Tyres:

Okay, I know this is a boring topic. But tyres matter! (Incidentally, thank you to the several nice folks in the United States who wrote to tell me 'tyres' should be spelled 'tires'. Thanks for your help!)

Tyres on most trikes are ... adequate ... for normal riding by normal riders on normal roads. I - and probably you - do not fit this description.

I have tried many different tyres. The fast ones puncture too easily. The puncture resistant ones are too slow. The ones that work well in summer are too slippery on winter ice. Sigh. One thing I have found though, is that wide tyres on a trike work better than skinny tyres. Because trike tyres are smaller than bicycle tyres, the rolling resistance of wide vs narrow tyres is negligible (yes, I know I am simplifying here and that there are many other factors involved). Wide tyres on a trike also in my experience (not scientific - just lots of riding on different tyres), seem to me to grip the road better in rainy or icy conditions. Just my opinion.

After much experimentation I found that for my particular needs met by three Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres (size 406-52) do the trick. These are slooow tyres, but my last set was still going strong after 25,000 Km!

In the last 55,000 Km I have only had two flats with these tyres!

Of prime importance for me is flat prevention as my hands do not work properly due to illness. Fixing a flat is next to impossible. This is where the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres really shine. I have been very happy with these tires.  Zero maintenance required. Schwalbe’s provided an easy and helpful purchasing experience too.  One thing though - make certain that you put Schwalbe inner tubes inside your shiny new tyres. These are much thicker than the almost-useless cheap stock tubes supplied by most bicycle shops. The combination of these tubes and tyres makes for super long lasting, no flats, good stopping, and zero maintenance rides. Great! J

On a tadpole trike (two wheels in front, one in the rear) the rear tire wears out faster than the two front ones. I get around 20,000 Km from the front tyres, and 15,000 from the rear. Actually that is incorrect. I can get much more than that mileage, but prefer to change them earlier before they really need it due to the aforementioned health issues which make fixing a flat almost impossible. I had my last flat 30,000 Km ago.  It took me three and a half hours sitting in the rain in a ditch by the side of the road struggling to get the tyre off, patch it, and back on the rim. Not because the tyres are difficult to get off and on - they are easy. But rather because illness means controlling my hands to do these simple tasks, can be a problem. But hey, I did it and have not needed to do so again despite regularly riding over glass and other things which would destroy normal tyres. Just always carry three tyre irons in your patch kit. I altered mine to have extra long handles - easier if your arms are weak. And of course, I practiced at home first to make sure that in case of emergency, I could fix flats myself - however slowly.

At any rate,  upgrading to the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres was really worth it. Almost completely flat-free. If however, you enjoy changing flats or speed is your thing, these tyres are probably not for you. Instead, Greenspeed's Scorchers are pretty good for fast riding, or some of Schwalbe's racing tyres.

Now get out there and ride!