I think I tried an Organic Engines Troika trike twenty years ago. My (very hazy) recollection was that it was decently built but on the heavy side even by tandem recumbent trike standards of the day.
Greenspeed, an Australian builder, turned out a good product. It may be that there's a used one lurking in Mt Airy's warehouse. Good friends of mine had one for years before trading it for something else. I don't know whether anyone else has bought it since then.
There are more options now than there were 25 years ago when I last looked at that market segment with the eyes of a potential buyer, and I've not kept up on current options, but I know they're not inexpensive.
Shopping used will be much easier on your pocketbook, albeit probably considerably more limiting in your options.
Alas, I'm tied up for the next three weekends so I probably won't be able to join you in your near-term research ventures.
Thanks, anyway. It was really nice of you to offer to help me in the search. :-)
Well, I talked with my son and DIL and they decided to pass - they are concerned that they wouldn't end up using it enough to justify my spending that kind of money. They apparently have recently gotten couple of regular bikes off of facebook and my DIL is wearing protective padding and a helmet and they are sticking to softer (trail) terrain to be cautious. Her blackouts are infrequent so the probability of her wiping out due to one isn't very high (though I have to admit I am still worried for her), but they are firm in their decision for me not to spend so much money on getting a tandem trike for them. (and I will be helping them replace their aging kitchen stove this year, instead). :-)
Thank you bunches to everyone for your incredibly helpful feedback as I was searching for info and options.
I am kind of bummed that I don't have an excuse to buy the Organic Engines one on Craigslist...I had gotten a bit emotionally attached to the dragon's head on the front of it. :-)
...I am still going to try to convince them to let me at least by a solo trike for my DIL. If she does black out briefly, even with protective gear, falling wouldn't be a pleasant experience, so hopefully since a used single trike should end up being less expensive, they'll let me splurge on it for them (and my son would just keep riding his regular upright bike).
Well good for them for getting bikes. Good luck to them.
Go ahead and get that Organic Engines trike. We can use it to start a CycleBlaze bike lending library. And while we’re going big, let’s put in an order for a CB Star Trek transporter so we can get to other parts of the globe easier, have more CB meet-ups.
"a CycleBlaze bike lending library"
Great idea Kathleen!
Since I've already bought its replacement, unless and until I am able to sell it I'll pony up my Bike Friday New World Tourist. It comes with Bike Friday's folding front and rear racks so your panniers will have a place to ride along.
Anyone in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area in need of a travel bike is welcome to use it. Anyone not in my area is also welcome to it, provided we can work out how to get it from me to you and back again.
That looks very much like the Greenspeed trike. If it is, it was (*- the Greenspeed website no longer shows a tandem, that I could find, so I'm guessing they're no longer in production) an Australian product. I also have friends who had one for about 15 years, before trading it for a Bike Friday upright model to facilitate easier traveling.
Their trike had the S&S coupler option so it could be broken into smaller pieces, but it was still a beast and a half to pack and fly with. I think it tipped the scales at around 50 pounds or so, so there was some substantial heft.
You need to be a people person when riding a rig like that: lots of people will want to talk to you about it, some will ask for a ride, others will want to sit on it... when on tour my friends learned to park theirs in an obvious spot then retire to a less-obtrusive place where they could keep an eye on it but not draw as much attention to themselves.
Thanks :-)
I've kind of fallen in love with the Organic Engines one I found on Craigslist and a couple of people have said they were a really good brand in their day, but I am planning on researching a bit more before we look at that one so that we make the best choice.
I remember the store in Mt Airy. I will look at their web site also before we make any decisions.
I may go by myself to look at the Craigslist one this coming Saturday (9th) to give it a first eval before bringing my son and his wife to test it out since it will be a bit of a hike for them to get up there...if there are any good options for them (and my budget) in Mt Airy's current inventory, then it might make a lot of sense for me to go up and see theirs first this Saturday for comparison. I will try to squeeze a bit more time out in the next couple of days for checking their web site so that I can give them (and you) and heads up if it works out.
I think a trike might be the best choice for them given my DIL's health concerns, but thanks a bunch for offering to part with one of your tandems. :-)
10 months ago