Sensible trike

[Andrew_Culture]

My 68yr old father in law can't ride a bike, but is reasonably interested in cycling. We've been joking about getting him a trike for years, but there's no way he'll even try a recumbent.

Can anyone recommend a trike that (in my father in law's words) won't make him look like Miss. Marble?

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

?

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Gorgeous but waaaay too expensive

 

[gaz]

So what are you looking to spend? Trikes aren't usually cheap, even second hand. Especially those which are not recumbent as they are pretty rare.

£665 gets you one brand new.

 

[mcshroom]

How about this: -
http://activesport.co.uk/shop/article_431/Mission-Cycles-Tribrid-Adult-700c-wheel-Trike.html?pse=coa

 

[byegad]

£665 gets you one brand new.

Compared to recumbent trikes, that's dirt cheap. My cheapest trike cost me £1600, to replace my other two? +£3000.

 

[ufkacbln]

Be very careful here.

Tricyles are not always that easy for a person who has ridden bikes, and means suppressing a lot of skills and responses to avoid problems with cambers etc.

We bought my elderly MiL a Powabyke tricycle


However she just could not cope with steering the machine on any sort of camber or corner. In the end we had to admit defeat.

In this case though without the handicap of trying to ride it like a bike things may go better.

You really need to try it out though before buying

 

[ufkacbln]

Compared to recumbent trikes, that's dirt cheap. My cheapest trike cost me £1600, to replace my other two? +£3000.

I just bought a Bionx driven Gekko for the wife, and it is brilliant so far, but as you say - not cheap

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Thanks everyone, plenty to talk about here. I save up for a Bakerflet that I can also get some use from.

 

[steveindenmark]

You could consider an electric trike.

Have a look on the Pedelecs forum. The guys are really helpful.

Steve

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Are there any differences in how a trike like th eone evans have in th elink above are sized? My dad is over 6' and Im sure he'd have alot of fun on one of these instead of the electric buggy

 

[byegad]

Please try to persuade you Dad to try a recumbent. If you can get to Cambridgeshire Kevin at D-Tel has several in stock all of the time.

As has been said upright trikes need balance to ride safely and a cyclist can come to greif in their first few attempts to ride one, as did I many years ago!

Anyone can ride a recumbent trike, even people like me whose balance is less than reliable. In fact that's why I don't ride two wheels any more. You could not pay me enough to try and ride an upright trike.

 

[thegravestoneman]

I used to ride trikes, started with a conversion kit on an old Holdsworth frame, then had Bob Jacksons make me one, then bought a 1950s Higgins. I was in my late teens early twenty's at the time. I can say that they were all good to ride once you forgot everything you knew about cycling and started again. The sizing should be the same as a regular bike, I am over 6' and rode a 25" frame. The bottom bracket is lower then on a bike as there is no leaning so less chance of catching with the pedals. Most will be (or at least used to be) single wheel drive. Start in a car park or anywhere with no camber to get used to them. You might try the tricycle association for advice. Never been on a recumbent so can't say anything on them. What I would say is check the joints and tubing around the steering tube as I managed to break all of mine and ended up having strengthening brazed in.

 

[thegravestoneman]

Also cycle tracks were a pain as they never used to cater for the extra width, so it may be worth checking them out near you before you start.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

It's looking very much like a fellow CCer has found my father in law a trike to use as a fixer upper!

w00t!