Guide – Tricycle riding made easy

Dear future tricycle rider,

every beginning is difficult, but practice makes perfect. A little patience and a lot of trust are often the best companions when it comes to learning something new. With this guide we want to help you sit safely on your tricycle and make progress. Very important: Be easy on yourself.

A typical beginner’s experience: The tricycle TILTS TO THE SIDE

When you sit on a tricycle for the first time as an adult and feel that it pulls to the side when steering, please do not consider it a big deal. 50 percent of all people used to riding a bicycle experience the same problem, which is independent of age or handicap. Think back to your time as a small child when you were probably riding around the neighbourhood on your tricycle happily after only few practice laps. When your first bicycle came along you may have had a hard time getting used to it. Suddenly you had to use your balance and steer by shifting your weight. Now it is a question of reversing this process again. The good news is that you can relax completely, because the tricycle does not tip over.

Steering your tricycle

To steer your tricycle, you only need to move the handlebars and not tilt your upper body to the side. As an example, if you lean to the right to go to the right (fig. 1), you automatically pull on the handlebars with your left arm causing you to steer to the left, the exact opposite direction you want to go. To avoid this, all you have to do is keep your upper body upright. That is all. The easiest way to get started on a tricycle is to practise with a helper in a large area without obstacles, and not to put yourself under pressure. You will see: With practice, you will feel more confident step by step.

Practical tips

Park the tricycle on a flat surface and activate the parking brake. You may adjust the tricycle to your body dimensions now. It is best to have another person help you with this. When you are sitting on the saddle with both hands on the handlebars, your upper body should bend forward by about ten degrees. You can achieve this by adjusting the height and angle of the handlebars and the position of the seat post. The saddle height should be adjusted so that you can stretch your legs almost completely when the pedals are in a vertical position. (fig. 2) Make sure that all the tricycle bolts are tightened and that the air pressure of the tires is correct. (Please also refer to the user manual)

To familiarise yourself with your tricycle, tilt your upper body far to the right and left several times, while you are seated upright with activated parking brakes. (fig. 3) Please note how stable the tricycle is on flat surface topography and be aware that the tilt resistance is more limited on descending or ascending grounds, when taking curves and riding at higher speeds.

Now ask a helper to stand in front of the tricycle and, while riding slowly in 1st gear, to hold the handlebars so that you can drive in the desired direction. (fig. 4) Concentrate on keeping your upper body straight.

If you find that you are holding onto the handlebars very tightly and cannot maintain the direction, try holding the handlebars with your fingertips only. It is important not to look at the front wheel, but to focus on the point you want to approach. Always keep your upper body straight! If you do these exercises more often and on several days in a row with some endurance, success is guaranteed. Gradually you can also shift into a higher gear and ride faster.

CAUTION:

Never jump off the saddle if you are still unsure about steering! Stay seated, activate both brakes, and come to a complete stop. Afterwards, refocus and continue your ride.

General advice

• Only enter public road traffic when you feel absolutely confident in handling the tricycle.
• Always comply with the traffic rules and, if in doubt, give up your right of way.
• Avoid roads with steep slopes and approach obstacles and kerbs at wide angles to avoid tipping over. • Read the user manual carefully and observe the instructions documented there.
• Handle your tricycle with care and have the prescribed inspections carried out regularly in order to maintain the necessary safety standards.

If you take all these instructions to heart, you will experience a completely new feeling of mobility and quality of life. We wish you lots of joy and a safe trip on all your journeys!