trike attachment?

I purchased a Schwinn cruiser for my mom a couple years ago. She's
never owned a bicycle and never learned to ride one. I've prodded, but
at this point it ain't gonna happen with a regular two wheeler --
she's too scared to crash.
So I want to set her up with a trike, something like one of these:

http://www.waltscycle.com/trikes.htm

However, I've already got the Schwinn cruiser. The trikes I've seen
appear to be a regular frame with a two-wheel unit bolted into the
rear frame dropouts. Can anybody point me in a direction to buy just
the unit and not the whole bike?

Thanks.

/s

["Followup-To:" header set to alt.mountain-bike.] On 2004-07-22,
supabonbon penned:
I purchased a Schwinn cruiser for my mom a couple years ago. She's
never owned a bicycle and never learned to ride one. I've prodded, but
at this point it ain't gonna happen with a regular two wheeler --
she's too scared to crash. So I want to set her up with a trike,
something like one of these:

http://www.waltscycle.com/trikes.htm

However, I've already got the Schwinn cruiser. The trikes I've seen
appear to be a regular frame with a two-wheel unit bolted into the
rear frame dropouts. Can anybody point me in a direction to buy just
the unit and not the whole bike?


I have no idea, but I just have to ask -- what's up with the pics of the
guy using the trike? His knees are bent for the whole pedal stroke, it
looks like. Ouch!

--
monique

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live."
-- Mark Twain

(supabonbon) wrote in message . com...
I purchased a Schwinn cruiser for my mom a couple years ago. She's
never owned a bicycle and never learned to ride one. I've prodded, but
at this point it ain't gonna happen with a regular two wheeler --
she's too scared to crash.
So I want to set her up with a trike, something like one of these:

http://www.waltscycle.com/trikes.htm

However, I've already got the Schwinn cruiser. The trikes I've seen
appear to be a regular frame with a two-wheel unit bolted into the
rear frame dropouts. Can anybody point me in a direction to buy just
the unit and not the whole bike?

Thanks.

/s

Sheesh- some people can't even answer a simple question without going
off on an irrelevant tangent.

Anyway- Steve, trike conversions are sold by a few bike shops here and
there. Since you don't say where you are, I can't refer you to a
specific shop.
I plugged "bike trike conversion" into Google and found these:
http://www.web.net/freedex/Trike%20Conversion.htm
http://www.megalowrider.com/Item/F9901.htm
http://www.masterlowrider.shoppingca...441/135896.htm

The conversion housing and associated parts are also available from
J&B Importers- but there doesn't appear to be a complete kit listed.
You'll have to talk to a knowledgable dealer to get all the parts.

Jeff

(supabonbon) wrote in message . com...
I purchased a Schwinn cruiser for my mom a couple years ago. She's
never owned a bicycle and never learned to ride one. I've prodded, but
at this point it ain't gonna happen with a regular two wheeler --
she's too scared to crash.
So I want to set her up with a trike, something like one of these:

http://www.waltscycle.com/trikes.htm

However, I've already got the Schwinn cruiser. The trikes I've seen
appear to be a regular frame with a two-wheel unit bolted into the
rear frame dropouts. Can anybody point me in a direction to buy just
the unit and not the whole bike?

Thanks.

/s

Try these dudes: http://www.lovelylowrider.com

Last time I checked their website out, they had a
trike conversion for a 20" that you could probably
convert to use 26" wheels on.

If not, let me know and I'll ask a local shop here who
does custom conversions for handicapped people. He'll
give me a quote that will be reasonable for something
like that.

JD

On 22 Jul 2004 21:29:34 -0700, (Jeff Wills) wrote:

Anyway- Steve, trike conversions are sold by a few bike shops here and
there. Since you don't say where you are, I can't refer you to a
specific shop.
I plugged "bike trike conversion" into Google and found these:
http://www.web.net/freedex/Trike%20Conversion.htm
http://www.megalowrider.com/Item/F9901.htm
http://www.masterlowrider.shoppingca...441/135896.htm

The conversion housing and associated parts are also available from
J&B Importers- but there doesn't appear to be a complete kit listed.
You'll have to talk to a knowledgable dealer to get all the parts.

One consideration to keep in mind; the cheaper kits generally are set
up to drive only one of the rear wheels, and while that works, it's
not necessarily as good as using an axle with a differential that
drives both wheels. One-wheel-drive is, however, vastly preferred
over a straight axle that drives both wheels; this is not a safe setup
for a trike, as it makes steering very dodgy...and downright
impossible at times.

I'd ask about the type of system used before buying any kit.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

I seem to recall that the UK Cycling mag "Cycling Plus" reviewed just
such an animal last year, sometime around their Giro d'Italia issue.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

-Luigi

Werehatrack wrote:

One consideration to keep in mind; the cheaper kits generally are set
up to drive only one of the rear wheels, and while that works, it's
not necessarily as good as using an axle with a differential that
drives both wheels. One-wheel-drive is, however, vastly preferred
over a straight axle that drives both wheels; this is not a safe setup
for a trike, as it makes steering very dodgy...and downright
impossible at times....

Most purpose built delta trikes drive only one rear wheel. A
differential adds significant cost and complexity.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 00:20:16 -0500, Tom Sherman
wrote:

Werehatrack wrote:

One consideration to keep in mind; the cheaper kits generally are set
up to drive only one of the rear wheels, and while that works, it's
not necessarily as good as using an axle with a differential that
drives both wheels. One-wheel-drive is, however, vastly preferred
over a straight axle that drives both wheels; this is not a safe setup
for a trike, as it makes steering very dodgy...and downright
impossible at times....

Most purpose built delta trikes drive only one rear wheel. A
differential adds significant cost and complexity.

It also adds another drawback; unless the diff is equipped with a slip
brake (in automotive apps, this is called "posi-traction") the
effectiveness of the drive will be completely lost when *either* rear
wheel lifts off the road. With one-side-drive, you only lose drive
effectiveness when the driving wheel lifts. There are reasons to
prefer each of these, but when cost is taken into account, the
one-siders tend to win. I had a one-sider as a delivery vehicle back
in the early '70s; I don't miss it.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:26:36 GMT, Werehatrack
wrote in message
:

in automotive apps, this is called "posi-traction"

And there was I thinking it was called a limited slip differential :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

(supabonbon) wrote:

I purchased a Schwinn cruiser for my mom a couple years ago. She's
never owned a bicycle and never learned to ride one. I've prodded, but
at this point it ain't gonna happen with a regular two wheeler --
she's too scared to crash.
So I want to set her up with a trike,

What you and she may not know is that a trike is WAY more crash-prone
than a bike, and that's especially true of trikes that are adapted
from bikes. They tip to the outside of turns, jacknife, barrel-roll,
and do all sorts of other unruly things of which a bicycle is
generally incapable. To my way of thinking, that is one of a trike's
advantages over a bike. You have lots more ways to crash without ever
even going fast.

For your mom, though, it is apt to be a scary experience that "proves"
to her what a deathtrap a bicycle must be. She'll give up the trike
and become even more determined never to try a bike.

If she must go on all threes, she had better use a recumbent trike,
which places the C of G low enough to ride without undue peril.

http://www.wagondepot.com/joyrider.html
http://www.wagondepot.com/fun-cycle.html
http://www.sunbicycles.com/03/html_0...ts/ez3_sx.html

Such machines are not a lot of bike for the money, though. She'll
have a better time if she relinquishes her weenitude and learns to
ride on two wheels.

Chalo Colina