Will this Trike Conversion work?

[John Tolhurst]

as you accept the traction limitations

That is true, but when you lower the CoG like that you move weight from the front wheel and create traction problems. You need 50% weight on the front wheel.

If you replicate the geometry of one of the hand cycle racers, it will work, as long as you accept the traction limitations.

 

[3WHELZ]

Cannot argue with that, but

In the case of my wife, that would likely not be an issue. Moving the center of mass forward coupled with the weight of the FWD components may may come closer to reaching thee 50% sweet spot. The drawback may be trike that some may find too long length or too heavy. Given that we also have a GTT that is 11 feet long, all is relative.

I certainly appreciate your willingness to discuss the topic. Others too seem to have an interest.

 

[nerys]

I am also interested in

I am also interested in triking a cruze conversion.

my main interest is mass distribution. I am very heavy 400 pounds and very tall 6'4"

so I REALLy squash regular mountain bike tires (its one of the reasons I can't ride it dangerous when the tire squishes and rolls on you in turns)

a trike would solve this by giving me THREE tires to hold my weight.

one way to solve the issue of COG is to use SMALL wheels in the rear. for us taller folks this might also fix the leg angle to the pedals issue some speak of (I am not experienced in the terminology just read another thread where this was an issue for a tall rider)


since the front wheel is the drive wheel both rear wheels would be "free wheeling" and their size would be irrelevant as far as "propulsion" is concerned. so making them smaller should not harm anything but would lower your COG quite a bit.

 

[John Tolhurst]

26" 1.5" tires at 100 psi

26" 1.5" tires at 100 psi would have exactly 2 square inches of contact patch with the road each, totalling pressure: 400 lbs per 4 square inches. I think you'll survive!