ImperialBentDesign
New Member
Hello Everyone!
I'm a mechanical engineering student at Imperial College London, and I'm currently designing a recumbent trike for my final year project.
I was hoping I'd be able to get some thoughts and advice on what people like in their trike, what they'd expect to see etc etc etc, and I've got a whole long list of questions that I'd appreciate any answers anyone feels able to give:
Commuting:
1) do you use your trike / bike to commute?
2) if not, why not? What would convince you to use a trike instead of your current method of transport?
3) why do you use a trike over a bike?
4) what size trike would you most prefer to use - i.e. wide enough for max stability or narrow enough to filter through traffic?
5) how high do you like the seat when commuting? Higher for better visibility or lower for better air resistance?
6) What sort of gear inch range / number of speeds would you expect on a trike designed specifically for commuting (i.e. road / paved use)
7) would you expect any kind of suspension?
8) What sort of seat do you find best for commuting?
9) Brakes: are front brakes alone enough, or do rear brakes make a difference to confidence levels? Disk Brakes vs V Brakes?
10) Steering Systems: Do you prefer Direct, Under Seat, Over seat or lever-actuated steering?
11) foldability: Is this a make or break feature?
12) how and where do you store your trike when you’re not using it?
13) do you lock it up?
14) would an integrated lock be a useful feature?
15) do you prefer wheels all the same size for convenience, or does having the third wheel larger (or smaller!) not matter?
16) How much cargo space do you need / want?
Maintenance:
1) how long do you spend on average maintaining your trike?
2) do you find this an irritation - would you prefer something that just keeps working?
Other:
1) How critical is the drive system? Would you trust anything other than a chain?
2) What do you do when your chain breaks?
3) If you were to purchase a trike for commuting, how much would you look to spend, and what would you expect to get?
4) would you be put off if you had to assemble the trike yourself?
5) Would a different handlebar position (i.e. moving from regular bike to USS) put you off?
Questions for sellers:
1) what do you find people typically come in to buy?
2) do they have a price range?
3) what are the most common looked for features?
4) do people have a specific type of trike in mind or do they allow themselves to be guided by experts?
5) What sort of volumes do you typically sell models in, or is it price dependent?
6) Do you ever get people unfamiliar with recumbents purchasing one, or is it all enthusiasts?
7) is there such thing as a true “entry level” trike at a price that would represent an “impulse” buy in this segment?
8) how much innovation have you seen in this segment? or are all the offerings variations on the same theme?
I know this is a lot, but any answers to any questions would be gratefully recieved!
Cheers,
David
I'm a mechanical engineering student at Imperial College London, and I'm currently designing a recumbent trike for my final year project.
I was hoping I'd be able to get some thoughts and advice on what people like in their trike, what they'd expect to see etc etc etc, and I've got a whole long list of questions that I'd appreciate any answers anyone feels able to give:
Commuting:
1) do you use your trike / bike to commute?
2) if not, why not? What would convince you to use a trike instead of your current method of transport?
3) why do you use a trike over a bike?
4) what size trike would you most prefer to use - i.e. wide enough for max stability or narrow enough to filter through traffic?
5) how high do you like the seat when commuting? Higher for better visibility or lower for better air resistance?
6) What sort of gear inch range / number of speeds would you expect on a trike designed specifically for commuting (i.e. road / paved use)
7) would you expect any kind of suspension?
8) What sort of seat do you find best for commuting?
9) Brakes: are front brakes alone enough, or do rear brakes make a difference to confidence levels? Disk Brakes vs V Brakes?
10) Steering Systems: Do you prefer Direct, Under Seat, Over seat or lever-actuated steering?
11) foldability: Is this a make or break feature?
12) how and where do you store your trike when you’re not using it?
13) do you lock it up?
14) would an integrated lock be a useful feature?
15) do you prefer wheels all the same size for convenience, or does having the third wheel larger (or smaller!) not matter?
16) How much cargo space do you need / want?
Maintenance:
1) how long do you spend on average maintaining your trike?
2) do you find this an irritation - would you prefer something that just keeps working?
Other:
1) How critical is the drive system? Would you trust anything other than a chain?
2) What do you do when your chain breaks?
3) If you were to purchase a trike for commuting, how much would you look to spend, and what would you expect to get?
4) would you be put off if you had to assemble the trike yourself?
5) Would a different handlebar position (i.e. moving from regular bike to USS) put you off?
Questions for sellers:
1) what do you find people typically come in to buy?
2) do they have a price range?
3) what are the most common looked for features?
4) do people have a specific type of trike in mind or do they allow themselves to be guided by experts?
5) What sort of volumes do you typically sell models in, or is it price dependent?
6) Do you ever get people unfamiliar with recumbents purchasing one, or is it all enthusiasts?
7) is there such thing as a true “entry level” trike at a price that would represent an “impulse” buy in this segment?
8) how much innovation have you seen in this segment? or are all the offerings variations on the same theme?
I know this is a lot, but any answers to any questions would be gratefully recieved!
Cheers,
David