New recumbent trike for Auntie Helen - an ICE Sprint Special!

[Auntie Helen]

My new trike is on order with ICE who are doing me a 'special' build.

It will be a Sprint in red but with an Alfine 11 hub gear at the back (and a triple at the front). They don't yet have bar-end shifters for the Alfine controller so a temporary arrangement is being done whilst the US company develop the bar-end shifter.

I'm having a dynohub in the left front wheel (thanks to Dasmoth for bringing it to my attention that I could have such a thing).

I've ticked pretty much all of of the boxes in the options list so am expecting the bank balance to take quite a hit.

Current Trice Q has done 24,600 miles in the last three-and-a-bit years. I think ICE are trying to delay delivery of new trike so I bring old trike over the 25k miles as they are proud of how well it's done in all weathers and not being particularly well maintained!

[chris]

Does that count as n + 1.5?

[Auntie Helen]

Or an n*1.5 + 1.5

[Quint]

Is the dyno hub only available with a disc brake ?

[Auntie Helen]

Is the dyno hub only available with a disc brake ?

Yep, so that'll be a whole new learning curve for me!

[Kim]

I'm having a dynohub in the left front wheel (thanks to Dasmoth for bringing it to my attention that I could have such a thing).

Presumably they're molished that way round by Germans, and will unscrew if fitted on the other side.  Otherwise I'd have thought the right wheel would make more sense, so the drag helps counter the effect of road camber...

[Auntie Helen]

I wanted it on the left wheel as I get fewer punctures that side and as removing the wheel on the hub side will require removing the brakes, it seemed wiser to have it that side!

[Jedrik]

I wanted it on the left wheel as I get fewer punctures that side and as removing the wheel on the hub side will require removing the brakes, it seemed wiser to have it that side!

It is actually quite easy to get a wheel out of a disc brake.
You'll love it. The braking, too.

[Kim]

I wanted it on the left wheel as I get fewer punctures that side and as removing the wheel on the hub side will require removing the brakes, it seemed wiser to have it that side!

Ah, that makes sense.  Interesting that you get fewer punctures on the left, but I suppose the right wheel tends to run in the crud in the middle of the road a lot of the time.

It is actually quite easy to get a wheel out of a disc brake.
You'll love it. The braking, too.

I imagine it's non-trivial on a trike, where I believe the wheel detaches along by pulling along the axle.  On the other hand, mudguards permitting, you can replace the tube/tyre without removing the wheel.

[Quint]

Have tried discs (on 3 different Catrikes, one hydraulic) and must admit I find the retardation not much different to the drums on my 26" ICE albeit with the maintenance free option you get with drums, I have piled on the anchors at 50mph going down toward the Barrage de Rance in Brittany and they are good from full on to subtle feathering, very subtle control (which is more than you could say the reaction was from the French policeman who tried to explain that 50 meant kph NOT mph, 
        I milked the hearing aid and greying hair to the limit on that one 

I wanted it on the left wheel as I get fewer punctures that side and as removing the wheel on the hub side will require removing the brakes, it seemed wiser to have it that side!

It is actually quite easy to get a wheel out of a disc brake.
You'll love it. The braking, too.

[Jobro]

Congrats on the new machine! It will be interesting to see how you feel the new machine compares with your Trice Q seeing as ithe Sprint is the new version of the Q. Enjoy! 

[border-rider]

Is the dyno hub only available with a disc brake ?

Yep, so that'll be a whole new learning curve for me!

Is there a reason you can't use a drum brake/dynohub ?

[tonycollinet]

I have the disk brakes. Wheel removal not a problem. Axle slides out, and wheel drops out downwards.

Plus puntures on the front wheel don't require wheel removal anyway. Put trike on side, and it acts as a nice repair platform for the wheel.

[Auntie Helen]

Trike arriving next week!

[Quint]

To my knowledge (limited I agree) no one makes them, I would love a derailleur rear hub with a dynohub on t'other side, it would be a neat  solution.
     Yes wiring would be a bit longer but nothing to cause problems.

Is the dyno hub only available with a disc brake ?

Yep, so that'll be a whole new learning curve for me!

Is there a reason you can't use a drum brake/dynohub ?

[arvid]

Is the dyno hub only available with a disc brake ?

Yep, so that'll be a whole new learning curve for me!

Is there a reason you can't use a drum brake/dynohub ?

There are no single-sided hubs in production with that combination, AFAIK. I know there are modified SA X-FDD's, but I have friend in a velomobile that wasn't happy with it.

[Kim]

To my knowledge (limited I agree) no one makes them, I would love a derailleur rear hub with a dynohub on t'other side, it would be a neat  solution.

I've often wondered about that.  If only because driving your dynamo through two unnecessary tyre/road interfaces doesn't strike me as very efficient...

[Jedrik]

I would love a derailleur rear hub with a dynohub on t'other side, it would be a neat  solution.

Well, there is: Shimano FH-C811  Shimano Nexave C810 (FH-C811) rear hub | VeloSpec - bikes and components specifications

Nominally it only can produce 4,1 V and 1,12 W but I have heard that with modern LED lights it works quite well.
Haven't tried it myself, though.

[Quint]

If you only knew how long I have been searching for this 

[Quint]

just a thought (a lonely one, I know  ), I seem to remember something about a limit on chainwheel size (inner and outer) with hub gears, how does this work with your Alfine hub Auntie Helen

[Auntie Helen]

Dunno yet Quint, I'll tell you when it arrives today!

[Quint]

Arrives ! Today ! And you are coherent 

Dunno yet Quint, I'll tell you when it arrives today!

[Auntie Helen]

Alfie the trike has arrived!

As my Trice Q had done SUCH a lot of miles (24,680 in the last three-and-a-bit years) I felt that it was time to buy a new trike to give me a bit of variety - and also to experience some alternative features.

For example, the twist-shifters on my Q proved very awkward when it rained as I couldn't twist the gears properly without gloves with wet hands (and I don't usually wear gloves). The rubber for the twist-shifters also started flaking off after 15,000 miles.

I also found that I don't get on too well with rear derailleur gears and did bash my derailleur once, bending the hanger and requiring rescue by car from my father. I have carried a spare gear hanger since then when touring abroad but I did like the idea of a hub gear which would mean I only needed a fairly small chain tensioner at the axle.

I decided a Rohloff hub was too expensive (almost £1,000) so went for the new Alfine-11 hub gear by Shimano which got good reviews and which the chaps at ICE had successfully fitted to another trike previously.

So today was the big day!

I went out for a haircut in the morning and when I returned home there was a giant box in the lounge...



Which my dog Poppy thought looked interesting.



Here I am, ready to cut the packing tape...





The box is open! Lots of bubble wrap and a surprisingly thin 'assembly instructions' book!



After removing lots of goodies (seat, rack, chainring guard etc) I got my first glimpse of the actual bike!



A very expensive meccano set!





James is impressed by my Schmidt hub dynamo...



The frame is unfolded...



And we bung some wheels on to see how it looks. Now how to fit that chain tensioner?...



And there it is!





Now here's something neither of us have had before - disc brakes!



Fitting the disc onto the wheel...



Now to line up the callipers/pads (this took about 15 minutes!)



Poppy inspects - number 1 is done, hurrah!





We had a tea break before starting the right hand side wheel discs. This wheel also has a dynohub which is rather cool!

[Kim]

I went out for a haircut in the morning and when I returned home there was a giant box in the lounge...

Ahh, is that how it works?  I reckon barakta's about due for her annual haircut...

[delthebike]

I went out for a haircut in the morning and when I returned home there was a giant box in the lounge...

Ahh, is that how it works?

Poor James! 
Got a nice Dawes Galaxy, just your size, if you want to swap.