Tricycle wheelbase (upright)

[drossall]

So what's a typical wheelbase for an upright trike?

When I was looking around, one I saw was 32", although that was advertised as wider than standard. I thought 28" might be more usual, but I've just got round to measuring my Rogers and it's 25".

Obviously narrower means less stable, but possibly more manoeuvrable?

Just interested to know... Thanks in advance.

[Zoidburg]

Standard older door casings in older houses tends to be 2'6" or - 30 inches

Trikes tend be less than that so you can get them in the house.

[drossall]

Thanks for that. I think I realised that a door's width was the limiting factor. Do you often get 28" for example though, and how much difference does an inch or two make? Are there a limited number of standard widths used for different purposes or is it rather more ad hoc? (Can't be many or every axle would be custom...)

[Cunobelin]

Standard older door casings in older houses tends to be 2'6" or - 30 inches

Trikes tend be less than that so you can get them in the house.

Or cut two "wheel shaped" gaps in the frame, and then build a door to match?

[tatanab]

Terminology - the measurement you are questioning is the track (more in a moment), wheelbase is the distance between front and rear hub centres.  Same terminology used for bicycles, tricycles, cars etc

So - the distance between the rear wheel centres is the track, and it is this you have measured at 25".  However, trike axles are defined by their over hubs measurement, i.e. the maximum width.  As stated above, this is usually around 27 1/2" to go through a standard door frame.  32" is more the width you would associate with a tandem trike.

So, your Rogers is say 27 1/2" overhubs with a track of 25".  A Longstaff will similarly be about 27" over hubs, but the track will be wider because the fixing nuts on the Rogers are external to the hub and add to the width, whereas Longstaff are internal to the hub.

It is true that a wider track gives more stability, my Longstaffs are noticable different to the Rogers.  I do not see why a narrow one would be more manouverable, and indeed I detect no difference in low speed manouverability.

[drossall]

Thanks; I knew wheelbase is normally front to back, so thought I might have the term wrong. All useful stuff, learning all the time

I guess, by saying manoeuverability, I was feeling my way towards whether there was a benefit in a narrower track - a bit like an experienced rider may like a more "nervous" bicycle than would a novice. Or whether a touring trike might have a wider track than a racing one. At minimum, it would manoeuvre through gaps in the bunch better