help me over the scariest bit: visiting the bike shop.

 

[Archeress]

Hello

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[Hyslop]

I like your style!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi and from a former trike rider.

I'm not the ideal man to answer questions about them though as my Maximus wasn't like most trikes and I always found it a pleasure to ride (despite it weighing 85 kilos ).

 

[the_mikey]

Welcome to CycleChat from over the border in South Gloucestershire

 

[summerdays]

Welcome, I'm quite often in Henleaze by the time friends live there and my local bike shop, and my optician too (so I'll be having a check up next week!)

Are you sure you need a tricycle, as you can get an electric loan bike from the council for a month, I haven't done it myself, but I've had a quick go on one on Park Street.

 

[Ern1e]

Hi and welcome @henleazehen but may I ask why a trike ? my train of thought on this would be that it seems there are more choices in the two wheeled Ebikes !

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Welcome! Quite a few forummers in your neck of the woods, surely one will come to the scary bike shop with you.
Good luck in finding your perfect bike, post a picture when you get it!

 

[Ganymede]

Welcome! Have you had a test ride on the trike you're after? I have heard that trikes are actually less stable than 2-wheelers on cambered roads - you end up leaning over towards the centre of the road in an effort to keep both back wheels on the ground. I guess it depends on the size of the trike. I haven't any experience but a neighbour of mine rides one. Worth doing a search on the forum for topics with the word trike or tricycle in the heading I should think.

So nice that you have been swayed by the bike-i-ness of your home town.

 

[henleazehen]

Thanks all for the terrific welcome! I note one or two of you are curious to know why I'm looking at a trike - it's because I need to be able to cart stuff around. I don't drive, so it will be my only means of transport (apart from buses & taxis, and pooh to those smelly old purse-drainers!). I'm not interested in achieving high speeds or off-road riding - I just want to tootle around the neighbourhood doing everyday errands, and maybe for the odd longer trip into town once my fitness & confidence builds. Also, being 50-something of hip and years, I need a sturdy steed which will carry my weight as well as preserve what's left of my dignity!

I have posted info on the Batribike Trike 20 on the 'What Bike' thread - it's the only model which has an articulated frame so one can lean into corners, which I think will help overcome the inherent instability of three-wheelers. Also two lovely big baskets for carting stuff around in, and yet not as wide as the fixed-frame e-trikes available. I'd be really interested in your opinions on it - and in my fellow Bristolians' experience of riding an e-bike around this hilly old town.

The adventure begins....

 

[summerdays]

You can fit a reasonable amount in baskets and panniers, or you could get a trailer for when you wanted to carry more of a load. That would mean that you didn't have to have the additional weight on the bike the whole time. I can do a shopping trip and fit in £50+ of shopping usually into one pannier. There are also cargo bikes, and there is a place outside Bristol - Really Useful Bikes, which specialises in them - Rob is nice and helpful and let's you try them out for a quick spin, I've had a quick play on some of them, I think one was articulated - all I remembered was that it had an odd steering movement that I was starting to get use to, but it was two wheeled. We were only ther picking up a repaired wheel but it's always got a fascinating range of bikes. However you would need a lift to get there as I can't imagine it's even on a bus route.

I have briefly chatted with someone on a tricycle at the lights and then he overtook me going up Zetland Road, with two young children on the back of it. I'm sure he told me it had a motor and he surprised me by being able to filter through the traffic, but I expect that took a lot of skill and I wouldn't be able to, certainly not at rush hour which was when I saw him.

 

[the_mikey]

There are also cargo bikes, and there is a place outside Bristol - Really Useful Bikes, which specialises in them - Rob is nice and helpful and let's you try them out for a quick spin, I've had a quick play on some of them, I think one was articulated - all I remembered was that it had an odd steering movement that I was starting to get use to, but it was two wheeled. range of bikes. However you would need a lift to get there as I can't imagine it's even on a bus route.
.

It's on the X49 route from Bristol Bus Station to Yate.

 

[Ganymede]

Thanks all for the terrific welcome! I note one or two of you are curious to know why I'm looking at a trike - it's because I need to be able to cart stuff around. I don't drive, so it will be my only means of transport (apart from buses & taxis, and pooh to those smelly old purse-drainers!). I'm not interested in achieving high speeds or off-road riding - I just want to tootle around the neighbourhood doing everyday errands, and maybe for the odd longer trip into town once my fitness & confidence builds. Also, being 50-something of hip and years, I need a sturdy steed which will carry my weight as well as preserve what's left of my dignity!

I have posted info on the Batribike Trike 20 on the 'What Bike' thread - it's the only model which has an articulated frame so one can lean into corners, which I think will help overcome the inherent instability of three-wheelers. Also two lovely big baskets for carting stuff around in, and yet not as wide as the fixed-frame e-trikes available. I'd be really interested in your opinions on it - and in my fellow Bristolians' experience of riding an e-bike around this hilly old town.

The adventure begins....

It's such a great project choosing a bike which needs to have proper practical applications and isn't just for going as fast as possible. I'm really interested in the "HPV" idea, ie Human Powered Vehicles. I'm 51 myself, and I think it's perfectly possible for people of all ages to adapt to the right HPV for them. (I realise we're talking partly electric-powered here too!)

@summerdays has really made me want to visit Really Useful Bikes myself!! I shall be interested to see what you find.

By the way I just idly googled "Tricycles Bristol" and got this: http://www.betterbybike.info/allabilities (interesting, may be good to talk to) and this: http://www.babelstone.co.uk/BBTC/souvenir.html all about a 19th century tricycle club in Bristol!

 

[welsh dragon]

Hi. Welcome to the forum. Never too late to get on your bike so to speak. To be honest, I don't think your as old as I am and I certainly don't consider myself to be old. That bike looks like a beast of a thing to be honest, and personally I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Far too unwieldy if you ask me. You would be better off with a 2 wheel e-bike with say a trailor fitted to the back. People above have given great advise especially summerdays about trying various bikes before you buy. If you are set on just trying one, and subsequently buy the wrong one, it will be an expensive mistake.

Good luck with your purchase whatever you decide, and we look forward to seeing photos of course.

 

[Bryony]