Riding a bicycle needs balancing skills that children and elderly people might not have and as such another wheel is added to the bicycle to give it stability and ease of operation. This is known as a tricycle. Children use a small-sized tricycle and adults use adult tricycles for many reasons such as shopping, recreation, and exercise. These are also used for commercial transportation in Asia and Africa primarily for carrying passengers or for freight and deliveries.
Features And Types of Adult Tricycles
Mostly, these 3 wheel bicycles are powered by pedals, but some of them use hand cranks. These can also be motorized by using either a small engine or an automatic transmission scooter motor or an electric motor. There are various designs of three-wheeled bikes such as Upright, Delta, and Tadpole. The Upright design is basically like a two wheeler with two wheels at the back and a front wheel and the rider sits on the frame and steers the tricycle through a handlebar that is connected to the front wheel.
The Delta design is much like the Upright, but the rider sits in a recumbent chair-like seat. In this case, the drive is through one or both the rear wheels, and the front wheel is basically for steering. The Tadpole design is also known as a Reverse Trike that has two wheels in the front and one in the back. In most cases, the back wheel is driven and the front wheels are used for steering. However, some tricycles have reverse features too.
Most adults and old people prefer the tadpole design as it does not involve too much physical effort and strain that are needed for normal upright bikes. These adult tricycles have a low center of gravity and are lightweight. Their aerodynamic layout is mainly responsible for their high performance level. There are some other variations of designs of three wheel bicycles such as having different sizes of the front and rear wheels and other unique features.
Other Features
Adult tricycles can also have gear drives with multiple speeds and back rests for providing support to older people. They also have front and rear brakes. The front brakes are normally V-brakes or pull brakes, whereas the rear brakes can be either internal drum brakes or pull brakes.
Usefulness For Old People
Adult tricycles are ideal for old people who have a problem in riding bicycles, as they have excellent maneuverability in terms of cornering, terminal velocity, rider stamina and stability, and comfort. Moreover, they are very convenient for those adults who are worried about falls. Three-wheeled bikes do not need a kickstand and can climb and ride at low speeds. Older people can also escape the rigors of bad weather as some recumbent tricycles can be fully enclosed. Some adult tricycles can also be fitted with a storage box that is placed between the rear wheels.
This is an excellent feature for older people who find it difficult to carry their groceries or other household goods from one place to the other. Adults can also use these tricycles for carrying children. Disabled and extremely old people can use the motorized version of the adult tricycles for greater comfort and less strain.
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