Homebuilt Tadpole Trike Field Test (Hill Climbing)

So with new sprocket, front derailleur, chain and pedals we toured around a parking lot for about 90 minutes to test the new improved drive train version 6.87. ;p

All seems to work quite well. There is still the business of fashioning the perfect chain guard but that's a relatively minor detail. The trike works.

We had early on decided to give a good go to including a pillion seat on the back for a passenger (read: 115 pound Alan). If you look at the design of the trike you can spot the evidence- an elongated bar over the back wheel and extra support behind the seat. We abandoned the idea early because pedaling proved impossible but taking a second look at it we think it might have been more a fault of the misbehaving drive train than my lack of bike legs. Either way, I can pull Alan along with me much better now. So we're going to have another look at how to make a pillion seat workable. Where do we put pegs for the passenger's hands and feet? I mention this as it may delay the finishing of the trike a tad. Otherwise with the drive train now working we'd be ready for paint! But patience is a virtue, and I trust the final result will prove worthwhile.

Here's a nice seven minute thirty second video featuring some decent hill climbing, something trikes aren't known for being good at because you can't stand on the pedals with your weight forward.