Sidewinder SportZ

The Sidewinder series from Sidewinder Cycle, www.sidewindercycle.com.

After hearing me promote the tadpole trike design as a great way to get back out on the pedals a friend of mine decided to take a test ride. Unfortunately she has limited strength in one hand due to a medical condition and the standard style tadpoles from TerraTrike, Greenspeed, Catrike, etc. proved too difficult for her to steer with one hand. I did some online research and discovered the Sidewinder series of rear wheel steer tadpoles. Looking a little further I found that a bike shop not too far from me was not only a dealer but had one in stock. So last Saturday I took a ride to Mt. Airy, MD and visited the Mt. Airy Bike shop.

The model they had in stock was the SportZ (manufacturer’s photo here:http://www.sidewindercycle.com/index.php?n=item&p=03).

What initially separates the SportZ from other tadpoles is the steering. Most tadpoles use direct or indirect steering of the front wheels. All Sidewinder series tadpoles steer with the rear wheel. To accomplish this, the steering arms push/pull in opposite directions (think cross country ski pole motion). The tension on the steering can be adjusted so it’s easy or a bit harder to turn the rear wheel. This type of steering takes some mental adjustments after having ridden other tadpoles. But it certainly added another dimension of “fun”.

Other items unique to Sidewinders:

* The drive train goes only from the crank to the front cross member. Which means the distance is closer to that of a traditional bike. There is no need for idlers and chain management found on other tadpoles.

* The seat has more adjustments that any other tadpole that I’ve seen, including the TerraTrike. There are at least 5 forward/back positions for the seat and an adjustable incline. This means multiple people could ride the same set-up without adjusting the boom/chain length.

* It folds for transportation/storage! With no tools the seat comes off and the trike folds at the cross member making transportation & storage even easier.

* The wheelbase is shorter than other tadpoles (OK, I didn’t measure it but it looked & felt shorter).

I enjoyed the limited test ride and indeed think this style may assist my friend in hitting the trails. The steering is indeed easier than a traditional tadpole which is what led me to this style in the first place.

Overall I think the Sidewinder series will definitely appeal to the casual rider and intown commuter who wants a lot of flexibility in a tadpole. I will reserve judgment on handling at 15+ mph speeds until I can take a model on an extended ride. Having seen my son role/flip his TerraTrike Cruiser multiple times I would be leery of fast turns in a Sidewinder, the tests I did in the parking lot put me on two wheels or made me feel like I needed a seat belt multiple times.

If you are in the Northern Virginia area and interested in seeing this model in person visit Mt.Airy Bike at 4540 Old National Pike, Mt. Airy, MD 21771, 301-831-5151 or online atwww.bike123.com. Their staff was attentive & very helpful during my test rides. A big hats off to all of them!