3 wheel bikes: is there a stigma?

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Social Reject

Social Reject

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I think stigma is the right word....

Is there some sort of stigma attached to riding a 3 wheel bike? I know with motorcycles, the general idea is that the only time it's alright to ride a trike is if you are disabled somehow. (of course Ed Roth didn't care about that stupid rule one bit did he?)

Is there a disability stigma associated with 3 wheel bicycles as well?

Obviously, I understand that 3 wheel bicycles are generally marketed towards the elderly and the disabled.....I would guess that if a person were riding one, the general public would assume that rider was disabled.

I'm really considering buying one. I've got an interest in having a 3 wheel project to hot rod....I'll likely buy one no matter what the consensus is. I'm the kind of guy who normally doesn't go with the flow. In other words, I'd ride a 3 wheel bike no matter what the Joe lunchbox squares shouted at me.....I'm just asking here so I can prepare myself. :lol: :mrgreen: :wink:

Feel free to post up some cool pics of rat rod trikes so I'll be more tempted to buy this bike. :wink:
 
sensor said:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=24673&hilit=nirvinn
viewtopic.php?t=14003
the 2 that most caught my eye
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Dang.

See, I KNOW they look cool. I KNOW I like them. :wink:

Beautiful:

100218_142107.jpg
 
This is a cool shot.
This bike is the one that is the main inspiration for me wanting a 3 wheel project in the first place.

DSC00235.jpg


Thanks for the links, Sensor.
 
I say 'who cares?' to any "stigma". This isn't grade school anymore. It is -your- ride, that -your- money is paying for, and -your- toosh is sitting on. If you enjoy riding your bike/trike, and enjoying saying "ya, that's my ride" then that is what is important.

I learned long ago to be true to myself, and my hobbies. I did what I want to my 2 wheel, 3 wheel and 4 wheel rides. I found that for every fool that had a snide "Why did you do thaaaaaat?", I met 10 people who thought it was cool, and/or made some new quality friends.
 
clerkkent said:
I say 'who cares?' to any "stigma". This isn't grade school anymore. It is -your- ride, that -your- money is paying for, and -your- toosh is sitting on. If you enjoy riding your bike/trike, and enjoying saying "ya, that's my ride" then that is what is important.

I learned long ago to be true to myself, and my hobbies. I did what I want to my 2 wheel, 3 wheel and 4 wheel rides. I found that for every fool that had a snide "Why did you do thaaaaaat?", I met 10 people who thought it was cool, and/or made some new quality friends.
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Thanks for the reply, but you didn't answer my question.

I am simply asking if there is a stigma attached to 3 wheel bicycles like it is attached to 3 wheel motorcycles. There's some real hate for 3 wheel motorcycles from people in the motorcycle world.

I like 3 wheel motorcycles and I like 3 wheel bicycles. I'm not insecure. I'm simply curious. :|


Otherwise I agree with your statement.
 
What is a "stigma", and what kind of fasteners do you attach it with? :p Seriously, you're asking the wrong crowd. Bike snobbery is the very antithesis of this forum.
 
deorman said:
What is a "stigma", and what kind of fasteners do you attach it with? :p Seriously, you're asking the wrong crowd. Bike snobbery is the very antithesis of this forum.
Click to expand...

Which is a wonderful thing about this forum. :D
 
a bikes a bike, a trikes a trike. but i dont see any hating between them and the people that ride them. if someones on here and doesnt have a trike i think its just because they havent found one yet. that or they could fit more bikes in the garage with the trike out of the way :mrgreen:

just a different kind of fun is all :)
 
CCR said:
a bikes a bike, a trikes a trike. but i dont see any hating between them and the people that ride them. if someones on here and doesnt have a trike i think its just because they havent found one yet. that or they could fit more bikes in the garage with the trike out of the way :mrgreen:

just a different kind of fun is all :)
Click to expand...

Thanks man for the words of encouragement.

I hope nobody sees this thread as any kind of invitation to hate on 3 wheelers or anything.

I've got a 3 wheeler in my sights and I'm trying to justify buying it. Space IS one concern for me. I might have to sell a motorcycle to make room. :D
 
Well...........,yes there is, but I don't care!

revsrevs2003.jpg


My favorite trike-hater story is from a bike shop that was on a trail near Mansfield OH. I seen a 2 wheeler with these GIANT training wheels on it, they looked like they were off a wheel barrow! I asked the owner what that was all about, after I stopped laughing. He said the woman felt too embarrased to ride a trike, "those are for children". What a moron!
 
Personally, I think trikes are more challenging to ride. When my cargo trike is unloaded its pretty nutty. Even with small hills you really can build up some speed, and then to corner at that sort of speed you have to hang off the bike to keep it on three wheels. I guess if I cared what the general public though I wouldn't be riding all these crazy little bicycles and mopeds, but that would make things pretty boring.
boxbike1.jpg
 
for me they just don't seem as practical and/or convenient. i mean, i know you could probaly haul more, and in the right circumstance be of better use than a regular bike, but i feel more... not sure of the right word... nimble? agile?... on a regular bike. and i'm not taking up as much space.

don't have any active hate for them though. i have one trike project myself. but for the same reasons, it's never been a priority and if i hadn't lucked across it, i probaly wouldn't have one.
 
Yes, there is a stigma for the conventional upright adult trike. It is specifically an Old Person Bike. You will very seldom see a younger person riding them, or see them ridden more than 8 mph.

There is NOT a stigma attached to reverse trikes (like the cargo trike) or recumbent trikes, or low-riders, or pedicabs or big cargo-tries, etc. Basically, anything that looks cool or different is cool, you know. So if you're thinking "If I buy this adult trike and ride around my neighborhood at 8 mph, will I look cool?", the answer is no, you'll look old. If you're thinking "If I take this adult trike and make it into _____, will it be cool?", the answer is quite likely yes.
 
...my mother had a older trike when I was in high school, that I thought was goofy until I saw a kid on one and he leaned to one side lifting one tire off the ground, riding with 2 wheels :D ...me and my friends thought that was the coolest thing, then we all got trikes and fixed them up. There is nothing like a bunch of cool kids riding down the street on trikes doing 2 wheel tricks impressing the girls at the beach. 8) ...the key is fixing them up.
 
StephenH said:
Yes, there is a stigma for the conventional upright adult trike. It is specifically an Old Person Bike. So if you're thinking "If I buy this adult trike and ride around my neighborhood at 8 mph, will I look cool?", the answer is no, you'll look old. If you're thinking "If I take this adult trike and make it into _____, will it be cool?", the answer is quite likely yes.
Click to expand...

So.....what if I'm old but want to look cool? :D :D (out of luck I suppose) :wink: :wink:

Thanks for the responses guys. It's nice to know that others think trikes are (or can be) cool too.

...and of course it will be customized.
 
I just gotta say, trikes or bikes doesn't matter. Just as long as you ride. I own both. Currently working on trike build and am super psyched about it. I don't care if they go 5 mph just as long as I'm having fun. The only stigma I see with a trike is "where on earth am I going to park it?"
 

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