Trikes and learning to ride a bike....

I have a friend...she claims she has no balance....she's interested in a
trike for this reason...

I found a website that sells a trike. This is it:
http://www.easyracers.com/ez_3.htm

Are there any upright trikes?

Are the any others (beside Wal-mart!) with two wheels in the rear?

For entirely selfish reasons, I'd like to try steer away from a trike to a
bike. She says that as a kid her brothers tried to help her learn to ride a
bike, but she always fell over onto the pavement. I think she'd like to
avoid that.

I'm thinking I'd try to help her overcome this fear. I'd rent a bike with
fat tires (mtn bike) and have her ride in an open grassy field. I'd move
along beside her holding the bike as she pedaled along. Whatelse might I do
to help her?

Do people do centuries on trikes?

Any comments welcome....

On Sun, 1 May 2005 13:11:50 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
wrote in message
:

I have a friend...she claims she has no balance....she's interested in a
trike for this reason...

It's a skill, is all. Some people never do get it, but they are few
and far between. The main thing I believe holds adults back from
learning balance is trying to start in too high a gear.

My wife had never ridden a bicycle when we met. We bought her one
about four years ago; she now pilots our triplet (three-seater) with
two kids on the back. Your friend might be surprised :-)

Are there any upright trikes?

Yes, but usually made by craft cycle builders (read expensive). There
are some lovely trikes out there, Longstaff in the UK make them, noble
things beloved of their owners. Here is a site worth looking at:

http://www.tricycle-association.org.uk/

Are the any others (beside Wal-mart!) with two wheels in the rear?

Two at the front is usually called tadpole, two at the back is known
as delta, not sure if you'd picked that jargon up yet.

The above has several (but UK of course); you can also get the Hase
Kettweisel and Lepus recumbent deltas, which are excellent machines
and tremendously popular with their owners. There is also one called
the Pashley PDQ3 but that has a very high centre of gravity - several
reviewers have said it is unstable. I'd probably go with the
Kettweisel if I wanted a delta. They are sooooo comfortable :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...
I have a friend...she claims she has no balance....she's interested in a
trike for this reason...

I found a website that sells a trike. This is it:
http://www.easyracers.com/ez_3.htm

Are there any upright trikes?

snippity


Do people do centuries on trikes?

Any comments welcome....



Indeed there are upright trikes and indeed, people do centuries on them and
race on them. In the UK there's a specific tricycle association and trikes
often feature in local time trials (but not in any huge number). I know a
couple of local guys who regularly race trikes and tour with them.

The trike of desire for many a tricyclist over on this side of the pond is a
Longstaff.

See http://www.longstaffcycles.co.uk/

Cheers, helen s

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
On Sun, 1 May 2005 13:11:50 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
wrote in message
:

I have a friend...she claims she has no balance....she's interested
in a trike for this reason...

It's a skill, is all. Some people never do get it, but they are few
and far between. The main thing I believe holds adults back from
learning balance is trying to start in too high a gear.

Thanks for that info on gearing...I'll make use of it. I never seems wise
to start in a high gear, moreso for a noob.


My wife had never ridden a bicycle when we met. We bought her one
about four years ago; she now pilots our triplet (three-seater) with
two kids on the back. Your friend might be surprised :-)

That's what I'm hoping...but if it doesn't work out, it's trike city....she
can afford it.

Are there any upright trikes?

Yes, but usually made by craft cycle builders (read expensive). There
are some lovely trikes out there, Longstaff in the UK make them, noble
things beloved of their owners. Here is a site worth looking at:

http://www.tricycle-association.org.uk/

Thanks.


Are the any others (beside Wal-mart!) with two wheels in the rear?

Two at the front is usually called tadpole, two at the back is known
as delta, not sure if you'd picked that jargon up yet.


I had not....thanks. We discussed the pro/cons of front/back two
wheels....it seems steering is weird with two wheels at the front...but is
that so?

The above has several (but UK of course); you can also get the Hase
Kettweisel and Lepus recumbent deltas, which are excellent machines
and tremendously popular with their owners. There is also one called
the Pashley PDQ3 but that has a very high centre of gravity - several
reviewers have said it is unstable. I'd probably go with the
Kettweisel if I wanted a delta. They are sooooo comfortable :-)

You ride a recumbent, right? Not a trike, I assume....

On Sun, 1 May 2005 14:38:37 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
wrote in message
:

We discussed the pro/cons of front/back two
wheels....it seems steering is weird with two wheels at the front...but is
that so?

Not really. Tadpoles have Ackerman steering, it's very predictable.
I'm told the Newton upright tadpole takes a little getting used to,
but only a little. Recumbent tadpoles? No problem.

You ride a recumbent, right? Not a trike, I assume....

No, a bike. I'd like a trike but I park indoors and take the bike on
trains.

Do get your friend to try the Kettweisel, though, it really is very
refined and civilised. Hang on, I'll come along for the ride...

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
On Sun, 1 May 2005 14:38:37 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
wrote in message
:

We discussed the pro/cons of front/back two
wheels....it seems steering is weird with two wheels at the
front...but is that so?

Not really. Tadpoles have Ackerman steering, it's very predictable.
I'm told the Newton upright tadpole takes a little getting used to,
but only a little. Recumbent tadpoles? No problem.

You ride a recumbent, right? Not a trike, I assume....

No, a bike. I'd like a trike but I park indoors and take the bike on
trains.

Do get your friend to try the Kettweisel, though, it really is very
refined and civilised. Hang on, I'll come along for the ride...

Thanks for all of the help....this is great stuff...she'll be happy.
Hopefully, I'll get some points!

wafflycat wafflesATv21netDOTcoDOTuk wrote:
"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...
I have a friend...she claims she has no balance....she's interested
in a trike for this reason...

I found a website that sells a trike. This is it:
http://www.easyracers.com/ez_3.htm

Are there any upright trikes?

snippity


Do people do centuries on trikes?

Any comments welcome....



Indeed there are upright trikes and indeed, people do centuries on
them and race on them. In the UK there's a specific tricycle
association and trikes often feature in local time trials (but not in
any huge number). I know a couple of local guys who regularly race
trikes and tour with them.

The trike of desire for many a tricyclist over on this side of the
pond is a Longstaff.

See http://www.longstaffcycles.co.uk/

Cheers, helen s

Thanks, helen...Interesting stuff on that page...I had no idea, really. My
ignorance never ceases...I quit being amazed by it long ago, however.

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...


You ride a recumbent, right? Not a trike, I assume....



Hand waves across the pond...

Please sir, please sir!

I ride a recumbent trike... when my teenage son isn't pinching it from me
;-)

One of these...

http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/trikes_t.htm

Not the lightest & I want some slicks put on it for the summer. But it is
*fun*

Cheers, helen s

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...


I had not....thanks. We discussed the pro/cons of front/back two
wheels....it seems steering is weird with two wheels at the front...but is
that so?

On my trice, which has two wheels at front - the steering is incredibly
light & accurate. Speeding downhill and into a bend is *serious fun*

Cheers, helen s

In article ,
"Roger Zoul" writes:
I have a friend...she claims she has no balance....she's interested in a
trike for this reason...

....

Are the any others (beside Wal-mart!) with two wheels in the rear?

For entirely selfish reasons, I'd like to try steer away from a trike to a
bike. She says that as a kid her brothers tried to help her learn to ride a
bike, but she always fell over onto the pavement. I think she'd like to
avoid that.

I'm thinking I'd try to help her overcome this fear. I'd rent a bike with
fat tires (mtn bike) and have her ride in an open grassy field. I'd move
along beside her holding the bike as she pedaled along. Whatelse might I do
to help her?

I acknowledge some people really do have real, physical difficulties
with balance. But I think in at least some cases, the problem is
simply not enough practice with balancing, and a resultant lack of
confidence. In those cases I, like you, think it's much better to
confront and overcome the problem, than to avoid it.

If you're feeling experimental, you could fix her up with a pair
of wooden stilts, like we used to make when we were kids. They
could be initially set low enough to be easily stepped off in
case of panic. Stilts are great for building one's confidence
in their ability to balance, and the $$$ outlay would be considerably
less than for, say, Tai Chi classes. She might even start a trend
among the neighbourhood kids.


cheers,
Tom

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