In The Netherlands 3 wheel bikes are fairly common to haul kids and dogs.
I can easily get mine on two wheels if I take a sharp, fast, turn - but after you do it once you learn the limits and it's a very stable bike.
I can easily get mine on two wheels if I take a sharp, fast, turn - but after you do it once you learn the limits and it's a very stable bike.
Two very common models are:
I've ridden a few trikes like you'd use for a small food stand and they aren't so bad to drive around. Would I take one mountain biking or on a hill climb? No, but that's beside the point. I also don't use my phone for all my CAD work.
And you really have to push the handle bars, for steering. Again, very different to a two-wheeler.
Can you explain the mechanics behind that? When turning left, wouldn't the bike be at risk of tipping to the right? Wouldn't leaning to the right make that worse?
FYI: I have both and the first time I drove my sidecar I ended up in a hedge :D
A good overview of the physics and how to ride these is the yellow book from Ural: http://welcome-ural.ru/documents/HowToRideUral.pdf
>Since sidecar outfits are not symmetrical, the technique for left turns is somewhat different from right turns. The outfit won't lean into the turn like a "solo" bike, but instead rolls slightly towards the outside of the turn like an automobile. The sidecar driver compensates by leaning body weight towards the turn and by applying extra force to the handlebars.
That same frame roll/tip on a trike causes the right wheel to leave the ground. In order to counter act that, and essentially prevent the frame from rolling/tipping at all in the turn, is to move your weight to the right so that wheel stays grounded.
If you really push and try you can get the left wheel up on a left turn but it’s more effort than popping a wheelie on a two wheel bike. It’s hard to do on accident.
I would guess it has to do with the direction of force changing, the left and rear tires getting closer and the right and rear tire distance getting farther and what that implies regarding the distance each wheel needs to travel in the turn.
Edit: maybe tilt is a better word than roll and tip, basically putting the frame less upright is what I mean by that
The only "trike-like" bicycles I see are used by elderly people, everything for cargo/kids is either two wheels or three with two wheels in front.
And yes - it can be quite the challenge. And people sees it as a god given right. The same rights as people who have their essential 4 bicycles.
Some of the same people who find it too cumbersome to use the bicycle storagespace/garage commonly found in basements. It can be a challenge indeed.
The basement parking is very common but rarely cater for the cargo bikes so they need to reside in the courtyards.
In some neighborhoods they have converted some of the street parkering spaces from cars to bicycle racks.
At Ikea and shopping malls they usually have dedicated parking for the cargo bikes.
Durch cargo trikes are generally assumed safer than their two-wheeled alternatives here.
There’s also tricycles which can lean into a corner which makes them similarly agile as two-wheeled bikes. They’re still wider, though.
Trikes are certainly not for long distances and a sporty style, but as a short distance cargo/kids hauler, they’re cheap, reliable and effective. I know quite a few people Who are happy with them.