Tadpole for a "fat guy"

"Don Boring" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 06:00:43 -0400, "Jeff Grippe"
wrote:

Check out the Tricruiser. www.americruiser.com

That is a hot looking trike for the money
for my needs but how about the fact that
it looks like it is 'bolted' together.


It is bolted together. Sid's (the builder) experience was with building hang
gliders. He builds the way he knows how to build.

Does the frame need to be continually
checked before each ride to make sure
it won't fall apart on you while you are
riding? Seriously.


It needs to be checked periodically but not before each ride. I have not had
a problem with loosening although I do check it on a regular basis. I would
say I check some things monthly and most things every couple of months.

How does it compare with riding say an
EZ-1 Sun Supercruiser as far as speed
and handling? The components on that
bike are fine for my needs.


I have never riden an EZ-1 but I have owned an EZ-3. I like it better than
the EZ-3. My experience with trikes leads me to believe that none of them
are particularly safe above 30 MPH. This trike is not built for speed. It
handles fine but you shouldn't expect it to handle like a bike.

And isn't the tadpole design more dangerous
than a Delta trike?


I don't know the answer to that. Ed Dolan would say yes but the deltas I've
riden I didn't like. The only one that I think would be interesting is the
new one by Hase that uses a differential to supply power to both wheels. I
know some other Hase owners who love them but they also own tadpoles and
love them too. Most tadpoles are much lower to the ground then the
tricruiser. The tricruiser is as high off the ground as most deltas. This
makes it easy to get into and out of but it probably makes it less stable. I
enjoy riding it.

Looks hot and I may inquire about one. I need
something I can take to the market that will
hold a weeks worth of groceries and the price
is right!


It is built like that. The rear rack that Sid sells is this big heavy thing
that can hold a lot. During the summer I put two folding chairs (the kind
that fold into a bag) and a big cooler on the back and rode it to our local
swimming pool. It was a great pack rat.

I only weight 175 lbs. Do you think I would
wear it out in 10 years?

How about durability? You

These two questions are really the same. I don't know about the ten year
life. Sid does not use premium components so I am changing some things now
after only one year but I am making these changes because I want better
performance and not because they need to be changed. I don't think Sid has
been building them for 10 years yet. He is in San Diego and he'd be happy to
have you come visit and try one out. You can see it and then decide for
yourself. I plan to use mine for riding to and from the train station. For
longer tours I use a different trike.

Don Boring
Glendora, CA. USA
Easy Racer EZ1-SC http://www.easyracers.com/ez_1_sc.htm
Lightning Thunderbolt http://www.lightningbikes.com/thunderbolt.htm

Edward Dolan wrote:
...
I wonder myself what is going to happen to all my many bikes (both uprights
and recumbents) after I cease to honor this world with my lordly presence. I
have a vision of a big truck pulling up to the house and taking all of my
bikes out to the local dump where they will henceforth reside for all
eternity. This is something for the rest of you to think on too if you are
planning to spend $2000. or more on a bike. Ask yourself if your city dump
deserves such an expensive bike....

If there is no will and no obvious heirs, the State of Minnesota would
likely take possession and auction everything off. Depending on who
attended the auction [1], the bikes could go for much less than they
are worth. I know someone who obtained an almost new HPV in this manner
for much less than its market value.

[1] Government auctions tend to be poorly advertised and held in
obscure locations so only the "right" people will show up - similar to
a kickback scheme in many ways.
--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley

Jeff Grippe wrote:
Check out the Tricruiser. www.americruiser.com ...

It looks like the dog would drool on the head of all but the tallest
riders.
--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley

"Sunset Lowracer [TM] Fanatic" wrote in message
oups.com...

Edward Dolan wrote:
...
I wonder myself what is going to happen to all my many bikes (both
uprights
and recumbents) after I cease to honor this world with my lordly
presence. I
have a vision of a big truck pulling up to the house and taking all of my
bikes out to the local dump where they will henceforth reside for all
eternity. This is something for the rest of you to think on too if you
are
planning to spend $2000. or more on a bike. Ask yourself if your city
dump
deserves such an expensive bike....

If there is no will and no obvious heirs, the State of Minnesota would
likely take possession and auction everything off. Depending on who
attended the auction [1], the bikes could go for much less than they
are worth. I know someone who obtained an almost new HPV in this manner
for much less than its market value.

[1] Government auctions tend to be poorly advertised and held in
obscure locations so only the "right" people will show up - similar to
a kickback scheme in many ways.
--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley

Well, there are heirs (nephews and nieces), but what they know and like
about bikes you could put in a thimble with room to spare. However, I will
try to impress on them that my bikes are worth something. They are all money
grubbers, so that should make them sit up and take notice. Basically, I
would like my bikes to find good homes when I am no longer here to take care
of them. I feel about my many bikes the same way I feel about my many cats.

--
Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

In article , says...
"Don Boring" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 06:00:43 -0400, "Jeff Grippe"
wrote:

Check out the Tricruiser. www.americruiser.com



I have never riden an EZ-1 but I have owned an EZ-3. I like it better than
the EZ-3. My experience with trikes leads me to believe that none of them
are particularly safe above 30 MPH. This trike is not built for speed. It
handles fine but you shouldn't expect it to handle like a bike.


I don't need it to be fast or expect it to handle like a bike.

First I need it to be comfortable, I've broken my tailbone two times,
the first 25 years ago and the second 8 years ago and I still feel pain
when sitting unless the seat is comfortable (unlike a bike seat).

Second I need it to be enjoyable, all I ever read is how much "fun" a
trike is and that's what I need.

After the accident's I've had, that have caused me to become the "spud"
I am today, I need some motivation to get out there and walking won't do
it.

I walk a couple miles a day normally when working and when I get home
walking isn't real high on my list of things to do.

I've always loved riding and have a road bike and a mountain bike but
like I said, the accidents were debilitating and I became unable to
ride, then depression set in and that's more debiltating than the
physical injuries. The one thing I could still do was feed my face.

Anyway thanks for the input.

"R.D.S." wrote in message
...
[...]
After the accident's I've had, that have caused me to become the "spud"
I am today, I need some motivation to get out there and walking won't do
it.

I walk a couple miles a day normally when working and when I get home
walking isn't real high on my list of things to do.

I've always loved riding and have a road bike and a mountain bike but
like I said, the accidents were debilitating and I became unable to
ride, then depression set in and that's more debiltating than the
physical injuries. The one thing I could still do was feed my face.

Anyway thanks for the input.

Sorry, but you need to walk more than anything else. That is what we humans
were designed to do by our evolution as walking primates. By choosing not to
walk, you have elcted death. I encourage you to elect life and to get
walking. You may want to start out with water walking in a swimming pool,
but eventually if you want to live you will have to walk. there is simply no
susbstitute for it.

When winter sets in here in Minnesota, I forget about my bikes and I walk
for a couple of hours every day. Hey, if I can do it, so can you. We wil al
be dead soon enough,so let's live as long as possible.

If you get the sun tadpole sx you will want to upgrade the tires to the
Kenda Kwest 100psi. They will handle the weight much better than the tires
that come standard.