Reliable tricycle. Fiction?

Let’s talk about the intricacies of choosing a tricycle in 2026 (in Ukraine?) and why/how an electric scooter has become more profitable than a bicycle.

Lately, a lot of things have happened in my life that (let’s be honest) have not had a good impact on my life. Here you have a chimney fire with a subsequent explosion and several bike breakdowns within a short period of time. The last breakdown knocked me off track and made me think that maybe it’s time to replace my beloved Schwinn Town & Country with something newer and send it on vacation. The fact is that this week my motor actually broke off the mount in the fork and… only by a miracle did I not get into some kind of accident. It was even more strange to get home on a motor that was actually held on to the dropout amplifier. But about that another time.

Objectively, this year’s weather has shown that it is better to have a three-wheeled fat bike for the winter. Not least of all, this is due to the amount of snow that regularly falls in our region. My regular tricycle could no longer drive through the thickness of snow about 25 centimeters high. We had a monthly precipitation rate for several days in a row. I’m not talking about the condition of the roads, when the track is cleared only for two cars, and you have every chance of flying off the wheel of an oncoming car if you hit an uncleared lump of snow. Plus, the broken roads after and during the winter mean that it is objectively better to have something with wider wheels that will swallow these bumps. And here we come across interesting facts at home.

Choice

Despite the war, in Ukraine you can now buy three-wheeled bicycles, including fat bikes, from several manufacturers. Let’s go through the available options by brand.

Vega

Vega bicycles were almost pioneers in the Ukrainian market in terms of three-wheeled fat bikes. But over time, the production of bicycles decreased and now I only remembered them because “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..” there was such a model as the BIG HAPPY FAT 500. I will show it to you:

Remember it. You’ll see it again soon. This manufacturer currently has several models of tricycles on its website . So, objectively, it’s too early to write it off, moreover, their Vega Happy Vip has remained my blue dream. Just look at this handsome guy:

Wonderful, isn’t it? This is one of the first three-wheelers on our market, which, among other things, saw a lithium battery. I won’t say anything about disc brakes on the rear axle. Let’s move on.

3kolesa

This manufacturer became famous for having great options for every need. To give you an idea of ​​how crazy (in a good way) the manufacturer is, they even had a three-wheel tandem!

So the question in the spirit of “who is your daddy?” is not even relevant here. I would like to separately highlight that this manufacturer also had a program for people with disabilities, according to which people with disabilities could get such transport for free into their property. But since the war, the company has suspended the production of bicycles, however, on the well-known classifieds website you can come across their wonderful products. Of the pros, as well as of the cons, there are features of the design of the rear axle. Maintainability, like everything man-made, depends on the size of your file.

Rymar

Rymar is a company from Dnipro, which also manufactures its own bikes. They make them to order, I was told that the production time is 10 days. Among the interesting models they have is the Marseille:

This is a kind of mini-business on wheels. Compared to bicycles from 3kolesa, this manufacturer still produces bicycles. Putting rim brakes is a bit of a bad idea (for several reasons), but my experience has shown that it is better this way than braking a cargo bike with planetary brakes.

Bayka

Although our post is about tricycles, I would like to mention the handsome guy from Bayka, who captured my heart. Know that if there is ever a post here about this bike, then either I have already sold my kidney and bought it, or… the manufacturer offered me a test drive, gave me a discount, I sold my kidney, and bought it again. What are we talking about? Here you go!

If you see a Ukrainian-made electric longtail in front of you, then… you’re right! While the guys from Pride were shouting that they were a “Ukrainian bicycle manufacturer,” while not making the frames themselves – Bayka is creating the equipment. Moreover, equipment that costs about 2000-4000 dollars abroad. Google, at least, KONA Electric Ute. Among the electric longtails on the Ukrainian market, I also just saw ELEEK 3Ton. A good model from a Ternopil manufacturer that bypasses tricycles, and we, in turn, will bypass it today. Let’s get back to Bayka and their Mini Truck model:

This is the rare case when the manufacturer even thought out the depreciation system. Would it be interesting for me to drive it and check it out? Yes. Will the manufacturer notice this post? No. Plus, it’s hard to understand how and where you can buy this miracle and for what price. But the transport is good and, most importantly, domestic. That is, it is not made from Chinese components. But we will return to this topic later.

Tiras

Do you think I have nothing more to surprise you with? No way. The peculiarity of these models was that a very large number (if not all) of this manufacturer’s bicycles are equipped with LiFePo4 batteries. As far as I can remember, this is the only manufacturer that does this. Want to get high? Go for it!

It costs, of course, like a new Zhiguli, but it has two geared motors at the back with a power of 800 W each. When driving “gas to the floor”, these motors should create a layer of dust like that Coyote from Looney Tunes. And… their power should also be enough to use this vehicle in any conditions. Cons? The price, which is equal to the price of our Zhuzh .

Ardis

If almost all the manufacturers above (except Vega) took as a basis the frame of their own development, Ardis is something that you can order in China and assemble in Ukraine. This is both a plus and a minus at the same time. But… they sell the cheapest fat-tricycle in Ukraine. The lowest price for Ardis CHARGE 20″ CTB ST starts at $352. For a tricycle it is free.

This is a good base for your own electric project if you decide that pedal power is not enough for you. They also have an electric version, but the price is twice as high.

Velomotor

Close your eyes…

And see the rebirth of the model from Vega. Last but not least, note that both models use a design without a rear derailleur. Plus – more clearance for winter. Minus – what the hell clearance with one gear.

Technically, the model is successful, there is a front basket, a great place for the battery in the frame (let’s be honest – perfect. Even my 36-volt, 25-ampere-hour battery will fit there). But I still haven’t figured out what to do with one speed.

Others

There are several models from other manufacturers. But they are either much more expensive, or limited to 1-2 models, which will disappear from our market in a year. So I don’t see the point in paying attention to them. Also, conditionally, another model is a self-assembled design based on the rear axle, which can be purchased here and in China. This miracle looks like this:

Pros? Oh…my dears. It’s one, but it’s big. You can buy both the axle and the hubs for this kit. Maybe other components too. But there’s a nuance. The mounting width is 170 mm. For your understanding, in my Town & Country this distance reaches about 100-105 mm. 170 mm is a typical distance for fatbikes. However, even if you buy a fatbike frame, you’ll be left with a nose, because we use one hole for the wheel (dropout, respectively), and here the frame must be fixed to two in order to securely connect the two halves of the bike. So, technically, you won’t be able to do anything with this axle by itself. And this at a price of about $113 (read as half of the bike from Ardis, because you still need to get the wheels somewhere).

Choice without choice

I’ve given you a pretty extensive list of bike models, haven’t I? Now let’s get to the reason for this post. The fact is that almost all of these models have one big drawback – spare parts.

When I bought a Schwinn Town & Country, I assured myself that “..well, at least there will always be spare parts”, but now it seemed impossible to find an axle. Moreover, the same bushings could be easily purchased in the damned russia (because they produced a “type” model for their market – Stels Energy) for a Town & Country clone, but in America, it is almost impossible to find spare parts for, as it were, an American bicycle. So even for a bicycle whose model has been produced for about half a century, finding spare parts is a nightmare. And they wear out and now I need to change the planetary bushing (for the same one, because in my Schwinn it is narrower than the bushings of other manufacturers), the rear axle, and it is practically impossible to do this. Do I need to explain to you what will happen to exclusive bicycles, the manufacturers of which I did not mention above?..

And we return to the ridiculous reality where the cheapest and most affordable option is to buy the simplest variation of the Ardis bicycle, which (theoretically) will fit the aforementioned differential, axle and hubs from China, which will allow us to repair the bicycle under any circumstances. In fact, so many Ardis models have already been released that you can simply buy a donor for about $181-227 “as a spare”. But these are ordinary models. When we talk about a fat bike, it should be remembered that the width of their hub will be greater than that of a regular bicycle. And… we will again encounter the fact when we have a mass-produced bicycle for which there are no spare parts. How often should the hubs be changed? Well… it would be convenient for me to have a spare set of wheels so that they can be changed to the current ones before the season, just by unscrewing a couple of nuts. Moreover, the hubs on my bike almost fell apart, and now there is a question of the functioning of the bike as such.

Town & Country

What do I plan to do with my bike? Well… I had an idea to sell it cheaply for some grandma to use. Of course, use it without a motor. But seeing that for its price my bike has the largest and most convenient basket, I decided that it should be restored. As for the axle, I need to ask the manufacturer. Maybe he can tell me where to go to order spare parts. It seemed to me that the company had already written to me with the contacts of the spare parts supplier before. The bushings… oh. I plan to find compatible bushings, order a laser cutter for the washers somewhere and start making my own bushings so that the happy owners of this bike could buy them. Whatever you say, this is the most famous tricycle in the world.

Planetary brakes, it seems, can be purchased without any problems on eBay. In general, foot brakes on such a bicycle should be exclusively backup, otherwise they will live, as in my case, about 7-8 years, and then they will start to fall apart. Maybe I will have a post on the topic of what exactly happened to them. In short, one ring is worn out, which is why the brakes almost fall apart. They still brake, but it is more like classic old drum brakes, which barely work and are terribly stuck – like the wheels of an old minibus.

Buying a tricycle 2026

As for the idea of ​​buying a new tricycle in 2026 – it doesn’t matter whether it’s a fat bike or a donor bike for assembly, again, a fat bike – everything is difficult with this.

The basic model of a tricycle like Ardis costs $272. A three-wheeled fatbike costs $363. Electric versions of three-wheeled fatbikes start at $681. For this price, we actually get a carcass that will have to be modified for ourselves (brakes, shifters, maybe tires, maybe rims), so technically it is better to assemble a bicycle yourself from normal components than to buy “something” for a tidy sum. The only problem is that for about $909 you can get a mini-analogue of Zhuzh in the form of the Forte GP-1000:

And although it is barely larger than a bicycle, we get a powerful kilowatt engine, a reduction gear, a normal place for the battery, a spring body capable of transporting cargo 2-3 times larger than even my Schwinn could carry. And a logical question arises – does it really make sense to buy that fat bike, even for snowstorms for several months a year? But each technique has its own tasks. And if I want a three-wheeled fat bike – I know what tasks it will perform for me. For all the overall dimensions, there is Zhuzh with a body 170 cm by 120 cm (actual).

Despite the nice price and the availability of the spare parts I need, the reviews of the Ardis model are a little scary and make me think about the advisability of purchasing their bicycle as a donor. Right now I’m looking into options to order an axle for my Town & Country (found in Estonia, most likely with “Russian” roots, but that’s not for sure) and I’m thinking about what to do with the bushings. Also, on a well-known site they sell my Schwinn from time to time. One offer is for $340, the other for a new one in the form of $454. The first price is quite normal, the second… also, if it’s really new. But without the ability to have access to spare parts – any transport is a false business. Therefore, for serious projects and business, I would like to pay attention to something like the Forte above. For home use… I will soon collect people I met and who “had sex” with their tricycle.

Maintainability of the tricycle

Let’s summarize the information I have at this time regarding maintainability. There are three types of tricycles that are the most maintainable in terms of availability of spare parts.

Schwinn Town & Country

I’ll start with my bike. How repairable is it? Well… finding spare parts is not so easy, but you can find them on Ebay. I found the rear axle in Estonia . It’s not a fact that they will be there after I buy a couple of pieces, but at least they were available at the moment. There is an interesting site with spare parts for Schwinn tricycles. Actually, I found the axle from it by the model. The axle has the model KT-762R and the following characteristics:

The bushings have the model KT-155F (through) and KT-156F (with a hook on the drive wheel). Photos, respectively:

Spare parts are quite difficult to find, but not impossible. Plus, theoretically, you can make such bushings yourself, but I haven’t found any donors yet (except for the Ardis version, which I’ll talk about later).

Mifa and other, generally, German bicycles

I once wrote a post about overhauling a tricycle . It talked about where you can find spare parts for tricycles with a differential like this:

Currently, certain parts are also available. At the same time, there are Europeans with a slightly different differential, which could be found in the post about the Kynast tricycle differential. Although it is very similar, it is slightly different, and finding parts for it can be quite problematic.

Ardis

As strange as it may sound, the third finalist is a bicycle from Ardis. It is necessary to clarify here that we are not talking about models with wide tires (fat bikes), because their rear axle and hubs are somewhat different. We are talking about models like Ardis Liman and, possibly, Ardis Meridian (hello, the name of one of the Schwinn models). I found a set of hubs on Prom (this seller has the lowest price for them). You can also order an axle for it from him . As the main “Jew” of the country, I decided to ask him about the quantity, because I am used to such a product being in short supply. For example, on eBay, similar hubs are sold for $33 and more:

They are also available in China, the price is cheaper than on eBay, but more expensive than on Prom:

More interestingly, the same seller has a version of 100 mm hubs, which are most likely suitable for three-wheeled fat bikes like Ardis and, possibly, Velomotor.

So there is an option that things are not so bad with spare parts among fatbikes, but this issue needs to be studied further.

Owners or those who want to buy a tricycle, what do you think about this? Which models are you considering for yourself and why? It would be interesting to gather here people who, like me, are fanatics about this type of transport

Author: Sa Crea

Hellmin