Frequently Asked Questions

What do you do with a Haley Tricycle?
Haley Trikes have an incredibly wide range of use. They can go almost anywhere: outdoor festivals and concerts, sporting events, through parks, inside public buildings and some stores, and between jammed vehicles on tight city streets. They are as easy to park as a bicycle, require very little maintenance, and can get through very dense traffic quickly.

The cargo capacity of a Haley makes it ideal to do almost anything, from daily errands like laundry and groceries to moving power tools or furniture. They can be used for medium duty commercial applications as well, and draw a lot of attention for their businesses.

a Model 2 during a right turn

What are the advantages of Haley cargo tricycles over other bicycle cargo systems?
There are several advantages:

• The total length of a Haley is only 6' 7", about 10-14 inches longer than a regular bike. This permits the trikes to fit into medians, on most elevators, and in general are easier to navigate and park.

• The total width of a Haley is 31 3/4", allowing you to ride inside most modern buildings and through public walkways, and around stuck vehicles on the street.

• Haleys, like all tricycles, don't need to be balanced or pushed hard at takeoff, so you can move a heavy load easier by starting slow and adding speed one pedal stroke at a time.

• The relatively short wheelbase (50") and inherent stability allows steady and confident turning through negative space only slightly wider than the trike itself, loaded or empty.

• Once inside a building or on a sidewalk, a loaded or empty tricycle is easy to push while walking besides, so you can get where you're going without awkwardness, or breaking rules.

• Haleys have three easy rolling wheels with three individual brakes, with two brakes at the cargo box.

• You and your cargo are one unit, with the same number of pivots as a single bicycle. Each pedal stroke translates more completely into forward movement. There's no fighting the momentum you've already built up some distance behind you when you turn as with trailers, and no forces pushing your rear wheel around while going over bumps or down curbs.

• They're very easy to reverse if needed. Just put a foot down, push back and steer out of a tight spot.

Custom all-mint Model 1

Why two front wheels?

• Delta (two rear wheel) trikes invariably need extra chains, gears, axles, and/or differentials and special wheels to pull equally through right and left turns. While this is a fine system, tadpole trikes (two front wheels) are simpler and easier to maintain, and new or upgraded parts are available from the stock of your local bicycle shop.

• You can keep an eye on your cargo better.

• It's easier to see if you'll fit between two obstacles without looking behind you while moving forward.

• Front load trikes, from the general public's point of view, are more likely to be seen as work vehicles of some type (and not just a weird bicycle) from their long history as ice cream trikes.

Model 2 with green finish

How does it turn? Is it easy to steer?
Haleys turn by rotating the cargo box around a pivot between the front wheels. The rider controls the direction by turning the cargo where she wants to go and following behind. The box will rotate easily no matter how much weight is inside as long as it is somewhat evenly distributed.

Like all tricycles, Haleys don't lean when you turn, and don't turn when you lean. They also handle best with a moderate amount of weight in the box. It only takes a few minutes for a utilitarian cyclist to learn to ride, and about a week of riding to get completely comfortable with steering.

How big is its turning radius?
Model 1 and Display Trikes can turn around in about 15', and Model 2s in about 16', or one car length. The radius is tight enough to go from street to sidewalk, and easily turn around on narrow 2 way streets. In narrower places, such as 18th century streets (where one way traffic doesn't apply or cars won't fit) or inside buildings, the trike can be turned best by stepping off, lifting the tail and rotating the trike around its middle, so you can turn around in a space as narrow as 6' 7". This also works equally well either loaded or empty.

How big is the box?
A standard box, on the inside, for all models is:

31" long
21 3/4" wide
19 1/2" tall

Tall box trikes are usually 22 1/2" tall, and long box trikes are usually 36" long, again measured from the inside. Wedge shaped trikes are most often 19 1/2" tall at the back of the box, and about 14" tall at the front.

How do people respond to a Haley Trike on the street?
A lot of products are promoted as making everyone around them smile. Almost always, this is an exaggeration, but that's not the case with a Haley Trike. After a while, your trike will be a normal, everyday way to move your stuff around. The smiles and comments from everyone else won't stop, though, and until cargo trikes once again become common in the US, you'll have to get used to living in a real-life TV commercial. It's fun most of the time, but sometimes you just want to move a table saw across town, and not have a conversation about it.

The attention has great benefits, though. Drivers are much kinder to cargo trikes, and will let you roll across their path more often and give you more space when they pass. People come up with the same jokes and ideas, but they're almost always positive, even if they're not funny anymore. And once in a while, an older person will tell you about the cargo trikes that used to be in their neighborhood, or even the adventures that they had with theirs.

Is a single speed practical for a cargo trike?
Your gearing preference will depend on your most common cargo, the terrain of your city and your own strength.

Standard single speed trikes are best for medium use over relatively flat terrain: grocery shopping, transporting pets or taking your luggage to the train station. A regular cyclist should expect to transport 100 pounds without worry in most cities with a single speed trike.

The front and rear sprockets (and chain length) can be changed for consistently heavier loads, as for moving video equipment or musical instruments over flat or rolling land. Lower gears are good for riders who use their trike to push 160 pounds or more constantly.

Three speed wheels are excellent for heavy use or hilly terrain, or a use involving no weight/lots of weight trips, such as heavy deliveries, picking up heavy supplies, or varied uses (cut flowers one day, bags of potting soil the next). The sprocket can be resized according to use and terrain, lowering the entire gear range.

How fast can I go?
Most riders can expect an average casual city speed of about 10-12 real-life miles an hour, with a top speed of around 15 miles an hour (100 pound cargo). While this may sound slow, keep in mind this means moving 100 pounds of cargo two miles through several city neighborhoods, from door to door (or even inside), in 12 minutes. A three speed wheel makes acceleration and climbing big hills easier, and standing on pedals rare, but doesn't necessarily make for a faster ride.

Is the trike stable at high speeds?
Yes, Haley Trikes are very stable, although they aren't designed for racing. Moving faster than 26 miles an hour (downhill, usually) isn't recommended, simply because stopping distance increases and object avoidance decreases. The tricycle will not shake no matter how fast you go. As with any vehicle with more than two wheels, you must slow down for sharp turns.

Are Haley Tricycles good for people with balance issues?
No, because Haleys are narrow and tall for urban riding, they are not the best tricycles for riders with balance issues. A lower or wider tricycle needs less balancing.

The Haley shop trike in 4" of snow

How does the trike handle in ice and snow?
If the streets are slippery and freshly sheeted over with ice and slush, a Haley is absolutely the best. You can ride with confidence that the tricycle won't slide out from under you. Since almost all of your body weight is over the drive wheel, you can get good traction in slippery conditions, either loaded or not. You can stand up on the pedals for more control as well. You obviously need more distance to stop. Riding on icy streets is great fun on a Haley when it would be impossible on a bicycle.

If the streets are snowy but driven on already, you can usually fit two of the trike's wheels (one front and the rear) into one track. This leaves one front wheel rolling through whatever combination of ice/snow/water/salt is outside the track. You have some rolling resistance or bumpiness from the outside wheel to contend with.

If the streets are covered in fresh snow, rolling resistance becomes exponentially higher as all three wheels make their own track. Two inches of snow is fun, but more of an "I'm so awesome I rode a cargo trike through snow", exhausting kind of fun. More than 2 inches of fresh snow, and you have to get off and push. During a snowstorm, the riding ease changes block by block, or even easy and hard on the same block, but always an adventure.

Also, if there's a big storm, any driver seeing you on a cargo trike thinks you're either crazy or fantastic, and lets you ride straight down the middle of the street at a slow pace, and wait patiently until they can pass. Without exception.

Lulu's Confections Display Trike in raspberry smoothie

What about storage?
Haley Trikes will fit almost anywhere that is handicap accessible. They're not easy to get up flights of stairs, though, or into some historic buildings. Often, a Haley will have to be locked up outside on the sidewalk, similar to motor scooters or motorcycles. It's best to lock your trike securely and lock a regular old bike to it to make taking the trike extremely difficult. Fortunately Haley Tricycles aren't easy to slip into your city's bicycle black market, and get a lot of attention around town. The Haley shop trike is usually spotted by friends when someone borrows it for the afternoon, in a city of 1.5 million people.

What items are difficult for a Haley to move?
Because the cargo box is in front, very tall things like stacked chairs or an armoire may be impossible to see over. Items longer than 8 feet can be difficult as well, although an experienced tricycle rider can move a couple sheets of plywood at once by overhanging the handlebars as well as the box edge. 10 foot long items, like steel studs, are possible but a bit too exciting.

Is it easy to assemble?
The tricycle is shipped in two parts, easily bolted together with common tools. Anyone with some bicycle experience and a friend to help hold parts in place can be riding their tricycle about an hour after they receive it in the mail. No special tools are required to do any work on a Haley Tricycle.

Is the box waterproof?
The cargo box will keep your stuff relatively dry. Items that absolutely can't get wet, like books, artwork, or laptop computers, or multiple small items are best kept in another container (backpack, drink cooler) for added protection.

Can the box lock?
No. The box doesn't lock to avoid damage from nighttime break-ins, as well as for child safety reasons.

Is the box removable?
No, the box is fixed to the frame for maximum strength. The front section and the tail of the trike can be taken apart, but this is not practical on a daily basis.

Can a Haley be made as a flatbed?
No, the cube shape of the cage gives the whole front its strength, and the 26" front wheels would be in the way. Bigger things can be strapped to the lid, though.

Where can I test ride a Haley Trike?
All Haley models can be checked out at our studio in South Philly, and there's a Model 2 Tricycle at Clever Cycles in Portland, Oregon.

How long does it take to build a tricycle?
Standard tricycles usually take six to eight weeks for construction. Extensive custom work can take longer. For current build times, see our orders page.