Very low step through tadpole trike w electric assist

[LindsayO]

I have MS which causes me muscle weakness, balance problems and spatial reasoning difficulties.
I live in a bust urban environment in a ground floor flat, with no access except the front door (narrower than standard)
So I'm looking for an upright, tadpole trike that is under 75cm in width with electric assist.

I found two so far. The noomad Lola. There is a folding version which would be a big bonus for me. From their website I'm not even sure they are in full production yet.

The other is the Etnnic tribike. No folding version, but otherwise very similar looking

I know very little about bikes so do not know how to go about choosing between them
I also know very little about the electric systems involved

Both bikes are from Spain, and I was wondering if in terms of servicing etc I would be better off buying just the bike and getting the electric assist retro fitted, or is there a big down side to retro fitting over factory fitting?

Any help greatly appreciated

 

[mfj197]

Interesting - I haven't seen the Noomad system before. It seems that the double front wheel system can also be retrofitted to a standard bike. They have versions for folders, recumbents and normal bikes. You could therefore fit their system to an ebike bought here in the UK if you want (assuming you are in the UK). However the complete folder looks pretty good and it is a very low stepthrough indeed. I don't know what their electric assist option is though.

I note that the bikes still bank round corners (as they would have to - it's too narrow to be fixed and not fall over when cornering). I wonder how well it would actually help with balance issues?

For those who haven't seen it here is a video of it in action.

Michael

 

[LindsayO]

Michael, Thanks for your reply. You are right I think the tilting system might be too much for me, though I'd love to give it a try. However, Noomad also have their own trikes, which I think are non-tilting. I have emailed Noomad to double check. The trikes have a very low step through and they have a folding & electric assist version so look almost perfect for me.

I'm in Edinburgh, sorry I forgot to mention that. The bike makers are in Spain, which is why I wonder if I would be better getting something retro-fitted here, so if I had problems with the electric assist I could more easily get help from the company that fitted it.

 

[peerjay56]

It's a pleasing looking variation on a theme, with the advantage that it doesn't increase your roadspace to the extent of a traditional trike. You could do with a test ride first LindsayO. The Noomad website shows
Practical Cycles
26 Warton Street
Lytham, FY8 5HA UK
T +44 (0) 1253 739 680
www.practicalcycles.com
as a UK dealer. Certainly worth a phone call to begin with.

 

[LindsayO]

Phil,
Practical Cycles have some lovely looking bikes and sell the Noomad system, not the fixed trikes, which I don't think are even in production yet. I contacted Practical Cycles and they wont have more kits till Easter, though they do say on their website they have a test bike set up. I could ask about giving that a trial. Who knows a tilting trike might even help me with my balance, as the problem feels like it starts when I have to lift my feet to walk

 

[D8ve]

Laid back bikes in auld reekie have some alternitives including hass kettwessel?
Worth a visit and chat.

 

[mfj197]

Looking at the Noomad website I think their trikes share the same tilting system - it is sort of their showpiece. However I guess you wouldn't know how you would get on until you tried! It's a bit of a trek from Edinburgh to Lytham but not impossible I guess.

Good luck hunting!

Michael

 

[LindsayO]

Dave, Laid back bikes do have some lovely looking bikes. I had a ketweissel but had to give it up because I found being so low down in conjunction with my poor spatial skills too stressful

Michael, I'm just not sure the trikes do tilt. The info is confusing as they describe them as stable and for people with balance issues. Being realistic a trip to Lytham isn't really on the cards. Will just have to wait till I hear back from noomad

 

[flecc]

I'm fairly sure that Noomad does tilt and a careful viewing of the video does appear show that at later points. I believe it was this one I saw in an edition of Velovision some while ago which definitely stated tilting.

As an earlier poster said, being that narrow it would be very unstable if it didn't tilt.
.

 

[LindsayO]

flecc, the Noomad system that you attach to the front of a regular bike definitely does tilt. The question I have is whether or not the Noomad full trike, (they call her Lola) also tilts. The front end looks quite different, with a single vertical bar at the front, instead of 2. Anyway hopefully they will get back to me to let me know

The other question I have concerns the advantages and disadvantages of getting an electric assist if I buy a bike from a supplier a fair distance away versus getting it retro fitted locally

 

[Emo Rider]

http://www.missioncycles.co.uk/mission-electric-tricycle-p-138.html?osCsid=mma58u76hpb0qme2ogo60k2q52

Hopefully the link will work. This is the E Solo from Mission Cycles. I know of one being used by a lady with MS as well.

 

[LindsayO]

Thanks Emo I looked at the Mission Cycles Solo (on their website) and there is much I like about it. The low and flat step through. The width, the electric assist, but it is a delta and I just don't think I can cope with that for much longer, given my problems with spatial thinking

 

[D C]

I wonder if this may be of interest
http://www.ez-trainer.com/?c=prod
I found it on another thread so can't take credit but it appears to have a 30 day money back if it doesn't suit.
It seems to make it possible to stop the bike and remain upright and give some stability at low speed.
If you could borrow a bike to try it on it may give you some clue as to how you could manage.
Going slightly off at a tangent though it may be relevant, I had a dizziness problem a few years back, in fact it still comes back at me when I'm tired or subjected to loud noise, (no wedding receptions for me!)
It's an inner ear problem and movement such as walking was deeply unpleasant and if I closed my eyes I would have had no balance at all.
I didn't consider riding my bike for several months but then after cleaning and servicing my neglected bike I decided to have a short test ride.
Amazingly and even after several miles I felt no dizziness, nausea or lack of balance, much better than walking.
My theory is that being always sort of off balance on a bike my brain paid more attention to the "balance" message from my eyes and ignored the "off balance" message from my ears.
This may be nothing like your problem at all and apologies if not.
I really hope you find something that works out for you.

Dave.

 

[LindsayO]

Dave, thanks for the link. I had looked at those, but then moved on to thinking about a trike, maybe need to consider them
Good idea on borrowing a bike too try them with

I also get the kind of dizziness you are describing, but luckily not too often. The difficulty in explaining my balance problems is that I don't really have a frame of reference, they aren't really like anything I ever experienced before MS. the nearest I can come up with is that it feels like I am in someone elses body. Everything is wired up slightly differently. My hands and feet (and legs and arms) are never quite where I expect them to be and never go quite where I tell them to

 

[D C]

Dave, thanks for the link. I had looked at those, but then moved on to thinking about a trike, maybe need to consider them
Good idea on borrowing a bike too try them with

I also get the kind of dizziness you are describing, but luckily not too often. The difficulty in explaining my balance problems is that I don't really have a frame of reference, they aren't really like anything I ever experienced before MS. the nearest I can come up with is that it feels like I am in someone elses body. Everything is wired up slightly differently. My hands and feet (and legs and arms) are never quite where I expect them to be and never go quite where I tell them to

That sounds an awful lot worse than mine.
I know for me, getting back on my bike again gave me a tremendous boost. I hope you find a good solution.
Dave.

 

[LindsayO]

Thanks Dave, I have a mobility scooter and that gets me out in the wind and air., but it doesn't get my body moving. When I get to the gym I'm okay once I get on the exercise bike, the difficulty is getting to the gym, then to the bike. so this encourages me that is I could get something stable my arms and legs would cooperate

 

[anotherkiwi]

That noomad kit is very cool. Even for someone without a handicap! Much better than a trailor. The folding one is much wider than the one you put on your bike.

Yes the front wheels tilt but the frame does not tilt as much as with two wheels - that would defeat the purpose of the design. There will be a limit to the amount that it tilts.

You can fit a mid drive and use the gears. Wouldn't a two motor front wheel drive one be the coolest delivery bike in town!

Spanish industrial design is one of the most inventive around these last few years.

Tony

 

[LindsayO]

Tony, yes I love the look of the noomad, others have said it looks ugly but I disagree, it is not ugly in the way that so much disability equipment is I did have the thought of buying a bike from noomad, as I love their low flat step through & the noomad system, as it is narrower and so would fit easily through my door. But then I'm back to tilting again.

 

[anotherkiwi]

There is a photo of the front wheels alone which shows the limit of the tilting. Because of basic geometry your back wheel (and saddle) wont lean as far as that when cornering. I think that the tilting will be proportional to the amount you turn the handlebars.

Notice that when the bike is parked it is upright. The other LOLA trike is 75cm wide according to the datasheet, a standard door is 70cm wide...

Tony

 

[LindsayO]

Tony. My front door is 80cms I have a mobility scooter that is 74cm. It is a large 3-wheeler (delta layout) and I struggle to not scrap it or the door & doorframe on the way through, which is what made me think a tadpole trike would suit me better.

A bike with a noomad system will not necessarily stand upright without a kickstand, something I want to avoid. I want a trike that will stand while I get on and off. I want it to give me some support when I'm dismounting rather than the other way around.

I posted about these two trikes on a forum dedicated to upright tricycles and got feedback that the noomad Lola trike would have no tilt and would have something called 'bump steer'

I've emailed noomad but so far no reply