My ebike journey and the holy grail (for me)

[mojoe]

I started about three years ago with a decent Chinese ebike, just to see if I would like it. I hadn't ridden in over 40 years. Although I liked riding it, I learned a few things, and discovered a few drawbacks (which was the purpose of buying a $1200 ebike, instead of something more expensive). The biggest drawback was the weight. At the time, I was living in a 3rd floor apartment, and pushing that 70 lb bike upstairs was too much effort.

So, after much research, I bought a Gocycle GX. A lot more money, but almost half the weight, and a much nicer ebike. I sold the Chinese ebike (with some upgrades) for a good price. I have enjoyed riding the Gocycle, and have ridden on paved trails, dirt trails (after adding some grippier tires), and roads (well over 1000 miles so far). The only big drawback was the battery life. Depending on terrain, I can get 30-40 miles per charge. Not enough, as I wanted to do longer rides. I don't need a bike for commuting. It is purely for pleasure and exercise.

More research, and I bought a Priority Current, and the extra battery/rear rack (I no longer live in that apartment). An excellent ebike that I thoroughly enjoy riding. My longest ride on it so far was 78 miles. The only drawback - my butt was very sore after that long ride (even with a better seat and a Thudbuster seat post). But I want to do longer, multi-day rides (it's sort of addictive).

Lots more research, and a long drive to a dealer for a test ride. I ordered an ICE Adventure recumbent trike. I wanted lots of comfort, so ordered the padded seat, full suspension, mud guards, neck rest and wrist rests. I also ordered the Rohloff 14-speed hub, as I dislike derailleurs, and love being able to change gears at a standstill. And for those long rides, a second battery for the Shimano STEPS EP8 motor.

I've had the trike just over two weeks now, and absolutely love it. Riding it is so comfortable, that I don't want to stop. I have put 364 miles on it so far. My longest trip yet was 58 miles up to Reno and back, with some significant hills. Rotating the two 630 Wh batteries, I'm getting over 70 miles each, using Eco most of the time, and bumping it up to Trail or Boost on the hills. I also rode some of the local multi-use dirt trails here where I had to use Trail mode most of the time. This gave me about 40 miles per charge.

For me, a recumbent etrike with all the comfort options is my holy grail (no offense to Monty Python). I can ride this day after day, and the only thing that hurts is a knee that got injured at work several years ago. But it hurt before, riding my ebikes.

The drawback? Price. ICE is one of the top brands, so expect to pay top price, just like a premium ebike. However, I can see myself riding this trike for many years to come. Sadly, I'm selling the Priority Current. I am keeping the Gocycle, because it is so small, and folds.

This trike will make it so much nicer when I ride the rail trails to DC next Spring. I need to buy the rear rack next.

 

[retiredNH]

You make a recumbent sound very attractive...too bad about those prices!
What's planned for next spring? DC trails???

 

[AHicks]

My recumbent concern is getting my butt up off the seat for bigger bumps. Is that a real issue or something I've just created in my imagination?

Low speed handling? As in dealing with multi use trail traffic?

 

[mojoe]

You make a recumbent sound very attractive...too bad about those prices!
What's planned for next spring? DC trails???

There are less expensive recumbent trikes. Even the model I bought would have been half the price, if I hadn't gotten the motor, extra battery, Rohloff hub, and all the comfort options. But I figured, why compromise and be unhappy with it? I'll pedal this for many years.

I'm going to drive to Nebraska to the Cowboy Trail, then ride most of the rail trails to DC. From NV, I didn't see any point in starting the Great American Rail Trail in Washington state, as from Idaho to the Cowboy Trail there are no rail trails completed yet. Even from Nebraska, there will be quite a bit of road riding to connect various trails. GART claims 52% completion. I think from Pittsburgh to DC it's 100% trails.

Very interesting coincidence - in Dayton, OH one of the trails literally goes right past the Air Force Museum. I would stop there anyway, but it turns out that an F-106 that I worked on is at that museum, so I have to stop and have my picture taken in front of it Before we had this plane at Griffiss AFB, it was involved in an incident at a previous base. On YouTube, look up "cornfield bomber" to find a video with the pilot involved standing in front of the plane and narrating his story. BTW, some idiot reporter came up with "cornfield bomber", but it landed in a wheatfield, and it's a fighter, not a bomber. In the museum, the plane still has the Griffiss AFB paint job, with the green/white eagle on the tail.

 

[tomjasz]

My recumbent concern

Rider weight limit 275lbs. I was given a similar trike. It freaked me out in traffic. Personally, I need to look cagers in the face. My flat-foot bikes sit high and are my nirvana. But I have to say the Adventure is one sweet ebike!!

 

[mojoe]

My recumbent concern is getting my butt up off the seat for bigger bumps. Is that a real issue or something I've just created in my imagination?

Low speed handling? As in dealing with multi use trail traffic?

I got the full front/rear suspension option, so I don't know how it handles w/o suspension. I've gone over some rather large bumps, and the suspension works great. No need to lift your butt. The optional padded seat also helps.

It handles very well at low and high speed. One of the reasons I chose ICE was that they use "indirect steering" instead of "direct steering". The steering yoke is attached to the wheel pivots via tie rods, so it's like having power steering. It's very responsive, and you don't feel all the road bumps in your hands, as you would with direct steering.

One minor issue vs an upright bike - the turning radius is bit larger. At one road crossing along a bike path that I ride, the path approaches the button for the crossing at right angles. The path/sidewalk at this point narrows, so I have to make a tight turn to the right, then back up a bit to align myself for the crossing. On my bike, I would just ride around the backside of the light post to push the button (not enough width to do this on the trike). Otherwise, the trike turns and handles very well.

 

[mojoe]

Rider weight limit 275lbs. I was given a similar trike. It freaked me out in traffic. Personally, I need to look cagers in the face. My flat-foot bikes sit high and are my nirvana. But I have to say the Adventure is one sweet ebike!!

They make an HD model for larger riders. They also make an offroad trike. Interestingly, they made a custom offroad trike several years ago, for a woman who road it solo to the South Pole. Now that's some off-road riding.

I don't find it any more difficult to ride in traffic than a bike. It does sit lower, but because it is so uncommon, it gets more notice than a bike. I've only seen two other recumbent trikes locally, so far. Many drivers wave, which never happened on the bike.

Instead of the small safety flag, I installed an 18 inch American Flag for visibility. The theory is, it is more recognizable, and most people in the US would be less inclined to run you over if you are flying the flag But there are always exceptions. Just a few days ago, I was at a bike path crossing that has extra large flashing lights when you press the button. I had just started across, when some jerk came roaring through. He didn't even slow, but just swerved around me.

Another advantage is that when I stop, I don't have to get off the trike. I can just remain seated and have a snack and some water. I did add the parking brake option, so I don't roll away.

As an aside, I had a nice complement last week, while riding the trike. I stopped at a local park, where some workers were installing some underground cable. As I passed, I said hello. One of the workers (about 30-something) said I was "inspiring"

 

[Marcela]

I took my Catrike out the other day after a long while and remembered how fun it is. I'll have to ride it more. When I was looking at trikes, I test rode an ICE suspension trike and couldn't believe how smooth it was though I ended up with the non suspended Catrike expedition and see no need for a suspended trike where I ride.

I've had no problems riding on sidewalks mostly with the flag. Always keep the head moving at intersections looking for traffic. The rear view mirror is nice also.

I've thought about electrifying my trike but it is nice without.

It's like taking the lawn chair with you Enjoy your trike!

 

[retiredNH]

How do you transport a trike? I presume not on a regular bike rack...

The Great Allegheny Passage, from Pitt to DC should be a great trail. There's a good website for it. https://gaptrail.org/ A great feature is that Amtrak runs between Pitt and DC, and allows bikes (don't know about recumbents or ebikes?) so it's a great shuttle option.

You've prompted me to think seriously about an e-recumbent, given some ongoing medical issues I have. For example, one of my favorite loop rides involves several steep downhill stretches that involve a lot of braking. The force on my arms (from the steep downhill position) is causing serious shoulder pain, even with my handlebars raised 6 inches.

What are the downsides, other than cost, of a trike, compared to a regular crossover (straight bar) bike?

 

[mojoe]

The ICE trikes (and some others) fold in half. Look on YT for a video. I got the 20 inch rear wheel, which makes it a bit smaller when folded. I also got the quick-release front axles. The seat comes off easily with three QR clamps.

To fit in a hatchback, SUV or small truck, you can just remove the seat and fold it. I got the QR front axles so the trike will fit behind the seat in my Xterra. I have the rear hatch area taken up with other gear.

I have a Hollywood rack for ebikes. They used to make an adapter kit to carry a trike, but it's no longer available. I've seen YT videos where people modify tow hitch cargo carriers, or just use a motorcycle carrier.

Yes, I've seen the GAP website, and watched YT videos about several sections of the GART. Most of it looks very nice, with perhaps some boring sections.

Once I reach DC, I'll cycle up to my sister's place for a visit. When I'm ready to return, I'll rent a van and drive home to NV.

Downsides - not many. Of course, the trike is wider than a bike, but not much wider than the handlebars on a bike. Where the width matters is in some bike lanes. Some bike lanes are just a bit too narrow, unless you ride with one wheel in the gutter. I just ride a bit outside the lane in those cases. I find that drivers give me a wider berth than they did when on a bike. I had one semi come within inches of me on a bike, once.

As per your question, a trike is a bit more trouble to transport. It is also just wide enough that it won't fit through a standard door in my house. Rather than having to fold it to keep it in the house, I leave it in the garage. They do make wall hangars for trikes if you want to minimize the space used.

I don't know the exact weight, but it's probably a little bit heavier than the Priority Current. It certainly is lighter than that 70 lb ebike I started with. If I need to maneuver the trike when I'm not on it, it is easy enough to pick up the rear by grabbing the seat frame, and steer the front where needed.

After riding a local dirt trail, I hosed down the trike, and re-lubed the chain. With a derailleur, this would have been easier, as you could spin the chain backwards. With the Rohloff hub, it won't spin backwards (edit - with the parking brake on). I had to find something several inches high that I could slide beneath the frame, just forward of the rear wheel, to get it off the ground. With the suspension, you have to raise the rear more, because of the travel.

Speaking of chains, one problem that I didn't have with my Gocycle (enclosed chain) or my Current (belt drive) is chain grease. Riding the trike, I get grease on my right pants leg. I'll have to get some gaiters.

I can't think of any more downsides at the moment. I really love riding this thing. Whatever you do, make sure to take a long test ride on models you are considering. I had to drive three hours to the closest dealer.

Getting the parking brake option (you get rear disc with the Rohloff) is good for two reasons. The obvious reason is so that you can stop, and not have the trike roll away on you. A less obvious reason is that you can use it as a drag brake on steep hills. It definitely helps, and you don't have to use the two front brakes as much. BTW, the regular brakes are just on the front - one for each wheel. ICE advertises that they have minimized "brake steer", and from my experience, it is true. It's not completely eliminated, but almost. I went with the standard front drum brakes. They seem to have enough stopping power, and require far less maintenance than disk brakes.

Edit - If you can, pick up your trike from the dealer, where they will adjust things to fit you. I had mine shipped, because of the long drive, and the fact that the CA sales tax was much more than the shipping fee. I also found a few loose bolts that the dealer didn't catch.

 

[mojoe]

One other thing that is an advantage. When you have strong winds, it makes much more difference than you would think on a recumbent trike. I've had days on the bike with headwinds that made me downshift to keep going. On the trike, I hardly notice the difference.

 

[retiredNH]

Thanks for the comments! Interesting that they don't have a rear brake as standard? And drum brakes on the front? Wonder what brake shoe life is like? And wonder how hard replacement is? From where I live, according to the website, there are three dealers within a 2 hour drive. Time to go look? Although spouse might blanch at the cost...

 

[tomjasz]

Although spouse might blanch at the cost...

At any cost…

 

[Marcela]

I've found the faster I go on the trike, the more advantageous vs the diamond frame and you can give the spandex crowd a run for their money. Getting the wheels parallel helps also, and tight spokes and straight rims.

The transportation is the bugger, I have a 8' wide bike path that goes by front of the house and throughout the city so that makes it nice for the trike riding.

The reason I had the trike out the other day is because I changed the chain lube to paraffin wax. You might want to give it a try. Hot water cleans everything and is clean and doesn't attract dirt.

 

[mojoe]

Thanks for the comments! Interesting that they don't have a rear brake as standard? And drum brakes on the front? Wonder what brake shoe life is like? And wonder how hard replacement is? From where I live, according to the website, there are three dealers within a 2 hour drive. Time to go look? Although spouse might blanch at the cost...

You don't really need the rear parking brake. It is a convenience for when you stop, so the trike doesn't roll. It is operated by a lever on the left side of the frame, near the front edge of the seat. The two front drum brakes do a good job of stopping, but on very steep hills, using the parking brake does help. You can get front disc brakes if you want.

The drum brakes are supposed to last much longer than disc, and need no maintenance until it's time to replace the shoes. Also, they are more or less sealed, so less chance of dirt getting inside.

There are some operating and maintenance videos on the ICE website.

I think the standard config is the frame, wheels w/drum brakes, tires, mid-range derailleur and mesh seat. Padded seat, neck rest, wrist wrests, suspension, mud guards, IGH (two choices), motor, parking brake, lights, etc. are all optional. All of those options will double the price. I also got an extra battery and mount for very long rides.

I ordered it with integrated lights, but they are on back order. I'll install them myself when they arrive. I also upgraded the tires to Schwalbe Marathon Plus, for the extra puncture protection. About the only option I didn't get was the "assist handles" that make it easier to get in and out of the seat. The seat isn't as low as their sport/racer trike, and I get in and out just fine without the handles.

I was able to do 24 months interest free, which made it much easier to handle the cost.

 

[mojoe]

The transportation is the bugger, I have a 8' wide bike path that goes by front of the house and throughout the city so that makes it nice for the trike riding.

Yes, that's why I got the 20 inch rear wheel, instead of the 26 inch, as well as the QR front axles. That way, it folds up fairly small, to go into a vehicle. Also, having all three tires the same size means you only have to carry one size inner tube. If you can put the trike into the rear hatch of an SUV, or the bed of a truck, you don't need the QR axles. The first few times I removed/replaced the seat, I had a hard time. Soon, I learned the trick, and now it is easy.

We have several miles of paved bike paths. If I start at the one near my house and ride out/back each branch, I can get about 15 miles. I add some riding through nice neighborhoods to go over 20. There are also two wide dirt trails. One along the river and one along the irrigation ditch. You can make a loop of about 12 miles by connecting the two on the North end by riding through a reisdential area. I also ride the two US highways that come through here, as they are both designated bike routes, and have wide shoulders (except for a few sections up near Lake Tahoe). I did a 58 mile round trip from home to the wetlands area in SE Reno. The wetlands has three miles of paved trail around it, so that makes it a nice destination with an easy ride when you get there.

 

[retiredNH]

Yes, that's why I got the 20 inch rear wheel, instead of the 26 inch, as well as the QR front axles. That way, it folds up fairly small, to go into a vehicle. Also, having all three tires the same size means you only have to carry one size inner tube. If you can put the trike into the rear hatch of an SUV, or the bed of a truck, you don't need the QR axles. The first few times I removed/replaced the seat, I had a hard time. Soon, I learned the trick, and now it is easy.

We have several miles of paved bike paths. If I start at the one near my house and ride out/back each branch, I can get about 15 miles. I add some riding through nice neighborhoods to go over 20. There are also two wide dirt trails. One along the river and one along the irrigation ditch. You can make a loop of about 12 miles by connecting the two on the North end by riding through a reisdential area. I also ride the two US highways that come through here, as they are both designated bike routes, and have wide shoulders (except for a few sections up near Lake Tahoe). I did a 58 mile round trip from home to the wetlands area in SE Reno. The wetlands has three miles of paved trail around it, so that makes it a nice destination with an easy ride when you get there.

Sounds lovely!

 

[kev123]

I have a Sun recumbent trike conversion,

 

[Mike TowpathTraveler]

My recumbent concern is getting my butt up off the seat for bigger bumps. Is that a real issue or something I've just created in my imagination?

Low speed handling? As in dealing with multi use trail traffic?

A little late answering this question, but I have a Bike E FX two wheeled, dual suspension recumbent. Haven't ridden it for 20 years now as other bikes and now, the Haibike Full FatSix is my favorite and only bike riding option! https://bicycleman.com/bikee-fx-recumbent-bike/

Two things to note for this or any other recumbent, for that matter: With the way you are seated in a recumbent, with your legs at the horizontal, there is absolutely no practical way of absorbing big bumps in the way we would with any safety frame bike.

The other thing to note is that there was a point where my speed slowed to the point where being upright was no longer doable and down I went. Looking back, I never recall ever falling off a bike as much as I did that Bike E! And it always came about when I approached trail or towpath walkers who did not hear my bell a-ringing & did not bother to move aside and let me get through. Any speed below 5 mph and down I went.

It certainly did not help that I was always strapped into my Shimano SPD pedal clips when I went down.......

 

[Marcela]

The laydown on the trike can keep a person out of the cold air. When the wind is blowing around here the diamond frame bikes disappear, doesn't bother the trike as much.