General Category > The Dark Side
Lead Me To The Darkside
clarion:
Facing the possibility of not being able to ride an upwrong even after surgery, I wonder if this is just life's way of telling me I should fulfil my twenty-five year dream of getting a recumbent.
But I'm very much a fan of one bike to do everything if possible. Over many years, I know precisely what spec I want for a df bike, but not really a clue what I want from a bent, especially if it's to be my only transport.
Here is what I do with my bike, in order of frequency/miles:
Commuting in London traffic
Day rides/shorter audax
Shopping/utility
Cycle camping
So I need something which I can use to carry a serious load up a hill, be able to see ahead in traffic, and yet has a decent turn of speed when I want it.
Preferences I do know of include USS bars, but that's not necessarily a dealbreaker, even if much preferred. Oh - and hub gears rather than derailleurs if at all possible, so that likely means a Rohloff.
I'm intending to go see Ian at FutureCycles to do some test riding. I've already seen Kevin at DTek, but didn't get round to buying at that point, as other issues intervened. I don't want to get him to go to the bother again unless I definitely had cash in my pocket.
So help me narrow down my thinking. Suggestions?
rower40:
Does this mean you've got some upwrongs that need new homes?
[Wanders off, whistling innocently...]
Can't help regarding choice of a new machine. It's been YEARS since I even rode mine 'bents, let alone bought one. The first thing to ask - how many wheels? That narrows it down a bit, and then we can ask more relevant questions specific to bikes/trikes as appropriate.
And commiserations on (possibly) not being allowed/able to go back on any of your existing fleet.
clarion:
I already have a number of upwrongs I need to get round to selling. But there may be more soon :(
Visiting Kevin showed I was probably better suited to a trike as an occasional use bent, but experience of commuting on one in London convinced me I wanted to be narrower and a bit higher if possible.
Kim:
Unless you're unable or unwilling to learn to ride a two-wheeler to the appropriate level of skill, I'd strongly suggest avoiding trikes. They're brilliant for touring and day rides (as long as it doesn't involve off-road), but are measurably slower, completely impractical on trains and force you to behave like a car in traffic.
Anything other than a very upright shortish long-wheelbase (Bacchetta Café or similar) is going to be awkward in traffic. You lose your height and flexibility advantages, which make filtering difficult. Start-stop traffic is extremely tedious on anything where you have to put a foot down when stopped, which is paradoxically a point in favour of lowracers (where you can put a hand down) and trikes. I'd suggest that if possible a very upright upwrong might be a better commuter bike. Otherwise, accept that you're going to be held up by traffic.
Beyond that, you're obviously looking at a USS tourer with decent luggage capacity and plenty of gears. Hub gears are a good thing, if only because you can change down after you stop. You *need* to be in a low gear to get a 'bent moving reliably. If the rear wheel is small, it avoids dérailleur vs grass issues. Rear suspension would be highly desirable (you can't get out of the saddle for bumps). You need a really good reason not to have a disc brake on the front, at least. Don't even consider rim brakes on a small wheel (worst case it's got to stop a loaded tourer from R17, and that heat has to go somewhere - remember that recumbents can brake harder than uprights).
You probably need to decide on whether you're going to go for features and reliability or light weight. Something like a HPV Grasshopper (maybe the foldy version) would seem like a good choice at the 'heavy' end of the spectrum. The lighter end is trickier, as you have to get quite specific about luggage requirements.
As for a decent turn of speed when you want it, that's greatly affected by how upright the riding position is. Recumbents are inherently like tandems in their weight to aerodynamics ratio, so what speed advantages you'll get will only be of use if you're happy to leapfrog any solo DF bikes you're riding with. A bike where you can change the seat angle according to the type of riding you're doing would seem like a good idea - depending on the seat design, this may or may not involve a corresponding adjustment of boom extension (which is a serious faff on most bikes).
clarion:
--- Quote from: Kim on July 20, 2012, 02:52:34 PM ---Unless you're unable or unwilling to learn to ride a two-wheeler to the appropriate level of skill, I'd strongly suggest avoiding trikes. They're brilliant for touring and day rides (as long as it doesn't involve off-road), but are measurably slower, completely impractical on trains and force you to behave like a car in traffic.
--- End quote ---
That confirms what I was thinking.
--- Quote ---Anything other than a very upright shortish long-wheelbase (Bacchetta Café or similar) is going to be awkward in traffic. You lose your height and flexibility advantages, which make filtering difficult. Start-stop traffic is extremely tedious on anything where you have to put a foot down when stopped, which is paradoxically a point in favour of lowracers (where you can put a hand down) and trikes. I'd suggest that if possible a very upright upwrong might be a better commuter bike. Otherwise, accept that you're going to be held up by traffic.
--- End quote ---
I hate being held up by traffic, but a lot of my commute is in bus lanes or via back streets, so I'm not sure that's so much of an issue. I do remember feeling very large and a bit vulnerable riding a trike in the inner parts of London.
--- Quote ---Beyond that, you're obviously looking at a USS tourer with decent luggage capacity and plenty of gears. Hub gears are a good thing, if only because you can change down after you stop. You *need* to be in a low gear to get a 'bent moving reliably. If the rear wheel is small, it avoids dérailleur vs grass issues. Rear suspension would be highly desirable (you can't get out of the saddle for bumps).
You probably need to decide on whether you're going to go for features and reliability or light weight. Something like a HPV Grasshopper (maybe the foldy version) would seem like a good choice at the 'heavy' end of the spectrum. The lighter end is trickier, as you have to get quite specific about luggage requirements.
--- End quote ---
Or I suppose I could think about trailers, but that would limit my trainability again... :-\
--- Quote ---As for a decent turn of speed when you want it, that's greatly affected by how upright the riding position is. Recumbents are inherently like tandems in their weight to aerodynamics ratio, so what speed advantages you'll get will only be of use if you're happy to leapfrog any solo DF bikes you're riding with. A bike where you can change the seat angle according to the type of riding you're doing would seem like a good idea - depending on the seat design, this may or may not involve a corresponding adjustment of boom extension (which is a serious faff on most bikes).
--- End quote ---
Faff minimisation would be a priority, but some faff is fine.
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