Can't ride a bike? Try riding a trike!

Like many PWP, I sometimes drag my foot, regularly lose my balance, and am generally unsteady. Bike riding would seem like the last activity I should consider, but I couldn’t help myself. I grew tired of watching my neighbors whiz by me on their bikes, accompanied by family and friends and looking like they were having so much fun. I wanted to be part of the scene.

I went to a friend's house and tried out her bike. After repeatedly falling off, reality set in and I decided this was not for me. Still wanting to take to the road with everyone else, I picked myself up and decided to try a recumbent tricycle. Now my husband and I ride together almost every day.

My fall

There is no learning curve to mastering a trike. You just get on and go. The three wheels make it stable and easy to maintain control, no matter how slowly you pedal or what road hazards (sand or gravel) you encounter. Stopping at intersections (or when you need a rest) is simple: you just put on the brakes and lower your feet to the ground.

I let out a big OOF and lay there — stunned. I took inventory — no broken teeth or limbs. Not trusting my ability to get up without further injury, I decided to wait for my husband to come out and help me get untangled from the bike.

He took one look at me and asked, “Jean, are you stretching?”

"I fell," I moaned.

He rushed over, helped me lift my legs, and moved the bike away from me. “You were laying there so symmetrically, you looked like you were stretching in some new yoga position,” he said apologetically.

As I limped into the house, all I could do was laugh.

My new lightweight trike

I recently bought a new recumbent trike that is easily transportable in the back of our pickup truck. My new trike weighs 31 lbs vs. the old one’s 65! Now I can take my trike to new locations and ride.

Recumbent trikes don’t come cheap. They range from $1,000 to many thousands. Depending on your state’s tax code, however, you may be able to deduct part of the cost as a medical expense with a script from your doctor.

Read what I have learned
about riding a tricycle over
the past two years. (opens a new web page)