Both Trident Stowaway Recumbent Trike models use high quality
powder coated paint and is constructed from aircraft quality 4130 Cro-Moly Tig welded steel. The Disc brakes are made by Avid and the Promax brake levers have a built in
parking brake. Other features include double wall alloy rims with
Kenda Kwest 100 psi tires, and Ackerman compensated crossover steering,
but that is where the similarities end.
The Trident Stowaway I is our Base Model. It uses a
Microshift front derailleur and a SRAM X5 rear derailleur. Shifting is
done with SRAM X5 Gripshifters. The brakes are Avid BB5's.
The Trident Stowaway II is our higher spec model.
It uses a Microshift front derailleur and a Microshift Marvo XE CNC
machined rear derailleur. Shifting is done with Bar End Shifters.
The brakes are Avid BB7's and the crankset is a high quality forged
crankset with CNC machined chain rings, and an integrated bottom
bracket. The seat frame, handlebar and boom are sandblasted and anodized
aluminum alloy. For all you short crank aficionados, the Trident
Stowaway II will also be available with 160 mm Cranks for an additional
$50.
New for 2016!! The new Trident
Stowaway II upgraded features include a new Aluminum Seat with Lumbar
support, 3 adjustable seating heights, and 4 adjustable seating angles,
adjustable handlebars, and an improved chain idler system. The new
chain idler system is nicer than most other tricycle brand chain
idlers. The Stowaway II come with a high quality mirror, front and rear
lights, rear rack, safety flag three fenders along with a new Microshift
CNC machined Rear Derailleur.
The Stowaway II Folding trike is shipped to you in 1
box it is 95% assembled. lastly, you always have the option of picking
up a fully assembled trike at our Dearborn Michigan trike showroom
assemble and fitted free of charge.
Trident Stowaway Specifications
COMPONENTS |
Cranks |
Derailleurs |
Shifters |
Cassette |
Front hubs |
Chain |
Rims |
Spokes |
Tires |
Brakes |
Brake Levers |
52/42/30 Alloy 170 mm
Crankarms |
SRAM X5 Rear/ Microshift
Front |
SRAM X5 Grip Shift |
SRAM PG970
11-34 9spd |
Custom CNC Alloy Disc Hubs |
KMC Z9000 |
Double Wall Alloy |
SS 14g |
Kenda Kwest 100PSI |
Avid BB5
Disc Brakes (2) |
Promax w/ Lock |
DIMENSIONS |
EXTRAS |
Track |
Width |
Wheelbase |
Average Length (Varies) |
Seat angle |
Seat Height |
Weight |
Rider weight limit |
Gear Inches |
X-Seam
Range |
Rear Rack, Mirror, Safety
Flag, Lights (F & R) Front & Rear Fenders, Alloy Pedals |
31.5" (80cm) |
35.3" (9085cm) |
43.3" (1100 mm) |
72 3”
(1850mm) |
38-45 degrees |
11.3/8" to
13 3/8" |
38.8 LBS (17.6 KG) |
275 Lbs |
17.2”-92.1” |
34 1/4" to
45 3/8" |
INCLUDED |
COMPONENTS |
Cranks | Derailleurs | Shifters | Cassette | Front hubs | Chain | Rims | Spokes | Tires | Brakes | Brake Levers |
52/42/30 Forged w/
CNC Chainrings,
Integrated Bottom Bracket 170mm Crankarms Std. 160mm Crankarms Opt.
(+$50) | Microshift Marvo XE CNC Rear / Microshift Front | Bar End
Shifters | SRAM PG970
11-34 9spd | Custom CNC Alloy Disc Hubs | KMC Z9000 | Double Wall Alloy | SS 14g | Schwalbe Marathon Racers 20x1.5 | Avid BB7
Disc Brakes (2) | Promax w/ Lock |
DIMENSIONS | EXTRAS |
Track | Width | Wheelbase | Average Length (Varies) | Seat angle | Seat Height | Weight | Rider weight limit | Gear Inches | X-Seam
Range | Rear Rack, Mirror, Safety
Flag, Lights (F & R) Front & Rear Fenders, Alloy Pedals |
30.7" (78cm) | 33.4" (85cm) | 44.5" (1130 mm) | 72 3”
(1850mm)) | 38-45 degrees | 11.3/8" to
13 3/8" | 38.8 LBS (17.6 KG) | 275 Lbs | 17.2”-92.1” | 34 1/4" to
45 3/8" | Alloy w/ toe-clips |
Reviewed by Adulttricyclereview.com
rident Stowaway I, Posted on November 13, 2015
The Trident Stowaway I and Stowaway II were redesigned in 2014. Both
trikes share the same frame, seat and steering components but that is
where the difference end. The trike we officially tested, was the
Stowaway I but I have rode the Stowaway II as well, just not for an
extended length of time. My son Nathan who is 20 years old and is
studding mechanical engineering in college, got to be my riding partner
for the day. It was a very nice fall day so we loaded up two trikes in
my truck and headed out to the metro park by our house. He was riding a
trike that was somewhat similar to the Stowaway. I so we got to switch
trikes a couple of times on the ride. I was excited to have him on the
ride and see what he thought of the Trident Stowaway I as well. Now
Nathan is one extremely smart kid, even when he was in grade school and
the teacher would see him staring out the window, she would call on him
for an answer, thinking she would stump him, it just never happened, he
just always had the correct answer. I can see that same thing with him
today. I took him to the Recumbent Cycle Con event in Ohio this year and
just was in awe of how he could look at a particular trike and pick out
the things that was going to make it special or would comment that was
not such a good idea they should have made it this way. My dad had some
of those same traits, where he could look at someone else’s design and
within seconds have a modified better design in his head. I feel Trident
was thinking like an engineer and a sales person when they designed the
Stowaway. So lets run down some of the Stowaway high points. Folding
frame makes the trike more marketable – sales person. Indirect steering,
more precise steering – engineer. Throw in a bunch of accessories that
people would have wanted to buy anyway – sales person. Put the crank to
seat relationship at the right height so you can develop a lot of power
on the trike – engineer. Make the trike look attractive – sales person.
Measure people and make sure the seat fits a wide variety of people and
is comfortable – engineer. Give the trike a very aggressive price so a
lot can be sold – sales person. Trident is known as a good quality trike
at a low price. I think they really do a good job at delivering just
that. Trident has their trike manufactured in China, where just about
everyone else manufactures in Taiwan, Germany, England or the USA.
Currently China labor cost is still low but rising quickly. Other
bicycle manufactures are starting to leave China and moving on to
Cambodia for lower labor cost. The people at Trident trikes are smart,
they are keeping there overhead super low. Trident does not have a big
company headquarters. When you call them, you get Tom at his home.
Trident does not have the cost of a big warehouse building and people
there doing shipping. Those tasks are subcontracted out to the people at
FedEx.
Frame: The Stowaway frame is made out of 100% Chro-Moly
steel, TIG welded together with a telescoping aluminum boom. The welds
are precise and consistent on the Stowaway and better than you would
expected on a trike in this price range. Trident, uses indirect steering
on the Stowaway rather than direct steering like their Spike. Indirect
steering just works better. When you turn sharply on a direct steering
trike, you will notice the two front wheels are no longer going in the
same direction. Trident refers to their steering as Ackerman Compensated
Crossover Steering. Other manufactures simplify that and call it
Indirect steering. The Trident Stowaway can be folded very easily by
removing the seat with the two quick release levers and then using the
quick release lever on the frame. The rear of the frame folds over the
top of the front part of the frame. The Stowaway uses more of a
traditional fold rather than a flat fold. The advantage of a traditional
fold, is that you do not have to remove your rack bag or pannier to
fold the trike. I will have to say that the Trident Stowaway folds
easier than some trikes costing almost triple the price. The hinge
looked to be well made and Trident gives the trike a 275 lbs weight
capacity. Trident also makes an extra long boom for the Stowaway.
Paint: The paint is a powder coat that is applied
generously and should last the life of the trike. The paint was smooth
and had a nice shine.
Drivetrain: The drivetrains
Stowaway I – is the base model. It uses a Microshift Front
Derailleur and a Microshift Marvo LE Rear Derailleur. Shifting is done
with Microshift Grip type shifters. The Crankset is a Truvativ 52/42/30
Triple. The Brakes are Avid BB5 Mechanical Disc Brakes.
Stowaway II – is the high spec model. It uses a Microshift
Front Derailleur and a Microshift Marvo XE CNC Machined Rear Derailleur.
Shifting is done with Bar End Shifters. The Brakes are Avid BB7’s.The
Crankset is a High End Forged Crankset with CNC Machined Rings, and an
Integrated Bottom Bracket. The seat frame, handlebar and boom are
Sandblasted and Anodized Aluminum Alloy.
Brakes: Trident chose my favorite mechanical disc brake
system the Avid BB7 brakes for the Stowaway II along with locking alloy
brake levers. I have no issue with the mechanical brakes that Avid
offers, they are simple, reliable and easy to adjust. Trident chose the
Avid BB5 mechanical disc brake for the Stowaway I. The Avid BB5 works
almost as well as the BB7, just not quite as adjustable. A super
convenient feature of the Avid BB7 mechanical brakes are that each brake
pad can be adjusted independently so you can really dial in your brake
adjustment.
Seat: The seat on the Trident Stoaway is very
adjustable. The seat height can be adjusted from 11 3/8 to 13 3/8
inches. The seat angle can easily be adjusted with one quick release
lever from 38 – 45 degrees. Trident’s new seat frame is made of aluminum
and much nicer than their older version that was made out of steel. The
new aluminum seat frame received some new shaping and fit my lower back
and bottom well. The seat fabric is a padded, breathable fabric that is
well made. The seat fabric has a reflective strip across the top and a
nice zipper pocket. The seat is a bit wider and taller than most other
trike brand seats which is a good thing. The Trident Stowaway seat width
measured 16 inches and the height measured 22 inches.
Ride: Both Nathan and I felt that the Trident Stowaway
Chromoly frame did a good job at absorbing the road bumps. We also felt
the Stowaway has a small enough turning circle and was agile enough to
keep us happy. We both thought the Indirect steering was a nice
improvement over the direct steering on the Rover. I felt pedal steering
was very minimal and I only felt it when pedaling harder than normal,
but typically you can get some pedal steering out of most trikes.
Overall we both like the Trident Stowaway I, there was never an OMG
moment that this trike did that better than any other trike ever made.
The Stowaway I and Stowaway II are worth a look at if you are looking
for a low price performance style trike.
Accessories: Trident mudguards, neck rest, rear rack are all quality pieces. Pass on the rear light and mirror you can do better.
In Conclusion: Trident has produced a nice trike with a
lot of features that you would not expect in such a low price range.
Respectable weight at 38 bs.
Pros: A lot of value packed into a trike that had a decent ride and nice handling.
Cons: The Stowaway never wowed me but never dispointed
me either. Seat fabric was well made but a little less breathable than
others and a bit warmer.
Best place to buy: Your local Trident bike dealer or www.industrialbicycles.com
One might compare the Stowaway to the Trident Artifice, Trident Titan,
Hp Velotechnik Gekko FX.New updated 2016 review coming soon
Overall Customer Rating of 2 Reviews: