FWD recumbent trikes?

F

fred_primus

Member
Has anyone spent any time comparing / reviewing any front wheel drive recumbent trikes?

I've seen this one, it seems a bit heavy and cumbersome:

Edit:

This version looks a little better:
 
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jond

jond

Zen MBB Master
claimed weight is 37lbs/16.7 kilos for this prototype. looks heavier than that to me. i note the weight of the scorpion fully suspended and ice trikes coming in around that level or above. never ridden a front wheel drive trike tadpole or delta.high quality nice build but practicality is compromised plus added complexity. give me a scorpion or ice FS. the advantage of short chain is lost still with boom flex.
 
F

fred_primus

Member
Good points.
He actually says somewhere else that these designs aren't cornering well and are a bit heavy.
Also the off-center rear wheel can't be good for anything.

However, a short boom section will flex much less than a long boom section and I think a triangle could be easily made to stiffen it.
I hate long chains. I don't feel I can recommend anything with a long chain to anyone.
 
jond

jond

Zen MBB Master
fred_primus said:
Good points.
He actually says somewhere else that these designs aren't cornering well and are a bit heavy.
Also the off-center rear wheel can't be good for anything.

However, a short boom section will flex much less than a long boom section and I think a triangle could be easily made to stiffen it.
I hate long chains. I don't feel I can recommend anything with a long chain to anyone.
Click to expand...
yes a long chain is problematic but they do last 10,000klm and are pretty light. i find it very interesting that i have now 5000klm on my v chain and still good. i guess being up and out of the way keeps it cleaner lasting longer better faster..... :)
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Here's the tilting trike rear end I commission John Morciglio to build for the Magic (Cruzbike FWD/MMB prototype from several years ago.
It is only about 1mph slower than without it, which makes it about as fast as my Vendetta.
The front end actually tilts while the rear stays upright and there is not any locking mechanism when stopped
The only other downside is that the only active brake is the disc brake on the front wheel, but this has not been an issue for meMagic Tilting Trike.jpg
.
 
ccf

ccf

Guru
LarryOz said:
Here's the tilting trike rear end I commission John Morciglio to build for the Magic (Cruzbike FWD/MMB prototype from several years ago.
It is only about 1mph slower than without it, which makes it about as fast as my Vendetta.
The front end actually tilts while the rear stays upright and there is not any locking mechanism when stopped
The only other downside is that the only active brake is the disc brake on the front wheel, but this has not been an issue for meView attachment 14206
.
Click to expand...
Why no rear brake?
 
Rogerreece

Rogerreece

Member
I don't know about Larry's trike, but my FWD, MBB trike also only has a brake on the front wheel - no rear brake. I have put 2000 miles on it, and it's never been a problem.
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
ccf said:
Why no rear brake?
Click to expand...
Just how John built it I guess (probably easier) - - But my wife's ICE trike only has front brakes too, although the rear wheel has a parking brake. I have not noticed any issues while riding it.
 
benphyr

benphyr

Guru-me-not
trplay said:
I believe a rear brake on a trike will make the rear come around fast and flip.
Click to expand...
Sorry @trplay, to me the above seems only applicable to very intentional situations and/or poorly designed trikes.

Trikes often have separate front brakes which induce steering if one grabs a handful of right brake but none of left brake for example. The driver must balance left brake, right brake, and steering inputs.

Rear brakes on cars or bicycles don’t cause any lack of control (unless intentionally doing a skid to show off). As long as the rear wheel is not locked up there should be zero loss of control. If it is locked up with controlled front braking there would be no issue aside from tire wear. If it were to be locked up in combination with unbalanced, uncontrolled front braking it is possible that you could have an issue similar to a car, ATV, dune buggy, etc. that also locks up all but one wheel - but that is an extreme case that should never be encountered in regular riding and can be designed out by balanced brake power adjustment.

It would be the same kind of argument as “rear brakes (or front) shouldn’t be allowed on bikes because they could be locked up and lead to loss of control. Or slick tires, or …
 
benphyr

benphyr

Guru-me-not
trplay said:
note lat para or so. https://tadpolerider.com/tag/tadpole-trike-rear-brake/
Click to expand...
There are lots of things that people say and generally accept as true that don’t necessarily hold up under scrutiny. I would suggest that appropriate brake power for a rear trike brake would be even less than that for a bike or car rear brake which already are at maybe 30 % or less of the total braking power. This would be sufficient for a parking brake and use as emergency and drag braking when on long descents when touring weighted down.

However, I will readily admit that I am not an expert at the physics of vehicle handling - only relatively good at and experienced at bicycle handling and quite good at seeing potential inconsistencies in arguments. That is, I could be full of it. It almost makes me want to install a brake on my Catrike Trail and see how it handles.
 
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