Thought I'd start a thread documenting our experiences with the Terratrike Rambler that I just purchased for Terrie...  read along, or comment/suggest.  It can serve as an info source for those considering such a machine.

Last night, I swapped out the (badly worn) tires on the Rambler...  and got a minor brainstorm while pulling the 26" rear wheel -- and put the 650 Spinergy on, instead...      
 

 
So, I took the "650" Rambler out for a spin around the neighborhood...  
 
It's an interesting beast to get used to, compared to the XStream and Rocket, or even what I remember about Ken's Catrike Road -- pretty cool, and the 22/34/44 triple will allow her to climb anything in the area, without having to deal with balance at 1mph....   but the direct steering "twitchiness" will take a bit of getting used to above 12-13 mph -- and you can DEFINITELY lift a wheel in a turn. However, the seatback is such that you have the ability to lean into the turn somewhat, which helps. If I get it up to 18-20mph or more, I know I'd better not swerve (or do a significant turn) at that speed, either!  
 
...and I'm going to have to (attempt to) drill this into her head, while we're out riding together on our separate machines, and definitely do some practicing with her to "teach" her how to lean into turns, yet keep a light touch on the steering.  However, the relative lightness of the Spinergy does make it easy to accelerate back up to 12-15mph after a stop, which was my underlying reason for the switchout.
 
I may actually retrofit back to the 20" rear wheel, to drop the CG a little... I think she's going to like it a lot, but I'm definitely going to have to "school" her in the physics of tipping....  considering that my reason for getting the trike was to potentially avoid her going down on the two-wheeled Rocket, tipping would be a bad thing...
 
Interesting side note -- there's very LITTLE "brake steer" on this machine -- squeezing one brake really doesn't cause a swerve at all, which is a good thing...
 
Tradeoffs, tradeoffs....  we'll see what develops!  My longterm hope is that she'll enjoy it a lot, and will get more and more used to more and more recline, and eventually upgrade to another that rides lower with more stability.  But we'll see -- a Cat700 is definitely not in her future (although you can even tip THOSE)...

If Terrie decided to consider an upgrade, we do have that Expedition for her to try.  Higher than a Speed or 700, but lower than the Rambler by a lot.  Seat is more upright than the Speed or 700 also.  Fixed angle though.

Quote from FlyingLaZBoy on May 14^th, 2014, 3:57pm:

 
Paul, if I recall correctly, the brake handles have brake-locking pushbuttons on them. The buttons are loose fits in the handles and rattle. Are you sure it's the shifters that are rattling, and not the brake handle pushbuttons?
 
The Microshift RD is Shimano compatible (2:1 ratio). X7 and X9 twist shifters are 1:1 ratio shifters, and wouldn't work with the Microshift RD.
 
SRAM doesn't currently manufacture a X4 twist shifter. Current Shimamo-compatible SRAM shifters are: MRX Pro, Centera, and Attack. Attack shifters are the highest quality.    

Quote from FlyingLaZBoy on May 16^th, 2014, 6:56am:

Huh, might be a good idea to save a few from bad tubes. Contis have cores. I've always carried cores and a tool for my cars.

Partially because of the ~20mph south winds yesterday, I decided to take the Rambler out myself on the GDB Mesquite route Tuesday ride...  Wanting a slightly lower center of gravity, I swapped out the 650 Spinergy rear wheel for a 20" instead, with a Marathon Racer tire.  I also wasn't sure about subjecting the Spinergy to the lateral forces a trike can generate in a turn... Moving the seat back 4" made it fit my x-seam, no problem, and I reclined the seat one more pinhole (about 1" on the strut).
 
We rolled at 14-16 for the first couple miles, then on the Barnes Bridge downhill, I let it coast, hitting about 28...  at these speeds, direct steering is VERY touchy!!!!  I really had to concentrate on NOT doing anything with the steering grips, because the slightest effort would cause some swerve...  on the other hand, brake steer is practically nonexistent, which is a good thing...   Interestingly enough, Dave R was out there on his RANS Trizard, and that machine REALLY rolls downhill nicely -- much faster than the Rambler.  This is partially aerodynamic profile, but also probably better wheels/hubs and overall weight.
 
On the other hand, the trike climbs very nicely, in part due to the 153mm cranks...  I think Mark Stonich is on to something -- he told me anecdotal stories of people climbing better (even on DFs) with short cranks.  I was able to spin up most of the hills on the ride with no problem, and held 13-14 mph all the way up the long "water plant" hill before Tripp Rd.
 
After a while, I noticed that the front part of the seat fabric was pressing the backs of my thighs -- given the relatively low BB position of this machine, I moved the seat recline UP one pinhole, which helped that problem (but worsened the aero).  Riding down Lawson Rd. into the headwinds, it was difficult to hold 14-15 mph.  Normally, not into a headwind, I could roll at 16-18+ without excessive effort, and with the 44T "big ring" and 20" rear wheel, spinout was around 23-24mph.
 
We got in 25 miles for the evening.  Overall, the Rambler was very comfortable and fun, although again, I really had to watch my steering input to avoid swerving at speeds above 15ish.  I would not (personally) ride this at a crowded rally like HHH -- I'd be a hazard to those around me...
 
On a side note, I successfully resisted the temptation to unclip at stops...    and didn't have any instances of almost tipping...
 
 

i have a rambler and the more I read the more I am thinking about getting something else.  the bike is just great for exercise. I put in 10 miles yesterday up to Erwin park and back to my house.  but the rambler wasn't built for speed.  I can keep a good 12 mph pace on it.  it is easier to get in and out of it which I like.  my wife has a catrike speed which I have a hard time getting out of. but I do like her catrike.

Ease of getting in and out, and the ability to adjust the recline, were two main priorities in my decision to get the Rambler...,  Having had it for a month now, I would agree that it's not the best trike for 15+mph riding, but is perfectly fine for slower riding -- so having the 26" rear wheel option is pretty much overkill.  The relatively low BB position and higher seat both obviously affect aerodynamics, but again, this isn't a speed machine.
 
The other aspect of this trike is that, with her ~40" x-seam, we've got the seat clamp fully forward, which just fits -- because you can only move the boom in close enough such that you don't get any hitting of your heel on the frame crossmember.  Having both the seat and boom adjustable is nice, but there are still limits.
 
Terrie is enjoying it, which was the main concern -- it's comfortable, responsive (perhaps too much so), with a tight turn radius.  If she gets to the point of accepting more recline and having a lower seat, I could see us possibly upgrading next year -- but we'll have to see then.  Right now, she's still getting re-used to the idea of being your own power source, and rediscovering when to shift to what gears.
 
I'm glad I put the 153mm 24/34/44 crankset on it, it's working well for her.  I'm going to keep the Spinergy 650 on the back, for somewhat easier acceleration and lower rolling resistance.  darned thing outcoasts me on the Rocket, on a downhill!