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Adult Tricycles
I'm considering a tricycle for a handicapped adult in my life. I've
been looking on eBay at the various options and have some vague idea of the market. I'd want to go with the widest wheelbase option... most are 29" or so such that they fit through standard doors. That seems narrow to me. I'd give up doors for stability. Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? Jones |
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Adult Tricycles
"!Jones" wrote in message ... I'm considering a tricycle for a handicapped adult in my life. I've been looking on eBay at the various options and have some vague idea of the market. I'd want to go with the widest wheelbase option... most are 29" or so such that they fit through standard doors. That seems narrow to me. I'd give up doors for stability. Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? Jones http://sheldonbrown.org/greenspeed/index.html -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com |
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Adult Tricycles
On Oct 7, 9:31 pm, !Jones wrote:
I'm considering a tricycle for a handicapped adult in my life. I've been looking on eBay at the various options and have some vague idea of the market. I'd want to go with the widest wheelbase option... most are 29" or so such that they fit through standard doors. That seems narrow to me. I'd give up doors for stability. Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? Jones If you haven't already, take one for a ride. Regular adult tricycles (google Worksman) are pretty scary to ride. Tricycles dive into every angle and divot on the road. To stay straight, you have to steer in the opposite direction, which puts your weight to the outside. Compounded by the fact that the positioning is very upright, it's a creepy feeling even for someone with normal balance. Something low, like the Greenspeed, does seem preferable. Scott |
#4
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Adult Tricycles
I too had an experience with adult tricycles. My mother, a non driver and
cyclist (dutch style) her whole life was becoming scared at the thought of balancing and having to get off and on her bike. I took her to test ride an adult trike, a delta model (2 wheels in back). She promptly fell over as she turned near the curb dip. She didn't hurt herself but the trike experience was over. The bike shop suggested trying her with a Townie. ( http://www.electrabike.com/townie/ ) These bikes you can have your feet flat on the ground without having to get off the seat. The pedals are mounted somewhat forward. Haven't gotten her onto one but tried it myself and thnk it may be the solution. Grolsch "!Jones" wrote in message ... I'm considering a tricycle for a handicapped adult in my life. I've been looking on eBay at the various options and have some vague idea of the market. I'd want to go with the widest wheelbase option... most are 29" or so such that they fit through standard doors. That seems narrow to me. I'd give up doors for stability. Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? Jones |
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Adult Tricycles
!Jones wrote:
Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? Sun EZ-3 is one of the best choices for that situation. It's a lot lower (and therefore a lot stabler) than a normal upright trike, but it's a whopping lot cheaper and more widely known than the many specialty 'bent trikes out there. And it's way easier to mount and dismount than a tadpole trike. Remember, it's not the track width that counts, but the angle between the center of mass and the contact patches with respect to the vertical. |
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Adult Tricycles
On Oct 8, 1:20 pm, Chalo wrote:
!Jones wrote: Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? My wife had a severe accident and has made a progression from a Trailmate Joyrider ( http://www.industrialbicycles.com/joyrider%20trike.htm ) to a Sun EZ-3, and ultimately, to a Townie. The Joyrider is desperately heavy, awkward and really doesn't have enough stability to be driven at anything but very slow speeds. But it's main advantage (for my wife) was that you can just walk into the frame. (You don't have to raise your leg over a bar.) It comes as a one-speed, but given the weight, the optional 3-spd Sturmey Archer gearing is really needed. The optional "mag-style" plastic strut wheels were useful, too, because if she got a little stuck, she could reach back and grab the rear wheels to get going. The Sun is far more stable, lighter (she got the aluminum frame version) and more fun to ride, and is mostly built out of standard mountain bike drive train components (easy maintenance). It doesn't feel like an "industrial" trike, as many of them do. The Townie rides like a typical cruiser, but with the cranks moved forward, you can get fairly reasonable leg extension but still put both feet flat on the ground while you're in the saddle. The seat is also low enough that she can straddle the rear wheel and just walk forward and sit down on the saddle. (She still isn't comfortable standing on one leg and swinging the other over the saddle.) Many gearing options are available (internal hubs, cassette/derailleur). |
#7
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Adult Tricycles
!Jones wrote:
I'm considering a tricycle for a handicapped adult in my life. I've been looking on eBay at the various options and have some vague idea of the market. I'd want to go with the widest wheelbase option... most are 29" or so such that they fit through standard doors. That seems narrow to me. I'd give up doors for stability. Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? Scott Gordo wrote: If you haven't already, take one for a ride. Regular adult tricycles (google Worksman) are pretty scary to ride. Tricycles dive into every angle and divot on the road. To stay straight, you have to steer in the opposite direction, which puts your weight to the outside. Compounded by the fact that the positioning is very upright, it's a creepy feeling even for someone with normal balance. Something low, like the Greenspeed, does seem preferable. Yes, that's all true. Your comments perhaps lend new meaning to the Holdsworth Tricycle Conversion ad slogan, "Ideal for Spastics": http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...st/HWTRIKE.JPG from: http://www.yellowjersey.org/holdsw.html -- Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971 |
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Adult Tricycles
"Exclamation Point" Jones wrote:
I'm considering a tricycle for a handicapped adult in my life. I've been looking on eBay at the various options and have some vague idea of the market. I'd want to go with the widest wheelbase option... most are 29" or so such that they fit through standard doors. That seems narrow to me. I'd give up doors for stability. Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? Here is a dealer that specializes in human powered vehicles for the handicapped: http://thebikerack.com/page.cfm?PageID=82. If it is just a matter of balance with no other issues, there are plenty of good tadpoles and a few good delta trikes out there (these are also suitable and much fun for the non-disabled). -- Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia A Real Cyclist [TM] keeps at least one bicycle in the bedroom. -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com |
#9
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Adult Tricycles
!Jones wrote:
I'm considering a tricycle for a handicapped adult in my life. I've been looking on eBay at the various options and have some vague idea of the market. I'd want to go with the widest wheelbase option... most are 29" or so such that they fit through standard doors. That seems narrow to me. I'd give up doors for stability. Does anyone have any experience with balance-impared adults and tricycles? Any suggestions or advice? Jones I have no direct experience, but I have heard with mobility-impaired that the tadpole trikes often sit way too low to the ground to allow getting in and out easily. The delta trikes (two wheels in back) tend to sit higher but won't corner as hard. At around $800 or so, the Sun EZ-3 is the "typical" lower-cost suggestion. It has real gears but is rather narrow. Worksman makes a lower-priced recumbent trike but it's only a 3-speed and so doesn't have a full range of gearing or any easy way to add that on. Lightfoot cycles has some trikes (with real gears!) and does custom work as well. Ain't cheap though, $2500-$3000. ~ |
#10
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Adult Tricycles
A Muzi wrote:
Yes, that's all true. Your comments perhaps lend new meaning to the Holdsworth Tricycle Conversion ad slogan, "Ideal for Spastics": http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...st/HWTRIKE.JPG from: http://www.yellowjersey.org/holdsw.html Does anyplace make a kit like this now for 26" wheel external/multispeed bikes? I'd love to try one out on a recumbent bike I have. I have seen that lowrider places sell trike rear-end kits and they are available with 26" wheels, but they are all only for single-speed rear hubs. ~ |
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