Are you suspended? Of course, I am not talking about the kind of suspension shown here nor am I referring to your driver’s license. I am talking about tadpole trike suspension. We do have a choice … no suspension whatsoever, rear suspension only or full suspension (front and rear). For some people having suspension is a must. For others like myself it is not a concern. In fact, I truthfully can’t understand the issue as for me riding a non suspension trike is quite comfortable and I have no desire for suspension. That being said, I am not naive enough to believe what I think about it all matters all that much to most people.
Like most things there are various designs involved in the offering of suspension on tadpole trikes. Some are rather basic while others are complex. Some use plastic elastomers while others use automotive type shock absorbers. Some use springs. Some shock absorbers use a combination of an external spring and hydraulic oil dampening. Some are homemade designs. Here are some examples: (Remember – you can click on these images to view them in their own window and most will be larger for more detail. To return to this page just use your browser’s back button.)
Catrike Road rear suspension only
ICE Adventure rear suspension
ICE front suspension
Here is a video illustrating and explaining how the ICE front suspension works.
complex front suspension
HP Velotecknik Scorpion fs26 front suspension
HP Velotecknik Scorpion Enduro fs front suspension
HP Velotecknik Scorpion Enduro fs rear suspension
homemade front suspension
another homemade front suspension
Some designs work better than others and provide a better ride. Some no doubt will be more troublesome than others as well as noisier. I did not mention seat suspension as it is not common nor very practical. Allowing the seat to move around while riding means that the rider will be moving around and when the rider moves around efficiency is lost in pedaling.
Obviously incorporating suspension into the design and build of a tadpole trike costs additional money. And full suspension costs more than rear suspension only. Well, like ol’ Forest Gump … “that’s all I’ve got to say about that”. So whether you ride a trike with or without suspension hopefully you will enjoy the ride and we can all …
KEEP ON TRIKIN’
Tadpole Rider 