I rode the trike to work today. It seemed like a good day for it, being one of the few bikes I have that has full fenders. I'm working on changing that. Not very actively, but I'm considering the possibilities. Anyway. It was a nice ride in. First time I've used the clipless pedals I bought on craigslist. They're a very nice addition to the trike and help quite a bit on the hills.
As I was exiting the greenway I was riding up the ramp that goes to Park Avenue. Halfway up the ramp is a hairpin turn. I swung wide and took it slow, and managed to dump the trike onto it's side. I couldn't have been doing more than 5mph when it happened. Took me completely by surprise. The chain fell off and I got a scuff on my bike bag and my hub, but not a single scratch on my body. Weird.
I find it a little unsettling that I've crashed three times in the last 13 months, and two of those times have been at slow speeds on the one bike I own that has more than two wheels and, theoretically at least, better stability. I can only draw one conclusion: Must. Ride. Faster.
Date: July 2
Mileage: 27
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Trike
July mileage: 27
Year to date mileage: 1914
Monday, July 02, 2007
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7 comments:
There must have been a lateral shift in gravity.
Someone in my neighborhood growing up had an adult trike, and I rode it a few times once I was big enough. It was fun, but I noticed the same thing -- it was very easy to tip the thing when turning. This trike looked more like a typical one than yours. I don't know why they're so easy to tip.
I used to have a Honda ATC90 three-wheeler. There's a reason the makers all switched to quads, and you found it.
I logged many a mile on a Honda ATC90 as a youth. I'm sure there's some similarities there. But the motorized three wheeler had two wheels in back/one wheel in front, which in theory would make it more prone to tipping on corners. I'm not sure a tadpole (two wheels in front/one in back) configuration is similar enough. They certainly ride differently. ;-)
I've rented such trikes at camp grounds when I was young (they were heavy single speeds though) and one race my dad and I were having, we both bit it bad. I've been looking seriously into recumbent bikes, and obviously these trikes pop up in that research. Interesting to note.
I was worried about you until your analytical mind came up with such an appropriate conclusion. But which way will you lean?
Why oh why do I have to find out these things on your blog, why...
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