Sortimo electric cargo trikes

[wturber]

I've been intrigued by both two and three wheeled recumbent bikes for long time. I'd love to get the aero advantage they offer, but the low profile and question of traffic visibility has always been a concern for me. Other concerns have been cost, storage, transport and lack of general nimbleness/versatility when riding in bike lanes, road shoulders, and and sometimes sidewalks.

I just now got to this thread and saw this. I made a comment in another thread yesterday about over-sensitivity to risks inherent in things we don't do. That low profile visibility issue was going to be an example, but I deleted it for brevity. It comes up enough among non-riders, that I suppose practically every non-rider who might care about my welfare would eventually get around to worrying on my behalf. I've had an upright cyclist stop and lecture me about not having one of those flags ... when he could see with his own eyes that I'm as tall as the average car.

Sure. You are as tall at your head height. Which mean you are way less visible than a car with just your head at that height. An upright bike is more visible (head and upper body) and it allows the rider to see more (easier to twist and look around). If I stand on the pedals, I can improve on all of those things. A recumbent is generally less visible than an upright. That's a negative that matters to me. Maybe I weigh it too much. But surely it is a factor worth considering.

 

[LockH]

I've been intrigued by both two and three wheeled recumbent bikes for long time. I'd love to get the aero advantage they offer, but the low profile and question of traffic visibility has always been a concern for me.

Hehe... Recent convert to recumbent trike... `cept I fly a five foot tall pole w/flags and streamers all flying.

 

[Chalo]

Is that a recumbent unicycle with training wheels?

 

[donn]

That's kind of interesting. The review I found is fairly kind - for under $500, I kind of expected garbage to fall out of the box, but the worst criticism he has: doesn't climb hills worth a damn, because of the fixed gear. And the components are cheap, the tires wear out fast. Things that wouldn't matter to someone planning to put a motor or two on the rear wheels. Weight apparently 44 lbs, which I find surprisingly light. Likely would be nice to have a bigger front wheel on there, but doesn't look easy to do.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I ride a tadpole trike. Soon it will have a motor for hills and start/stop riding in the city.

Trikes corner at the same speeds a car would:

- you brake for corners, if the inside wheel lifts you are going too fast
- you use your weight in a similar fashion to when you are in a side car equiped motorbike
- you can add power going around roundabouts and the rear wheel will slide just like in a Morgan
- aerodynamics are no better than a TT rider on an upright (the extra wheel doesn't help)

I like this tilting cargo trike:
https://www.butchersandbicycles.com/features.html

 

[classicalgas]

"aerodynamics are no better than a TT rider on an upright (the extra wheel doesn't help)"... various charts say a TT bike and tucked rider has about 20% less drag than an upright commuter bike( even without fenders) so that trike is much cleaner than a (non race) upright already That difference translates to about 40%higher speed for a given power output. Even just a tailbox on a trike is worth another 10% reduction in drag. The faster you go, the more difference aero improvements make, but the gain is already significant at 20 mph.