Recumbent tricycle
The trike , also known as sun Trike or short trike called, is a three-track recumbent bike , which will be built in two basic types. The most common, the design of the type "Tadpole" (Engl. Is tadpole ) with two steered wheels in front and a driven rear wheel. The somewhat rarer design with two rear wheels and one steered front wheel is called "Delta". With the Delta, one of the rear wheels is usually driven, less often both rear wheels (then with differential gear ) or the front wheel.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of the recumbent tricycle compared to the two-wheeled, single-track recumbent bike are the high level of security against tipping over , the increased braking power and the possibility of attaching an all-round cover to reduce wind resistance and as weather protection. Furthermore, the high level of security against tipping over - even when standing - is particularly advantageous for transporting small children using a child seat. In addition, it enables slow driving without the driver having to concentrate on his balance and driving serpentine lines; this is a clear advantage, especially uphill. This tipping safety made it possible for Maria Leijerstam in December 2013 to be the first person to reach the South Pole on a bicycle, in this case a trike with balloon tires, and to choose a particularly short but relatively steep route.
Disadvantages are the higher weight, the slightly higher rolling resistance and the larger width. In city traffic, the low seating position can also be a disadvantage with some models. Since recumbent tricycles as three-lane vehicles cannot be easily steered around uneven ground, uneven stretches are often associated with inconvenience for the driver, which can be significantly reduced by using so-called balloon tires or suspension .
Special designs
Some recumbent tricycles are available as folding bikes so that the otherwise bulky vehicles can be folded and transported in the car trunk or on the train. Examples of foldable recumbent tricycles are the Gecko , Scorpion fx and fs models from the German manufacturer HP Velotechnik and the Sprint and Adventure models from the English manufacturer Inspired Cycle Engineering .
Recumbent tricycles are also available as tandem (with seats behind one another) and as side by side . Here two seats are arranged next to each other.
Kurvenneiger Tripendo
typical Delta design ( Kettwiesel from Hase Spezialräder )
typical Tadpole design, Njunis from Q-Cycles
DIY recumbent tricycle with hand and foot drive
Tandem trike in stretch execution
Alleweder 4 : Velomobile
Detailed Creative Commons construction plan for do-it-yourselfers
The Polar Cycle with Maria Leijerstam
