CycleBlaze might not be the right forum, but I am afraid I don't know much about cycling, so wasn't sure where to start.

My older son (late 20s) and his wife would like to start cycling as a way to explore their area, enjoy the outdoors, and also build their health, but my son's wife has a health condition that can cause her at random to black out for a few seconds.

So I thought a tandem recumbent might work for them but they are quite expensive and my budget is limited (I would be giving it to them as a gift to support their goals).  I saw the Gopher Worksman Side-by-side Tricycle and thought it might be a good option.  

My son and his wife are both a bit on the heavy side but well under the 500 lb combined weight limit.

(And if there is a cycling forum that is better for this sort of question, please let me know.  It's a big investment so I'd love to get input first from people who have had experience with trikes or other tandem recumbent options for trail vs paved settings.)

Link to the Gopher Worksman trike:

https://gophersport.com/worksman-side-by-side-tricycle?utm_source=google_shopping&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAloavBhBOEiwAbtAJO4x-8SHKL8fSAvFRtzqIKR7gQnYzAW1Y76ynNQ0PUBn7xlDs064upBoCme8QAvD_BwE

Hi! Welcome to the CycleBlaze forum. I think you pose a very interesting question! It may be there is somebody on CycleBlaze with some expertise on this topic. If not, you might try this Facebook group, "Bicycle & Recumbent Trike Riders". https://www.facebook.com/groups/114845265202007 

I hope that is helpful, you may at least have more folks to ask your question to. It's great that you're encouraging your family members to take up biking, I hope that happens and that they enjoy the freedom and health benefits that ensue.

Hi Andrea

Some thoughts on the Gopher

The naked trike weighs 160lbs and would not be  fun to ride for any distance.

Have you considered where it would be stored when not in use?

If not riding from home a van or trailer would be necessary to get it to the area where it is to be ridden. The same issue for all trikes, single or tandem .

In general a tandem of any type usually costs more than two singles of similar specs.

I have seen two delta (two wheels at the back) single recumbent trikes coupled by removing the front wheel of the rear trike but have no idea of the cost saving compared to a tandem trike.

Then there is the old saying that a tandem will either break or enrich a relationship.

We have been married for 53 years and riding tandem for the last 12.

Hope this helps.

Thanks so much, Andrea. 

After more searching, I found BikeForums.net and posted the same question on their Recumbents thread.  I will also check out the Facebook group you mentioned.    :-)

Mike, 

Thank you for the thoughts on pros/cons of trikes.  Is the heavy weight of the Gopher the reason why it wouldn't be fun to ride for any distance?  Would there be any other recumbent trike that might be a better choice (but ideally not any more expensive since that one is already pushing the limits of my budget)

My son and his wife recently bought a home that has a 2 car extra-long garage so plenty of space for storing a tandem.  I hadn't really thought about the transport issue, though...they don't have a vehicle that it could fit in, but my son mentioned that there are trails that extend out from their neighborhood, plus they live in a pretty quiet community so they could bike pretty safely on the neighborhood streets.

Hopefully it will be on the "enrich the relationship" side of things.  :-)

Andrea,

How thoughtful of you to give your children the gift of health!

I am a recumbent rider. BROL (Bent Rider On Line) is an active recumbent forum. Recumbent Classified  and Recumbent Riders pages on Facebook could also be helpful. 

Recumbent tandems are a rare beast. I agree with the statement about tandems making or breaking a marriage. Some people take to tandems, others do not. I have seen a side by side tandem on the bike path in Tucson. It takes up the entire path and looks heavy/slow and like it takes a lot of effort to move slowly. Rhoades car is also similar to the Gopher. But I'm not sure a side by side tandem will have a lasting, high fun factor, because of the weight.

Is this a purchase you have discussed with the kids? Would your DIL feel safe on her own trike? The trike would tip over only with great difficulty, but she could fall sideways, as she could on a recumbent tandem. I think two used single trikes would be less expensive, easier to store/transport, and provide a chance for more autonomy when riding. There are several brands that can be hooked together. That could be the best of both worlds. 

You don't mention where you live. If you are in an area with bike paths, there will probably be a number of trike riders, and gently used trikes for sale. FB Marketplace and Craigslist are good sources for used bikes/trikes, if you feel comfortable assessing their condition. 

Good luck with your quest. I think BROL is your best starting point for information.

Kelly,

Thanks!  I am in Northern VA, but my older son and his wife are in the South Eastern, MD, area.  My father owns a trailer, so if we find something gently used anywhere in the DC metro area, I could ask him to bring it to them.  I will look at BROL (as well as Craigslist for used trike listings).  

My son had mentioned their interest in starting up biking a few months back, but we hadn't talked further. I just began investigating, trying to think of options that his wife could use safely, and wanted to get some concrete cost and health suitability info before mentioning the gifting idea to them.  So they don't know about the trikes, but I am sure they'd love the idea if it would work for them.

I hadn't thought about single trikes, but it is worth looking at those as well, especially if they are much less cumbersome to use than the tandem option.

I checked for Rhoades car but they don't seem to exist anymore and sent me to ParBikes Sport.  It is a 4-wheeled side-by-side and looks super nice, but the price tag, unfortunately, is very high.

The other thing I thought of looking into is whether there is any bike store in my area or theirs where they could rent trikes in order to try it out first.

Thanks a bunch  :-)

Hi Andrea -

I think it’s cool that you’re looking into this!

We know someone with a tandem trike.  The picture below shows what it looks like.  I have no idea who the manufacturer is, how heavy it is, or what it costs.  The owners are British, so I’m guessing that’s where it came from.

We’ve ridden with them and they keep up with our normal tandem pretty dang well.   The owners are Sheila and John Ward.  They have their own site:  https://www.johnandsheila.net

There’s a contact link at the bottom of every page.

Sheila’s always been very helpful when we’ve interacted.  I’d encourage you to send her an email.  I’m sure she’ll be happy to provide you with more info.

Hope this helps!

Just one more note.  It appears that their trike was built by Greenspeed in Michigan, USA.  Who knew?

HTH

Thank you!

I didn't realize that you could get an in line tandem with a trike.  That seems much more practical than the side-by-side.  I will have to look into that style.

Maybe I can find one gently used in the DC metro area.  I will reach out to your friends to see what they recommend.

Thanks a bunch  :-)