Tricycle

Tricycle
Modern upright tricycle
ClassificationVehicle
ApplicationTransportation
Fuel sourceHuman-power
Wheels3
ComponentsFrame, Wheels, Tires, Saddle, Handlebar, Pedals, Drivetrain
InventorStephan Farffler
Invented1655 or 1680
ConfigurationsDelta, Tadpole
TypesUpright, Recumbent, Hand-crank, Tandem, Rickshaw, Freight, Children's, Drift, Hand and Foot, Tilting

A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike,[1][2][3][4] is a human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) three-wheeled vehicle.

Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for passenger transport) and freight trikes, are used for commercial purposes, especially in the developing world, particularly Africa and Asia.

In the West, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily for recreation, shopping, and exercise. Tricycles are favoured by children, the disabled, and senior adults for their apparent stability versus a bicycle; however a conventional trike may exhibit poor dynamic lateral stability, and the rider should exercise appropriate operating caution when cornering (e.g., with regard to speed, rate of turn, slope of surface) and operating technique (e.g., leaning the body 'into' the turn) to avoid tipping the trike over. Designs such as recumbents or others which place the rider lower relative to the wheel axles have a lower centre of gravity, and/or designs with canted wheels (tilted at the top towards the centerline) may be more resistant to lifting inner wheels or tipping during fast sharp turns, but still require operator awareness and technique.

  1. ^ The Little Book of Trikes. Adam Quellin. Veloce Publishing Ltd, 1 Dec 2011
  2. ^ The Hanukkah Trike. Michelle Edwards, Kathryn Mitter. Albert Whitman and Company, 1 Sep 2010
  3. ^ Tilting Trike. Popular Science Jul 1980.
  4. ^ Keeping Balance: A Psychologist's Experience of Chronic Illness and Disability. Katherine Cuthbert. Troubador Publishing Ltd, 3 May 2010