Trike with 700C front wheel

The Lee

New Member
I am getting old and a little unstable - balance is kind of wonky due to brain trauma. I keep on crashing my ebike. I've had a few nasty events and I think it is time for a trike. I am on Social Security but I have saved enough to purchase a tricycle. I do need some guidance on a model that uses a 700C front wheel/tire that I can re-use from my ebike. I stay on pavement (except when I don't ;-) ) Any recommendations on a sturdy trike that I can Bafangify? By the way, I am a big guy - 6'2" and 270 lbs.
 
Congrats on your search for an etrike.
Although I have no experience on trikes I commend you on your dedication to continued cycling!
Looking forward to a pic on your new etrike.
 
I am getting old and a little unstable - balance is kind of wonky due to brain trauma. I keep on crashing my ebike. I've had a few nasty events and I think it is time for a trike. I am on Social Security but I have saved enough to purchase a tricycle. I do need some guidance on a model that uses a 700C front wheel/tire that I can re-use from my ebike. I stay on pavement (except when I don't ;-) ) Any recommendations on a sturdy trike that I can Bafangify? By the way, I am a big guy - 6'2" and 270 lbs.
You might find some ideas here; https://electricbikereview.com/category/recumbent/
 
There are likely no upright adult trikes out there with 700c wheels. (if there is, I would never ride one). That is too large of diameter and likely very unstable. Largest is a 26", and most have 24" to acheive a lower center of gravity. Also, if your ebike was rear hub motor, it wont be able to work on a front wheel trike. the cassette/gearing wont allow a fit, and even if removable (i.e. freewheel) it still wont work. Will need a specific front wheel hub. Sell your ebike, and start new. If you had a front wheel hub motor, then maybe you can find a shop who will transfer and re-spoke it into a 26" wheeled trike. If a recumbent has a 700 c wheel in the rear (tadpole design) that might work, but it will be a very expensive recumbent. Ive seen 26" wheels in the rear of a recumbent. again, not cheap.
 
There are no trikes out there with 700c wheels.
Huh?
Bafangify
You should trade mark that!
 
Last edited:
Huh?


You should trade mark that!
I meant upright adult trikes, and clarified the wording. I generally refer to Recumbent trikes specifically as Recumbents - sorry to confuse you.
 
There are likely no upright adult trikes out there with 700c wheels. (if there is, I would never ride one). That is too large of diameter and likely very unstable. Largest is a 26", and most have 24" to acheive a lower center of gravity. Also, if your ebike was rear hub motor, it wont be able to work on a front wheel trike. the cassette/gearing wont allow a fit, and even if removable (i.e. freewheel) it still wont work. Will need a specific front wheel hub. Sell your ebike, and start new. If you had a front wheel hub motor, then maybe you can find a shop who will transfer and re-spoke it into a 26" wheeled trike. If a recumbent has a 700 c wheel in the rear (tadpole design) that might work, but it will be a very expensive recumbent. Ive seen 26" wheels in the rear of a recumbent. again, not cheap.
Duh! I hadn't thought about re-spoking the front wheel. I am going to call my bike shop if and when they open today and give them my requirements and needs. Thanks!
~Lee
 
Just today I saw exactly what you (and I) want. This guy was going down the road lickety split on a trike that he'd put a big front hub motor on, and slung the battery low under the rear basket. That thing looked great! Perfect for hauling things or just tooling around. You can convert a trike for not much money and w/ very little work w/ that design.

A few things to be aware of if you go this route: Forget the 700 size front tire. It ain't going to wear much anyway, and they're cheap to buy and replace, it's the rear ones that wear quickly. Brakes could be an issue, as many trikes only have front wheel brakes. Look for one w/ speeds. Many only have one speed, but you might be able to get around this by going to a large crank sprocket and/or smaller real axle sprocket to get the speeds up so you won't be pedaling furiously at 10 MPH.

These are the best trikes that you can get. The ex and I had them and they are very well built with lots of support out there. The saddles are super comfortable.

 
Thanks for the info, Steve. Two things rule out this one; weight limit and 24" front wheel. I am 270 lbs. and the battery and miscellaneous hardware is probably another 30 pounds. The other problem is that I already have a 700c front wheel with a motored hub.

I carefully looked over the Sun 7-speed's specs and photos and other than my two mentioned issues it would be perfect. I was impressed its seat supports - three!

~Lee
 
I don't think I could get on and off of a recumbent, it would be more of a wreckumbent bikerider.

In my experience, upright trikes are really unstable. They are fine on dead-flat surfaces, like in a warehouse. But ride one on pavement with any kind of undulation and they feel squirrelly, and the faster you go, the more squirrelly they feel. Cornering is more difficult; I can imagine cornering with a motor as being nightmarish. To be fair, all my experience with upright trikes is with those on the budget end. Ones with a more rigid frame would feel more stable. The Pedego trike, for example, looks to have a very substantial frame.

I would encourage you to try an upright trike and compare it to a tadpole or delta recumbent trike beforehand and compare the differences in stability and usability.
 
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