Flight Service wrote:
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
Sounds like your insurance company if you would have continued down the road on the OBGYN comments 
Oh 'cmon. I gotta give the old buck a pass because he has health issues and riding something is better than nothing. But holy hell do (insert term for spandex wearin' types) people look like tools riding around on these things. Any time your shiny happy person is the first thing to take damage in an incident... something is wrong with the design.
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
I agree with the tool aspect of this. I've always had to resist the urge to yell "Nerd" and point every time I've seen one of these things. But after a day of researching them, I have to say that they are at least interesting. Made in America with quality components. And that green one is a 50 mph tricycle.
"People look like tools riding around on these things"
"I've always had to resist the urge to yell "Nerd" and point"
??!!
I thought this was GRM where we embrace the unusual and avoid stereotypes. If the old guy can ride and enjoy himself - why not?
Shoot this is the board that recommends manly men drive minivans and miatas... after defending them we're going to dump on recumbent cyclists because of how they look?
Cotton
UberDork
6/2/15 10:56 a.m.
jv8 wrote:
"People look like tools riding around on these things"
"I've always had to resist the urge to yell "Nerd" and point"
??!!
I thought this was GRM where we embrace the unusual and avoid stereotypes. If the old guy can ride and enjoy himself - why not?
Shoot this is the board that recommends manly men drive minivans and miatas... after defending them we're going to dump on recumbent cyclists because of how they look?
uh ever seen threads on here about lifted trucks, harleys, expensive sports cars, or muscle cars? This board can be just as bad about stereotypes as any other.
You guys are kind of missing the part where I said that within a day I was convinced that these things are really cool.
Woody wrote:
You guys are kind of missing the part where I said that within a day I was convinced that these things are really cool.
That is what this board does well-it opens your eyes to the merits of things despite the stereotype.
I wear the spandex. Yes I feel silly and yes it is about function. Ok the shirts can look way over done and it can be hard to find normal looking stuff. And on an educational note the whole spandex thing is called a kit.
A kit? eh?
there is a joke in there somewhere...
my dad built one a few months ago, he has a blast on it.
Woody wrote:
In reply to fanfoy:
That was very helpful and it looks like you built a very cool trike.
Here's another photo of a Villager that I found, which leads me to believe that this is one that he really needs to take a look at.
To me, with zero recumbent experience, that's a very telling picture. And in a very positive way!
Head is not tucked into the chin, posture suits the um, elderly profile. It looks like the sort of thing that would indeed be quite comfortable for anyone to ride on for longish rides.
I'll agree with the others about danger on the streets. Invisibility, width, slowness. But on wider bike paths and such, I'd think it would be great.
The bags on the rear wheel are a big plus. From water bottles and sandwiches to oxygen tanks. All good, especially even bigger bags.
I do see bikes/trikes like this on the trails when I ride. Not often, but occassionally. They seem to be stable. I don't see the riders wiggling or veering around.
I suppose weight and size matter, particularly with regards to getting to the bike trails. How well it folds up and fits into the trunk of a car would matter greatly to a person living around here, dunno about where your dad lives.
How hard are they to get in and out of for elderly folks?
If they stop really quick not that bad at all
depends on the model. Some are very low, some sit up much higher.
foxtrapper wrote:
Woody wrote:
To me, with zero recumbent experience, that's a very telling picture. And in a very positive way!
Head is not tucked into the chin, posture suits the um, elderly profile. It looks like the sort of thing that would indeed be quite comfortable for anyone to ride on for longish rides.
That's why I chose to post that particular photo.
My Dad has decided to buy one. It's the Villager model shown above. Without any extras, it weighs 34 pounds. He's adding a few options that will add a couple of pounds: headrest, water bottle holder, cargo bag, fenders, LEDs, a mirror and "transition bars" to help him get on and off. He drives a Flex, so getting it to and from the bike path shouldn't be an issue for him. I doubt that he will ever ride it in actual traffic.
I'm really happy that he'll be able to ride again and I'm looking forward to trying it out myself.
Here's a quick video showing a couple of these things in motion. Around the 2:15 mark, they show it going off a curb, which I thought was pretty cool. I didn't expect it to be that controllable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSs3B6g8-j0
I owned a Catrike Road for a while and it was a blast on an open road/trail. I would second the recommendations for as many flags and lights as you can hang off the thing for visibility if you are riding anywhere near traffic (though I wouldn't go so far as to say 'don't ride in the city' ...I certainly did.) I would also second the folks highlighting the need to be careful with the brakes and on high-speed turns. I flipped mine hard when I braked on a fast, downhill curve without leaning far enough. Hilarious in hindsight, and I wish my wife had had a GoPro to catch it, but could have gone pretty badly.
But mostly I second the 'if he enjoys riding it, GO FOR IT.' sentiment.
Here's another highly detailed amateur video that I just finished watching. It's over an hour long and the wind noise is terrible, but I'm going to add a link to it because at the 56:23 mark, I'm pretty sure that he gets passed by a Miura.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZfjZmgUwXs
On the strapping and engine to one of these subject. Years ago I got all excited about building a motorized bicycle and went on a Youtube binge and found a crazy guy that commutes daily on his motorized recumbent. Looks super dangerous but super fun too.
I can't find the video anymore 
I see quite a few recumbent trikes on the bike paths in Minneapolis, they do seem to be more popular with older riders.
About the time my dad retired (middle 1970s) he and my mother bought one of these things:
It was called a PPV, for People Powered Vehicle (theirs was green and white, not yellow like the one in the photo.) It ended up they didn't use it very much, but I put quite a few miles on it. It was a lot of fun, but with one wheel in the front and two in back it wasn't very stable - particularly without a passenger. I rolled it more than once taking corners too fast.
here's the one my dad built, out of 2 bikes i picked up in the trash, a couple new wheels and disc brakes, a "used" speed limit sign, and some clearance fence top rail from home depot. hooked up to the kid hauler that he pulls my kids up and down the (600 foot long gravel) driveway.
Stay classy, Mr. plance1...
Update:
To recap, my father has been an avid bicyclist since he was a kid in the mid 1930s. He used to ride daily until two years ago when a mild stroke left him with balance problems. He hasn't been able to ride a bicycle since. He is now 84 years old.
Yesterday he took delivery of his new Catrike Villager, and last night he rode for over an hour.
He, and the rest of the family, are thrilled.
