Reviewed by Adulttricyclereview.com
Trident Terrain Posted on March 22, 2016, updated 1-11-22
The Trident Terrain will probably turn more heads than any other
trike in the market. My son Nathan, who is 21 years old and is studying
mechanical engineering in college, got to be my riding partner for the
day. We were very excited to try both the Trident Terrain and the Sun
Seeker Fat Tad, back to back. The trikes are both Fat tire trikes, but
that is where the similarities end. Trident makes the Terrain in two
wheel sizes: 20” Fat and 26” Fat. We tested the 26” wheel version. The
Sun Seeker Fat Tad only comes with 20” Fat tires. Now, these trikes
really are quite different. Besides wheel size, the Sun Seeker comes
with front and rear suspension and the frame is nonfolding. During my
ride with Nathan, we had the opportunity switched trikes back and forth a
number of times. I was excited to have him on the ride and see what he
thought of the Trident Terrain vs the Sun Seeker Fat Tad. Trident was
smart in the design of the Terrain. Most of design was borrowed from
Trident’s other trike models. The frame is a modified Spike frame with a
longer rear end to accommodate the 26” Fat tire. The handlebars are
borrowed from the Trident Titan. 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. Most everyone
else manufactures in Taiwan, Germany, England or the USA. The people at
Trident trikes are smart, they are keeping there overhead super low.
Frame: The Terrain has a steel frame with a telescoping
aluminum boom. The TIG welds are precise and consistent on the Terrain
and better than you would expected on a trike in this price range.
Trident, uses direct steering on the Terrain which is simple and works
just fine on this type of trike. The Trident Terrain can be folded very
easily by removing the seat with the two quick release levers and then
using the quick release lever on the hinge to fold the trike. The rear
of the frame folds over the top of the front part of the frame. The
Terrain 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 Terrain 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
Terrain.
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. Personally I think the green is awesome and just
fits this aggressive looking trike perfectly.
Drivetrain: The drivetrain is a basic entry level
Shimano seven speed coupled with a Shimano twist type shifter. The
Crankset is an alloy Crank with a 32 tooth Chain Ring. Trident offers an
upgrade kit where the Terrain can be upgraded to a 21 speed.
Brakes: Trident chose the Avid BB5 mechanical disc brake system on the
Terrain and coupled them with locking alloy brake levers. I have no
issue with the mechanical brakes that Avid offers; they are simple,
reliable and easy to adjust.
Seat: The seat on the Trident Terrain is very
adjustable. The seat height can be adjusted from 20 7/8 to 22 7/8
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 padded, breathable and 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 Terrain seat width
measured 16 inches and the height measured 22 inches.
Ride: Both Nathan and I felt that the Trident Terrain
was just a blast to ride. The super large fat tires just ate up the
bumps and rolled over everything in our path. With the Fat tires the
ride became very comfortable. When I fist heard that Trident was going
to do a trike with 26” Fat tires I thought there would be no way that
thing would turn well. With such large tires I thought that the tire
would be rubbing on the seat all the time when turning, but that just
did not happen. I was very impressed in how tight a circle you could
turn on the Terrain. I also thought that the Fat tires would take a lot
more energy to turn the trike and I was shocked that the steering had a
much lighter feel than I expected. We both preferred the seat at it
lowest position and would have even preferred it a bit lower in
relationship to the crank. This is just a personal adjustment and really
just a bit different than most other trikes I ride. The Terrain crank
is a bit lower in relationship to the seat than other trikes which is
neither good or bad just different. Some people that have issues with
say their feet going numb will prefer the lower crank to seat. A slight
negative to the lower crank to seat is it will cost you a little bit of
power. When we returned from our ride we had some other people ride the
Terrain as well to get some more opinions. Everyone said the trike felt
flexy and soft. I do believe there is a number of factors contributing
to this feel. First are the tires at 10 Psi. The other trikers who rode
the Terrain keep there tire between 50 Psi and 100 Psi which will change
the ride dramatically. Second is the frame is longer to compensate for
the 26” fat tire. Third there did seem to be some extra movement between
the bottom seat quick release and the frame. Add all three things
together contributed to the trike feeling a bit flexy. But, that is ok.
Add a motor kit and this trike becomes one of my favorite trikes to ride hilly dirt road on.
Accessories: Trident’s neck rest is very well made and I like the extra large pad. Trident’s rear rack is well made and a quality piece.
In Conclusion: You will not find a trike that will turn
more heads than the Terrain. Simply, the Terrain is not very efficient
but a real blast to ride.
Pros: A quality Fat trike that folds and a very reasonable price. Maximum coolness.
Cons: Big Fat tires with knobs take more energy to
pedal. You will never win any races on this trike.