We admit it - we're biased! In over 20 years of riding regular bikes we've never had as much fun as we do on a trike! The comfort, the view and the sheer joy of downhill runs simply cannot be beaten. But there are many more practical and prosaic reasons to go "bent".
Trikes have many excellent physiological and practical advantages listed below, but let's get to the most important reason first.
These things are FUN! They are fast and manouverable and easy to ride for hours at a time. They have the feel of a go-kart but are as quiet as a bike. Their stability and ergonomics allows the rider to actually look around to enjoy the view, not just stare the the pavement. They make cycle touring a sublime experience and commuting a pleasure.
|
Balance is essential to ride a bike. In fact, apart from a wheelchair, we can't think of any human powered transportation (except one) that doesn't require a good sense of balance. Bikes, roller skates or blades, scooters, skateboards - even walking. All require balance. If for some reason you are balance impaired, for example from a stroke or disease, or from some transient condition such as an inner ear infection, then all of these activities become difficult if not impossible, and an important source of everyday exercise is lost.
A trike's three wheels mean it requires no sense of balance to ride.
Just sit down, put your feet in the clips, pedal and steer - that's it. No steep learning curve, no special skills to master. You're mobile and at a good pace straight away.
Bikes have a "minimum speed" that must be maintained if you don't want to fall over. It's a function of the way you balance on two wheels. If for some reason you go below the minimum speed, you'll likely fall. This can cause injury on its own, and potentially drop you in a life threatening situation if you fall in or near traffic. Likewise, all bicyclists will know the embarrassment and pain of of falling and twisting because a shoe has been caught in a toe clip when trying to put a foot down to stop.
And even if you are riding a bike at a good speed you can still - potentially fatally - lose balance if you get caught by a heavy crosswind, or worse, in the traffic "suck" behind a fast-moving truck or bus.
A trike's three wheels mean it cannot fall over when it's slow or stationary, or caught in a crosswind.
It means your feet don't have to leave the pedals at all when you're waiting at the lights or for traffic. It also means that you're much, much less susceptible to crosswinds or traffic suck, because you don't need to make the large corrections bicyclists do to maintain their balance in these situations. And, since trikes don't have a minimum speed it means you can tackle hills as slowly as you need to. The gearing on a trike has an extra-low gear that makes climbing practically any hill possible.
No balancing makes for a more mentally relaxing ride .
If you've learned to ride a bike as a kid then the act of balancing is subconscious most of the time - it's only in unusual or stressful situations you have to conciously try to keep your balance. Nonetheless, there's a lot of mental maths gong on to keep you upright on a bike, whether you're aware of it or not.
Now, we have no data at all to back up this next assertion - just our experience and the experience of others we've asked - but we believe that since none of this body juggling is necessary on a trike, you'll travel more relaxed and open to what's going on around you than you will on a bike. You have a mentally more refreshing ride.
Sore back, sore wrists, numb hands. Cricked neck. Saddle sores. Why on earth do people ride upright bikes? Well, of course it's rarely that bad all at once. But if you regularly experience any or all of these when riding a bike then it's likely putting you off riding, and that is a bad thing. If it's a mild discomfort you might put up with it. But if it's severe enough to stop you riding then it's time to consider an alternative.
Greenspeed trikes have a chiropractor-designed lumbar support built into the seat. Riding a trike is like riding a well-made deckchair - no sore back and certainly no saddle soreness.The steering runs under the seat. That means your arms hang down by the side with no pressure at all on wrists or arms. No numb fingers and hands, no jarred wrists.The heads-up position is natural and easy to maintain.
Don't underestimate the importance of a comfortable ride - no discomfort means that you will make your journey in what seems like less time, and you'll arrive considerably more refreshed than if a journey has been long and painful because of saddle soreness or numb hands. As you get better on your trike you'll notice that journeys that seemed initially seem inconceivably long become quite achievable and pleasurable, simply because of the lack of discomfort of the ride.
Heads Up, Enjoy the View. Your natural position on a trike is head up and facing forwards, not head down facing your front wheel. What's it mean? it means you have a broad, panoramic view without having to lift your head up to see it. And, since you don't have to balance, you'll find yourself looking around more often as well.
Have you ever been surprised by how little of teh scenery you really see when you're zipping by in a car? On a trike you'll be surprised at just how much you missed seeing while riding an upright bike!
Trikes conspire to chill you out . When you've got accustomed to your trike you'll find that the three characteristics mentined above - ride comfort, natural panoramic view and relaxed mental state from not having to balance - will conspire to chill you out on your trike. After a good ride you'll feel the exercise afterglow, but you'll be in a calm, aware mental state as well. it's a nice place to be.
One final advantage of the recumbent position is one most people would rather not think about.
If a regular bike hits an obstacle at speed the rider will go over the bars, headfirst into whatever lies ahead. On a recumbent the rider is set way back, and their centre of gravity is quite low. So, if you hit something it will be feet first, not head first. It's considerably harder to get pitched forward off your trike, and if the worst comes to the worst then the ground's a lot closer on a trike than on an upright. You're far more likely to come out with grazes, not fractures.
