What is the point of a tricycle ?

I can see the point for little kids or for people with an illness or injury that makes it difficult for them to balance or put a foot down when they stop, but other than that, what is the point ?
They are heavier with more wind resistance and drag than a solo.

Have they got any practical advantage over a solo in any situation at all, or is it just the novelty value that appeals ?

they dont fall over when you leave them? could then be used for deliveries etc.

You could probably carry more on a tricycle, and leave the bike ‘standing up’ couldn’t you (i.e deliveries etc)

DrP

I’ve always fancied one for touring with. You could bodge up some serious carrying capacity I reckon. Also, on long downhills you could just put your feet up and have a snooze. Saw a Pashley trike selling for £50 in the local rag a few years ago, brand new condition and have always regretted not buying it.

You don’t see many about anymore. I remember seeing lots as a child in the 70’s at the annual Isle of Man Road Racing Festival. They use to have there own category and were mainly ridden by older gentlemen. They were still rather rapid with 700cc wheels!

I’ve always quite admired people who do TT’s on them;

Maybe it’s a bit like singlespeed – people often don’t ride them because they’re ‘better’ just a different riding experience?

http://content.pyzam.com/funnypics/people/poor_baby.jpg

Novelty items – two wheels too many 😉

I’ve always quite admired people who do TT’s on them;

I know a guy that used to build them, and a few people that have tried them in TT’s. Apprently they are suprisingly difficult to ride at speed. They’re not that stable and the cornering is counter-intuitive.

good on icy roads– my mate tours with one–he loves it.

I would like to introduce you to Joe Beaumont’s tricycle.

Joes website here http://www.joebeaumont.com/

and some more info here

http://www.alpkit.com/news/in-the-frame-film-project

Upright trikes are very scary unless ridden slowly. Good for shopping and the school run though.
Recumbent trikes are another matter, and much faster than two wheels.

i used to work with a chap who had (among many other ‘bikes’) a tricycle.

he used if for commuting on icy days.

One of my mates races TT on them 🙂 He was 2nd in the world champs last year.

The Tricycle club of GB (or whatever it was called) used to hold an annual ride where bicycles were also invited to take part. The route incorporated as many fords (think slippery mossy cobblestones) as possible which the tricycles could negogiate with ease, but which could rapidly throw a bicycle rider into the stream.

The main purpose of the ride seemed to be for the tricyclists to laugh at the wet bicyclists. Apart from this annual event tricycles seem to have no other discernable benefit…………

Recumbent trikes are another matter, and much faster than two wheels.

I don’t see too many trikes here, and suspect it’s not having 3 wheels which makes one fast

http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2001/resultssaturday.htm

Couple of my uncles are long time tricyclists, and I used to have a conversion axle, (which is what that Kona is up there) for commuting on. Just a different sort of machine really, no real advange. However….

Upright trikes are very scary unless ridden slowly

no way! You just have to ride with load of commitment, use you body weight to balance them rather like one of those racing motorbike/sidecar combinations. Sliding the back end round on tight bends is easily possible in damp weather.

Much better for load carrying…

…people carrying…

…and starting games with

Apart from that, surely you answered your own question?! 😆

Maybe it’s a bit like singlespeed – people often don’t ride them because they’re ‘better’ just a different riding experience?

Singlespeeding has got some advantages.
On some flat TT courses, the advantage of lighter weight outweighs the lack of gears.
On an MTB, there’s less to break or wear out.
I just wondered if there’s any similar advantages to a three wheeler ?
Icy roads and increased luggage capacity sound good, but don’t explain seeing unloaded trikes in the summer.

Recumbent trikes are another matter, and much faster than two wheels.

Followed by

I don’t see too many trikes here, and suspect it’s not having 3 wheels which makes one fast

Different bikes/trikes for different purposes.
If you’re doing LEJOG on a recumbent with a fairing, you can’t put your feet down at junctions, so a trike makes sense.
If you’re doing salt flats with someone to push you up to minimum stability speed and catch you at the end, two wheels is enough.

Aracer, LEJOG records:
Conventional bicycle 44 hours, 4 mins, 20 sec
Windcheetah 41 hours, 4 mins, 22 sec

drift trikes

drift trikes. yeezus. in a kind of awesome way.

When I rode the LEL the other week, there were a few about (audaxers are a weird bunch).
I rode with one guy on his new Reynolds 953, custom built trike. Towed him over Eskdalemuirhead, then slipstreamed him into the headwind on the other side. Ye Gods! He was fast! Scary thing slipstreaming a trike is you easily end up with your front wheel in between their rear wheels. One false move and you’ve nowhere to go!

Cyclists Fighting Cancer gives bikes, adapted trikes and tandems to children and young people whose lives have been affected by cancer.

Something as simple as a bike makes a remarkable difference to their daily lives and brings back smiles

Sophie Eggerton was diagnosed with a malignant Brain tumour in July 2006, she was 12 years old.

Sophie had considerable complications following the surgery to remove the tumour and had posterior fossa syndrome which resulted in major difficulties in terms of co-ordination (both with motor planning and balance) and mobility. Her speech is slower and she can take a longer time when responding to questions and conversation.
Having heard about Cyclists Fighting Cancer on the web, Sophie’s parents applied for partial funding of a specially adapted tricycle for her.

The trike that CFC provided for Sophie not only allows her to play outside with her friends but also contributes to her rehabilitation through strengthening the proximal muscles in her legs. It’s bulit to last and is completely adjustable so she won’t grow out of it. The problem is, of course, that these things aren’t cheap. The cost of the trike was around £1,800 and Cyclists Fighting Cancer funded it completely.

It’s always a great moment see our efforts bearing fruit and watching Sophie riding off down the street on her new bike was amazing.

This award was specifically funded by the efforts of three colleagues from Cheltenham; Mike Darch, Emerson Osmond and our very own web editor, Luke Pickering. The self-styled, “Three Fat Lads on Bikes”, rode from John O’Groats to Land’s End – 1,000 miles over 13 days – and in the end managed to generate more than £5,500 in donations.

The lads shook buckets in their local supermarkets, scrounged, raffled, and sold everything from Manchester United tickets to old bike parts, and took more than £1,500 through their Just Giving page. The boys have kept in touch with CFC since the event, Luke manages the website and Emerson is signed up to ride the 300kms of Vatternrundan with the rest of Team Sweden.

The level of support offered to their fundraising efforts by Cyclists Fighting Cancer was part of what made their achievement possible. Mike said, “Cyclists Fighting Cancer really rallied around for us. They came from all over the West Midlands to help us raise cash in the supermarket and three of them even rode the 65 miles from Cheltenham to Cheddar in some pretty nasty Bank Holiday weather. You just wouldn’t get that level of personal support from a big charity”.

Different bikes/trikes for different purposes.
If you’re doing LEJOG on a recumbent with a fairing, you can’t put your feet down at junctions, so a trike makes sense.

A full fairing maybe, but it’s possible to get partially faired recumbent bikes which you can put your foot down with – given the decreased frontal area there’s a good chance they’re more aero than the Windcheetah (and if not I have seen fully faired bikes with retractable outriggers – though obviously the record machines don’t bother with those).

LEJOG records:
Conventional bicycle 44 hours, 4 mins, 20 sec
Windcheetah 41 hours, 4 mins, 22 sec

So a fully faired recumbent trike is faster than a conventional upright bike. Which part of the difference do you think is the most important? Has anybody ever tried LEJoG on a faired recumbent bike?

In any case, your original statement I responded to is:

Recumbent trikes are another matter, and much faster than two wheels.

which is quite clearly incorrect given the evidence I provided. In real world practical terms you’ll find there are plenty of recumbent bikes faster than an unfaired Windcheetah.

<spots opportunity to post vid of disabled son having an ace time on his trike> 😀

I do agree that they’re not very stable though. I’ve had to pick poor James off the floor more than once.

I always fancied an inverted trike of some sort. Would be cool if it leaned into corners too…

Another reason to have another bike 🙂