Sancho's Horse
1 kW
Upright trikes are well suited for riding around factories. They can haul heavy loads easily, maintain stability riding at a creep (conversation with pedestrian pace), and are well suited to flat uninterrupted factory floor(no pot holes). Worksman is the standard for these applications.
However, their use outside of that setting is a little more ambiguous. They are certainly prone to tipping, and are hard to recommend based on that alone. Use on an incline is pretty scary, cornering at any speed requires skill, and at any significant speed really makes tipping a challenge. However, there are several on this forum who have used them successfully (ddk, UncleRon, and Jeff Peterson). I inherited one from a previous job, and I am currently looking into electrifying it for heavy hauling purposes.
I would recommend going with a recumbent, unless getting on, or being so low are issues.
I spent a year and a half riding an upright everyday, and 6 months of that in a completely empty factory where I was able to "test" its abilities at speeds higher than ordinarily recommended. I think this time qualifies me (in a purely anecdotal way) to evaluate performance enhancements of the geometric kind. The enhancements which I am trying are placing the batteries as low as feasible, creating a hitch which is forward of the rear axle (think fifth wheel), using a trailer in a way so that it creates a long lever arm to work against tipping, and placing a set of handlebars on the seat post which can help in comfort and to prevent tipping. However, I am a long way from real world testing, so...until that happens, none of these modifications are of much value for recommendation.
So...go with a recumbent if possible.
However, their use outside of that setting is a little more ambiguous. They are certainly prone to tipping, and are hard to recommend based on that alone. Use on an incline is pretty scary, cornering at any speed requires skill, and at any significant speed really makes tipping a challenge. However, there are several on this forum who have used them successfully (ddk, UncleRon, and Jeff Peterson). I inherited one from a previous job, and I am currently looking into electrifying it for heavy hauling purposes.
I would recommend going with a recumbent, unless getting on, or being so low are issues.
I spent a year and a half riding an upright everyday, and 6 months of that in a completely empty factory where I was able to "test" its abilities at speeds higher than ordinarily recommended. I think this time qualifies me (in a purely anecdotal way) to evaluate performance enhancements of the geometric kind. The enhancements which I am trying are placing the batteries as low as feasible, creating a hitch which is forward of the rear axle (think fifth wheel), using a trailer in a way so that it creates a long lever arm to work against tipping, and placing a set of handlebars on the seat post which can help in comfort and to prevent tipping. However, I am a long way from real world testing, so...until that happens, none of these modifications are of much value for recommendation.
So...go with a recumbent if possible.
,ect...$1700.00
