How to choose a trike

As with any bike, so with recumbents: it’s difficult to use another person’s experience to know what will work best for you. You have to consider a number of factors, including not only your physical needs and your budget, but also your lifestyle and your goals for riding, the places you will want to ride, the quality of the ride you seek, and even how you will transport and store your recumbent.

CONSIDER WHY YOU WANT A RECUMBENT TRIKE

When deciding to purchase a new recumbent bike or trike, the most important consideration is your purpose for getting one in the first place. Some reasons people purchase recumbents include:

• You enjoy recreational cycling, but you’re looking for a more comfortable and relaxed ride.

• You want to increase your cycling distance, and don’t want to put up with the discomfort of using an upright bike.

• You want to do self-supported long distance touring in comfort and carry a lot of gear.

• You need to increase mobility and exercise, but you’re unable to handle a standard bike due to age, disability, injury or balance issues.

• You want to be able to ride longer, or ride with a stronger partner.

Chances are your reasons will include some of these, and also other factors in your life that only you are aware of.

WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO RIDE?

Similarly, the types of roads or trails you’re likely to travel will inform your recumbent buying decision.

For example, if riding on popular local trails or streets where you’re likely to encounter many other users, you’ll probably want something with a higher and more upright position. For long, uninterrupted paved trails or roads, you may prefer a somewhat longer wheelbase, larger back wheel, and a higher crank position. For a mixture of pavement and crushed limestone, or gravel, you’d probably choose larger, wider tires, or some suspension. 

You’ll also want to choose a recumbent with gearing that’s appropriate to the topography of your area. While much of Chicago is quite flat, many local trails feature overpasses that will cause you to go down to the “granny gear”. Trails in surrounding areas, especially near rivers and moraines, definitely have variations that require adequate gearing. And if you intend to go on long-distance tours, you need to have the widest gear range available.

BUY FOR THE LONG-TERM

All of the recumbents we sell at Cosmic Bikes are high quality, durable vehicles, built with reliable and time-tested components, and they come from very reputable manufacturers. This is great news, because –like their high quality standard bicycles– they are fully serviceable and upgradeable over time. So, as you gain experience riding, and want to add features and modifications, it will usually be possible.

However –again, as with standard bikes– you can’t change a recumbent into something it is not. Most obviously, a two-wheeler will never give you the stability of a trike as you get older and may become more concerned about falling. Likewise, a sporty, low-slung trike may feel difficult to get in and out of as years go by.

All of this does not mean that you should not buy a recumbent that serves your needs today; only that you should give some thought to what your needs may be in 5-10 years. For many people, it will be viable to replace their recumbent at that time. If your budget is more restricted, it might actually make more sense to invest in the best you can afford today to increase the likelihood that you will be able to adapt it to your changing needs for years to come with more minor modifications.

Which brings us to one of the biggest decisions bike buyers everywhere are making these days.

TO “E” OR NOT TO “E”?

Should you buy a recumbent bike or trike with electric-assist? Let’s say you don’t feel you need an electric motor today, but you may in a few years. Do you spend the money now in anticipation of that time? Not only that, do you have to deal with a heavier and more complex system before you are ready for it, just in case your needs change down the road?

Let’s take a step back for a moment and evaluate the presumed need for e-assist.

Regardless of your age, if you are able-bodied and reasonably fit and active (you can walk a couple of miles without difficulty), you may find an analog recumbent quite enjoyable to ride. Over the years, we’ve had a number of customers ride two wheel pedal-powered recumbents well into their 60’s, 70’s and even 80’s. Trikes make that even easier, since in most cases falling becomes a non-issue.

However, if you’re experiencing some physical limitations already, or if you’re simply not a strong rider, and want to keep up with a faster riding partner or friends, or to enjoy longer outings, an electric-assist trike could be life-changing. That little boost from an electric motor will help you get plenty of movement and exercise without pain, and allow you to enjoy the freedom of long rides that you might otherwise avoid.

Here’s the really good news about recumbents: because of their unique design with a boom tube that slides in and out of the main frame, they are shockingly easy to convert to electric-assist after the initial purchase. Some major recumbent suppliers, including Catrike, Terratrike, Greenspeed and to some extent AZUB offer upgrades featuring either Bosch or Shimano-equipped drive units which replace the existing boom tube on trikes from those companies. Viable after-market options are also available. 

While we don’t necessarily recommend retrofitting e-assist systems on standard bikes, recumbent trikes are a different story. First of all, the above mentioned replacement units make the conversion seamless and elegant. But there’s also a cost issue. E-assist upgrades are not cheap, and may not make sense on an older upright bike that cost a few hundred dollars a few years ago. But if you have a $3000+ recumbent trike that fits you well and serves your needs otherwise, upgrading to a quality e-assist motor can be a good investment in your continued enjoyment.

SUSPENSION SYSTEM

The recumbent seating position and the construction of the seat itself functions to provide some suspension for the rider, you can definitely still feel the bumps in the road. While occasional road bumps are not a big deal, if you plan to spend any time on crushed limestone, gravel trails, or other rougher surfaces, a suspension system is not a bad idea.

As with any such upgrade, you should expect suspension to add to the up-front cost of your recumbent, and to increased cost of maintenance down the line. Suspension may not be ideal for riders who prioritize speed over comfort, as there is always some loss of power as you ride a bike outfitted with shock absorbers. 

However if comfort and performance over longer distances are on your list of must-haves, then a quality suspension is definitely an investment worth considering.

TRANSPORTING YOUR TRIKE

If you’re fortunate enough to have trails or roads to ride on from your front door, transporting your trike may not be an issue for you. 

However, if you have to travel to the start of the trail, or you want to be able to visit a variety of trails (or, heck, maybe you’re an RV-er, and your recumbent needs to go wherever you go!) you’ll have to make some provisions for transporting it on or in your vehicle.

Most two-wheelers and even some trikes will slide into an SUV or hatchback, and two may fit side-by-side in a minivan or pickup. A two-wheeler can be made to fit on a car rack designed for standard bikes. Trikes are tricker. There are specialty car racks for carrying one or more recumbent trikes on the back of your vehicle or RV. However, they can be quite expensive.

Fortunately, many trikes on the market today feature a folding mechanism which makes those trikes much easier to transport. This also makes them easier to store if your home or garage space is more limited.

Short of riding straight out of your garage, transporting your recumbent will require some lifting, so make sure you can handle its weight by yourself, or plan to ride with a partner who can assist. This is especially important if you’re purchasing an electric model, since those can easily weigh upwards of 50lbs.

HOW DOES IT RIDE?

Online reviews and videos can only tell you so much. The best way to learn about recumbents is to spend some time test riding various models, including some you may not be considering, just to make sure, and to gain a better understanding of the differences. 

If you’re lucky enough to have a shop that stocks recumbents or demos in your local area, that should be your number one stop. While not every shop will have everything you may want to try, they are likely to have a selection that will help you narrow down choices. 

They will also have experience to show you how various fit and comfort adjustments or add-ons can optimize the feel of the bike to your preferred riding experience. 

As you test ride various models, pay attention to the following:

Can you get on and off without difficulty, or are modifications available to make that easier?

Does the seat have sufficient adjustability and support for your needs? Seats vary from rigid Euro-style that are great for fast paced riding, to full-mesh, which are light and breathable, to luxuriously padded that offer both cushion and support.

What’s the feel of the ride? Is it cushy and comfortable, or quick and responsive?

Does it feel high enough to make you feel secure alongside other trail or road users?

Does it seem like it’s suited to ride at the speed you’d enjoy?

Is the steering responsive enough? Would you prefer more relaxed steering?

Test-riding even just two or three bikes will help you clarify some of the answers and help you narrow the choices. At this point, you can work with your local recumbent shop to help dial in the bike and features that will make up your ideal setup.