The city of Brussels has just added 42km of new separated cycle lanes so that when lockdown ends people who wouldn’t normally do so can cycle to work rather than drive to avoid public transport.  This is fantastic and my wife is one of the non-cyclists who will now give it a shot but she has a terrible sense of balance

So, we are looking at tricycles.  We tried a Pashley a long time ago now but it was a terrible thing in that it really didn’t like going round corners unless you were only doing 2mph.  Bumpy roads were also hideous.  However now I’m seeing lovely looking machines with the two wheels at the front and that tilt to make cornering less ‘interesting’.

Has anyone tried any of these or have any knowledge of them?  Electric would be even better.  We’ll also try various styles of regular bicycles to see if we can find one that is more stable and easy to ride but just like Brussels taking the opportunity to crank up the bike lanes I’m using this chance to get the last member of our family on a bike

All the ones I have seen with the two wheels up front have been either cargo bikes or child carriers

https://jorviktricycles.com/jorvik-electric-child-carrier-tricycle

I think the cargo bikes ones look pretty cool and your wife could do the weekly shopping too. Not sure about general day to day uise though

https://www.babboe.co.uk/cargo-bikes/curve-electric?gclid=Cj0KCQjwka_1BRCPARIsAMlUmEquaAtE928M81ViPACR5cimb1vZq30mq8wZH90awPNpBm0HJWQ-4TsaArK1EALw_wcB

she has a terrible sense of balance

If she can walk and stand up, her balance is fine. It’s really just a matter of having the confidence to start riding and get lots of practice in. For me, the big things that beginners really need to understand is that bikes are much more stable at speed than going slowly, and you need to get your feet on the pedals to balance properly. Dragging both feet on the ground might give confidence that you aren’t going to fall over, but it makes it impossible to control the bike properly. Exercises like “slow races” can help with balance and control – find a gentle slope and see who can ride down the slowest without needing to put a foot down.

@worldclassaccident – thanks for those, hadn’t find them yet.  I like the idea of a cargo one as well as it will reduce our car use (and it gives me an excuse to use one).  They don’t look so unusual in town these days with the number of bakfiets around on the school runs but they still look big.  I’ve found one with a cargo section that you can attach when you need it that looks good but narrower seems better

@hols – yes, you are correct but you also have to mix in the fear of traffic thing.  I think you might be right though so we will try lots of different regular bikes to find one that feels more stable.  She can ride a bike but add in traffic and other cyclists whizzing by and things change.  We are looking for something where the fear factor is minimal

Liking the look of some of these but they look a bit wide for regular commuting use.  Maybe we need TWO, that’s allowed isn’t it?  N+1 applies to trikes too I guess

Seems to be booming

https://www.icetrikes.co/e-assist

https://electricbikereview.com/category/trike/

I can’t find it but I’m sure people are using std ebike rear ends onto trike fronts

Considering how much standard ice trikes are, I dread to think how much electric ones cost.

Mrs Rider had a KMX trike. She has a neuropathic condition, one of the symptoms being that balance is affected.

It was a lot of fun, I had a few goes and it cornered at speed like a beast in heat. We had a Bafang-type e-kit on it, again bags of fun but it wasn’t road-legal 😳 so removed it.

KMX trikes seem to be the most competitively-priced tadpole-config/recumbent trikes, so maybe worth a look.

Considering how much standard ice trikes are, I dread to think how much electric ones cost.

Not a huge amount more than good electric bikes by the looks of things.  The cheaper end not so much in existence though

Thanks folks for the links to trikes.  Fat trikes look awesome.  The recumbents look fantastic but a bit of the route is going to be with a limited amount of traffic and the fear thing may take over.  In every other way they may be good though so I’ll have a nose and see if there is a dealer nearby

We tried a regular bike today on a closed off road and it was ok if a bit stressful.  I might also investigate which upright bikes are more stable.  Whenever I’ve tried the Dutch type bikes I’ve found them horribly unstable compared to mountain bikes but it is possible some are better than others.

It’s fun looking though 🙂

If traffic in your area is anything like what I experienced trying to drive around Brussels I’m not surprised she’s nervous, I’d be shitting myself too!

Whenever I’ve tried the Dutch type bikes I’ve found them horribly unstable compared to mountain bikes but it is possible some are better than others.

Odd, because the most stable bike I ever rode is a Batavus Personal. It feels like a regal beach-cruiser, and it seems to get appreciably more respect/space on the road for some reason, much more than I do with mtb or road bikes. The stepthru frame is super confidence inspiring too. Step on, step off. The slightly feet-forward pedals* and long wheelbase just is so stable and relaxing. Doesn’t wobble, is just the same when fully loaded with groceries. A joy, in slow motion. I often used to ride it just to destress 👍🏼 Probably is my lockdown project to get it back on the road tbh. Batavus quality (like Gazelle) really changed my perspective on town bikes, they out UK/US stuff to shame. ‘it just works’ .

*Which reminds me, look at Electra bikes bumf about that foot-forwards stuff

https://www.electrabike.com/way-to-roll/flat-foot-technology

That Kiffy trike looks interesting but never tried one.

I think practical cycles in the UK used to sell something similar but nothing on their website – might be worth dropping them an email for an opinion.

Sven cycles and Roman Road cycles also do tadpole / Newton style trikes that don’t tilt.

KMX trikes seem to be the most competitively-priced

When we were looking for our son’s trike, I think KMX (and Hase) manage to get the disability VAT exemption, whereas Ice don’t.

Whenever I’ve tried the Dutch type bikes I’ve found them horribly unstable

I’ve found that bikes without good lateral stiffness (eg, step through) can feel unstable – the frame wobbles between seat and bars. It doesn’t make them actually unstable, it’s just messing with your reactions.

I have two. A tadpole recumbent Catrike villager with two wheels at the front and a delta time trial upright racing trike with one wheel at the front and full TT bar set up. It is currently the fastest trike in the U.K. having recorded a 19 minute 10. Not by me!

The tadpole is much easier to ride because with Ackerman steering it is not taken by the camber of the road. Sitting in it always gives a great ride. It just make a me smile. I bought it after my accident as I could not steer with one arm. It is easy to electrify.

The racing TT trike is the devils own beast of a machine. It requires constant concentration even on relatively flat dual carriageways (but I am riding at 20-25mph). Trikes like this follow the camber so you can end up In the kerb. The pashley has this tendency.

I’d recommend a KMX tadpole trike. We had one of the first and it was heavy but fun. My Catrike is aluminium and only 14 kilos. It is wonderful. They are not cheap and are quite hard to find. If you get one, make sure it fits you too. I used to ride the KMX with very bent knees. Just for fun.

Someone I know has just bought a Jorvik folding e-trike as she is short of space.