All bicycles and tricycles have "rider and gear" total weight limits - most are around 275 pounds max load capcitiy, but some are as low as 230 pounds total and others are a bit higher.  Manufacturer's warranties will not cover repairs if the rider exceeds the limits for which the bike/trike was intended, thus causing frame or parts to fail.  When in doubt, please ask or do a web search - most manufacturers have the weight limits posted in the specs of their product lines, usually at the end of the list.  With limited floor space, we do not carry models for the over 300-pound plus range, with the exception of the new TerraTrike Rover, designed for a load of up to 400 pounds.     

PLEASE - if you plan to test ride, come in to the shop wearing sensible shoes, not strappy sandals or flip-flops and please wear appropriate clothing that has some give and that won't get caught up in chains, derailleurs, or spokes.  If you have a helmet, please bring it along - if you don't, we have loaners and you'll be asked to don one of them, though we will treat you as an adult if you decline.   We hold onto your I.D. while you're riding our bikes. 

"How well does it climb?":  how well ANY bike climbs depends largely on the condition of the "engine" - that is, YOU.  How well do you climb?  If you are now a strong rider on your conventional bike you will typically see a loss in your climbing abilities at first, when switching to a 'bent until you get your 'bent legs; the bikes work the muscle groups in slightly different ways.  You have to actively work at climbing to get better at it, but you CAN get your climbing legs back.  There is no magic pill/silver bullet other than hard work and willingness to routinely break a sweat.  No pain/no gain, to repeat a tired, old phrase.  If you typically ride up climbs off of the saddle ("dancing on the pedals") for most of the climbs duration, your climbing will not be what it was. A strong 'bent rider can do as well (or much better) than on their conventional bicycle over the length of the entire ride.  Again - this takes miles and riding up hills.  The harsh truth is that fitness doesn't come overnight or just by buying the lightest "fastest" bike that is available.  

All those gears! - if it's been a while since you rode a bike or if you never had one with gears you need to know some hard & fast rules about how to shift.  First of all, the bikes we carry are all good quality bikes with equally good components, BUT those components are only intended to be used as designed.  We don't know what it is... maybe the "giggle factor", but the three wheelers (trikes) seem to inspire some folks to want to pedal backwards.  This is something you should never do. If you don't understand gearing and then you pedal backwards, you can wrap the chain around the rear derailleur (shifting unit) and cause yourself hundreds of dollars of damage that no warranty will (or should) cover - this is using the equipment in a way it was not intended to be used.  We are going to consider hosting some "Shifting 101" classes later in the year if enough people are interested.  If "something is grinding back there", something is wrong.  .  That simple.   

Trikes - "Yes!", they're a screamin' hoot to ride, but they are not go-carts - they are the 3-wheeled equivalent of a fine road bike and should be treated as such.  Their derailleurs are very low to the ground, subject to severe damage if they're not used as they're intended.  Slam-banging down rutted gravel roads, riding them off of curbs, blasting through potholes, improper shifting (small/small rings - as per above) and backwards pedaling can cause extensive damage that your manufacturers warranty and our shop will not cover.  It's very easy to avoid these issues.