wanting to try out a Catrike or ICE - anyone help

[ElyDave]

Anyone local to me have a Catrike Expedition or an ICE 26" trike that I could take a short test ride on in controlled circumstances? I want to see if I suit three wheels as well as two.

DTek is shut for the winter for test rides.

[Quint]

If you get anywhere near North(ish) Oxfordshire we have an ICE 26 NT you could have a play with, any Saturday afternoon or Sunday and I could take you out for a trikle, I hope I won't provoke anyones ire but an ICE is more intuitive especially with the steering as the Catrikes have direct steering, Barbara had a Pocket upgraded by Catrike to a Road after an accident and which I rapidly (after trying it in Brittany while Barbara  rode my ICE) got rid of and got her an ICE which she is extremely happy with and (I feel) safer

[Kim]

I hope I won't provoke anyones ire but an ICE is more intuitive especially with the steering as the Catrikes have direct steering

I'd agree with that, although by the same measure you might find the catrike steering more fun.  Depends what you're after.  Certainly worth trying both.

[Quint]

Not when your flying down a hill and hit a bump, the steering flicks over and you do one and a half barrel rolls. She (Barbara) was lucky.

[ElyDave]

Not when your flying down a hill and hit a bump, the steering flicks over and you do one and a half barrel rolls. She (Barbara) was lucky.

It was probably the half that was the mistake.  Glad no serious damage caused

[Quint]

It was the half indeed, concussion, abrasions and a Campag chainset imprint in her leg that took six months to fade, lucky brave woman.

[cycleman]

if you get anywhere near slough you are welcome to try my trice adventure fs 

[ElyDave]

It was the half indeed, concussion, abrasions and a Campag chainset imprint in her leg that took six months to fade, lucky brave woman.

Sounds like it a lucky escape.  This is partly why I'm thinking recumbent trike over winter vs two-wheeler with recovering from the twitchiness much harder.

[Quint]

You won't want to go back to two wheels

[numbnuts]

You'll love a trike two circuits round a car park did it for me, the first time out in traffic was a wee bit daunting, but then I noticed that the cars were giving more room than on my bike and so hundreds miles later I'm still smiling go for it

[Quint]

Yes, the room other vehicles give you is almost embarrassing, when we were given our first ride on a trike (by Cycleman) we even had a BMW stop ON a roundabout to usher us across, incredible then you get the "wheeeee" factor down a twisty hill which installs the (in)famous trikie grin and there you have it. Tadpole preferably from ICE, best make in the world.

[Kim]

You won't want to go back to two wheels

Disagree.  Much as I enjoy riding the ICE trike, I greatly prefer two wheels, as it's more efficient, more stable at speed and often more practical (parking, trains, etc).  Where the trike has the edge is riding slowly / comedy load-hauling^[1] and when there's risk of ice.  And of course that barakta can ride one 

What I don't generally want to go back to is saddles (but even then, I find there are plenty of things where given the choice an upwrong is still the best tool), but since ElyDave is no stranger to lying down on the job, that isn't a trike advantage.


_{[1] Which is as much about superior braking as lack of stall speed.}

[Kim]

Yes, the room other vehicles give you is almost embarrassing, when we were given our first ride on a trike (by Cycleman) we even had a BMW stop ON a roundabout to usher us across

They really are second to none as car-repellent.   

[LMT]

Not when your flying down a hill and hit a bump, the steering flicks over and you do one and a half barrel rolls. She (Barbara) was lucky.

I done roughly 22000 miles on my Expedition and never experienced what you describe regarding the steering. Sounds like the person you describe hit a bump way too fast, caught some air and the trike rolled - nothing to do with the steering.

[LMT]

You won't want to go back to two wheels

Whilst trikes are fun - power sliding on snow down a hill in particular ime - they are more cumbersome to move and store (disregarding folders here), are slower up hills, slower in general, slower moving through traffic if commuting on one and a PITA to carry tubes for two different wheel sizes. I'd rather be on two wheels, the only time for me to go back to three would be if I was to get a velomobile.