No-frills recumbent trike for disabled son

The EZ-3 is not particularly compact, and it weighs in the
mid-50-pound
range, so it does not meet the criteria of the original poster.

Where does the original poster quote a maximum weight criteria? It
will
certainly fit into the back of a RAV4 with the rear seat folded. I've
seen
one in the back of a Mazda Tribute.
For someone with physical difficulties, a low tadpole design might
be
difficult to get in and out of.

Regards

Roy

My posts from last night and this a.m. aren't showing up; I may be
unwittingly "replying to author" instead of to the group--if so, my
apologies.

At any rate, I think your post, Roy, points to the crux of the problem.
There aren't that many small recumbent bikes out there, and until my
son rides one, I'm not sure if any specific bike would work for him.
The same goes for ease of transport. His Worksman trike actually folds
into a 29" x 29" x 30" dimension; however, when it's folded it's
actually more cumbersome because it has a tendency to "un-fold," if
that makes any sense. So from information gleaned from this post, it
does seem that a ramp would be my best option, since my son is
comfortable on his trike and the only real problem is my difficulty
lifting into the RAV4. My husband is a woodworker and could make about
anything if I told him exactly what I need and what would work best.
The distance to lift the bike into the car is only about 20" and there
isn't a lip on the back of the car. I'm guessing a 4' ramp would work
but we can experiment with plywood. There are two plastic "hooks" on
either side of the back of the car; would I use these to hook up the
ramp, or isn't that necessary? I'm looking at wheelchair ramps and
such on the web but it's hard to see exactly how they're made. I don't
want anything that folds in the middle because of the front center tire
of the bike. I'd consider buying a ramp if it's significantly lighter
in weight than plywood would be. Or is there another material my
husband could use? Any ideas to help him build the ramp would be
greatly appreciated! Beverly

21 Mar 2005 10:46:04 -0800,
.com, "bfrey"
wrote:

I'd consider buying a ramp if it's significantly lighter
in weight than plywood would be. Or is there another material my
husband could use? Any ideas to help him build the ramp would be
greatly appreciated!

Two or three planks are easier to handle than a sheet of plywood.

There are several ramps marketed for ATV and motorcycle haulers.
They're also used by landscapers for loading their light machinery.

For example:
http://www.loading-ramps.us/
--
zk