What are /r/recumbent's favorite Products & Services?

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I've just picked up this after a brief test ride. I'll try it out for longer after work tomorrow. https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/ice-qnt-26/1294366870 It's my first recumbent and it's in very good condition. Hope the transition goes well.

Since many tadpole trikes do not have enough standardization to fit on bolt-on trainers, I'd recommend the SportCrafters Trike Trainer. I have the old MR100 along with a couple of riser blocks for the front wheels.

So I live in Raleigh and regularly go out to the Neuse River Greenway.

When I started riding about 4 years ago, I think there were only two other people regularly riding along the greenway with recumbents. I bought mine from The Bike Guy, who's located at the top of the greenway near the dam.

In the past 4 years, I've seen a definite uptick in riders. I've also been stopped by people asking me about my recumbent; for a while I even carried a stack of business cards because I sort of got tired of the conversations.

Now; well, there is still the two other people who ride out there regularly--but I see a lot more people riding recumbents on the weekends, including one weekend when I passed a group of 8 riders all on recumbents riding as a group.

I think the problem--at least out here--is that not a lot of people sell recumbents because not a lot of people are riding recumbents. And not a lot of people are riding recumbents because they don't know where to buy recumbents.

But they became so popular with The Bike Guy that I swear, half his shop is basically a recumbent showroom. And apparently he can't keep up with the demand.

I used to ride mine in traffic (to get from my house to the greenway) but I stopped doing that a couple of years back because it was a bit of a distance to ride, and because while 99% of the drivers gave me a lot of space and were otherwise friendly--it just takes 1 guy not paying attention on the phone while driving.

But I did increased my visibility by not just putting a flag on the back--but by buying UV degradable flagging tape and attaching about a yard and a half of each color to the end of the flag. The multi-color streamers definitely made me more visible to the cars and other bicyclists out there.

I built mine and have been very happy with it. I built it with a Schlumpf Drive on the BB and a 9-speed Shimano derailleur. After riding it the better part of a decade, I pulled the Schlumpf and installed a Bafang 8Fun. With that change it now fulfills my original design goals of riding farther, longer, faster in comfort. I ended up designing and building my own after failing to find anything available commercially that suited me at a price I could afford. I did not use any plans other than my own understanding of recumbent design generally.

I'm convinced some drivers wouldn't notice me on my Catrike 559 if I were a 20-something female, pretty and naked. Not because I'm not noticeable; I actually have a flag mounted to the trike and I've tied 6 foot pieces of survey marking strips to it like multi-colored dayglow streamers.

But because some drivers here in Raleigh are just criminally stupid. It's why for the short segment of my ride along the streets (before I make it to the greenway) my head is on a swivel.

I use a RAM mount phone holder clamped to a T-cycle cockpit mini T.

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088LL7UA/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_api_glt_fabc_MDTB3H9Y8J4SJ05G3CAG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1]()

[https://t-cycle.com/collections/accessory-mounts/products/cockpit-mini-t-with-cable-hole]()

Need a couple of extensions for the Ram mount, but so far it’s working for my ICE Adventure HD.

After several plastic pieces of junk I bought this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074C9QP4J?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

It comes with little pads that could get lost with the packaging. I use my phone in a plastic case and let the teeth dig into the case so I do not use the included pads. I also had to cut part of the kickstand assembly off the case so it would sit flush in the holder. I am shopping for a simple flat back phone case now. I would not use this holder with out the phone case.

I have no idea how this would mount to a trike but the base cad be turned so it can be mounted on the stem.

On my first ride over dirt roads, I put a tether on the phone just in case and rode some dirt roads without problem.

You might be able to ride on a sidewalk if your bike is a legal mobility device.

Appologies if I do not understand the full extent of your balance and vision disability but maybe the following will help.

You might want to try a simple kick bike or scooter with brakes. It would speed up your commute to work considerably. But you might have to spend lots of time practicing if you have balance issues. For most of us, talent and proficiency are learned skills that involve struggle and failure before we get there. It took me hundreds of miles to feel comfortable on my 2 wheel recumbents which I consider to have twitchy steering and I have been riding normal bikes for 60 years.

I had a friend hardly able to walk but she got around her town using a Kick Bike or adult scooter. This Schwinn Shuffle is only $199! There are numerous other types but the wheels need to be big enough to ride over any stray stones or rocks. Then you can even get smaller electric scooters or a 3 wheel scooter.

A kick bike/ scooter would be much easier to store and secure in your apartment. A lot less money too.

Maybe a trike is overkill for a 2 1/2 mile commute. But it would be great for a week end where getting it into and out of storage is less time than the actual trip.

I live in the Northern Adirondacks with most secondary roads being 50 to 100 feet per mile climbs. Google maps calls these "Mostly Flat". Google maps might call the Rocky Mountains "Hilly". Another case of stupid artificial intelligence. Look closely at Google maps in "Terrain Mode". If you have 50 to 100 feet of climb per mile, you may have trouble getting up the hill.

I found this one where someone mentions Catrike in the comments but hoping for more confirmation that this would fit! :)

Kotivie Lockable Foldable Waterproof Sun Protective Bicycle Cover for 1 to 3 All Kinds of Bikes with Double Buckle Straps https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XR21GBY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_wB30FbAW2PFTY?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I put Schwalbe Big Bens on my recumbent two-wheeler. They are 20x2.15. that is about the biggest size that will fit on my Rans Rocket.

They work fine. I put them on so I can go on trails, gravel, softer surfaces etc with no problem.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MDRPB5O

Schwalbe does have other wide tires in the 20 inch size.

Search for stabilizers rather than training wheels. I've seen an adult upright with springy stabilizers parked on the sidewalk. Not these, specifically, but, this is the first Google result: https://www.amazon.com/BIKE-USA-Stabilizer-Wheel-Kit/dp/B001BRE0G6

Locks

One of the best locks on the market is ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 + USH Brkt 300mm LS Shackle U-Locks (Amazon link).

Fair warning about choices regarding this lock.

1) It's 3 or 4 lbs.

2) It comes in two different hasp lengths. This is the long one (9") so you can fit it around any of the larger body tubes on your trike and around a somewhat larger sign post or bike rack.

3) You can order it with or without a way to mount it on your trike/bike. The mounts come in 2 different sizes (for the mounting tube diameter). I ordered the larger one and then decided to mount it on my spouse's rack (smaller tubes). It's OK, but not quite tight enough for my liking. Trike is a 20" Titan Trikes Terrain. The lock gets locked into the mount.

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This lock is lighter than every other lock on the market with the same security rating. I know that's not a big deal for us trikers but thought I'd mention it. The hasp locks on both sides and you remove the hasp when you unlock the lock. I highly recommend finding some reviews on this lock and checking it out.

This might not matter to you, but given that I have 3 cyclists (maybe 4 soon) it's a convenience that I can order multiple locks from Abus that will all come with, and use, the same key.

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Repair Kits

Your best option here is to go to your local bike shop, tell them what you have and where you expect to be riding.

I used this one: https://www.amazon.com/Resistant-Rechargeable-Taillight-Mountain-Children/dp/B00UL8H08Q/ref=pd_cp_200_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00UL8H08Q&pd_rd_r=2MSZ31HVX49MNWYBQ7X1&pd_rd_w=aBOwm&pd_rd_wg=LbQ94&psc=1&refRID=2MSZ31HVX49MNW...

But pretty much all of the bike mounts somehow eventually attach to the seatpost. So I made this as the same diameter as a seat post (which is almost universally 27.2mm) and a little longer than an inch tall.