Trike conversion?

[Black Dog]

This is a bit of a wild shot in the dark, but maybe somebody has some ideas, even if it's 'don't bother'!

Last year, my wife bought a Raleigh Motus low-step at the same time as I got the Wisper. She's had some serious health issues (heart bypass and collapsed spine) and we hoped the Motus would be a way of getting her back to cycling again. However, we have only had a few short rides, she has taken a couple of tumbles, and now she has totally lost confidence. She's been going to the gym a lot and is much fitter, but her spine is very fragile and a fall might cause serious injury. She has asked me if there is a way of converting her bike to a tricycle. That way, she could ride all day long without worrying about falling off, and the exercise would be good for her cardiac rehab. Plus we get to ride together again, which would be good.

As far as I can see, there are only two alternatives - find (or make) a kit to convert the rear triangle to a tricycle axle, or sell the Motus and start again. She is definitely not interested in a recumbent. I know kits to convert ordinary bikes were fairly common back in the 60s before trikes became unfashionable, but I have never seen one for an electric bike. Technically, it should be a similar operation, as the bike has a Bosch crank drive and a normal rear axle and mech. Magura hydraulic brakes could be tricky to relocate. This would probably have to be a custom request for a frame builder and therefore not cheap. Otherwise, sell it and ... what? Does anyone make an electric upright tricycle? I suspect cost will be the killer of this one

Or adult stabilisers? I can't see that working, but stranger things have been known. It's for gentle bimbles on quiet roads and paths, not the Tour de France. Or something else I haven't thought of?

 

[eHomer]

I can't help with any knowledge about converting a bike into a trike, but I've had quite a bit of experience with ready made trikes, and I've tried three, as well as being an anorak for ordinary bikes and ebikes.

I had one conventional upright, and two recumbents.

The upright was an old TGA electric trike, which I restored, hoping to interest my wife in accompanying me on my countryside rides.

Alas, that devious plan didn't work, so I tried using it myself.

I've ridden bikes for over 50 years, but I was quite startled at the "handling" of the trike. Every time I picked up speed, I started swerving around, trying to stay upright, and eventually capsized it !

Unbeknown to me, it's a standard problem for people who normally ride a two wheeler, because they ride a straight course by leaning slightly, rather than steering, and that causes the weird feeling when they try a trike. I guess you'd get used to it eventually, but I sold the trike on.

There are quite a few electric upright trikes around, and it would be very easy to convert a good quality one like a Pashley with a simple front wheel motor kit.

You've said emphatically that your wife wouldn't consider a recumbent. Is that because almost all of them seem to be very low slung, and vulnerable to traffic ?

I've had two recumbent trikes, a Pashley PDQ and a Hase Lepus, and they were both really good, with the rider sitting at almost the same height as on a conventional two wheeled bike.



I still have the Hase Lepus (as shown in my Avatar), which I converted to electric last year, and I find it so good that if ever I had to reduce my bike collection it would be one of the last to go. The semi reclining seat and full suspension are incredibly comfortable, and it is very lightweight, even with my electric conversion. They are sold by Hase as being suited to sporty types and also people with disabilities, an unusually wide ranging buyer target.

http://www.threewheelbicycles.com/Kettwiesel_Lepus-Comfort.htm

My conversion was simply a Q100 328rpm 36v front hub motor in a 20" wheel, with S06S controller and a 36v 10ah lithium iron battery which I keep in a bag on the integral rear carrier. It has a range of 25 miles with average pedal assist, and as max speed of 18mph with an easy cruise of 15mph.

 

[Alan Quay]

I suggest you sell the motus and buy a ready made trike and a front wheel hub kit. Nice and simple.

 

[the_killjoy]

Have you looked on this site:

http://www.bikecare.co.uk/special_needs.html

http://www.bikecare.co.uk/tribike.html

 

[Black Dog]

Thanks for that detailed reply, really helpful. You are quite right. It's the thought of being unseen in traffic that puts her off the recumbent option. However, we have had a look at the Hase website and they are very impressive machines. Unfortunately, I think the cost is going to rule that one out.

However, your suggestion of a normal trike with a front wheel conversion sounds like a possible. Why didn't I think of that? I like the simplicity of this idea, I could do the conversion myself and it wouldn't cost too much (he said, with fingers crossed). I will definitely look further into that.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Most helpful.

 

[Black Dog]

Have you looked on this site:

http://www.bikecare.co.uk/special_needs.html

http://www.bikecare.co.uk/tribike.html

That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. They even have stabilisers! (I am trying very hard to get that idea out of her head. It just wouldn't work, I know!) Some great options and lots to think about there. Thank you.

 

[Black Dog]

I suggest you sell the motus and buy a ready made trike and a front wheel hub kit. Nice and simple.

Hmmm, that's the way my thinking is going at the moment. Simple and possibly the cheapest option. Selling the Motus is going to mean a huge loss, but we're going to have to take that on the chin, I think.

 

[Alan Quay]

You can get a front conversion kit for around £400 delivered from China, (with 12.5 ah battery) or not much more from UK suppliers. Something like a Bafang BPM kit would be a good bet, as they give a lot of torque which is required if your wife can't pedal hard.

 

[eHomer]

Yes, agreed, the retail price of Hase trikes makes your eyes water.

They do come up secondhand occasionally though, I got mine for around £400.

If you do go for a DIY conversion on a trike, most of them have 20" wheels, so it's important to make sure the motor revs high enough to give a decent speed. Most front hub kits have 200 -250 rpm motors, which will max out at about 13mph at 36 volts.

The good advice I got from this forum was to go for a 328rpm for my 20" wheel, which gives a much more useful 18mph, so easy cruise at 15mph.

Alternatively, you could go for a crank drive, so the gearing would be right regardless of the 20" rims.

I just bought, (and have already received and fitted), another Q100 328rpm motor with a 20" rim and S06S controller, PAS, throttle, brake levers etc.. for a two wheeled recumbent I've just converted, that's everything apart from the battery, (which I already had), and it was £160 from BMS battery, including delivery. I'll no doubt get another invoice from Fedex for the VAT, but that should only be about £30, so it's still cheaper than buying from the UK, as far as I could ascertain.

 

[anotherkiwi]

http://www.noomadbike.com/

 

[Black Dog]

Very helpful, thanks both.