Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => The Dark Side => Topic started by: TPMB12 on 17 October, 2017, 04:58:10 pm
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Does anyone commute on their recumbent?
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I commute most days in my Quest velomobile, and on rest days use I either my Lightning recumbent or a motorbike.
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Yes on a trice qnt, across the fens.
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Yes, a few trike miles on fairly countrified roads, all year round.
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How do you find them in traffic?
My commute is a half hour ride on a commuter A-road. Not busy but the route is through a small town one end with parked cars, dodgy/dangerous traffic lights and narrow road. Then the work end is straight into a narrow road with parked cars then traffic leading to a one way bit that requires you to ride across lanes at one point.
This is not an issue for me but I'm curious as to whether a lower recumbent has visibility issues in traffic. I'm happy taking primary and crossing lanes on an upwrong (terminology right I hope). Not so sure about a recumbent though.
BTW if I was ever to get a recumbent it would probably be my only bike. I really can only afford to own one bike plus unlikely to have storage space for more than one too. A recumbent would be to be practical for commuting, leisure riding, riding with family and touring. BTW anyone attach a trailer to their recumbent?
I guess what I'm curious about is how practical are they?
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Used to commute on a Kingcycle and then a Speedmachine into central Londonton. Only ever seemed to be unseen at night, when it's just another set of bike lights and thus indistinguishable from an upright.
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How about your sightlines? Lower down position, does that mean you can't see as much? Is it noticeable over an upright?
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A recumbent being so different is given more room on the road.
So you get better overtakes, bent trikes are better than bent bikes which are better than upwrongs for this.
I've only had a bent trike.
The extra width of a trike makes it better at controling traffic because you're almost always in primary, unless you ride in the gutter.
The downside is it harder to filter, I don't.
The only time the lack of height affects me is right turns when someone pulls up on my left blocking my sightlines.
Apart from that, its the view over walls/hedges/long grass that you miss while on tour.
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How about your sightlines? Lower down position, does that mean you can't see as much? Is it noticeable over an upright?
I don't commute, but there's plenty of traffic between here and the nice lanes and/or the railway station, so I feel qualified to answer this:
HPVelotechnik Streetmachine: Same eye position as when driving a car. Similar 'bonnet' length to a small car, too. So not quite as good for seeing as an upright bike, but perfectly okay. Getting a foot down is tedious in start-stop traffic. Filtering is possible, given sufficient room, but there's rarely sufficient room (it's not so much the width of the bars, as the wobble room you need for the boom if you stop and start). Definitely gets more respect from drivers than an upright.
Optima Baron: Seriously low. You can't see past cars (effectively every car becomes a transit-style van), and the bonnet length problem at junctions is exacerbated. A rigid lowracer with road bike tyres is extremely unforgiving of road surface hazards, which means a large amount of your observation and planning goes into avoiding them, and you sometimes have to manoeuvre round things that drivers aren't necessarily expecting you to. Unfamiliar roads become hard mental work. On the other hand, being fast means you can keep up with moving traffic better. Getting a foot down is less physical work than the Streetmachine, but starting and stopping requires non-trivial skill, and there's always the possibility that you'll drop it when starting off on a dodgy camber. Filtering is deeply unwise, and passing right-turning vehicles on the inside should be done with caution. Looking fast means drivers respect you, but you don't have an awful lot of profile end-on, so they may fail to spot you or misunderestimate your speed. Drivers are typically very cautious when overtaking, as you disappear behind their nearside wing.
ICE Sprint: Slightly higher eye position than the Baron, but you still can't see past cars. Three wheel-tracks means you need to pay a bit more attention to the road surface, but the failure mode if you get it wrong and hit something tends to be no worse than a puncture. Similarly, you won't fall off if you lose control on ice/diesel. You never have to put a foot down to balance, so start-stop traffic is boring rather than work. You can forget about filtering. Drivers tend to pass you as they would a car, because you *look* really wide, even if your actual width isn't all that more than a set of modern MTB bars. Flip side of that is more abuse from those unwilling to overtake as you winch yourself uphill.
Being able to see less is something that will affect how you ride, but I don't think it has much impact on safety in normal circumstances, because you're in control when pulling out at junctions etc and can compensate accordingly. You may end up stopping and waiting more than you would on an upright where you can just see that a junction is clear on your approach.
One problem with a low riding position is that it puts your eyes in the dipped beam of car headlights. This is about as fun as it sounds. The other problem is that the lower you are (unless it's in a velomobile), the more of you gets splattered with spray by the tyres of passing vehicles, and if you're particularly unlucky you may get your face gritted in winter.
As Mr Larrington says, at night recumbents tend to lose some of their WTF factor, at least when viewed from the front. Trikes may do a passable impression of a distant car when viewed from behind, depending on lighting arrangements.
If I were commuting, and not compelled to three wheels for disability reasons, I'd want the highest riding position that I could easily get a foot down from. USS or open-cockpit bars are probably a good idea, as you can sit forward in the seat to peer round corners. And preferably something that's not ridiculously heavy if there's going to be a lot of start-stop involved.
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Yes, eitheron a Catrike 700 orn a RANS Stratus XP. Both are easy in traffic. I have commuted on a SWB but stopping and starting is more challenging in dense traffic.
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I commute in a Milan Velomobile and previously in a Versatile Velomobile.
They are both great for being seen by cars. However in Germany motorists don’t let you out as a courtesy as much as Brits do.
The only real issue I have is when waiting at a junction, if a car is beside me I can’t see a thing. I just have to wait.
Well, the Milan’s 14 metre turning circle is very occasionally an issue too.
No filtering of course, and sensible riding within braking possibilities at speed, and it’s all good.
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I am carrying a knee / hip problem at the moment so am not commuting by bike.
I work at the same places PaulM, and use either a Catrike Expedition, Kettwiesel or HP Velotechnik Gekko
The latter is the more frequent as it fits in my bike locker:
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Cunobelin/P5240046.jpg)
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Well done. My friend's Dutch (well, German) style e-bike is about 20mm too tall to fit in bike lockers. Medium size frame. Useless.
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Yes, eitheron a Catrike 700 orn a RANS Stratus XP. Both are easy in traffic. I have commuted on a SWB but stopping and starting is more challenging in dense traffic.
What about a bachetta Giro ATT, similarly light as the RANS?
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Does anyone commute on their recumbent?
Not currently since I'm "between" recumbents, however in the past I've commuted on a HPV Grasshopper, a Trice QNT and a Bacchetta Giro 26. All of them where quite possible, however you may need to think about things a little more. The only thing I found that you can do on a 'upwrong' that you can't on a 'bent is easily switch from undertaking to overtaking whilst filtering through stationary traffic - because on an upright your head in the first thing that goes past the vehicle so you can see if it's clear, but on a 'bent it's feet first and head last.
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The only thing I found that you can do on a 'upwrong' that you can't on a 'bent is easily switch from undertaking to overtaking whilst filtering through stationary traffic - because on an upright your head in the first thing that goes past the vehicle so you can see if it's clear, but on a 'bent it's feet first and head last.
Agreed. Small-wheeled upwrongs are king in this sort of environment.
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Yes, eitheron a Catrike 700 orn a RANS Stratus XP. Both are easy in traffic. I have commuted on a SWB but stopping and starting is more challenging in dense traffic.
What about a bachetta Giro ATT, similarly light as the RANS?
I had a Giro 20 with steel frame and alu fork. It was a bit lighter than the RANS but didn't roll as well, wasn't as comfortable, and not as efficient.
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I'm commuting 1 or 2 days a week on my ICE sprint.
Mostly what Kim said, except filtering which is possible IME. However, you have to be aware that your visibility to the cars you are passing is almost zero.
Best - huge fun, love the reaction (at least most reactions) especially from kids and dogs. Turns winter ice from FEAR to FUN. Wide passes from most cars.
Worst - two years ago a bow wave of slush swept over me as a van passed in melting snow. I was drowned. Being passed by gritting lorries. A few times (average 1/year?) when drivers entering roundabouts seem to look right over the top of me and I have to shout (bellow) to make them stop.
Top Tip - stay well back from the exhaust of cars.
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Bachetta - regular (70% of travel to work) 12 mile commute often extended just for the joy of cycling in the Cairngorms.
Two challenges:-
1. Bike is rubbish through snow and over ice so wintery days I revert to an upright with studs
2. 'Once a year' a driver stops and tells me they can't see me even though I am at the same height as them and the same height as a young cyclist, and they have stopped to talk with me! Most drivers pass me widely because I stand out. My view is that the odd driver who comments hadn't seen me but they wouldn't have seen any cyclist at that specific moment but because I'm on a recumbent it surprises them and they can attribute their mistake to me.
Three challenges...
3. My kids don't enjoy my positive notoriety with their school friends....I work in the same town as their school.
Enjoy
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I have a Nazca Fuego. Its seat height is 39cm off the ground, seat reclune 26 degreess to 35 degrees. I usually leave it at 26 degrees.
I have not commuted on it but have ridden in London on busy roads, and on busy town centre roads over the weekend. I got it 11 months ago and have used it for audax mostly completing a SR series this year.
In traffic generally take primary / control the lane, stay out of dooring zones and position myself where a car driver would be if approaching a junction with a car waiting to pull out. I have never had a problem with visibility. I have got used to glancing at my rear view mirror frequency so I know what is around / behind me, I avoid filtering unless there is a decent bike / bus lane. If swapping lanes I signal early and check my mirror to see if they are letting me in. Generally not been a problem crossing lanes.
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Does anyone commute on their recumbent?
Not currently since I'm "between" recumbents, however in the past I've commuted on a HPV Grasshopper, a Trice QNT and a Bacchetta Giro 26. All of them where quite possible, however you may need to think about things a little more. The only thing I found that you can do on a 'upwrong' that you can't on a 'bent is easily switch from undertaking to overtaking whilst filtering through stationary traffic - because on an upright your head in the first thing that goes past the vehicle so you can see if it's clear, but on a 'bent it's feet first and head last.
Personally I found no real difference. even on one of the trikes, maybe I am cautious in traffic, but in most cases the gaps I cannot get through are ones I would not chance on an up wrong either
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Yes, I'm quite filtering-averse at the best of times. Comes from not riding in London. Around here you pretty much only wait for one cycle of the lights, so there's little to be gained. (There are a couple of notable exceptions, but they have shared-use pavements which are an easier way to make progress past stationary traffic than filtering.)
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Not currently since I'm "between" recumbents, however in the past I've commuted on a HPV Grasshopper, a Trice QNT and a Bacchetta Giro 26. All of them where quite possible, however you may need to think about things a little more. The only thing I found that you can do on a 'upwrong' that you can't on a 'bent is easily switch from undertaking to overtaking whilst filtering through stationary traffic - because on an upright your head in the first thing that goes past the vehicle so you can see if it's clear, but on a 'bent it's feet first and head last.
Personally I found no real difference. even on one of the trikes, maybe I am cautious in traffic, but in most cases the gaps I cannot get through are ones I would not chance on an up wrong either
It's not about the size of the gaps so much as the case when the gap up the inside disappears because (e.g.) the next vehicle is a bus and occupies the entire lane, then you can't easily move over to the middle of the road and overtake the bus in the gaps between the traffic coming the other way. (The specific road I'm thinking of had a traffic light controlled crossroads with pedestrian crossings, so there would be times with no oncoming traffic whilst your queue was stationary.)
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There's a junction like that on my commute. As bad as it is the safest way through is filtering up one side and sometimes switching to the other if necessary.
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I commuted 10 yrs in central London on a speedmachine. It was an ideal commuter bike in my view. In the previous 25 years on upright commuting I expected to have an incident involving A&E roughly once every couple of years. No incidents like that on the recumbent. More room given, more visible. Plus blistering fast on constitution hill. Much abuse from drivers though, and obvs everyone thinks one is a mad eccentric.
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We are all mad eccentrics aren't we?
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The ones who don't think you're a mad eccentric are the ones shouting "DLA!" >:(
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More room given, more visible. Plus blistering fast on constitution hill...... and obvs everyone thinks one is a mad eccentric.
:thumbsup: Except my kids friends who seem to think I'm a coolish eccentric...slightly coolish eccentric....OK different from their dads.
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I used to commute occasionally on an ICE B2, until I sold it.
I found I was given more room by general car drivers, as they didn't know what I was until the overtook me. A few children would shout 'cool bike' at me. The B2 is quite high up, and like Pete, I was at eye level with drivers, so not so low down as to become 'invisible'.
When I climbed slowly the bike would wobble from side to side with each pedal stroke which would give me a slightly 'nervy' look and I attributed this to drivers giving ma slightly more room, as I assume they thought I was a new cyclist and more likely to wobble into their path.
Dave C
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A few children would shout 'cool bike' at me.
It's not a proper ride if I don't get a "Sick boike!"
I agree that wobbling is an excellent way to get a bit more room from drivers, whatever you happen to be riding. The Streetmachine isn't a wobbly bike, but I do sometimes wobble the steering deliberately to sweep the rear-view mirror horizontally to get a better look at what's going on behind (usually because there's another cyclist around). I'll also employ a tactical wobble when I know I'm going to have to do something awkward to doge between surface hazards up ahead, particularly on the Brompton, which is allergic to potholes and perceived by drivers as an invitation to pass way too close.
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I commute on a Cruzbike. No problems with anything, I'm at eye-level with drivers and faster than almost everyone into the standard westerlies on the coast here.
The only thing that isn't quite as slick is setting off in a hurry if you want to clear a crossing before the drivers wake up. But for every other of the legion benefits of a recumbent, I'm waaaay ahead of anything I rode previously.
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I commute on either my ICE Sprint or occasionally borrow my wife's Hase Kettwiesel when it's snowing (much better with its two wheel drive). I've commuted by velo for the last 17 years, the last 2 years being recumbent. These days I average 10000 km/y having built up over the years from a 5000 km minimum distance to/from work. I enjoy it enough to create longer loops (I leave at 7 am when my wife leaves for her job but I'm lucky that I don't have to be at mine until 9).
What I've observed over the past two years of recumbent cycling is that cars pass much closer to a bicycle than trike. There must be something intrinsically weird about a trike that means that the majority of the cars actually take the trouble to move completely to the other side of the road. Since I've got a mirror on the recumbents (essential!) I can see that they are moving over before they pass. If I revert to a bicycle (which don't have mirrors) it's quite disconcerting to have cars whoosh past so close. What's also fascinating is how the three nationalities differ. I live on the French-Swiss-German border and commute from France into Switzerland. On average the French give the most room. The Germans give decent space but drive faster. The Swiss pass the closest.
I've not yet experienced triking in the UK but that will come in a year or so when I retire and come home. However I've experienced both standard and recumbent cycling in the UK. Again, based upon Birmingham (home town) and south Devon (in-laws) British cars pass closer to standard bicycles than recumbents. Riding my Bacchetta round Brum was particularly interesting - I recognise the "sick boike" quote and got a good number of positive comments on a Sunday ride from Selly Oak to the countryside south of the city.
That said the absolute best experience for both conventional and recumbent city/town cycling has to be trips to Amsterdam, Noordwijkerhout and Leiden.
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Commute on a Cruzbike S40. Fitted with panniers and a rack so carrying stuff is no problem. Quicker than a DF even with loaded panniers, filters okay, only no no is 90 degree switches in stationery traffic.
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I’m curious about the number of Cruzbikes - I’ve always fancied one but there seems no easy way of getting one in the UK other than buying from abroad or snapping up one on eBay. Or is there a UK dealer somewhere? I quite like the look of the new T50, I don’t think I’d manage the recline of the Silvio and definitely not the Vendetta!
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I’m curious about the number of Cruzbikes - I’ve always fancied one but there seems no easy way of getting one in the UK other than buying from abroad or snapping up one on eBay. Or is there a UK dealer somewhere? I quite like the look of the new T50, I don’t think I’d manage the recline of the Silvio and definitely not the Vendetta!
At the moment no AFAIK, although Maria is looking a for a UK dealer...
The new Silvio that has come out has a 40 degree seat angle which I've found to be the sweet spot of still being aero but also being upright enough to commute comfortably in London traffic.
The Vendetta's seat angle at 20 degrees is not as bad as you'd think. It comes with a headrest so is comfortable and boy is the bike fast - really fast.
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Kevin at D-Tek had some CruzBikes, didn't he?
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Recline comes with time. You can go in for the S40 and back yourself to just learn it, or you can go T-50 and progressively slant down, modding as you go.
If you find a 2nd-hand softrider or V2k, it'll be heavier, but using a variety of seat posts got me back to 35deg and it's good.
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Kevin at D-Tek had some CruzBikes, didn't he?
Softcover iirc, I've been after a V or Silvio for some time, no luck yet. Didn't know they were looking for a UK dealer. I've been in touch with Maria trying to get a test ride, need to give her another nudge.
I've not really tried it, but I think my M5 is a bit low for easy 'bent commuting
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Kevin at D-Tek had some CruzBikes, didn't he?
Softcover iirc, I've been after a V or Silvio for some time, no luck yet. Didn't know they were looking for a UK dealer. I've been in touch with Maria trying to get a test ride, need to give her another nudge.
I've not really tried it, but I think my M5 is a bit low for easy 'bent commuting
Anyone tempted to build an Atomic Zombie FrontRunner (http://www.atomiczombie.com/FrontRunner%20Front%20Wheel%20Drive%20Recumbent.aspx)?
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Kevin at D-Tek had some CruzBikes, didn't he?
Softcover iirc, I've been after a V or Silvio for some time, no luck yet. Didn't know they were looking for a UK dealer. I've been in touch with Maria trying to get a test ride, need to give her another nudge.
I've not really tried it, but I think my M5 is a bit low for easy 'bent commuting
Anyone tempted to build an Atomic Zombie FrontRunner (http://www.atomiczombie.com/FrontRunner%20Front%20Wheel%20Drive%20Recumbent.aspx)?
It looks a bit fragile to my untrained eye. When my Streetfox trike is complete (well, maybe just usable) I'm going to to try building one of these:
http://www.atomiczombie.com/Spirit%20Short%20Wheelbase%20Racing%20Bike.aspx
I've already got the main boom, a rear triangle from a Specialized FSR, and a BMX with a disc brake for the forks and f wheel. I only need a rear wheel and mech, a headtube (the BMX is alu) a BBshell, and something I can use for the tiller steering.
The AZ forum is pretty active in some topics, and dead in others - I've not checked out the Frontrunner one....
Cheers
Duncan
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The seat angle thing with me isn’t so much about balance, as neck and breathing issues. I’m quite happy on my Fuego at minimum recline and mid suspension setting which from Nazca's spec suggests an angle a bit under 32 degrees. If I go to full recline (reportedly 25 degrees) I can't see where I’m going! Having said that I think there is a bit of advertising hype in the measurement of seat angles and much YMMV.
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I did fit the headrest to my very reclined Trice XXL once and then spent the entire 2005 edition of the Plains 400 wishing I hadn't.
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Still commuting through the snow and ice (and darkness) of the winter Cairngorms but not on my two wheel bent - back on the metal studded winter upright.
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Well done. My friend's Dutch (well, German) style e-bike is about 20mm too tall to fit in bike lockers. Medium size frame. Useless.
Surely this could be fixed with lower rise stem/bars? If not, how about lower profile tyres or 650 wheels if they'll fit?
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I started at maximum recline on an ICE Q on a mesh seat.
When I changed to a hard shell seat, I found I could recline the seat even more.
So I did ...... ;D
With the USS my hands don't get in the way of my forward vision.
If I was anymore reclined then I wouldn't be able to see over my Streamer fairing.
So my eye line is just above my maximum knee height.
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Well done. My friend's Dutch (well, German) style e-bike is about 20mm too tall to fit in bike lockers. Medium size frame. Useless.
Surely this could be fixed with lower rise stem/bars? If not, how about lower profile tyres or 650 wheels if they'll fit?
They went for the simpler and less ergonomically compromised option of using a Sheffield stand (with a couple of Docsquid's finest D-locks) instead, which is fine for the hour or two the bike tends to be locked up at that location.
It says something about the lockers if you can't fit bikes with an upright riding position in them though.
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I started at maximum recline on an ICE Q on a mesh seat.
When I changed to a hard shell seat, I found I could recline the seat even more.
So I did ...... ;D
With the USS my hands don't get in the way of my forward vision.
If I was anymore reclined then I wouldn't be able to see over my Streamer fairing.
So my eye line is just above my maximum knee height.
On the Baron I have knees and top edge of the handlebar stuff at about the same height. I found the ultimately limiting factor was a neck angle that put the lower edge of my glasses frame exactly in (or above) the pothole-spotting eyeline. Since about half the skill of riding that bike comes down to avoiding the sort of surface features that will throw you off, it really wasn't practical to go any lower.
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I found the ultimately limiting factor was a neck angle that put the lower edge of my glasses frame exactly in (or above) the pothole-spotting eyeline. Since about half the skill of riding that bike comes down to avoiding the sort of surface features that will throw you off, it really wasn't practical to go any lower.
With shallow glasses I found that wind blowing up my face caused my eyes to start watering to much to see if I got above 40 mph.
So I made sure my cycling glasses are deep enough so they just touch my cheeks and stop the draft.
Also I've a slight bend in the middle so they are more wrap around.
This means I now have to be over 50 mph before my eyes start to water.
I'm starting from a lower eyeline but I also tend to get that type of eyeline blockage from my fairing.
But there's less of a risk of a spill from being on a trike.
I also hit more potholes anyway due to three wheel tracks, so I'm more used to it ....... ;D
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I found the ultimately limiting factor was a neck angle that put the lower edge of my glasses frame exactly in (or above) the pothole-spotting eyeline. Since about half the skill of riding that bike comes down to avoiding the sort of surface features that will throw you off, it really wasn't practical to go any lower.
With shallow glasses I found that wind blowing up my face caused my eyes to start watering to much to see if I got above 40 mph.
So I made sure my cycling glasses are deep enough so they just touch my cheeks and stop the draft.
I keep wondering if some proper cycling glasses (or wrap-around safety specs equivalent) would improve that. And whether it's a worthwhile trade-off for extra steaming-up in winter.
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I found the ultimately limiting factor was a neck angle that put the lower edge of my glasses frame exactly in (or above) the pothole-spotting eyeline. Since about half the skill of riding that bike comes down to avoiding the sort of surface features that will throw you off, it really wasn't practical to go any lower.
With shallow glasses I found that wind blowing up my face caused my eyes to start watering to much to see if I got above 40 mph.
So I made sure my cycling glasses are deep enough so they just touch my cheeks and stop the draft.
I keep wondering if some proper cycling glasses (or wrap-around safety specs equivalent) would improve that. And whether it's a worthwhile trade-off for extra steaming-up in winter.
This is what I do. I normally wear varifocals, but these are useless riding a recumbent. So, I bought some cheapo (~£10 IIRC, but stylish) frameless Bolle safety glasses (both clear and tinted). That stops the eyes from watering and deflects insects and road crap (and when the local dairy cows are in the fields, real crap) from my eyes. My distance eyesight is OK for cycling, but I take my varifocals with me in case I need to read something (like a coffee/cake menu....).
I find it's my vision that limits the recline angle, as any more then I have it now gets difficult as I had 4 of my neck vertebrae fused together when the discs were taken out a few years ago. So I can't get my chin onto my chest any more. That also means that I'm sitting up a bit more when looking for the ubiquitous in-road opencast mines that others call potholes.......(the word pothole being attributed to the early potters in the Midlands digging up roads to get at the good potting clays, aka the Etruria Marl)
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More room given, more visible. Plus blistering fast on constitution hill...... and obvs everyone thinks one is a mad eccentric.
:thumbsup: Except my kids friends who seem to think I'm a coolish eccentric...slightly coolish eccentric....OK different from their dads.
Reminds me....
I commute through the recreation ground at Bath Lane. There is an area with swings tat is frequented by teenagers.
Passing through one night and one of the girls says to her mate:
"That guy has a really cool collection of amazing bikes........"
....... ego boost
".....especially for an old bloke"
..... ego deflate
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We are all mad eccentrics aren't we?
Not at all.
When you consider that our choice of velocipede affords a panoramic view of the road and scenery, you don’t have a narrow strip of leather shoved up your nether regions, you are in an open posture rather than curled into a foetal position with a cricked neck, you don’t get ulnar palsy, other road traffic gives you a wide berth, you have to question the sanity of those who persist riding so called safety machines...
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I found the ultimately limiting factor was a neck angle that put the lower edge of my glasses frame exactly in (or above) the pothole-spotting eyeline. Since about half the skill of riding that bike comes down to avoiding the sort of surface features that will throw you off, it really wasn't practical to go any lower.
With shallow glasses I found that wind blowing up my face caused my eyes to start watering to much to see if I got above 40 mph.
So I made sure my cycling glasses are deep enough so they just touch my cheeks and stop the draft.
I keep wondering if some proper cycling glasses (or wrap-around safety specs equivalent) would improve that. And whether it's a worthwhile trade-off for extra steaming-up in winter.
Yes, definitely, mine similarly wrap down to my cheeks. The only issue is with the prescription inserts, you need to be looking ideally through the centre of the lenses to avoid parallax which tends to mean move head rather than wobble eyes.
As for seat position, it's an M5, so it's fixed to the holes you drilled when setting up. I can see between the brake and gear cables, handlebars almost exactly at eyeline. 26" front wheel drops it down a bit to help with forward pothole avoidance rather than canting my head to one side or other.
I'm after a Cruzbike ideally or a Bachetta/Rans Rocket as backup/commuting.
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Still commuting through the snow and ice (and darkness) of the winter Cairngorms but not on my two wheel bent - back on the metal studded winter upright.
Funny, the thing that making me walk is the stretches of sheet ice - I would try them on a recumbent trike (but I can't budget that for the three days a year its's needed). Would I trike ride over sheet ice with studded tyres?
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Would I trike ride over sheet ice with studded tyres?
Yep. With a tadpole you can mostly get away with just studs on the back wheel - the front wheels will steer like skis. Or use normal tyres and accept that if you hit sheet ice you're going to end up somewhere random, but unlike with a bike, you'll still be rubber-side-down when you get there. On that basis a trike with normal tyres is a good choice if it's mostly clear but there's a risk of patches of black ice - you're unlikely to fall off and you don't have to suffer the drag of studded tyres.
The main problem is that small wheels are easily defeated by re-frozen rutted ice, which British roads tend to have in abundance the day after the snow. And that there's a tedious amount of low-hanging mechanical stuff on a tadpole trike to clean the road salt out of afterwards.
My preferred weapon for actually snowy conditions is still a mountain bike with big knobbly studded tyres, hydraulic brakes (frozen cables are no fun) and loads of mudguard clearance.
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My route takes in the ncn 5 to the back of longbridge, it’s an excellent shortcut and a brilliant route when the shares section isn’t a long track of ice. Not sure I could justify a trike for it though.
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My route takes in the ncn 5 to the back of longbridge, it’s an excellent shortcut and a brilliant route when the shares section isn’t a long track of ice. Not sure I could justify a trike for it though.
(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/ice_on_ice/IMG_20130326_163041.sized.jpg)
(From 2013)
That trodden path is solid ice. It was ridable with studs on the rear wheel, and a fair bit of effort. I fell on my arse three times while trying to walk back to take the photo, though.
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Rings a bell, can’t quite place it.
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It's that section of the Rea Valley route that runs parallel to Wychall Lane (between Kings Norton Park and The Bit With The Silly Slalom Gate at Popes Lane). About halfway down there's an unnamed dead-end access road which joins the path round the back of some industrial units (pictured, facing back towards Kings Norton) to the section alongside Wychall Reservoir (via a short steep hump).
I generally find Wychall Lane is preferable to the uneven surface on most of that section, but on that particular occasion I was deliberately seeking out the nastiest ice I could find to see how the trike would cope. The almost permanent shade meant that it had remained fully frozen. (That's also the bit of path that tends to get the worst chutney in leaf fall season.)
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Rear wheel studs are fine for driving the machine, but with most trikes, the problem I found was stopping!
I have a couple of steep hills on my commute, and found that unstudied tyres would just slide, so there was no effective braking
Studded front tyres made braking possible
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Ah yes, I did have a proper brake on the rear wheel when I tried that, which worked well enough (I didn't try it on anything steep enough to earn a chevron, thobut). If I was serious about using a trike in those conditions, I'd want studs on all the wheels and more ground clearance than an ICE Sprint.
My more general (upwrong bicycle) experience of studded tyre braking is that sheet ice is fine, but you can't ever trust snow or re-frozen slush: As soon as it shears, you're going to slide no matter how good your tyres, and in typical British conditions you can't easily predict when a given patch is going to shear.
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I've finally got a recumbent. Time to kit out for lights, etc. Any suggestions on fittings and lights that suit recumbents? What about cycle computers? Where do you fit yours?
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I've finally got a recumbent. Time to kit out for lights, etc. Any suggestions on fittings and lights that suit recumbents? What about cycle computers? Where do you fit yours?
That's a pretty vague question, since you don't say what kind of machine it is. Bike/Trike? Steering arrangement?
But anyway:
Derailleur posts (if you have them) are a good place to attach lights. Dynamo lights tend to be slightly easier - particularly if there are bottle cage (or light!) braze-ons on the post - but if you can bodge up a horizontal bar of about the right diameter (eg. using SpaceGrip style accessory mounts) most handlebar-mounted things will work. Mounting your lights as far forward as possible reduces foot-flash.
Head-mounted lights can be useful to supplement all but the widest beams on corners. (Lights mounted to the frame don't turn with the steering.)
On a large-wheeled bike or delta trike you may have a fork crown that would be a sensible light-mounting position, as per a DF bicycle.
Gadgetry is trivial on tiller steering. Generally doable on open cockpit, though reach may be an issue. A complete pain with under-seat steering, particularly as mirrors may take the available free space. Tadpole trikes have kingposts (use stem cap mounts) and mudguard stays in a position that may be usefully employed for mounting stuff with a bit of creativity.
You can attach things to the boom, but not always in a way that's easy to reach or see from the seated position.
A pair of mudguard mounted rear lights work well on trikes (tadpole or delta - the pair of wheels are the widest point). You may want some supplemental flashing light to show that you're not a distant car.
Hardshell seat backs can be usefully decorated with retroreflective tape. Rear lights high on the seat back (perhaps on a headrest bracket) is another popular option. Or you might choose to dangle luggage from the seat.
Bottle cages (at least in positions that you can actually *reach*) can be a problem on many recumbents. If you can't reasonably reach one while riding, consider hydration bladders. This may dictate what bottle cage positions you have available to bodge other accessories to.
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Sorry, it's a HPV Streetmachine GT (old model) . Two wheeled touring recumbent. Mudguards are bluemels with a flap that flares out on the rear. Not sure if lights can be attached, but do b you mean something like this?
https://www.velovitality.co.uk/collections/rear-lights/products/spanninga-pixeo-mudguard-light (https://www.velovitality.co.uk/collections/rear-lights/products/spanninga-pixeo-mudguard-light)
USS is on this bike which takes one option out for mounting stuff. Seat is CF so not sure I can attach anything to that without putting holes in which I'm not about to do. Rack has a reflector which is a beefy one I'd prefer to keep it I had to I could get a cateye mount (might have one) to put there for the cateye light I have (xlite mini or micro IIRC at about 50 lumens). I have a lezyne laser guide light that's got laser lines either side of the bike to mark out your own space plus up to 250 lumens light too. It's seat post mounted but it would be good to find a way to use it too.
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Sorry, it's a HPV Streetmachine GT (old model).
I've got one of those. Let's find some photos...
(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/SMGT/IMG_2205.sized.jpg)
Dynamo light (then CyoR, now IQ-X) on the lower bottle cage braze-on with a standard cyo mount and a couple of penny washers. Not pictured is the Ixon IQ fork crown mount attached to the upper bottle cage braze on in the same manner. The Ixon died years ago, but I occasionally stick a cheap SMART light (they use the same bracket) on it as a backup for night rides.
Clamped to the top of the derailleur post is a stem (of unknown origin) which has a built-in accessory bar forward of the stem clamp. I've used this to mount a GPS and cycle computer. I've usefully employed the gap where the handlebars would normally go as a lip-balm holder (not pictured). I've done something similar on an ICE trike by abusing a Thorn Accessory Bar (https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories/thorn-accessory-bar-mk2-t-shaped-105-mm-extension-254-mm-0-deg/).
This puts the GPS screen a bit further from my eyes than I'd like, but there isn't anywhere else sensible to put it. Obviously I have to lean forward (or stop) to play with the buttons.
Also visible in the picture is the official HPVelotechnik bike computer mount: This is literally just a short piece of plastic pipe with a couple of holes drilled in it, to screw to the braze-on on the boom under the derailleur post. I've used it to mount a cadence sensor.
(For completeness I should mention that there's a dedicated light mounting braze-on, along with a hole for the cable to run inside the boom, on the underside of the boom just behind the bottom bracket. This would work with a dynamo light that's happy to be mounted upside-down, which most of the StVZO-approved asymmetrical reflectors prior to the IQ-X couldn't.)
(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/scotchlite/IMG_2224.sized.jpg)
(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/scotchlite/IMG_2226.sized.jpg)
(http://www.ductilebiscuit.net/gallery_albums/SMGT/IMG_2643.sized.jpg)
Rear lights, I've got a B&M with a nice reflector on the rack mount, which is trivial. Black Scotchlite tape on the back of the seat for stealth bling. I've also bodged half a SMART chainstay bracket onto one of the spare braze-ons at the drop-out, so I've got a second blinky light down nice and low to minimise obnoxiousness to following riders. Long pan-head screw to avoid fouling the chain, couple of spacers, cable-tie to prevent rotation.
Mudguards are bluemels with a flap that flares out on the rear. Not sure if lights can be attached, but do b you mean something like this?
https://www.velovitality.co.uk/collections/rear-lights/products/spanninga-pixeo-mudguard-light (https://www.velovitality.co.uk/collections/rear-lights/products/spanninga-pixeo-mudguard-light)
Yeah, that (well, the dynamo version) is exactly what I used on the ICE trike. I thought they'd stopped making them.
I have a lezyne laser guide light that's got laser lines either side of the bike to mark out your own space plus up to 250 lumens light too. It's seat post mounted but it would be good to find a way to use it too.
Tricky. I think the rear rack's about the only place that's going to work for that, optically. Bodging up a bit of vertical tubing would seem like the way to do it.
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Hmmm! I got some matt black tape that lights up white under lighting from any angle. From the makers of Sugru IIRC. I got it then my bike got stolen. Never used it because my replacement was silver. Black tape on silver isn't a good look! I'm not bike vain but there are some limits!
That mudguard light is only £10. Not sure how bright it is but battery and simple on off is something I've not used but awhile now.
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I've finally got a recumbent. Time to kit out for lights, etc. Any suggestions on fittings and lights that suit recumbents? What about cycle computers? Where do you fit yours?
Bottles are a problem. I use a couple of these on my Performer 2-wheelers.
https://www.topeak.com/global/en/products/accessories/332-cagemount
They are not big enough to go around the main spine tube but I've been able to find a couple of locations where I can fit them and still reach from the seat when riding.
Other kit can be mounted on one of these (widely available on-line):
http://www.minoura.jp/english/accessory-e/sg400-e.html
And +1 for what Kim said. You have to get a bit creative with recumbents, but there's almost always a way to acheive what you'd have done on a DF bike.
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The minoura was one idea I had. Clamped to the derailleur stub somehow.
Another one I saw was a bracket that can bolt onto a fork mudguard stay attachment hole. My upright has such a hole halfway up the fork but the recumbent I think only has one on the axle area. I really need to study the bike more. Tonight with headtorch on (no lighting where it's kept).
https://www.bricklanebikes.co.uk/paul-components-gino-light-mount (https://www.bricklanebikes.co.uk/paul-components-gino-light-mount)
https://www.bricklanebikes.co.uk/paul-components-stem-cap-light-mount (https://www.bricklanebikes.co.uk/paul-components-stem-cap-light-mount)
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I like the retro-reflective stuff on all of these, thinking perhaps some of that could be useful.
Funnily I was just having a chat with Kevin at DTEK yesterday about bottles and hydration.
My M5 is running a pair of small banana bags at the moment, which happen to foul the one bottle cage mount on the frame of the M5. I've currently got one of those TT-ist twin bottle holders that mounts to seat rails, on the back of the ICE headrest I use. It was a reasonable experiment for a tenner, but I'm buggered if once I've got the bottle out, I can get it back in again. Next step for me therefore is to mount two bottle cages about hip height on the seat shell -it will take a few holes no problem - using rivnuts, much as I had on my old B2. I know I can happily gate bottles in and out of those, they won't foul the banana bags, and let face it after 2 x 750 ml bottles I'm due a rest for a refill anyway.
That then leaves the rear of the seat free for me to start mounting lights onto the mudguard (reluctant to drill that as CF) or via bits of 25mm PVC tubing attached to the head rest structure, or latest thinking is via a bored rubber bung for a demijohn.
Hydration bladders are an option I've used in the past but there's always the issue of how to attach them to the bike - easier on some than others I think.
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I am using battery mudguard rear leds on my trice which I bought of Amazon to replace the pixer one's that Kim got me a few years ago. There are quite a few brands on Amazon :)
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Hydration bladders are an option I've used in the past but there's always the issue of how to attach them to the bike - easier on some than others I think.
I use a 4 litre Ortlieb water carrier, which has straps that clip to the rear rack. Your luggage arrangements may vary.
But - while this is an excellent solution for day rides and touring (when full, it'll hold enough water for overnight camping) - hydration bladders and particularly the tubing are a pain to keep clean. I'd much rather use a standard bottle for a commute.
On a Streetmachine, the bottle cage below the seat[1] is easily reachable when you stop. That's good enough for me for short rides that don't justify mucking about with tubing. I think if you want bottles reachable while you're in motion, you'll need to mount them to the seat itself (or in pockets on banananana bags, or something).
[1] I've found that the lowrider rack makes this one quite fussy about which cages will actually fit.
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Next step for me therefore is to mount two bottle cages about hip height on the seat shell -it will take a few holes no problem - using rivnuts, much as I had on my old B2.
My Performers have Rivnut mounts on the back of the GRP seats. I (now) don't use them. Came off one day (dropped the chain on a climb and over I went) and the bike landed on the lh side and bent back the cage on that side, pulling out the 2 rivnuts. I epoxied them back in and now only use these to mount a pump, which does not protrude beyond the edge of the seat.
It looks like a neat solution, mounting underseat cages on the seat rivnuts, but IME the fixing is too weak to stand much abuse in the event of a spill.