| Sorry this contribution is somewhat belated - I've only recently discovered
this conference.
In case folks are interested in knowing more about trikes...
To start with (and as stated in note 464.3), there are two distinct types
of adult trike, both of which have been made in Britain for a very long
time. First is the utilitarian shopping/commuting type, generally sold to
people who, perhaps because of age or infirmity, feel safer coping with
three wheels than with two.
Second, and the main subject of this note, is the serious racing or touring
type, which generally has a custom built frame (normally Reynolds 531,
occasionally 753), and quality lightweight fittings (Campag., Mavic,
whatever). This type is pretty well identical to a good handbuilt
lightweight bike from the seat tube forwards, but very different rearwards
of course - more on this below. Included in this type also are tandem
tricycles, something *really* different!
In addition a few firms have made (and at least one still does make) trike
conversion kits. These fit any normal bike - it's simply a matter of
removing the rear wheel and bolting on the new axle + 2 wheels, plus a
couple of new widely splayed supplementary seat stays. The central part of
the axle bolts to the rear dropouts, the extra seat stays run from the
seat pin clamp (longer bolt supplied) to the outward ends of the axle tube.
By the way, and before I go on, I am ignoring in this note the new breed of
recumbents - a temporary aberration which won't catch on...
Also by the way, if anyone who hasn't ridden a trike reckons it's easy
("can't ride a two-wheeler then??!??"), the verse at the end of this note
can be vouched for...
Here are the UK makers I am aware of.
1. Utilitarian type:
- W.R.Pashley Ltd, Stratford on Avon
These have a "open" frame design, i.e. no top tube, so
[dis]mounting is very easy - much like a traditional lady's frame
except that there is only one down tube, not two, so I can't
imagine rigidity is up to much.
They do make one touring model, with what appear to be reasonable
lightweight fittings (eg 700c alloy rims, Suntour chainset), but
still with the open frame design of unknown tubing type -
certainly not 531 or equivalent - so unless disability makes easy
[dis]mounting a must I would'nt recommend it for strenuous use.
Also, I think Pashley's engineering ability is questionable. They
had a spate of potentially very dangerous axle breakages a few
years ago, due to a childishly fundamental design fault.
2. Genuine Racing/Touring:
- Higgins, London.
Higgins are no longer in business, having folded in 1969, but
they have to be mentioned - the Higgins Ultralite pretty well
*was* the British lightweight trike industry (too big a word) for
decades. There are still a fair number around (one of which I
own), and their designs live on.
Standard spec. was Reynolds 531 d/b throughout, with fittings to
choice. Also to choice was the drive system - either one-wheel
drive (OWD) to the left wheel, the other spinning freely, or
two-wheel drive (TWD) via a dinky little differential. OWD has
always been the norm for racing (less weight). An option for the
TWD was a hub-type brake integral with the differential.
Frame design, as stated earlier, is similar to normal lightweight
bike from seat tube forwards. At the rear there are two axle
tubes (left and right), joined by brazing to a cradle of smaller
curved tubes in the centre. This cradle gives clearance to the
rear sprocket (and differential if TWD, in which case the
cradle's a bit wider). Chain stays are essentially as for a
normal bike, running from bottom bracket back to aforesaid cradle
and brazed to it. Seat stays much more widely splayed than on a
bike, running from seat lug to points near the outer ends of the
axle tubes.
Drive shaft(s) are approx. 1/2 inch dia solid steel, not sure
what spec. Modern replacements are SR96 I think, which may be
better than what Higgins used [personally I'd love to have a
titanium pair made!]. I'm not sure how much of their own
machining work Higgins did - certainly some seems to have
been farmed out. Eg their differentials were made by the Royal
Ordinance factory, and were apparently part of some piece of
artillery!
Axle bearings are standard bottom bracket fittings, combined with
special ground steel cones keyed onto the drive shafts. They work
well and stay in adjustment for very long periods assuming
occasional greasing via the nipples provided.
I don't know what Higgins' production figures were. My current
one has frame no. 9366, meaning 93rd made in 1966, by which time
Higgins, tricycling and cycling generally were well in decline.
- Holdsworth, London
Though no longer in business (apart from the name having been
acquired by some other firm), Holdsworth also have to be
mentioned because of their trike conversion kits, which I think
sold in greater numbers than anyone else's. As far as I know all
trike conversion kits, including Holdsworth, are OWD. I bought
one new in 1959 (12 pounds as far as I remember) and was
instantly hooked, i.e. became a barrow-boy to use the
then-current term.
- Ken Rogers, Hounslow (W.London)
Ken and his dad seem to do everything that Higgins did and more,
eg have made the odd modern recumbent. He/they are actually very
much the logical successor to Higgins, having bought Higgins up
in '69.
They operate in back-garden shed mode, on the face of it working
in extremely primitive conditions, but actually have solid
engineering credentials, both being ex-Fairey Aviation engineers.
Rogers make, to order, trike frames, tandem trike frames and
conversion kits. Design is essentially same as Higgins (but so is
everybody else's), for which they do a full range of spares
including new differentials which they make themselves,
including the gear-cutting.
As an alternative to a differential, and to OWD, they also do a
simpler form of TWD with no differential. No, not a simple crude
fixed axle (which would produce awful tyre slip on corners), this
is a little unit incorporating rollers which always transmits
drive to the slower-rotating drive shaft, i.e. the inside wheel
on corners. The faster spinning wheel, whichever one it is, is
always in overtaking (=spinning freely) mode, so apart from when
you are running in a dead straight line it's really an
alternating 2 x OWD system rather than true TWD. I've seen and
felt the weight of the unit and it's significantly lighter than a
diff., but doesn't appeal to me - I'm happier with true TWD and
resultant reduced wheel spin (to which OWD is prone).
Rogers are extremely friendly and helpful, and - as I found out
delightedly recently - they also have some key Holdsworth
conversion kit spares, sufficient for me to get mine back into
circulation (over the years I'd somehow lost all the bits other
than the main axle tube).
- George Longstaff, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Longstaff makes bike and trike frames, including tandem. Not
sure about trike conversion kits but would guess so (if you can
make a trike frame, making a conversion set must be easy). Good
reputation. They advertise a full range of trike spares which
must mean Higgins, though I'm not sure how much of the mechanical
stuff they make or get made them themselves - I suspect they may
still get some of it from Rogers whom I believe they relied on to
start with. They do OWD and roller-based 2xOWD as
described above (probably obtained from Rogers), not sure about
proper diff-based TWD.
Sample advertised starting prices are 500 pounds (stock), 550
pounds (custom, 8 weeks). Both of these are OWD frame prices.
I have a feeling that the trike community regard Longstaff as a
bit more "respectable" than Rogers.
- Bob Jackson, Leeds
Much the same applies as to Longstaff, except (a) I think that
trikes are a smaller proportion of the business and (b) I seem to
remember hearing in the last year or so that ownership has
changed - "the" Bob Jackson having parted company or something.
Anyone confirm/elaborate on this?
I don't know of any other current or recent trike builders. Before the war
there were certainly others, including probably some of the really big
firms like BSA who I think made utilitarian machines. Memory says a firm
called Starley made differentials, maybe complete trikes too.
A few more general points on trikes (racing/touring type):
First, how does the speed compare with an equivalent bike? Sadly, and
notwithstanding the occasional "bet having two wheels at the back means you
can go faster" comment, the increased drag (more bearings, extra tyre) and
weight mean that it is a bit slower in simple terms. However, the balance
is redressed a bit under some circumstances, eg slogging heavily laden up a
steep hill nearing the end of a long ride: absolutely no effort is wasted
balancing and the trike may have the edge here. It's also worth mentioning
that for touring a trike is *much* easier to load safely with luggage than
a bike. It's also less likely to get stolen, though I hope that this
becomes less so as a result of this note!
Here fwiw are some UK road times (mostly records achieved in 1990):
25 50 100
miles miles miles
Bike - Solo 42:37 1:34:22 3:16:56
Bike - Tandem 3:20:48
Bike - Mixed Tandem 46:33
Trike - Solo 50:00 1:45:50 3:41:21
Trike - Tandem 45:36
Trike - Mixed Tandem 47:34 1:39:40
Finally, if you have a chance, try riding a trike! Based on the experience
of everyone I know that has, and assuming that you are used to normal
bike-riding, your first try will be scary - something to do with mind over
muscle going all wrong. The problem is having to un-learn what you are
used to. I can do no better here than to include the following which
appeared in the Autumn '90 issue of the UK Tricycle Association Gazette.
The lairy young bikie
To the trikie of old
Why is it you need three wheels on the road?
What is the attraction of this contraption?
Are you insane, disabled, or both?
Now our trikie much used to regular abuse, said,
Is this a man or a mouse before me?
Come prove your worth
If my machine gives you mirth
Climb aboard, we'll soon see who's laughing!
Young bikie, cocksure,
Did indeed climb aboard,
Swung his leg, caught a foot in the spokes!
Tried to scoot off and nigh on fell off
When over his ankle he rode!
Cursing in pain he pedalled away
With a scream in the gutter he fell.
It threw me! The Bitch!
It steers to the ditch!
It's not natural and I don't feel so well!
Our trike just smiled
Had enough? I think so; well, so long
It was nice meeting you.
And whilst you lie in the dirt
With torn knees and ribbed shirt,
Apologise and your words will you chew?
And realise to your cost
That three wheels is a lot!
There, there, there; will *elastoplast do?!
[by Stu 'E' Lee]
*bandaid
- Richard
ps The approved term for the practice of trike-riding is "trundling"
|
| Quite so, but the Holdsworth I had was built with two tubes from the BB
but close together, curving out at their ends to be welded to the axle housing.
It did seem to be quite stiff, but it also had an eccentric bracket with plenty
of meat to weld to.
I didn't mean the Rogers axles were new, they are as you say, copies of
the original Higgins with the very crafty use of BB cups for bearings. I was
told by the man himself that they use "aircraft quality" steel but that may be
a sales plug. The ones I had were unfinished, not having the fixings for the
inner cups but were the right diameter to go through the S5's. The whole
assembly was held in axial tension with Locktite on the nuts to avoid the
necessity of over-tightening. Crude, but when dealing with other nonstandard
engineering features like one-wheel drive and both brakes on the front wheel -
why worry??
There used to be a shop in Laindon, Essex - just down from the Ford
R&D Centre who specialised in odd things like tandems, tandem trikes and trikes.
They had a lot of things like disc brakes as well as oversize spokes (with
standard diameter nipples so you could use solo rims), and heavy duty tandem
bits. I think it was Swallow's - I didn't like it much as a shop (not as good
as Buck's at Ipswich) but they did have some useful things.
I miss the trike out here in France....
I don't miss the rain, the frost, the cold, the idiot motorists....
I love the sunshine, the warmth, the number of bikies out every weekend,
the relatively considerate motorists, the cyclosportif events, the scenery, the
vino, the food, jumping in the pool after going out training..........
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