Re: 10/07/05: Do we belong on bike paths?

Quoth Jules D. Zalon:

>I don't want to sound like a heretic, but I wonder if trikes belong 
>on bike paths at all. And whether the term"bike path" isn't a 
>misnomer anyway. It is often used interchangeably with rail trail, 
>isn't it? My beloved GTO is 36 inches wide; my DFs, only 18. But 
>even that understates the difference, because you can use body 
>English on a DF to weave around an obstacle or walker when passing 
>on a narrow path, something you can't do on a trike. I read 
>somewhere that the minimum width of a one-way "bike path" is 6 feet; 
>two-way width is 10, but often is only 8. But walkers often walk 
>2-abreast, and even if they anticipate being passed by an 18" wide 
>bike, the idea of being passed by a trike probably never enters 
>their minds. Therefore, they won't be thinking that they must allow 
>all that much room on the path for a trike.

I've ridden my GT3 on rail trails and found no problem.  The width 
issue is deceptive.

Your 18" figure is atypical.  Most mountain bikes have handlebars 22" 
wide or more.  Also, a bicycle needs more space because it must move 
from side to side and also lean to balance.

A trike, on the other hand, can be ridden perfectly straight, even at 
very slow speeds.

I've also found the trike to be much more maneuverable than a bike. 
In addition, with the trike I can run one or more of the wheels off 
the pavement and onto the dirt or grass without compromising safety, 
and I don't have to worry about hooking a wheel on the edge when 
getting back onto the path after temporarily leaving the paved 
surface.

I do mostly ride on roads, but have not found any difficulty using my 
trike on rail trails or other similar facilities.

Sheldon "Versatility" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
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