They say you never forget how to ride a bike. But what if you never learned?
Its easy for those of us who ride regularly to forget just how daunting it is to get on a bike when you have no idea how to balance it, steer it, or even stop it. Or what it would be like to suffer an illness that affected your balance or vision, forcing you to learn to ride all over again.
I have a good friend who doesnt drive and never learned how to ride a bike. A bike would be a great transportation option for her, but learning to ride was a huge hurdle. Then through my bike club I met a rider with Parkinsons who rode a beautiful Trykit racing trike when he didnt feel stable enough for a two-wheeler. I thought we might just have found an answer.
It turns out that trikes are readily available and not necessarily all that expensive. My friend and I went for a test ride, and she gave the trike a big thumbs up. It was stable, simple and best of all, the shape is ideal for a large basket on the back.
The big debate was whether to get a trike with or without gears. The one non-negotiable with trikes is their weighttheyre very heavy. Even without a basket and a load of groceries, youve got an extra wheel, a larger frame, and a secondary drivetrain to wheel around.
On the other hand, if youre new to riding, the sensation of being on wheels and getting used to the responses of the pedals and the brakes is a fair amount to handle.
Gears add a whole extra dimension to the learning curve. My friend ended up getting a single-speed trike, and Id suggest that any new rider do the same.
For someone whos ridden a bicycle and is switching to a trike for other reasons, it probably doesnt matter as much and gears will make hills easier.
I rode the trike myself and was intrigued by how different it is to a two-wheeler. It must be steered rather than leaned into curves, but by twisting the bars around and kicking off from a standstill it will turn on a dime. Its also a perfect cargo vehicle. My friend initially thought her great big blue trike would draw laughter, but in fact she gets complimented every time she goes out. People tell her how cool it is and want to know where she got it.
And best of all, shes been able to give test rides to other friends who have their own reasons (vision, balance, stability) for not wanting to ride a bicycle. The trike has opened doors to cycling not just for one person, but many.
Kay Cahill is a cyclist and librarian who believes bikes are for life, not just for commuting. You can contact or send a comment to [email protected].
