I know someone who is looking for a three wheeled bicycle mainly due to the stability they provide.

Ammaco do one with 26in wheels and there are others with smaller wheels.

Are the big wheels as important as on a two wheeled bike? How easy is it to change the gearing?

Does anyone make ones with two front wheels and does this have any benefit?

Any recommendations/ first hand experience?

As far as I know regular upright ‘delta’ trikes are stable in a straight line/on the level yet get sketchy on bends/cambers. A long front-rear wheelbase and wide rear wheel-wheel configuration is the most stable.

My better half had recently to give up two-wheeled cycling owing to congenital brittle bone disease – so we went with a tadpole (two wheel up front) recumbent trike from KMX like this one:

This is very stable at most speeds yet can still just about tip (back wheel and one front wheel lift) at speed on hard corners/cambers heading downhill (not so much an issue as is low down anyway), I’ve had a go and it’s mad-chuckable offroad with three disc brakes, popping side-manuals and stoppies 😈

If had the funds we’d both grab a Kettweisel delta recumbent each and disappear into the sunset with camping gear onboard.

Sorry can’t help re two front wheels on an upright trike

Good overview of trikes here:

http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/bikes-and-other-cycles/configuration/tricycle

Thanks Malvern rider, but a low recumbent trike is probably put of the question due to general flexibility of the person interested.

Go and look at
On3 wheels.myfast forum or spmething like that. Nowt but upright 3 wheelers.
For sedate pootling and more trikes are stable. Going like buggery and they require some acrobatics.

My advice would be go to this years bike show at the NEC, I was truly impressed at the massive range of various bikes/trikes/quads that were there last year. Certainly something for literally everyone!

I’ve an uncle who rides Trikes, not quite exclusively but nearly all the time. Time trials, Audaxing, touring, you name it he’s probably had a go so I know a little about them. I had a conversion axle myself for a while.

Harder work than a bike, due to the aerodynamic effects of the outboard wheels, and yes, more unstable in corners until you get the idea of hanging you weight inwards over the rear wheel to belt round, and then they are at least as fast as a bike through bends. It’s entirely possible to drift the back end without tipping them, especially in the wet.

Excellent for anyone with balance issues, another club member bought one after a horrible road accident to get back in the saddle, and still rides it some times. Big wheels? well, it’s the same for road and mountain bikes really, they’re just more efficient rollers.

Is this going to be for going on proper bike rides, or trucking stuff back and forwards to the shops? Pashley’s do quite a range, but they are truly horrific, heavy things and best avoided if the former. Longstaff’s are where it’s at for genuine hand built, high quality machines but spendy, even second hand. Below is like my uncles. He has a Tandem trike too. It’s a behemoth. If you have any specific questions, my e-mail is in my profile.

We know someone who is big on trikes, tts and club runs on one with 700c wheels. He has the aforementioned longstaff cost a lot but nice. Have you tried the tricycle association. When I was a lad you could buy bolt on conversion kits for road bikes.