After researching tadpole trikes for over a year, I had finally decided I was going to buy a TerraTrike. I was leaning towards a Path 3, when I discovered the Rover video series on youtube. I was impressed with the idea of a trike that could be broken down for transport, & that could be adjusted for different people. After saving up the cash, I placed my order for a Rover 3 & received my trike direct from the manufacturer in less than a week.
It came completely assembled in the shipping crate, & was ready to ride after a few minor adjustments to the seat. (I also took the time to slime the tires.)
I was immediately impressed with how comfortable the riding position is, and how easy it is to mount & dismount. It really is like sitting in a chair. I have since put 50+ miles on my trike, & had no problems. I've added a cyclometer, a flag for visibility, & plan to add lights for night riding.
I have ridden in suburban traffic, on lonely country roads, & even done some off-roading on dirt & gravel paths. The Rover 3 performs beautifully in all these situations. The only trouble I have encountered was when I hit loose sand or wet grass. It's hard to get enough traction when pedaling in these situations, but they're not something I usually encounter, so I'm not too concerned.
I don't think visibility is an issue with the Rover. Sitting in the seat, I'm almost eye level with the average sedan, & most drivers seem a little freaked out by my trike & give me a lot of extra room when passing. I have also taken the Rover on sidewalks. It is narrow enough to ride down the average sidewalk without any problems, other than everyone wants you to stop and talk to them.
I was really torn as to whether to order the Rover 3 or the Rover 8. Since I got my Rover 3, one of my friends has bought a Rover 8, & let me try it out. I'm happy with my purchase. The additional gears on the Rover 8 are nice to have, but I don't think I would use them.
If 1 is the easiest gear & 8 is the most difficult, I would never use more than 1-4. On my Rover 3, I typically ride in gear 3, unless I'm facing a really strong headwind or riding up a steep incline. Then, I will drop it into 2, but I very rarely use 1st gear. It seems pointless to pedal so much to gain so little. So, for me, I think the Rover 3 was the right decision. I hope this part makes sense, I'm pretty unfamiliar with the technical terms associated with gears & cycling in general.
The actual shifting of gears is amazingly simple. You twist the knob on the right handle while you're not pedaling & the gear shifts. (It sure beats my old 10 speed bike & trying to figure out how to switch gears & then figure out what gear I was in.)
I'll continue to update with any problems I encounter with my trike. My goal is to ride 1000 miles in a year. I've got 56 down so far & I've enjoyed every one!
Update 06/13/2011:
I've put 300 miles on my Rover so far, and I haven't had any problems with it. I really enjoy riding it, & I'm confident that I will achieve my goal of riding 1000 miles in a year.
My only advice to someone looking at buying a Rover, is to buy the Rover first & then accessorize it once you have ridden it for at least 50 miles. I think you'll be surprised how few accessories you really need, & how many you can improvise for yourself.
When I was first putting my order together, I was very tempted to buy an accessory package. Rather than spend almost the price of the Rover on an accessory pack, I set the goal of riding 1000 miles in the first year, & then buying accessories. I'm really glad I did. Most of the items that come in the accessory kits are available elsewhere for cheaper & when you really get down to it, most of them are frivolous.
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I LOVE my Rover! I weight 400 lbs and this trike is saving my life. It's so much fun I forget I'm exercising. This is a "no excuses" way to get stronger can't run? chlorine bad for your skin? bad back for walking? regular bike seat giving a painful wedgie? THIS IS THE ANSWER! It's no longer enough for me to just go for a ride, last summer I rode a quarter century (25 miles) and I'm doing it again this summer, plus a 36 miler. I'm still a very big girl, but I'm a healthier big girl having fun.
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I bought my Rover 3-speed directly through TT's website (along with quite a few accessories), about ... two weeks ago, now.
I was motivated by a desire to change my life to get into at least a semblance of shape, as well as shed quite a large amount of weight. At one point, I was up to ~340 to 350 pounds; dieting had shed sixty or seventy of those, but I've been stuck at ~280 for a while now. I had to add some exercise, to burn more calories (and, incidentally, improve my cardio vascular health, and maybe get some flexibility back in my hips and knees now that I'm over forty). We've got a treadmill at home, a really nice one, but I just couldn't stay motivated to get on the thing and use it.
As a boy, I'd always enjoyed riding my bicyle all over. Part of it was the mobility and freedom, but part of it was just the sheer joy of "exploring", of seeing what was around the next corner, past the next intersection, on the other side of that hill over there. So, I started looking at bicycles, and getting more and more enthused about the idea of taking up cycling as a hobby. Of course, since I was still over 300# at the time, most bicycles were simply unsuitable. Then I cam across an article about recumbent trikes, and TerraTrikes in particular. I watched two brief videos of people test-riding the Rover .... and that was it, I was in love with everything about it (except the pricetag; I have to admit: "ouch"). I kept going back to their website, time and again, while saving money as best I could.
Well, finally this summer, I had the money all in the same place, at the same time. I ordered the 3-speed Rover in late June; they shipped it promptly, and I was in my driveway unboxing it in a bit less than a week. And, I was right: cycling,I remain enthusiastic about. Oh, sure, I'm so out of shape, that my longest ride is just under five and a third miles, round trip. Even low, shallow hills can be a challenge.
But the days when I CAN'T ride, are not only in the minority ... I spend the day fretting about being unable to ride! (Like today with a Heat Advisory, and my lack of fitness, just not a smart idea.) The excercise is awesome, and VERY low-impact; I honestly don't feel exhausted or tired, until I get back home and try to climb back off the trike. THEN, my legs are suddenly lead weights, my arms are tired, and so forth. Before then? "Hmmm, I bet I could go another mile, no problem" ... more than once, each ride!
And, remember the price? The one I said "ouch" about? Sure, it's still a serious purchase ... but it is worth EVERY PENNY. The engineering is good, the construction is solid. With just basic bicycle maintenance, this machine will last me for decades. It might even outlive ME ...!
It's so much fun, that my girlfriend has been borrowing it for her own daily rides ... and is seriously leaning towards buying her own, come next spring.
PROS:
* Heavy duty frame able to support up to 400 pounds of rider and cargo. Great for people (like me) who need to lose a LOT of weight;
* Comfortable fully adjustable seat, fully adjustable boom (the bit that sticks out front, and has the pedals on it);
* Stable you would have to WORK at tipping this over; a trike is especially suitable to anyone with balance or mobility issues;
* Safe the seat is high enough to put you at or near eye-level with motorists. With a safety flag, and with how uncommon trikes are, drivers are especially aware of your presence on the road with them.
* Options TT has lots of option packages and accessories, so you can have a trike that suits your needs or wants just about perfectly;
* Durable with proper care and maintenance, it will outlast you, and the frame at least will probably outlast even your KIDS!
CONS:
* Expensive not a frivolous purchase, though it is worth what it costs. You'll need to save up for one of these!
* Front Mount you will need to buy an accessory (about $20 or $25) to be able to mount a headlight or cycle computer. And if, like me, you get a horizontal-form-factor GPS unit (I got a Garmin Nuvi 40LM), it won't fit on that front mount; the pedal strikes the side of my Garmin, knocking it to the gound. However, you can get a _separate_ accessory mount, that connects to a handlebar, that should do just fine for devics like that. Or an iPod/iPhone and speakers, for that matter.
* Addictive you'll want to ride every day! Wait, no, that's a PRO ... isn't it? :D
Honest reviews on TerraTrike Rover 3 Speed Recumbent Trike
I bought the 8sp model. Having had extensive back and neck surgery, I could not afford to crash a normal bike of any kind. I rode a road bike for many years, and now I can get a workout outside. It's a lot better than anything I have found yet.
It's a great product if you have special needs. It is stable.
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This bike is no longer for sale through Terra Trikes. The frame rots through at the joints. Many accidents reported. Check the underside of your bike frequently for this. Not all do this apparently.
