It’s a common grumble amongst cycle-minded parents that children’s machines are largely unfit for purpose. Childrens bicycles tend to be crude MTB or BMX-style machines, garishly painted with trick non-functional suspension and a total weight in the almost unliftable region. Sadly, the accent – as with most bicycle-related activities in the UK – is on leisure, rather than practical A to B travel.Touring bikes and get-to-school machines are almost unknown for little people, which is a shame because you’re unlikely to get enthusiastic about riding a bike to school, shops, college and so on if you’re using the wrong tool for the job.The KMX Kart does nothing to improve the situation, because in form and function, it’s about as leisure-orientated as they come, but it’s different, and it might just help to break the mould, demonstrating that alternative and much more interesting HPVs exist.

…girls are excluded…and statistically unlikely ever to turn a pedal again…

What you get is a sharply-styled recumbent trike, broadly reminiscent of adult machines such as the Trice or Windcheetah, but built down to a realistic price tag of £350.We found the trike an instant hit amongst 12 year old boys, as one might expect, but also with younger children, and girls in particular – half the population, and largely excluded from the macho BMX cycling world. As a youngster excluded from BMX is statistically unlikely ever to turn a pedal again (very much the pattern for girls these days) we were interested to see if the KMX could help.

One very positive thing about the company is that although the advertising is inevitably aimed at 12-14 year old boys, girls have not been forgotten, thanks to the influence of designer Barry Smith’s daughter Jodie, for whom the initial prototype was designed.

What is it?

KMX is a new and small British business.The first trike was developed in a garage five years ago, and the company has gradually grown in size and ambition since then.The aim was to produce a junior fun machine in small batches, but one thing led to another and a trip to Taiwan yielded a mass-production deal and ambitious plans to sell 900 karts in the first year.

Far-Eastern manufacture may have brought the price down, but inevitably quality has suffered. For £350 you shouldn’t expect Windcheetah-style engineering, and you don’t get it.The KMX weighs a hefty 15.9kg (35lb), largely because it’s based around chunky BMX componentry and a crudely-welded and immensely solid steel frame.You can be confident that little Jimmy won’t appear in floods of tears on Day One because something crucial has dropped off, but for youngsters the KMX breaks the first A to B rule: never ride something you can’t lift.

Gearing is 5-speed Shimano SIS: as basic as they come, but chunky and reliable like everything else on the machine. Range is 30″ to 60″ which, as compromises go, is more or less perfect, giving a reasonable cruise of 12-14mph.

In recumbent terms, a machine with two wheels at the front and one at the rear is termed a ‘tadpole’ – we’re not sure why, but the recumbent folk love their terminology. It also comes with USS, or Under Seat Steering, as opposed to ASS, an acronym that should be self-evident. USS means keeping your hands down by your sides, but it leaves the trike admirably uncluttered and gives direct and reliable steering.

The wheels are nicely scaled down versions of the 26″ rear x 16″ front you might expect to find on dad’s trike.The rear is a chunky 20″ x 1.95″, with a pair of 12″ x 1.75″s on the front.The tyres are a bit dubious, and sit very untidily on the rims, but the names roll off the tongue like wayside halts on the Yangtze river: Lien Fu (rear) and Horng Fortune (front). Slips and slides are frequent, but a lack of grip is arguably a safety feature, because where quality rubber might dig in and flip the machine, the Horng Fortunes scrub over the surface in a safe and controlled manner. In extremis, the KMX understeers gently and predictably, cornering at considerable speed. Rolling resistance is high, but offset by the low wind-resistance to give an acceptable figure of 13mph on our test hill. Better than most BMX bikes, one would assume.

In popular mythology, trikes have a tendency to lift an inside wheel when cornering, but the KMX is so low (15cm at the seat) and wide (62cm) that you have to work very hard to do it. And that despite one or two inexperienced pilots leaning enthusiastically the wrong way into fast corners. Cornering isn’t something parents need to worry about, but there are plenty of more legitimate worries, such as the brakes.

For a while after the trike arrived we wondered why the kids were doing such skillful ‘handbrake turns’.They weren’t – they were just trying to stop.The brake system is rather interesting – a conventional V-brake on the back (including a useful and effective parking brake) and a pair of rather dodgy Chinese band brakes on the front.These look neat, but they bind, squeal, rub and don’t work if you’re rolling backwards. Ironically, they’re safer in the wet because a good dousing in water cures most of the problems, provided the water is evenly distributed between the two wheels, of which more below.

With little weight over the rear (just 20% with the seat forward), the single V-brake locks the rear wheel at a mere 0.2G, producing some entertaining skids. Conversely, with 80% of the weight above the front wheels, a modest front brake application will lift the rear wheel at 0.4G, threatening to dig the chainring into the road, and with such a short wheelbase, this all happens very quickly.

As is often the case with a ‘tadpole’ recumbent, the front brakes must be carefully balanced by hand, because if one of the bands grips slightly before the other, the machine will spin, particularly if the rear wheel is close to locking up anyway.The same occurs in the wet if you hit a puddle that throws water into one brake. It’s all made worse by the long travel, lack of ‘feel’ and ferocious grip of the front bands. if you buy a KMX, carefully chamfering the leading and trailing edges of the bands will improve matters, but nothing can cure the problem.

The strange braking behaviour proved the biggest headache for our moderately experienced bicycle-owning test gang, and we’re not convinced that any of them really got to grips with the finer points of brake control.Three- wheeled machines need care anyway, but the quixotic band brakes, excessive nose weight and short wheelbase make the KMX a bit of a handful for newbies. Immensely entertaining if you’re mucking about in a car park, but not very helpful under ‘real’ road conditions. KMX is currently working on an adult machine, but we’d rather see a less skittish ‘touring’ version for children. Proper drum or roller brakes, longer wheelbase and front suspension would transform the trike.There’s room for rear panniers too, incidentally.

…the KMX will fit almost anyone from six to 60, provided they’re no taller than 5′ 2″…

Adjustment

Both the seat and boom can be adjusted, giving a seat base to bottom bracket dimension of 59cm – 77cm, or anything up to 83cm with a few extra chain links and a bit of fiddling.The instructions don’t make it very clear, but we’d suggest that for all but the very smallest riders, the seat should be positioned as far back as possible, and a comfortable leg length found by adjusting the boom. Adjustment is not helped by the fact that there are no stops. If the seat is pushed too far forward, the base fouls the chain tube, squeezing it against the right-hand steering joint and knocking the chain off on corners. If the seat is pushed too far back, the mudguard rubs on the rear tyre.You soon learn the limits, but it can be annoying for those new to such things.

KMX suggests the trike is suitable for children from eight to 14, but both of our eight-year-olds were riding with the saddle up against the steering joint (ie, too far forward for stability), whereas at full stretch we easily squeezed an adult on board.With a queue of small people waiting to ride, we decided to cut 30mm (KMX suggest 25mm) off the boom and shorten the chain, which helped put everything in reach. Incidentally, when extending the boom, don’t pass the point where the end  of the boom is visible in the hole at the inboard end  of the clamp cutout (well, it makes sense when you’re looking at it).This will leave a nice safe 75mm overlap.With the 30mm mod, a six- year-old can ride the machine, and an eight-year-old should be comfortably inside the fitting envelope. Small boys of four would be fine with a seat extension and shorter cranks – something we rigged up by way of experimentation, just to show that it’s possible.The 165mm BMX cranks cause problems for most children under ten and result in older children hitting their heels on the ground. Quite why such a tiny tricycle has been fitted with adult cranks is a mystery. KMX is considering fitting 150mm cranks in future, and that’s something we’d very much welcome.

Children come in a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes, but the KMX will fit almost anyone from six to 60, provided they’re no taller than 5′ 2″ or thereabouts.This adaptability might explain the attraction for girls, who tend to have longer legs than boys in their pre-teen years and can look somewhat ungainly on a BMX bike, which is better suited to those of a more Neanderthal build.

Talking of cave dwellers, KMX suggest a weight limit of 60kg (132lb or 9 stone), but we exceeded this by 20kg without the slightest grumble from the machine. As we’ve said, it’s pretty tough.

On the road

The KMX is a wind-cheating recumbent and – within the limitations of a 60″ gear and so-so tyres – deceptively fast. On modest downgrades, the KMX rapidly gathers pace into the 20+mph zone, even into a blustery headwind.Twenty mph may not sound much, but when you’re this close to the ground, it seems a lot faster, an impression heightened by the quick and responsive steering. At higher speeds, pilotage can get a bit hairy on ‘typical’ road surfaces – bumps being a big problem, with even minor pot-holes threatening to dislodge you from the seat.The sort of small kerbs that give a minor jolt on a bicycle will send kids bouncing out of the KMX, feet flailing the air.This is partly the result of having to relearn all the techniques for bump control that we instinctively learn on a bicycle, but it’s also an inherent disadvantage with 12″ tyres. Rough ground is not their forte.

Hill climbing is, perhaps, the weakest link of all.We’ve never heard a satisfactory explanation for the poor hill-climbing abilities of recumbents.Whatever the reason (or reasons), the KMX is reduced to a disappointing crawl on the sort of gradient that would barely affect a conventional bike, and the smiles and whoops of the descent are soon forgotten.We’d suggest a gentle start so as not to put the child off, before gradually introducing more challenging terrain. Riding a recumbent uses different muscles, so don’t give up if it seems hard work at first.

Another problem for ‘serious’ cycling is the lack of weather protection.The KMX has a vestigial rear mudguard designed to funnel every drop of water down the back of your neck, and there are no guards on the front.We couldn’t get anyone to ride it in seriously wet weather, but you’d obviously be in for a good soaking within a few metres. Incidentally, the lack of front mudguards raises quite a nasty safety issue.With your hands just a few centimetres from the wheels, and protected only by plastic shields, it would be all too easy to put a finger into the spokes when returning a hand to the grip, particularly in the dark.

Gradients, soakings and missing digits apart, is the KMX suitable for road use? We would never allow a child out alone on a machine like this, although we’d be happy enough for the KMX to set off amongst a party of cyclists. It all comes down to visibility (or complete lack of it) for both rider and motorists.

…forget the law – fit everything, including a fairy wearing a gold lamé tu-

You don’t appreciate quite how important height is until you’re sitting just inches above the tarmac – the ‘hedgehog’s viewpoint’ said one tester. Car drivers at side turnings cannot see you through the windows of parked cars or over low walls, and vis-a-versa – it’s difficult to check whether the road is clear when pulling out. Even when visibility is good, you’re at the wrong height to make the eye-contact upon which those split-second life-saving decisions are made. It’s difficult to look behind too, although a mirror could easily be fitted to the off-side handlebar.When indicating, you have to hold your hand up at 45 degrees just to hit the eyeline of motorists.The KMX has a flag, and although we generally dismiss such things, this one is essential.

Lights are not provided, and although the KMX comes with front and rear reflectors, the rear example is too low to satisfy the vehicle lighting regulations. However, a few hours fiddling would produce suitable brackets to place front and rear reflectors and lamps at a legal height. If anything, it’s probably safer to ride a recumbent at night, provided it lights up like a Christmas tree. Forget the law – fit everything, including a fairy wearing a gold lamé tu-tu. If nothing else, it’ll give the Old Bill a laugh.

Is the KMX dangerous? Of course not, but cars are unpleasant things, and there are too many of them being driven too recklessly and too fast. All the same, with the right training and at least one experienced cyclist giving cover, we think the KMX could be used on quiet roads in perfect safety.

Conclusion

Yes, the KMX breaks the mould, and yes, it is already selling in big numbers, as one might expect. We have a few nagging doubts about safety, mainly in the braking department, but would otherwise say it’s one of the most entertaining velocipedes we’ve tested. Inevitably, most will get ridden around parks and housing estates, but we hope a few get to be road- equipped and taken out on longer rides. Recumbent trikes are fantastic machines and something completely new to most young people.The KMX deserves to run and run.

Thanks to the test team: Alexander, Alice, Benjamin, Molly, Nathan & Nicolas

Specification

KMX Kart recumbent £350
Weight 15.9kg (35lb)
Tyres Lien Fu 12″ x 1.75″ 35psi Front
Horng Fortune 20″ x 1.95″ 40psi Rear
Gears Shimano SIS 5-spd
Ratios 30″ 35″ 42″ 49″ 60″ Dimensions Seat – bottom bracket 59cm to 83cm (less if boom cut)
Manufacturers KMX Karts web www.kmxkarts.co.uk mail info@kmxkarts.co.uk tel 023 92 379333