When I started thinking that I wanted to purchase another trike (I already had three!) I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I wanted, but I was pretty sure it would be a trike from Performer. I already had a Trike-X Mesh and was very pleased with it, but I wanted something a little different. I looked at their product line, and decided that I liked the looks of the JC70 and what I had heard from other owners was favorable.One part of my request wasn’t quite standard; I wanted a color that would be special and different from most others. I decided on a really nice high sparkle green.

Three weeks later, UPS delivered the JC70AL to my door. The trike was well packed and undamaged, and I immediately opened the box and removed the boom, which was the first item I could get out easily…I couldn’t wait to see the color. The day was overcast, and while the green color was nice, it really didn’t appear very special…until the sun came out, and then it really came to life! It’s gorgeous, and the paint job is very good. They even put my name on it in gold! Wow! Quality is evident in the welds and design, and the components are all very good. The trike also comes with a full set of fenders and rear luggage rack. The front fender mounts are pretty well designed although the fenders do tend to shake a little on rough surfaces (they never come loose, however), but the rear fender is rock-solid, and the rack is very sturdy and well anchored. All the fasteners were supplied and are of good quality. The next day I took the JC70AL out for a longer ride, and was pleased with how light and nimble it felt compared to my other trikes. It’s definitely the fastest trike I have in my stable. The direct steering is responsive but not twitchy, and it tracks straight and true at speeds up to 35 mph, beyond which I didn’t go. It has a pretty small turning radius, and will u-turn easily in a narrow rural roadway. The gearing with the 700c rear wheel and the relatively large chainrings isn’t very well suited to the hilly country where I live, but would be okay for flatlands or moderate hills. Or maybe my engine just doesn’t make quite enough power! L The BB5 brakes are very effective after a few miles of break-in, and there is no brake steer, although application of one brake or the other alone will cause the trike to pull to that side, which is normal. I didn’t notice any appreciable “bump” steer; and speaking of bumps, the JC70 seems to soak up the bumps and small surface irregularities in our roads quite nicely, although I have yet to test it on some of our wonderful “chipseal” roads. It’s the first unsuspended trike I”ve owned, and I was expecting a much harsher ride, but was pleasantly surprised by how smooth it is. Aluminum trikes are generally thought to have a harsher ride than steel due to their stiffer frames. The Ackerman corrected steering seems to have very little tire scrub at sharp turning angles, although the wheels do tend to “tuck in” (increase the turn) past a certain quite sharp turning angle, but that’s not a factor in normal riding, only when turning very sharply at slow speeds. The seat is very nicely shaped and has an excellent ventilated pad, which, while not very thick, seems to circulate air to my back quite well. The seat will probably will fit most riders quite nicely, but I’m not “most riders” and needed to add some contouring to the seat pan at the bottom to help support my ample but sensitive butt. The pad is secured to the seat pan with Velcro and seems to stay positioned very well. The supplied headrest is small but nicely padded and has a pretty good range of adjustment. I had to perform some creative adjusting to get it right for me, but it will suit most riders. I’m 6’1”, 250 lbs, and the seat is very comfortable, even on longer rides. In conclusion, I have to say that, considering the relatively low cost of the Performer JC70AL, it offers great value for the price, and anyone considering the purchase of this Performer trike (or any other Performer product) should certainly be pleased with their purchase. And dealing with the company is a pleasure.

Thanks, Performer!