"What the heck is that thing?!"

Eddee explains: What is a recumbent bicycle?

A TRIKE is a three-wheeled vehicle that you pedal and has many configurations.

A recumbent trike (3 wheels) comes in many forms. The first is a TADPOLE style trike with the two wheels in the front.  The second style is the DELTA style and has one wheel in front.

RECUMBENT means just that, the seat that can recline while riding and is in back of the pedals, whereas on a bike your feet are under you when pedaling.

The Catrike Villager is a great tadpole style trike with three 20" wheels with an adjustable seat .

The Catrike Expedition is also a tadpole style trike but has the 26" back wheel instead of a 20" and is a little longer.

Delta Recumbent Trike

Why ride a recumbent trike?

People discover recumbent trikes for many reasons.  One reason is that the “triangle” seat is not comfortable on a bicycle any more.  Another reason may be that they have an injury to recover from or balance issue of some sort to deal with.  Some people are looking for freedom from being bound by a cane, walker, wheelchair etc. that they are using for mobility.

What if I have trouble riding a stock recumbent trike?

Some people require assistance in getting on and off of the trikes for many reasons.  The Thrive Cycling “Assistive Arms” alleviates the need to reach behind, turn around to find something to grab onto. Generally this turning around causes one to loose their balance…and confidence in riding! The “ASSISTIVE ARMS” are designed for many styles of trikes and allow the rider to get off more easily buy the use of their forearms and hands pulling forward.  While there are other assistive arms on the market, the Thrive arms are fully padded and are mounted far forward of the steering mechanism where gears and brakes are mounted.  Many other arms are mounted more vertically which we have found to be unhelpful for people with little upper body strength or hand movement.

Thrive Cycling 3x365 is here to help you to ride, and qw design and develop assistive devices specifically for you and your needs.  See the pictures and story of Chuck and Barb about making a “Lateral Side Guide” for Chuck who has issues from Parkinson’s’.

How much do Recumbent Trikes cost?

Recumbent trikes start at around $700 and go up from there.  With the addition of a battery assist motor they start at around $2,000.  The benefit of buying a trike without a motor right away is that most trikes can have one added later and with the costs of the battery assist motors coming down, you could save money in the long run.

For more information on where to purchase a recumbent trike, see our FAQ page.