I’ve received some e-mails from people looking for recumbent trikes for kids so the family can ride together. I’ve also been asked what is available for riders under five feet tall. The choices have been few in the past, so I did some research and wanted to share with you what I found.

In March of 2023, Azub came out with a smaller rider variant of their popular T-Tris recumbent trike. The new version is called the T-Trisek. The T-Tris has always been able to be separated in half which allows the addition of a folding joint. In this case, Azub modified the front half of the frame by shortening the front and back of the main frame tube to accommodate shorter riders. The back half of the frame remains unchanged. This means if a child outgrows the trike, it can be converted to the standard T-Tris by just buying the front frame and switching the parts over. No need for a new trike. The T-Trisek fits riders from 4’3” to 5’11”. The crank length and seat height have been specially selected to work better for smaller riders. All Azub’s can be customized from the factory. If you want a different color, an upgrade to the components or an electric assist added they make it easy to do. Special needs adaptations can be added such as one hand controls, seat restraints and adaptive pedals.

HP Velotechnik has a similar model called the Gekko fxs. It fits riders from 4’ to 5’11”. This trike has some model specific changes to make it adaptive cycling friendly. The seat was changed to allow the rider to sit more upright than most recumbent trikes. The orthoflex seat also allows adjustments to the seat padding and the front to back length of the seat frame to make a custom fit possible to accommodate people with different body shapes and abilities. It can grow with the rider and stay comfortable for years to come. The trike also comes with some other smart customizations for shorter riders.  It has 135mm crank arms to match up better with shorter leg lengths and 8 speed internal shifting to simplify using gears. This trike also folds down to 36”x22.5”x34” to fit in the back of a hatchback. There are some optional accessories worth knowing about. HP Velotechnik has a “companion bar” which allows an adult running alongside the trike to steer and stop in case of emergency. There are also seat belts available for those needing torso support.

Last, but not least are recumbent delta trikes by Hase. The first model is called the Trix and fits riders from 4’1” to 6’3”. It is a modified version of their best-selling Kettwiesel trike. The differences are the main frame has been shortened, the front wheel has changed from a 20” to a 16”, and a more user-friendly internal gear system has been used. The cranks have been replaced with 135mm crank arms and an adaptive toe clip and bungie foot retention pedal system has been added. Another smart feature is the addition of wheel covers to protect fingers from getting into the spokes and to look bad ass, err… racy!

The next model is the Trets which fits riders from 3’3” to 5’3”. This bares a strong likeness to their Trigo model. It is equipped in a similar way to the Trix but with even shorter cranks and a seat that can be adjusted 4” up and down for better fit and to allow for adaptation. Something unique to this trike is the ability to add a draw bar and convert it to a trailer to tow home tired riders. There is an optional “guide bar” which allows an adult some control over the direction and speed the rider is going.

The last model is the Trigo. This is the most budget friendly choice of all the trikes I’ve listed. This trike has an enormous fit range, from 4’2” to 6’7” or more with a change of frame tube. We usually sell these to adults but last summer adjusted one to fit someone 4’5” and added an electric motor so they could keep up with their family. A unique feature of the Trigo is the ability to add an adapter which allows two (or more!) of them to be connected to create a tandem. The front wheel is removed from the rear trike and connected to the back of the front trike. It can still be used as two single trikes just by re-installing the front wheel. The main difference between this and the Trix/Trets are the special adaptations. The shorter cranks, wheel covers, special pedals etc. would be things that might have to be changed from stock-most likely the cranks. However, this trike cost roughly half of what the Trix and Trets cost.  

I hope this has been helpful. There are a lot of details and options I left out for the sake of brevity. For a more in-depth exploration, just give us a call.