Recumbent Trike Winter Riding and Care

Welcome back to Utah Trikes. As the weather is getting colder and we get into the middle of winter questions start coming in from customers and trike enthusiasts on how they can keep riding during the winter and keep their trikes in good condition while they do it.

As you all know we get a lot of snow and ice here in Utah so we know a thing or two about riding when it’s not the best conditions outside. We thought that today we would tell you guys some of our favorite tips and tricks to keep you out riding while staying safe during these chilly and snowy winter months.

Luckily for you trike riders out there a recumbent trike is actually a really good option for winter riding compared to a two wheeled bicycle.

Winter riding on a bicycle is a constant gamble of what you will run into that will ruin your day. The main culprit being ice along your path. If you’re unlucky enough to hit an unsuspected ice patch while cruising along the side of the road there's a good chance you'll be eating some asphalt as a result.

With a Trike on the other hand if you hit a patch of ice the worst that's going to happen is maybe losing traction and fishtailing but a trike tip over almost definitely will not. With a trikes heightened stability and balance by having three wheels and a lower center of gravity your icey run ins are not going to be a problem

That is the main advantage of a trike over a bike and honestly that's the biggest roadblock for a lot of winter riders.

Winter Riding Tips

One thing that's the same across both Trikes and Bikes is the concern of visibility. In winter visibility can be limited because of blinding white snow or morning fog. These winter conditions are even more reason to focus on keeping yourself visible as you ride.

Being visible while riding a trike is always a good idea. In our recent safety video we talked about the best ways to stay visible and aware of your surroundings. All of those tips still apply during the winter but even more so.

If there's snow all over the ground it’s very important that you’re able to stand out so that other riders and vehicles can see you. Fluorescent colors and trike flags

Lights are also very effective in a snowy environment. Snow reflects lights a lot more than in other conditions so when you have a front or rear light specifically the lights will bounce off the snow around you as they flash alerting other vehicles of your location.

With winter comes snow banks and it's important to watch out for these to avoid potential injuries that could happen if you were to collide with them. Lights can help with this too, increasing your own visibility of what's around you.

And make sure to use this increased visibility to be aware of other vehicles as well. Roads can become icy and slick during the winter so being aware of other vehicles and having the opportunity to predict their moves in an icy landscape can save you a lot of trouble. Make sure to use any other tools that may aid in your visibility as well like mirrors, or something like a third party rear bike radar.

Some riding practices are very important to keep in mind too. Just like riding any vehicle at this time of year, stopping earlier than you usually would is a good safety measure.

Stopping early can give you ample time to come to a complete stop in case you may have stopped on a patch of ice or a slick surface that may make stopping more difficult. Being attentive is important too so you can be aware of when and where you are stopping, giving you the time you need to stop safely.

With harsh weather conditions there's always the risk of getting stuck or stranded depending on where you may be riding. With that in mind bringing emergency gear with you while you ride is a good safety measure.

You don't want to take any chances with the fierce winter weather and you can never be too prepared. It’s also a good idea to bring a phone with you and to make sure that it’s fully charged just in case you find yourself in a situation where you become stuck and need to call for help.

Even though all trikes are better for winter riding than bikes there are certain trikes that are the best of the best to have for your winter ride.

Best Winter Trikes

First trike on the list will be the Sunseeker Fat Tad CXS. This is a fat tire trike on a budget. Its got 3 twenty by four inch Chaoyang Big Daddy Knobby Tires paired with a shock suspension in the rear. These are a solid tires that have great traction and will do great on snow or ice.

It has a total weight capacity of 300 lbs making it accessible by many different sizes of rider, and has the extra carrying capacity for your emergency gear.

This is one of our most popular trikes and for good reason, it's a trike that comes in at two thousand five hundred dollars. Which compared to other trikes built for such off road activities is the most bang for your buck. And with the lower price you have a lot more room to add upgrades like a rear view mirror, lights, a motor or anything needed for comfort.

Our second trike recommendation is the ICE Full Fat. This trike is a total beast and you know its going to do well on winter riding because this thing was designed to traverse the south pole.

You heard me right, the Ice Full Fat is built on an optimized ICE frame commissioned by Maria Leijerstam in 2013 for her White ICE Cycle expedition. On this expedition she traveled 400 miles from Ross Ice Shelf on the edge of the Antarctic all the way to the South pole. In just over 10 days she completed this world record ride with pedal power alone.

After Maria’s monumental ride ICE turned her White ICE Cycle into the Full Fat and manufactures it in the United Kingdom to this day.

The Full Fat comes stock with three massive twenty six by four inch tires and rear suspension. The Giant tires are large volume, and low pressure which provide ample float and traction over soft terrain and bumpy trails. These tires also elevate the ICE Full Fat giving it high ground clearance.

On top of all of these great winter riding ready features its still an ICE at the end of the day. The Full Fat being built on an optimized ICE frame still has the modular rear suspension similar to the ICE Adventure, and features the ICE Compact Flat Twist Frame which lets you fold your trike quickly. And with such a big trike being able to fold it up for storage makes a huge difference.

The ICE full fat is a bit more than the Fat Tad coming in at Six thousand four hundred dollars.

Lastly on our list of trikes it isn't a trike at all but a quad.. The quad in question is our Revolution eQuad RS.

Sure a trike is great for offroad and winter riding, but you know what beats three wheels in a battle of traction and stability? Four wheels.

With the four wheels of a quad your weight is no longer distributed to just one rear wheel for traction, but instead two wheels in the rear, spreading out your weight and improving your ability to catch the traction.

It comes stock with four twenty by four inch tires, rear suspension, and an under seat mounted 1000 watt bafang motor.

This quad is the culmination of years of quad conversions and custom builds. All the knowledge we have gotten from since we started has been used to make the best offroad quad we could. And it can really take you anywhere.

With pedal power and motor power you can get the exercise you need while having the option to burst through any tough terrain or deep snow that would get you stuck on any other type of trike.

There’s also room for crazy upgrades like a full rear rack, regular lights, light bars, seating options, and a lot of tire upgrades.

The Revolution eQuad RS is the most expensive option on this list coming in at $7000.

Winter Upgrades

Speaking of tire upgrades we can upgrade any trikes tires and even put fat tires on your standard road tire trike. Getting fat tires on your trike will get you that better tread on ice and snow you're looking for for winter rides.

We can add knobby tires on to any trike, and we can even upgrade a standard road trike to fit four inch tires with our UTCustom extension plates.

If you want to go even further we have studded winter tires that have little wired beads inside of the tread giving you maximum traction for the most demanding cold weather rides. These studded tires come in a variety of sizes for if you have a Catrike all the way to the fat tire sizes of the CXS.

Before You Ride

Now before leaving on your ride it’s good practice to check your tire pressure. With colder temperatures tire pressure will usually fluctuate a lot. So before you head out on a ride hook up your pump to your tire and get a pressure reading.

If your tire pressure is under the recommended amount make sure to fill it up for the maximum traction and safety.

If you need a pump you can find one on our website here.

Now that you have everything you'll need to stay safe on your ride, we still haven't talked about one of the most important parts of a cold winter ride, and that's how to deal with the cold riding temperatures.

We obviously suggest dressing for the occasion. Don't head out into ten degree weather and -4 degree winds with your bike shorts and cycling jersey. You're going to need to wear your warmest winter clothes.

The obvious answer is to wear a winter coat and some warm pants, but I also suggest a face mask and gloves as well as some nice cozy boots. The last thing you want is numb hands when you're trying to maneuver a trike.

Main rule of thumb is to watch the weather and use your best judgment to dress accordingly.

If You Don't Want to Ride in Winter

Now let's say after this whole article you've decided that winter riding isn't for you. Riding out in the cold just does not sound enjoyable and you'll just wait until spring. That's ok, winter riding isn't for everybody and there's plenty of options for you during the winter season.

If you still want to ride but without the hassle of dealing with the outside elements weve got you covered with the Overdrive trainer. With the Overdrive Trainer you can ride your trike in the comfort of your own home

Overdrive trainers essentially just turn your trike into a stationary exercise trike. You just prop your rear wheel on the trainer and you're free to pedal with all the resistance of normal riding.

A trike trainer is also much more efficient than a standard bike trainer. A bike trainer is usually a clamping system onto your rear wheel, or replaces your rear wheel entirely, but with a trike trainer all you have to do is set your rear wheel on top and you're ready to go.

If you want to learn more about the Overdrive trainer you can check out our video on this product right here.

Trike Maintenance

Now if you would rather just not ride at all now is the perfect time for maintenance or upgrade! When your trike is out of commission for 3 months anyways might as well get some work done on it!

A lot can be done with a trike during this time, like general trike upkeep. You can clean your chain, change out tire tubes, lubricate bearings and so much more.

You can always choose to tackle some awesome upgrades. A time consuming one that would be perfect for a break like this would be a motor upgrade. We have motor install kits for all of our trikes. You can purchase one of these off of our website and it comes with all the parts you'll need to get a motor on your trike.

Doing this during an average riding month is hard because it can take a lot of time and you don't want to be out of the races when the races actually happen. So consider using this time to do what you've always wanted to do.

If you need any assistance we have tutorial videos on a plethora of trike maintenance and installs all in playlist that will be linked here.

Storage

Lastly, whether you have to store your trike outside during the winter or if you would rather wait to ride until it’s a bit warmer, we have super handy trike covers to help keep your trike protected from the elements and possible dust and grime while you’re not riding it. We also have many other storage options on our website.

We hope you guys can make the most of these winter months be that through continued riding or keeping up with your trike maintenance. Winter is a beautiful time to ride and we don't want people to think that just because of some cold weather you can get out there and enjoy your rides all year round.

If you enjoyed this article make sure to leave a comment down below letting us know how you like to ride during the winter. We love to hear from you guys. If you want to stay up to update with our articles be sure to bookmark our article page and check back daily so you don't miss out on our latest trike content. If that isn't enough trike content for you be sure to follow our YouTube channel for even more trike goodness.

In the meantime remember to relax spin fast and ride trikes