Help with deciding which trike to buy

Hello! As promised here is my new ride! I am quite happy. It is a 2015 model year but in amazingly good shape. Have some family things to take care of tomorrow, but will reach out to my local bike shop to get it tuned up and fitted. I’m excited to begin the new adventure. You have to pardon the mess, I’m building a chicken coop in my shop for my bride.

 

Nice looking trike, and just in time for a summer of fun!

 

T Cycle, TerraCycle, has many add on mounts as well as other items that are helpful, enjoy your Catrike

 

Thank you gentlemen! Besides a tune up, I would like a bike computer, possibly front fenders and lighting. I’m going to prove to myself that I can get out and exercise 4-6 days a week for an hour at a time. I understand that I will need to work up to the hour, which may take me a bit of time to accomplish. I also need to learn gears (got 30) and how to use the shoes which clip into the pedals. I want to enjoy the outdoors and get in shape doing it. When I achieve my goals, I can always purchase a better trike. I do notice many of you all have had many trikes. I think many people start off like I am, learning while enjoying.

 

Good for you starting out on a new adventure with your Trike! A couple of thoughts:

1. get the flag mount fixed - being seen by drivers is VERY important on a recumbent trike - goes without saying that 90% of "being seen" is on you to make sure that they see you when they're texting or whatever besides driving. I wear a day-glow orange shirt, too, in addition to flashing LED lights on the back of the bike.
2. use the gears and save your knees - for me, gearing down up a hill saves wear and tear on my knees - for the usually level ground riding where I am (North Texas), there's a gear that's my sweet spot - you'll find yours.
3. don't skimp on tires - it's not fun getting a flat halfway on your ride miles away from home - I use Schwalbe Marathon tires, with schwalbe puncture resistant tubes, with green slime inside the tubes.
4. I have sun sensitivity, so I wear a long-sleeve shirt, long black "tights", a wide brim, long-tailed hat ("Sunday Afternoon Adventure Hat"), and an "old West" kinda face mask - keeps the sun off my face AND keeps the bugs out of my mouth
5. whether ya like dogs or not, you'll likely encounter dogs running loose - famous last words, "don't worry, he doesn't bite" - get a small clip on pepper spray canister
6. always carry your cell phone and an ID - just in case . . .

Happy riding !

 

fenders from Catrike Store and head rest

 

Thank you gentlemen! I went on a maiden voyage on Wednesday. While it did make me smile (excellent), it has some room for improvement as well. It was terribly muddy out, so I decided to skip the clip in shoes and opt for my muddy shoes. My feet did slip off the pedals, but I wasn’t going so fast that I couldn’t recover without the dreaded Foot Suck. I’m still having some issues with clipping and un-clipping the shoes from the pedals. I need to practice this more, so I don’t look like too much of an idiot. I also need to get some of t-trikes assistance bars for getting on and off. I would like to think that as I begin to ride my trike more, that it would get easier, but I’m unsure. I also need to get more familiar with my gears. I have 30 of them after all. The weather got bad again, so it maybe next week before it is even 40 degrees out. I am looking forward to getting back out and learning more.

I greatly appreciate everyone’s comments and assistance. Thanks again!
Jake

 

Don't make the gears thing too hard. Basically, you just need to find a gear that lets you pedal at your preferred cadence and effort, it isn't important to know a gear sequence. Generally speaking, change the front (left one) for big changes like going up and down hills, and change the rear (right one) for smaller adjustments in speed.

 

I got last year away from clipless and went to Pedaling Innovations rode more than 1k miles NO Leg Suck. will not even think about going back to clipless. Also for assistance bars T Cycle

 

Once again, THANK YOU for everything! The weather sucks here, so no trike riding for a few days anyhow. I have to prioritize my purchases. I think the assistance bars and a way to keep track of my distance will be my first purchase. There should be a way to "loosen" the clips on the pedals, but I haven't looked closely enough to figure it out. I can get them to click in when I am not wearing them, but as soon as I put my shoes on I have one heck of a time getting them clicked in. Could be they are new and not broke in. Hopefully this weekend I will have some time to mess with them. You folks rule!

 

How True you are..... That is the best thing so far of a recumbent trike.

 

Re/"I’m still having some issues with clipping and un-clipping the shoes from the pedals. I need to practice..."

I, too, had problems with clipping/unclipping.

Practice helped, but so did spritzing the clip mechanisms with some lubricant.

Watch yourself on bumps until you get a feel for different effects of different bumps at different speeds.

The way I sit on my ICE Adventure FS HD, if I hit too big a bump too fast, I am flirting with neck injury unless I sit bolt upright to take the bump.

For that reason, after two years I am in the market for a SteinTrikes, which has a "Real" suspension with 4" of travel and shock absorbtion - as opposed to the minimalist elastomer sus on me ICE