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I got this question via e-mail the other day from a member of ActiveMSers. Having ridden both, I've got some definite thoughts, but the answer isn't straightforward. Bottom line: it depends. There are lots of Qs to answer.
1) Define your goals. Are you getting a trike for pleasure, to ride with your partner, to exercise underused body parts, to build strength, to improve cardio? My leg trike is great for exercising my legs, but crummy in other areas because of my wonky legs. I can't pedal fast enough to get in the cardio zone or keep up with my wife, which I could do with an arm trike.
2) Honestly access your upper and lower body limitations. Do your legs fatigue easier than your arms? Vice versa? Endurance to travel distances, as well as speed, will be impacted dramatically if you have weakness. I could log dozens of miles on an arm trike, but I max out at fewer than 10 with a leg trike.
3) Gauge your ability to get out of low-slung chairs. Leg trikes, in particular delta trikes (with a single wheel up front), are easier to get out of than most arm trikes, which often have an extremely low riding position. That said, I can get out of an arm trike with tired arms easier than I can a leg trike with hosed legs.
4) Identify riding locations. Can you ride right out of your garage or do you need to transport your trike? Leg trikes require a rack, SUV, or pickup to transport, while arm trikes tend to be larger (and heavier) and are even more challenging to move. My leg trike fits (cozily) into the back of our SUV, but anything larger would require a bigger vehicle.
Overall, both are great options, with a trike offering added stability and a place to rest when you need time to recover. I may yet purchase an arm trike and let Laura toodle around on my leg trike. That would allow me to go faster, farther, and permit me to ride alongside my wife instead of telling her to go ahead on the trail as I trike along slowly at a pace unsuitable for 2-wheelers.
1) Define your goals. Are you getting a trike for pleasure, to ride with your partner, to exercise underused body parts, to build strength, to improve cardio? My leg trike is great for exercising my legs, but crummy in other areas because of my wonky legs. I can't pedal fast enough to get in the cardio zone or keep up with my wife, which I could do with an arm trike.
2) Honestly access your upper and lower body limitations. Do your legs fatigue easier than your arms? Vice versa? Endurance to travel distances, as well as speed, will be impacted dramatically if you have weakness. I could log dozens of miles on an arm trike, but I max out at fewer than 10 with a leg trike.
3) Gauge your ability to get out of low-slung chairs. Leg trikes, in particular delta trikes (with a single wheel up front), are easier to get out of than most arm trikes, which often have an extremely low riding position. That said, I can get out of an arm trike with tired arms easier than I can a leg trike with hosed legs.
4) Identify riding locations. Can you ride right out of your garage or do you need to transport your trike? Leg trikes require a rack, SUV, or pickup to transport, while arm trikes tend to be larger (and heavier) and are even more challenging to move. My leg trike fits (cozily) into the back of our SUV, but anything larger would require a bigger vehicle.
Overall, both are great options, with a trike offering added stability and a place to rest when you need time to recover. I may yet purchase an arm trike and let Laura toodle around on my leg trike. That would allow me to go faster, farther, and permit me to ride alongside my wife instead of telling her to go ahead on the trail as I trike along slowly at a pace unsuitable for 2-wheelers.
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