Recumbent Trikes

Some of my first memories are of riding my trike.  I always loved pedaling around and getting places.  For years I’ve tried to ride a bicycle and never felt comfortable.  Yet I persevered because my dream is to go biking on the carriage trails at Acadia.  There is an extensive network of well maintained gravel roads that runs through some of the finest scenery on the East Coast.  Walking those trails is fun, but they go for so many miles that biking or horseback riding are the best ways to travel.

Last winter I got a mountain bike thinking I’d finally be able to ride the trails.  This spring I started riding the bike in the yard.  I’ve been on bikes and can make them go, yet little disasters always wait right around the corner.  I fell off the mountain bike several times and gave myself various small injuries including mild whiplash.  At that rate, I’d likely kill myself out on gravel and paved roadways.  I also did not like the way riding a bike put so much pressure on my shoulders.  A rotator cuff tear that is inoperable has left me with constant pain that biking made worse.  So I started thinking about a more stable, comfortable vehicle.  I remembered how much fun I had as a kid on my trike.

A little research revealed a whole new world of pedaling to me.  Recumbent tricycles!  They are easy to use.  It feels like sitting back in a cozy chair.  The gearing allows for easy climbing of steep hills.  Bents, as enthusiasts call them, zip along at speeds that rival bikes.  They have been banned from competitive bicycle racing because they go faster.  I’m not particularly interested in flying along, just want to get out and enjoy the scenery.

We found and purchased two Terra Trikes and they are great!  All that pedaling is wonderful, low impact exercise.  I’ve only gone about 40 miles yet my legs feel stronger and my weight is down.  After a ride I get very hungry, another sign that considerable energy is being expended.

My husband, Tim, and I are conditioning for our first trip to ride the Acadia trails.  There are several good places to ride in our area, including the Passy Rail Trail in Belfast, where the photos of us on the trikes were taken, the Augusta Rail Trail that runs for about 6 miles along the Kennebec River and is beautiful, and the mile-long roadway at the Quarry Rd. rec center just a few miles from us.  We cruise up and down the Quarry Rd. several times to build up the miles.  Next week we set out for Acadia!