Recumbents and Trikes
Many people don’t know there are alternatives to sitting on a small saddle and leaning on the handlebars. This page explains two-wheel recumbents, tadpole and delta recumbent trikes, and upright adult tricycles: how they feel, who they suit, why three wheels can still tip, and the simple question that matters more than top speed, which is whether you can get in and out comfortably.
On this page
- Why consider something different?
- Two-wheel recumbent bikes
- Tadpole recumbent trikes
- Delta recumbent trikes
- Upright adult tricycles
- The comparison table: 16 criteria
- Three wheels can still tip
- The get-in-and-out test
- Recumbents and trikes in Lethbridge
- Who they really suit (and the age trap)
- How to test ride one
Why consider something different?
A conventional bike asks three things of your body. Your weight sits on a small saddle. Your hands and wrists hold up part of your upper body. And you balance the whole time, including at every stop and start.
For many riders that’s no trouble at all. For others it’s the reason they stopped riding: numb hands, a sore neck, saddle pain, a stiff back, or a wobbly start that makes every intersection stressful.
Recumbents and trikes change one or more of those three things:
- A recumbent replaces the saddle with a seat that has a backrest, and puts your feet out in front. Your hands just steer; they don’t hold you up.
- A trike has three wheels, so it stands up on its own when you stop. You don’t have to put a foot down or balance at low speed.
- A recumbent trike does both.
None of these is automatically “better”. Each solves some problems and creates others. The rest of this page lays out both sides fairly.
Two-wheel recumbent bikes
A two-wheel recumbent puts you in a reclined seat, usually with a full backrest, with the pedals out in front. Some sit quite high, with the seat at about the height of an ordinary saddle; others are long and low. Steering may be from handlebars above your lap or from bars under the seat at your sides.
Advantages
- Little or no weight on the hands and wrists.
- A real seat with back support instead of a small saddle.
- Many riders find them more comfortable on long rides.
- Weight is spread across the back and seat, not concentrated.
- The reclined position can be aerodynamic, depending on the design. That helps into a headwind.
- Your head is up and facing forward, so you look at the scenery, not the pavement.
Disadvantages
- You still have to balance it.
- Starting and stopping take practice. Many new riders wobble at first.
- Steering and handling feel quite different from an upright bike.
- You can’t stand on the pedals to climb, so hills rely on low gears and steady spinning.
- A low seat can make you harder for drivers to see.
- They’re often long, which makes transport and storage harder.
A two-wheel recumbent can offer outstanding comfort for someone who is confident balancing. It’s usually not the answer for someone whose main concern is balance, because it still has to be balanced, and the first few rides can be harder than on a normal bike.
Tadpole recumbent trikes
A tadpole trike has two wheels at the front and one at the back. The rider sits low between the front wheels in a reclined seat. Most steer with handles at the sides of the seat. This is the most common type of recumbent trike.
Advantages
- No balancing when stopped: you can sit at a crosswalk with your feet on the pedals.
- A supportive seat with back support.
- Many riders find them very comfortable for recreation and touring.
- The low seat and wide front track make them steady in normal riding.
- Suits riders who want a more stable platform.
Things to think about
- Low seat. You sit close to the ground. Other road users may not see you easily.
- Getting in and out. Lowering yourself into a low seat, and standing up again, is the big question for many riders. See the test below.
- Width. Check that it fits through pathway gates, bollards, doors and your garage.
- Steering in turns. Quick and direct; it doesn’t lean, which takes getting used to.
- Ground clearance. Low frames can scrape on curbs and big bumps.
- Storage footprint. Takes up floor space; most can’t hang on a hook.
- Transport. Usually needs a special carrier, a trailer, or a model that folds.
- Tipping. Fast turns, or turning across a sideways slope, can lift a wheel. See below.
Delta recumbent trikes
A delta trike has one wheel at the front and two at the back. The seat is often higher than on a tadpole, and the rider usually steers with handlebars.
- Higher seating. Often closer to the height of a kitchen chair, which many people find easier to see from and be seen in.
- Easier entry and exit. A higher seat often means you can sit down and stand up more easily. For some riders, this alone decides it.
- Turning behaviour. With a single front wheel, a delta’s stability in a turn depends on the narrower front end. A hard, fast turn, especially while braking, is more likely to tip a delta than a tadpole of similar height.
- Cargo. The space between or behind the rear wheels can carry a basket or box.
- Traction. Usually only one rear wheel is driven. On loose gravel or a wet climb, that wheel can spin, especially if the rider’s weight is forward.
- Transport size. Often long and wide. Check the measurements against your vehicle or trailer.
Upright adult tricycles
An upright adult trike looks like a bicycle with two rear wheels and usually a basket between them. You sit on a saddle, upright, as you would on a comfort bike. They are a separate choice from recumbent trikes and behave quite differently.
| Compared with | Upright adult trike |
|---|---|
| Height | You sit high, like on a bicycle. Easy to see and be seen. Getting on and off is usually easier than with a low recumbent. |
| Steering | Handlebars turn the front wheel, as on a bike, but the trike doesn’t lean. Riders used to bicycles often find this strange at first; their instinct to lean the bike does nothing. |
| Balance | No balancing at stops or at walking pace. A real help for riders who struggle with balance at low speed. |
| Handling and turning | The high seat puts your weight well above the wheels. In a fast turn, that weight pushes outwards and can lift the inside rear wheel. Slow down before every turn, and lean your body into the turn. |
| Carrying capacity | Often excellent. A large rear basket makes it a good errand machine on flat ground. |
| Comfort | Upright, like a comfort bike, but with a saddle rather than a seat with a backrest (some offer a backrest). Hands still carry a little weight. |
| Hills and wind | Usually heavy, upright and not very aerodynamic. Hard work on hills and into wind without a motor. |
| Cross-slopes | Sideways slopes (driveway aprons, cambered paths) tilt the whole trike. Take them slowly. |
The comparison table: 16 criteria
These are general tendencies for typical designs. Individual models differ, and how each one feels to you is what counts.
| Criterion | Upright bicycle | Two-wheel recumbent | Tadpole trike | Delta trike | Upright adult trike |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Back support | None | Full backrest | Full backrest, reclined | Full backrest, more upright | Usually none; some have a backrest |
| 2. Wrist and hand pressure | Moderate to high, depending on position | Very low | Very low | Low | Low to moderate |
| 3. Saddle comfort | Small saddle; can be sore on long rides | Seat, not saddle | Seat, not saddle | Seat, not saddle | Saddle, often wide |
| 4. Neck and shoulder comfort | Varies; forward positions strain the neck | Good; headrest on some | Good; headrest on some | Good | Good (upright) |
| 5. Balance needed | Yes, always | Yes, always | No | No | No |
| 6. Stability at stops | Must put a foot down | Must put a foot down | Stands on its own | Stands on its own | Stands on its own |
| 7. Tipping risk | Falls over if balance is lost; leans through turns | Same as upright | Low seat helps; can lift a wheel in fast turns or on cross-slopes | Higher than tadpole in hard turns, especially when braking | Highest of the trikes in fast turns, due to high seat |
| 8. Traffic visibility | Good; head at driver height or above | Fair to poor if low | Poor; low to the ground. Use a flag and lights | Fair | Good |
| 9. Riding efficiency | Good | Good to very good on the flat | Good on the flat; heavier | Fair to good | Fair; heavy and upright |
| 10. Hills and headwinds | Good on hills (can stand); fair into wind | Slower on hills (can’t stand); good into wind | Slow climbing but can’t fall over; good into wind | Slow climbing; fair into wind | Hard on both without a motor |
| 11. Mounting and dismounting | Swing a leg over, or step through | Similar to a bike, but needs practice | Low seat; hardest for stiff knees or hips | Easier; higher seat | Easy; often step-through |
| 12. Ease of transport | Easy on most racks | Long; needs a suitable rack | Wide and long; needs special carrier, trailer or a folding model | Long and wide; trailer often needed | Wide; trailer or truck bed |
| 13. Weight and storage size | Light to moderate; hangs on a hook | Moderate; long | Moderate to heavy; floor space | Moderate to heavy; floor space | Heavy; floor space |
| 14. Electric-assist availability | Very wide choice | Limited | Fairly common, often as a factory option or kit | Available | Common |
| 15. Service and replacement parts | Any bike shop | Mostly standard parts plus some specialist ones | Standard drivetrain; steering, seat and front wheels may be specialist | Rear axle and differential may be specialist | Mostly standard; rear axle may be specialist |
| 16. Cost and resale | Widest range; easy to resell | Usually costs more; smaller resale market | Usually costs more; small but keen resale market | Varies; smaller resale market | Wide range; fair resale |
Reading the table: look for the two or three rows that matter most to you. If balance at stops is the reason you stopped riding, row 6 settles a lot. If you can’t get down to a low seat, row 11 settles a lot. If you need to put it in a car, row 12 may decide it.
Three wheels can still tip
This is the most important safety point on the page. People often assume a trike can’t fall over. It can, and the way it happens is different from a bicycle, so it catches riders by surprise.
Why a bicycle leans and a trike doesn’t
When you turn on a bicycle, you lean into the turn without thinking about it. Leaning puts your weight on the inside of the curve and balances the force that’s pushing you outward. That’s why a bike can take a corner at speed.
A trike can’t lean. When it turns, the same outward push acts on you and the trike, but the frame stays upright. All of that push loads the outside wheel and lightens the inside wheel. Turn too fast or too sharply, and the inside wheel lifts. If it keeps lifting, the trike rolls over.
What makes tipping more likely
- Speed. The outward push grows quickly as speed goes up. A turn that’s fine at walking pace can lift a wheel at a fast cycling pace.
- Tight turns. A sharper turn at the same speed pushes harder.
- A high seat. The higher your weight sits, the more leverage the outward push has. That’s why low tadpole trikes are generally steadier in turns than high upright trikes.
- A narrow wheel track. Wider-set wheels resist tipping better.
- Braking in the turn. Braking throws weight forward. On a delta trike, with one wheel at the front, that weight moves towards the narrow end, which makes a tip more likely.
- Cross-slopes. A sideways slope, like a cambered pathway, a driveway ramp or the edge of a coulee trail, already tilts the trike. The uphill wheel is lighter before you even start to turn. Turning downhill on a cross-slope is especially risky.
- Bumps and potholes. Hitting a bump with one wheel mid-turn can lift the other side.
- Loads. A heavy basket placed high or to one side changes the balance.
How riders handle it
- Slow down before the turn, not in it.
- Lean your upper body into the turn. On a trike you can’t lean the frame, but moving your weight to the inside helps a lot. On a recumbent trike, lean your head and shoulders towards the inside of the turn.
- Take cross-slopes straight on where possible, or slowly.
- Practise in an empty parking lot until you know how your trike feels when a wheel starts to go light.
- Load low and centred.
Coulee descents and trikes: a long, steep pathway descent into the river valley, with a bend at the bottom, is exactly where a trike can build up too much speed for the turn. Control your speed all the way down, and test your brakes at the top.
The get-in-and-out test
For many riders, especially on a low tadpole trike, the most important question isn’t speed, gearing or price. It’s this: can you comfortably sit down into the seat, and stand up again afterward, every time, without help?
Seat height, handholds, hip and knee flexibility, leg strength and general mobility can matter more than anything on the spec sheet. A trike you can’t get out of easily at the end of a ride, or at a washroom stop halfway along the Coal Banks Trail, is not a comfortable trike.
Try this before you buy
- Measure the seat height and compare it with chairs you find easy and hard to get up from. Low recumbent trike seats can sit well below the height of a normal chair.
- Get in and out five times in a row in the shop, without using the shop’s counter or a helper. Then do it again after the test ride, when your legs are tired.
- Check the handholds. Can you push up on the frame or steering handles safely, with the parking brake on so it won’t roll?
- Try it from the side you’d actually use, such as next to your car or garage wall.
- Try it on a slight slope, like a driveway.
- Ask about seat options. Many trikes offer higher seats, adjustable seat angles or different frames. A higher seat trades a little cornering stability for much easier entry.
- Bring a partner who can tell you honestly how it looked.
What it means for you: if a low seat is a struggle, look at a delta trike, a higher-seat tadpole, or an upright adult trike. If you have a hip or knee replacement or another joint condition, ask your physiotherapist or surgeon about safe seat heights and any movements to avoid.
Recumbents and trikes in Lethbridge
- Wind. The low, reclined position of most recumbents puts less of you into the wind than sitting upright, which helps on exposed pathways and rural roads. Low trikes are also less pushed around by crosswinds than a tall upright rider. That’s a real advantage here.
- Coulee climbs. You can’t stand on the pedals on a recumbent. Long climbs out of the river valley mean low gears and a steady pace, or electric assist. The good news on a trike is that you can go as slowly as you like without falling over, and stop to rest anywhere.
- Pathway width and gates. Measure your trike’s width and compare it with the gaps at pathway barriers and bollards you use. Check before you commit to a route.
- Visibility. A tall flag, bright clothing and lights help drivers and other pathway users see a low trike. Alberta requires a white headlamp, a red tail lamp and a red rear reflector at night on bicycles; see lights and visibility.
- Surfaces. Low trikes do well on paved pathways. On rough aggregate or coulee single track, low ground clearance and three wheel tracks make for a bumpy, scraping ride.
- Service. Ask before you buy which local shops can service your particular trike, especially its steering, front wheels, seat and any motor.
Who they really suit (and the age trap)
It’s tempting to say “recumbents are for older riders” or “trikes are for people with sore joints”. That’s not a sound way to choose.
Don’t recommend, or buy, a recumbent or trike just because of someone’s age or a general complaint like “bad knees”. Plenty of older riders are happiest on an ordinary upright bike, perhaps with a step-through frame or electric assist. And a low recumbent trike can be a poor choice for exactly the person it seems designed for, if they can’t get down into the seat and back up again. Look at the actual rider: their balance, flexibility, strength, comfort, where they’ll ride and how the bike will be carried. Then test ride.
A recumbent or trike may suit you well if
- Hand, wrist, neck or saddle pain has stopped you riding a normal bike, and a better fit hasn’t solved it.
- Balancing at stops and starts makes you anxious, and you’d ride more if you didn’t have to.
- You enjoy long, steady rides on pavement and want all-day comfort.
- You can get in and out of the seat easily (trikes), or you’re confident balancing (two-wheel recumbents).
- You have a plan for transporting and storing it.
Think twice if
- Getting up from a low seat is hard for you.
- Most of your riding is short, stop-and-go errands where a low trike is awkward to park and lock.
- You need to lift it onto a roof rack or high carrier on your own.
- Your routes have narrow gates, steep cross-slopes or rough single track.
- No shop nearby can service it.
For riders with specific disabilities, adaptive cycles such as handcycles, tandems and side-by-side cycles open up riding to people who couldn’t otherwise ride at all. An occupational therapist or physiotherapist can help match a design to a person’s needs.
How to test ride one
Recumbents and trikes take a little longer to judge than an ordinary bike, because they feel unfamiliar at first. Give yourself time.
- Book a longer test ride. Ten minutes in a parking lot isn’t enough. Ask for half an hour or more, ideally on a pathway with a gentle slope.
- Do the get-in-and-out test first, before and after riding.
- Practise starts and stops. On a two-wheel recumbent, practise starting with one pedal raised in a good position. On a trike, practise using the parking brake.
- Try turns at walking pace, then a little faster. Feel when the inside wheel starts to go light, in a safe, open space.
- Try a hill, both up and down. Notice whether you have low enough gears and how the brakes feel.
- Ask to have the seat adjusted. Seat angle and distance to the pedals make a huge difference. A poorly adjusted recumbent can feel worse than it really is.
- Measure it for your vehicle and storage, folded and unfolded.
- Look into renting or borrowing one for a day or a weekend if you can. Comfort over 20 km is different from comfort over 2 km.
Then use the Buyer’s checklist to compare it with the other bikes you’ve tried.
Sources
- Government of Alberta, Cycling safety equipment (lights, reflectors, helmets): alberta.ca/safety-equipment
- Government of Alberta, Rules and Regulations Applying to Small Vehicles (updated November 2018), power bicycle criteria including the three-wheel limit: transportation.alberta.ca (PDF)
- City of Lethbridge, Tuesday Trail Tips (pathway types, Coal Banks Trail): lethbridge.ca/news/posts/tuesday-trail-tips
- David Gordon Wilson, Bicycling Science (MIT Press), for the physics of balance, cornering, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, including recumbent designs.