3 Best Tricycle for Adults in 2021 – Review of Budget Bikes

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If you’re an outdoorsy person, you know nothing quite beats the fun of cycling. You get to enjoy the welcome views, the thrill of being out on the road, the healthy dose of physical exercise, and even the cost-effectiveness of an eco-friendly commute to work.

There’s just one catch- bicycles aren’t for everyone. Maybe you’re not that great at balancing, or you’re suffering from a temporary or permanent injury. That’s okay. With the best adult tricycle, you never have to miss out!

Think of it this way. Adult tricycle bikes are just like conventional bicycles in the sense that they also run on wheels, and they’re a good form of exercise. Not to mention, tricycle bikes are also fun and fast, and even come with certain perks as compared to traditional bikes.

Want to find out more about three-wheel bicycles, including what benefits they offer, a review of some of the best adult tricycles we’ve found, and a guide on how to pick the best adult tricycle for your needs and budget? Read on further!

3 Wheel Bikes Are In-trend For A Reason (And It’s A Good One)

You may or may not have noticed that adult trikes are highly popular these days. The question is, why is that? Well, the answer is quite simple. Lots of people want to enjoy the benefits of good ol’ cycling, but without the difficulty and other issues that come with regular bicycles.

The answer? Adult tricycles. In many cases, these things can be a lot more practical and comfortable than a two-wheeled bicycle. Interestingly enough, bicycles and trikes have been around pretty much at the same time, although adult trikes never really took off until recently. For more than a century, trikes were often reserved for children, toys, and utilitarian purposes.

Fortunately, people have come to realize the wonders of riding a tricycle bike.

This has led to many well-known brands to start releasing amazing adult tricycles that come with lots of bells and whistles, such as racks, carts, handlebar grips with turn signals, bike panniers, and whatnot. There are even electronic tricycles for adults now, but we won’t touch on that for now. Let’s talk about the best adult tricycles we’ve found:

Top 3 Best Adult Tricycles In 2021

After much research and road testing, we finally came up with this review of the three best adult tricycles that are sure to let you have the most fun on the road while keeping you safe and comfortable and giving you the best value for your money.

These cheap and affordable tricycle bikes come from only the best bike brands on the market, so you can expect only the best in terms of performance and reliability. Let’s get started!

Adult Tricycles vs Regular Bikes

Not quite convinced whether an adult tricycle is right for you? Here’s a list of all the reasons why adult tricycle bikes are so much better than regular bicycles (and a list of why they’re not, just to be fair) so you can make a better decision for yourself:

Comfort

There’s no question that adult tricycle bikes are simply more comfortable to ride than a regular two-wheeled bicycle. For one thing, you get to enjoy a more relaxed cycling position. You also don’t have to stay tense while worrying about maintaining balance. Fatigue? I don’t know her.

Stability

That extra wheel on an adult tricycle is the key to keeping things stable and oh-so-easy to ride. It doesn’t matter where or how you’re riding, whether it be tough terrain or gloomy weather. Save for a freak accident, you really don’t have to worry about wobbling and toppling over. Once you get the hang of riding an adult tricycle, you can just focus on the fun of cycling.

Cargo Capacity

Another awesome thing is that adult tricycle bikes offer so much more cargo space. Going on an all-day cycling trip? Bring as many snacks as you want, maybe even an extra pair of bike shorts! Commuting to work or school? Take all your books with you! Hitting the grocery? Go wild, buy in bulk! With a tricycle bike, there are just baskets everywhere.

Weight

Having said all that, conventional bicycles do come with their fair share of advantages. First, bicycles are considerably lighter than trikes. This added weight can be a problem if you’re just starting to get the feel of cycling on a trike, or are riding on difficult terrain since the weight makes it more difficult to control.

Complexity

Maintenance and repair tasks are also often harder to do on adult tricycle bikes, not just because of the extra weight, but also because a trike is more complex in the mechanical side of things. With gears and brakes all over, you’ll need to commit to regular bicycle (trike?) tune-ups.

Storage and Transport

While the size of an adult tricycle can be a good thing in that it offers more seating and cargo space, it can also be a bad thing in that the bloated size makes the trike more difficult to store and transport. You’ll need to find ample space to park the trike unless you manage to find a good quality folding trike variety.

Adult Tricycle Buying Guide

So, how do you choose the right adult tricycle for you? Well, you have to take into account a few important factors, all of which we will discuss below. We’ll focus more on your comfort and how well the tricycle fits you, rather than on-the-road performance since tricycles aren’t really built for endurance rides.

Terrain

First of all, where do you plan on riding your trike? This is an important question to answer since much like normal bikes, there are different types of tricycles for every riding style, such as cruisers, mountain trikes, e-trikes, and so on.

You do have to understand that tricycles are not built for racing. That said, you can still easily ride one over hills and bumps, take it to a bike trail, or just around the neighborhood.

Seat

How comfortable the bike seat is to, well, sit on, is what largely determines how comfortable your ride will be. The seat should be supportive and firm without being too hard. It should be positioned well so you can enjoy a relaxed riding position.

Opt for a wide and comfy saddle-type seat to give you the best in terms of comfort, stability, and safety, especially if you’re fond of quick stops and starts. Of course, there are also sling-style seats made of nylon, and padded and contoured platform seats with rear support, although these seats are more common on recumbent tricycles where a lower center of gravity is a must.

Handlebars

Another important factor that affects your riding position is the type, size, and position of the handlebars. With a tricycle, you shouldn’t have to bend and lean too far nor strain your neck just to reach the handlebars.

Now, if you are generally healthy and have a decent upper body strength, you’ll do fine with a traditional or curved handlebar, but if you are a little older, or have weak and unsteady arms and hands, a loop-style handlebar will be more ideal. Then again, if you want a full exercise, go for a chopper handlebar on a recumbent trike so you can make full use of your upper body.

Riding Position

For the best riding comfort, you need to maintain an ergonomic posture, and this translates to an upright riding position where you sit naturally while having the luxury to extend your legs as you pedal. For this, an upright tricycle will be more forgiving on your hands and back.

If you are looking for a bit more challenge, however, you can opt for a semi-recumbent or recumbent tricycle that stretches you out and places you closer to the ground. Of course, you can always just choose to get whatever kind of ride you want, and simply manipulate the seat height until you find the best riding position for you.

Assembly

If you’re buying a bike or a trike online, expect that it will come as parts and pieces, so you’ll need to assemble it at home, or bring it to your local bike shop, but that will cost you more money. If you’re planning to do self-assembly and aren’t that good with your hands, try to find pre-assembled or “easy installation” tricycles.

Other Factors To Consider

Aside from the ones already mentioned, you might also want to factor in some other features, such as bells, streamers, and reflectors for added road safety, and a large and foldable basket to help you carry some cargo. Perhaps you can even try for a three-wheel bike with the motor if you want an easier ride, or a multi-speed drivetrain if you want a bit of flexibility and challenge.

Conclusion

A three-wheeled ride isn’t just a lesser substitute for a normal bicycle. You can totally want an adult tricycle for no reason. After all, it’s great for outdoor exercise, cardio, commuting, and more. Plus, there are lots of different designs, styles, and models for you to choose from, and as long as you know the essential stuff to watch out for, you’re sure to find the best adult tricycle for you.

• Category: Buying Guide