Adult tricycles, or trikes, are seen as a great mode of transportation for recreational purposes with senior citizens, newly retired individuals, parents who want to spend time with their family on bike-riding outings, and also people with disabilities, people with balance problems, and those who lack the stamina to sit bent over the handlebars of a two-wheeled bike for an extended period of time.

As the Generation X crowd starts to join the Baby Boomers in edging closer to retirement, or at least a more relaxed lifestyle, bicycle manufacturers are finally realizing that a huge population of people are looking for a different type of transportation.

In the past, a two wheeled bicycle was a great way to quickly get around the neighborhood, to the corner store, or to just race around town, lathering up a good sweat during exercise. But people change, as do their perceptions of locomotion, and their physical ability.

While cycling is still one of the most popular outdoor exercises, not everyone knows how to ride a bicycle or is not able to ride a bicycle. Now, more and more people are choosing three-wheeled biking as their preferred new style of outdoor riding, and adult trikes have become an important segment of the cycling community.

Riding a bicycle can be fun, fast, and furious, and it has been proven to be an excellent way to attain and maintain health and fitness, yet not everyone is comfortable riding a traditional bicycle. What is the alternative? Adult tricycles can also offer a safe and fun way to achieve health and fitness. 

Adult trikes are different types of cycles than bicycles. Designed for a more relaxed and slower style of riding, an adult trike can offer a more stable riding platform where balance is not an issue for the rider, and riders can ride as slow as they please without the worry of tipping over. The seats are also usually flatter and wider, allowing the rider to sit more upright rather than leaning forward, hunching over the handlebars of a bicycle. The riding style of an adult trike provides less strain on the buttocks, back and hands, while their ‘step-through’ design allows for easy mounting and dismounting.   

Another benefit of riding adult tricycles is the exercise factor. There are many ways to improve health; for example, going to a gym, walking on a treadmill at home, and doing yoga. But riding outside on a trike in the fresh air and sunshine is a great way to improve not only physical health but mental health as well. While adult trikes are used by the elderly who may not necessarily have the stamina or balance to ride a standard two-wheeled bicycle, adult trikes are utilized by a large and varied population of adults for fun and work, with many trikes having attached or built-in baskets or cargo boxes which can be used to carry school or work items, groceries and other purchases, with some heavy-duty trikes even being able to haul up to 600 pounds. Because of the multi-use of adult trikes, young and old alike can appreciate the freedom, mobility and safety of an adult trike.

What Do I Need to Know About Adult Tricycles?

An adult tricycle can come in a more traditional style that resembles a standard two-wheel bicycle, but with a modified frame to accommodate a wider axle and one additional rear wheel. Another style is a recumbent trike which has a frame slung low to the ground and a chair-type seat. Known for their stability, three-wheeled trikes have many benefits along with a few possible drawbacks that might take time to get used to when riding.

Stability – A three-wheeled trike is very stable, eliminating the balance required to ride a bicycle. With three wheels, there is no need to maintain minimum forward motion to balance as all three wheels are grounded at the same time, acting as a tripod. If riders would like to stop the trike, all they have to do is stop pedaling and apply the brakes. The rider can just sit in the trike chair because there is no need to balance the trike with the rider’s legs once stopped.

Cargo carrying - Because of the wider wheel base of upright adult trikes they are able to carry more weight, especially the heavy-duty trikes that can be used for carrying heavy cargo in boxes or baskets that can come with the trike. Despite the added weight, a three-wheeled trike will continue to demonstrate the same good stability.

Hill climbing – Even though the seat is placed back over the rear two wheels which does not allow the rider to lean forward into the uphill grade, adult trikes, especially those with multiple gears, are very capable in climbing up hilly roads. With a bicycle, the rider must maintain a steady forward pace or motion to keep the bike upright, whereas a trike rider doesn’t have to worry about balancing so he or she can simply put the trike in a low gear, sit back on the back-supported seat and pedal at a comfortable pace without the fear of tipping over.

Size – While a three-wheeled trike offers a stable foundation, it is wider with its broader wheel base, making it more likely to stick out more when riding a bike lane on roads, or riding along on a sidewalk. The wider frame can make riding in some areas, such as heavy traffic or narrow pathways, inconvenient and possibly dangerous. Also, the wider frame does make storing the trike a little more problematic than a narrower bicycle.

Height – Adult trikes, especially recumbent trikes, have a very low profile compared to a bicycle, which can present a visibility problem particularly when riding in automobile areas like a busy parking lot, or in road traffic. One way to help avoid a possible accident is to attach a tall fiberglass rod or two with a brightly colored flag flying on top to help make the trike more visible to cars.

Steering or handling – The biggest drawback of an adult trike is the turning radius due to its wider stance of the frame. Traditional bicycles are narrow, and the rider will lean into the turn, providing a smaller turning radius, whereas adult trikes require more space to turn. If the front wheel is turned too sharply while moving, the front wheel can act as a brake, possibly throwing the trike off balance. The recumbent trikes seem to have more difficulty while handling at slower speeds, but do operate more efficiently at a faster speed.

How Do I Choose the Best Adult Trike Selection?

Selecting the right adult trike shouldn’t be very difficult because there are many different styles of trikes to choose. Current adult trikes are stronger and lighter, and can carry or accommodate heavier weights than the older designs, while they also offer many of the popular features found on two-wheeled bicycles. In addition, acquiring spare or replacement parts for an adult tricycle should not be a problem because they use the same basic components as a standard bicycle.

When choosing an adult tricycle, the first thing to consider is which of the two main types of trikes to choose; the Delta or the Tadpole designs.

The delta adult trike design has two wheels in the rear of the frame, the type normally seen around on the streets and used mostly for pleasure or work. The tadpole design has its two wheels in the front of the frame and is usually faster and mostly used for long-distance riding.

To better understand the different types of adult trikes, here is a quick rundown of the primary types of adult trikes.

Low-step Tricycle: A low-step adult trike offers a very stable platform with a low step frame design that is considerably lower than more standard trikes. This format can add a greater ease of mounting and dismounting of the tricycle for seniors or people who may have limited flexibility.   

Heavy Duty Tricycles: Most adult trikes have a weight limit of about 250 pounds or so, but with manufacturers now building trikes with materials that are both stronger and lighter in weight there are now heavy duty tricycles which are designed to safely carry weight between 350 to 600 pounds. While heavy duty trikes are great for large individuals, many heavy duty trikes are also often used in industrial plants to transfer products from one end of the factory floor to the other, or as delivery trikes for stores or restaurants.

While similar in looks and basic design as a standard adult trike, a heavy duty trike does differ in some respects. Some of the components are more sturdy and rugged including the frame, chain and chain-guard, sprockets, heavy-gauge spokes, and bearings. Additionally, many heavy duty trikes come with a front V-brake with heavier brake pads and a rear coaster brake on larger than standard wheels. 

Chopper Adult Tricycle: These trikes promote a more laid back appearance, or a certain type of style that adds a bit of a ‘cool’ factor into riding. With a pedal forward design offering a more relaxed riding position while sitting on a seat with a back support and grasping the ‘chopper’ swept-back handlebars, this type of trike is for a different type of person who doesn’t want to blend in with the crowd. (Adult low rider)

Tandem Tricycles: Adding a fourth-wheel for added stability, a tandem tricycle has two seats that allow two people to ride the same trike at the same time, a tricycle built for two. The two seats can be positioned either with one seat in front and the other behind or have two seats situated next to each other, side by side. With two riders, one rider can pedal as the other one rests, or one can pedal as the other rider enjoys the ride as a passenger, such as when riding with a young child, or an older adult. A tandem trike is a great way for two people to go out for a ride and converse while enjoying the experience.

Recumbent Tricycles: Similar to a chopper style trike, a recumbent trike has a stretched-out frame that is close to the ground and offers a reclining seating position with the rider’s legs stretched out in front, resting on the pedals, which allows for a comfortable ride at any distance. With a clever design that enables efficient pedaling as well as a wide, back-supported seat, and a low center of gravity cutting down on wind resistance, comfort and speed are the main highlights of a recumbent trike.

While some recumbent designs come with standard handlebars for steering, an alternative steering mechanism on many recumbent tricycles is an under-seat style steering that has hand grips on both sides of the seat that steers the front wheel. This lets riders steer with their arms in a more comfortable and less physically-taxing position. Due to its low-slung frame style, some people with joint problems or back stiffness might find the mounting and dismounting on an adult recumbent tricycle too much of a challenge.

Semi-recumbent Tricycle: As it sounds, a semi-recumbent trike bridges the gap between a conventional tricycle and a recumbent tricycle. The semi-recumbent adult tricycle design is not as low as a true recumbent, yet the frame does has a lower profile for easier mounting or dismounting, and the riding position is more relaxed with the seat placed higher off the ground. They also offer a higher back support than a recumbent trike, making it more comfortable for seniors. The pedals are stretched out in front as a recumbent offering more energy-efficient pedaling, while the handlebars are swept-back for a more natural, upright seating position. A semi-recumbent trike offers the best features of both styles of traditional and recumbent trikes.

Handcycle Trike: These trikes are becoming more popular with athletes who enjoy the upper body workout, as well as with individuals who may have weakened legs. Handcycles come in either a traditional upright style trike or the recumbent style. The upright version is often easier to mount and dismount but is not quite as stable as a recumbent style that, while more difficult to mount due to the lower center of gravity, is a little more stable. A handcycle is engineered to be more customizable with easily adjustable seats, hand-grip pedals, reclining backrests, and belts to help accommodate different sizes and types of people, as well as assisting those with physical limitations.

Special Needs Trikes: Traditional and recumbent style adult tricycles are being specifically manufactured to enable thousands of people with physical limitations to enjoy the world of cycling. Special needs tricycles are constructed with the primary concern for the individuals that will be riding the trikes. Due to issues such as back problems, limited flexibility, weight problems, hearing and vision complications, or even more complex situations such as paraplegia or Down syndrome, special needs tricycles can offer the freedom of riding a trike along with family, friends and caregivers. Special needs trikes come with different types of components that can be customized to fit with any particular personal requirement to make the tricycle ride fun and safe for the unique rider.

The month of July is smack dab in the middle of the summer, the season for a reason to get outside. Riding a bicycle is a pleasurable experience, but for a growing number of people, a regular bike is not necessarily the best option to ride around the neighborhood. An adult trike has become the new accepted alternative for adults of all ages and physical conditions to use when riding around outside. Due to the popularity of adult trikes, bicycle manufacturers are now building tougher, lighter weight and sleeker modes of three-wheeled transportation, leading to tricycle family rides and trike sport competitions. For people with special needs, adult trikes can be custom fitted for individuals to ride by themselves, or to have a caregiver along for the ride.

Tricycles are not just for children anymore; they are becoming the fun and healthy new fad for adults of all ages and conditions to enable riding and gliding outdoors along the sidewalks, streets and trails of the world.

Take a look at dozens of Rehabmart's Adult Tricycles