Author Topic: Lead Me To The Darkside (Read 22334 times)

Kim · « **Reply #75 on:** 24 July, 2012, 04:26:44 pm »

I keep re-discovering this effect on barakta's trike. While I'm used to a recumbent with a BB7 on the front, the trike has both front brakes on a single lever, set up to work with a minimal amount of force. It's alarmingly stoppy if you're not expecting it!

Fortunately there's a chainring guard. Worth having to stop random things getting oily and as a lifting point, as much as any of this safety stuff. It also prevents catastrophic chain-suck, since I re-positioned it to prevent catastrophic chain-suck after her first attempt at using the granny ring resulted in catastrophic chain-suck.

dasmoth · « **Reply #76 on:** 24 July, 2012, 04:29:28 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 24 July, 2012, 04:26:44 pm

Fortunately there's a chainring guard. Worth having to stop random things getting oily and as a lifting point, as much as any of this safety stuff. It also prevents catastrophic chain-suck, since I re-positioned it to prevent catastrophic chain-suck after her first attempt at using the granny ring resulted in catastrophic chain-suck.

Do you keep saying catastrophic chain-suck because someone liked the term catastrophic chain-suck and made a bet about how many times you could type catastrophic chain-suck in one sentence?

Kim · « **Reply #77 on:** 24 July, 2012, 04:43:01 pm »

More that dismantling the front end of the trike to free the chain halfway up a hill in cold weather was sufficiently annoying that I never want to experience catastrophic chain suck again. Catastrophic chain suck sucks.

teamonster · « **Reply #78 on:** 24 July, 2012, 05:34:28 pm »

Quote from: Valiant on 20 July, 2012, 11:32:58 pm

Is anyone else thinking a Darkside picnic gathering in London is required? I'd live to give other trikes a go and maybe even a two wheeler if anyone is willing to let me have a go.

Sounds like a good idea I wouldn't leave it too long though, as we've probably only got a few more days of summer. I'd be keen to come along with an ICE sprint X if people want to try, or if I could persuade my mate Dark Eyes we could maybe bring his Greenspeed Tandem.

Valiant · « **Reply #79 on:** 24 July, 2012, 11:48:52 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 24 July, 2012, 04:26:44 pm

I keep re-discovering this effect on barakta's trike. While I'm used to a recumbent with a BB7 on the front, the trike has both front brakes on a single lever, set up to work with a minimal amount of force. It's alarmingly stoppy if you're not expecting it!

Fortunately there's a chainring guard. Worth having to stop random things getting oily and as a lifting point, as much as any of this safety stuff. It also prevents catastrophic chain-suck, since I re-positioned it to prevent catastrophic chain-suck after her first attempt at using the granny ring resulted in catastrophic chain-suck.

Yebbut having it exposed does mean that when the local idiots jump in front they soon realise it's a bad idea when they me not slowing down and that spinning away

Wendy · « **Reply #80 on:** 30 July, 2012, 08:44:23 pm »

Clarion, I think something like that Grasshopper mentioned on page 2(?) or a Challenge Hurricane might suit you. Not too low, not too high, relatively easy to manage, and can apparently carry camping kit.

I actually have a Hurricane, although it is one of the heavier early models. Maybe I should get my arse in gear and fix it up so you can borrow it for a bit. When will you be able to ride again?

clarion · « **Reply #81 on:** 30 July, 2012, 08:48:25 pm »

I'm supposed to remain avelopic for six weeks. I will probably breach this restriction. And I'd very much appreciate a play with your Hurricane.

Wendy · « **Reply #82 on:** 30 July, 2012, 09:21:19 pm »

It's got quite a bit of fixing to be done, and I'm with the black dog, but I'll do my best to get some motivation and round tuits.

Tigerrr · « **Reply #83 on:** 31 July, 2012, 04:54:51 pm »

The hurricane is a well proven machine, and is well worth a look.

clarion · « **Reply #84 on:** 31 July, 2012, 05:32:18 pm »

I was passing by Bikefix earlier, so dropped in to have a chat about my needs. The guy listened carefully, weighed up various options, and offered that he thought the Grasshopper FX was likely to be my best option, but suggested a couple of others. Some interesting points to consider.

Tigerrr · « **Reply #85 on:** 31 July, 2012, 05:51:04 pm »

Bikefix get a bad press round here but as long as you deal only with Stuart I think they are OK. Ive had a lot of kit from them. Its important to realise that its a shop, but only in the loose definition of the term. Its not like buying a bike from Condor etc.
Having a recumbent is not like buying a bike though - much more like testing a prototype/project.

Kim · « **Reply #86 on:** 31 July, 2012, 05:59:11 pm »

My impression of Bikefix is that they follow the usual tradition in the recumbent world of being a bit crap with email and getting round to shipping things in a timely manner. I've never dealt with them in person, but have no reason to question their level of expertise.

If they're suggesting the Grasshoper FX, then I reckon they're on the right page.

Auntie Helen · « **Reply #87 on:** 31 July, 2012, 07:17:24 pm »

Do recall that Olaf from the FNRttC is selling his Grasshopper...

flyingpancake · « **Reply #88 on:** 31 July, 2012, 07:24:37 pm »

Hi Clarion,

I've a Grasshopper Fx you can play with too. Rohloff equipped.

clarion · « **Reply #89 on:** 31 July, 2012, 08:15:56 pm »

Ooh, thanks. All offers of tryouts welcome, but need to be deferred.

Olaf's Grasshopper is tempting, but I don't know the outcome on my shoulder or my compensation claim at the moment...

uphillbothways · « **Reply #90 on:** 31 July, 2012, 08:53:43 pm »

Quote from: Tigerrr on 31 July, 2012, 05:51:04 pm

Having a recumbent is not like buying a bike though - much more like testing a prototype/project.

I think that's slightly unfair. While there are certainly lots of weird and wonderful machines with odd foibles, there are also a lot of very mature recumbents with proven track records. A Grasshopper or Streetmachine should be no more difficult to live with than a Galaxy.

bikey-mikey · « **Reply #91 on:** 02 August, 2012, 07:24:42 am »

Quote from: Kim on 20 July, 2012, 09:33:39 pm

Don't underestimate the magical healing powers of Auntie Helen's trike...

I second that emotion..... Somehow I have recovered faster than the doctors thought possible. It may be magic, or it might be that lots of pedalling increases your metabolism thus increasing healing speed !!!

arallsopp · « **Reply #92 on:** 08 August, 2012, 11:38:38 pm »

clarion, get over to mine when I'm back from the states.

I've got 3 USS bents you can play with (Furai, SMGTe, Seiran) including one with a hub gear you can borrow (SMGTe). I'm back Friday.

Andy.

clarion · « **Reply #93 on:** 11 August, 2012, 08:42:54 pm »

Cheers. I shall be in touch when I get back to The Great Wen.

arallsopp · « **Reply #94 on:** 11 August, 2012, 08:46:52 pm »

Do that.

clarion · « **Reply #95 on:** 11 August, 2012, 08:51:13 pm »

I have to say that, despite (well, in part because of) my recuperation, I am still rather broken, so I'll need to take stock before I know whether I'd be wasting your time. $:-\$

I'd like to come over anyway, mind

arallsopp · « **Reply #96 on:** 11 August, 2012, 08:52:52 pm »

Opportunity to help will *not* be a waste of my time.

Quint · « **Reply #97 on:** 12 August, 2012, 01:02:31 pm »

Quote from: arallsopp on 11 August, 2012, 08:52:52 pm

Opportunity to help will *not* be a waste of my time.

This is why this place is so good

redshift · « **Reply #98 on:** 15 August, 2012, 11:44:43 am »

Ooh, missed this.

I went bent due to lower back injury, which flared up again in 1999/2000 and left me feeling very rough, also eating painkillers like smarties. Speedy was the answer, but there are downsides too. Here's my £0.02:
The weight thing hardly matters, as Kim has said. If you travel in any way loaded, commuting or touring is comparatively slow. You'll go like stink downhill.
Three wheels was right for me, as my back wouldn't do the hip angle to drop one foot on the floor without pain.
Rolling a trike in traffic - done that (T-boned by a numpty in a sheeple-carrier, it was that or go head-on into the opposing traffic). It's not recommended. Funnily enough, that's what caused me to start wearing full finger gloves, after leaving some of a fingertip embedded in the tarmac.
Space - I think the WTF-factor is the main cause of space, which still works for any recumbent (but for how long, if they become more common?). Secondary to that is that bikes look thin because their footprint is thin, and people ignore the handlebar width, with attendant consequences. Trikes look wide because their footprint is wide, and so people see them as wide. Just a theory.
One downside I discovered only after riding some years was that the recumbent position didn't help my posture. It seems that the core muscles don't get the constant tweaking that they get from riding an upright. Could just be me though, and may just apply to trikes.

Hope your recovery goes well.

clarion · « **Reply #99 on:** 15 August, 2012, 11:52:00 am »

Thanks. That's all helpful.