Greg Pitman wrote:
Back in the days when I was working in the bike industry, I came across racing trikes at trade shows. I absolutely fell in love with them, but being of limited means, never owned or even rode one. Are they on topic here? Do they ever show up at the shows, such as the one coming up in Pasadena? Any websites? And has anyone ever seen one on E-Bay?
I helped one friend order a Jack Taylor trike, and rode it extensively. I also did frame repair on a Bob Jackson trike owned by another friend. In both cases, the craftsmanship was superb and the engineering was stupid.
It has already been noted that the power on a British trike (and most of the cheapos I've seen) goes to the left rear wheel, because it is easier. Unfortunately, on a crowned road the load shifts to the outside, which is the right in the US. Drive wheel slips unexpectedly. Not good idea.
Then there is the matter of steering. They nicely mimic head angles, rake, etc. of a bike. Bike is designed to automatically steer toward the lean whenever it is not perpendicular. that's part of why we can ride them. Now ride a conventional trike on a crowned road, and fight it continually as it heads for the gutter. It is bad, just in the same way that a kid's trike is unstable cornering.
Finally, the classic constructors did a great job of making stopping a maximally iffy proposition. Two brakes on the front wheel. Nothing on the back ones.
With all due respect to these craftsmen, and recognizing that skilled folks can have a ball despite these design flaws (I loved to ride the JT on two wheels; think about the lateral loads on the rear wheel!), I still much prefer short wheelbase recumbent trikes with two wheels forward, with brakes and auto type steering, and the drive to the rear.
harvey sachs
mclean va