Useful And Essential Facts About Recumbent Trikes

By Michelle Hughes


A three-wheeled, gravity- or human-powered vehicle is normally referred to as a tricycle. In many cases, the abbreviation trike is used. There are numerous types of tricycles which include cycle rickshaws and freight. Tricycles are used for many purposes such as exercise, transportation, recreational and shopping just to mention a few. In developing countries in Africa and Asia, the use of tricycles as a means of transportation is common. This is worth knowing about recumbent trikes.

Tricycles have a long history that dates back to either 1655 or 1680 according to history. History also indicates that the invention was made by a German man who was disabled. The name of the man was Stephan Farffler and his main intention was to be able to maintain his mobility. The tricycle that Farffler created was powered by hand cranks, a concept that Farffler borrowed from his watch-making career.

As years passed, different kinds of tricycles were made by different people from different parts of the world. Most popular tricycles came from Britain and France. The original design of making tricycles was patented by a British inventor known as Dennis Johnson. A common feature across the inventions is that they were either powered using hands or legs.

In the West, trikes are used commonly by senior citizens and kids. These groups of people prefer tricycles because they offer more stability compared to bicycles. However, even though tricycles may offer more stability when they are moving in a straight line, they have poor dynamic lateral stability. That means that the rider has to be extra careful when they are negotiating a corner to avoid tipping over.

There are various associations in countries where people love tricycles like the UK where one can register. Activities such as day rides, tours and time trials are usually organized by these associations. Regulations in the tricycle industry and safety standards for consumers are usually set by the associations. Other responsibilities of the associations are to maintain statistics about tricycles and so on.

Several types of tricycles exist and they all have different wheel configurations. Tadpole and delta are among the most common wheel configurations. As for delta wheel configuration, the vehicle usually has one wheel at the front with two wheels at the back. On the contrary, tadpole configuration entails two wheels at the front and one wheel placed at the back. Other wheel configurations existed over the years but have since been phased out.

As of today, there are various kinds of tricycles in use. There are two which are common, that is, recumbent and upright tricycles. Upright tricycles resemble bicycles with an open frame or diamond-shaped frame. These tricycles can have a tadpole or delta kind of wheel configuration. The handlebar is used to steer them. However, one ought to be careful with non-tilting upright tricycles since they are not stable.

For the recumbent tricycles, the low center of gravity gives them more stability. The aerodynamic drag is also low. However, they are quite expensive, heavier and wider as well. It might be difficult for other traffic to see them as they are set very low to the ground.




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