Scantlings

looking at getting a recumbent trike for commuting. I really dig the ICE VTX and the CatTrike 700, but they are muy expensive. So I figure, since I have a Taiwanese boat, I should get a Taiwanese trike.

Why a recumbent and why a trike? Looks painfully inefficient.

Sons, why the trike? I've never ridden one, and have often wondered why folks buy them. BV

I'm in the "why a recumbent" as well. I used to urban commute on a basic mountain bike (due to tram tracks, an unpaved path and a bit of "crossing a park off road" on the route) and had the requisite "Oh, I didn't see you" cutoffs by drivers and the ability to jump the curb or bail and grab the bike to avoid death and destruction was extremely handy.

Being lower, less visible and less maneuverable doesn't appeal to me much.

LarryHoward wrote:I'm in the "why a recumbent" as well. I used to urban commute on a basic mountain bike (due to tram tracks, an unpaved path and a bit of "crossing a park off road" on the route) and had the requisite "Oh, I didn't see you" cutoffs by drivers and the ability to jump the curb or bail and grab the bike to avoid death and destruction was extremely handy.

Being lower, less visible and less maneuverable doesn't appeal to me much.

Agree with that, too, plus you'll have to grow a beard.

As a former ABLofA/USCF racer I can testify that a proper low racer has much better Aero than a UCI legal road bike.

MUCH BETTER!

Here is mine (Velokraft VK-2), good for at least 3 MPH increase if not more.

Other riders stop laughing when they realize they can't keep up because not only do you have better Aero, you offer much less drafting opportunities.

And it is possible to learn how to climb well on them, it just takes the discipline to spin the gear. (Spinning the gear is also the best way to climb on a UCI legal bike.)

(Now I do admit it took me 30 minutes to figure out how to ride the thing.)

The biggest drawback is the visibility issue with cars, one of those dorky flags is a good idea when riding out in traffic.

LarryHoward wrote:I'm in the "why a recumbent" as well. I used to urban commute on a basic mountain bike (due to tram tracks, an unpaved path and a bit of "crossing a park off road" on the route) and had the requisite "Oh, I didn't see you" cutoffs by drivers and the ability to jump the curb or bail and grab the bike to avoid death and destruction was extremely handy.

Being lower, less visible and less maneuverable doesn't appeal to me much.

Better mount one of those "fishing poles" with an orange flag that people put on power wheelchairs.

Or two of them.

kimbottles wrote:As a former ABLofA/USCF racer I can testify that a proper low racer has much better Aero than a UCI legal road bike.

MUCH BETTER!

Here is mine (Velokraft VK-2), good for at least 3 MPH increase if not more.

Other riders stop laughing when they realize they can't keep up because not only do you have better Aero, you offer much less drafting opportunities.

And it is possible to learn how to climb well on them, it just takes the discipline to spin the gear. (Spinning the gear is also the best way to climb on a UCI legal bike.)

I believe all that (at least for a trained cyclist who can already spin the big meat on a regular bike), but for me, commuting is all about the acceleration you need to hold a lane (like sailing ), not top speed.

As for what they now apparently call "Cat VI" racing, I have never, not once, had a recumbent keep up with me even on flat ground.

Orestes Munn wrote:

kimbottles wrote:As a former ABLofA/USCF racer I can testify that a proper low racer has much better Aero than a UCI legal road bike.

MUCH BETTER!

Here is mine (Velokraft VK-2), good for at least 3 MPH increase if not more.

Other riders stop laughing when they realize they can't keep up because not only do you have better Aero, you offer much less drafting opportunities.

And it is possible to learn how to climb well on them, it just takes the discipline to spin the gear. (Spinning the gear is also the best way to climb on a UCI legal bike.)

I believe all that (at least for a trained cyclist who can already spin the big meat on a regular bike), but for me, commuting is all about the acceleration you need to hold a lane (like sailing ), not top speed.

As for the real world, I have never, not once, had a recumbent keep up with me even on flat ground.

That's true, I do not commute on the low-racer. And truth be known I do prefer my UCI bikes, but the low-racer is a lot of fun. I need to take it over to the velodrome someday and see how fast these old beat up legs can lay down a 4000 meter TT.

I have never ridden one of those trikes Rick, looks like fun, bet you can corner like a go-cart on one. If I remember correctly they tend to be heavy. Does anyone make a carbon fiber trike? (My low-racer is carbon and fairly light.)

They make bike frames out of carbon composite?

• I personally find road bikes uncomfortable
• On flat or downhill, no road bike can keep up with most recumbents (trike or lowracer). Though they suck ass uphill. I'm in Minnesota so hills aren't really an issue
• I live near a dedicated bike trail that passes right in front of my office. No car traffic. No issues with visibility.
• Edit: and oh yeah, I'm "different"

Recumbents are much more efficient on flat or downhill

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnCOgDnzO8c[/youtube]

and here's a velomobile based on an ICE VTX

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jePRQoWyMz4[/youtube]

So, why the trike? More stable at woo-hoo-hoo speed?

Orestes Munn wrote:They make bike frames out of carbon composite?

Steel is still my favorite bike material. But carbon is very stiff, light and absorbs road buzz almost as well as steel.

My two all-time favorite bikes: both Merckx MXLeaders with MXLTube sets.

"Steel is Real".

Soñadora wrote:and here's a velomobile based on an ICE VTX

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jePRQoWyMz4[/youtube]

That speedo is reading in KPH.

kimbottles wrote:

Soñadora wrote:and here's a velomobile based on an ICE VTX

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jePRQoWyMz4[/youtube]

That speedo is reading in KPH.

yes

and 87kph is almost 55mph

Orestes Munn wrote:So, why the trike? More stable at woo-hoo-hoo speed?

because I might want to pull over and take a nap without getting out of the seat.

Kim can nap on his Merckx.

This



is what I commute on.

My only good bike is in storage, but I'll post a pic one day.

You guys haven't lived until you're ridden a wooden RENOVO!!

BeauV wrote:You guys haven't lived until you're ridden a wooden RENOVO!!

Beau,

You are so enamored of varnish that you should consider one of these bikes;

http://sanomagic.world.coocan.jp/bicycl ... index.html

Anytime I see folks talking about bikes I think of the story I read as a kid about Mile-A-Minute Murphy, the man who rode a bicycle one mile in one minute . . . . in 1899. Any of you ever heard of him.

Tucky wrote:Anytime I see folks talking about bikes I think of the story I read as a kid about Mile-A-Minute Murphy, the man who rode a bicycle one mile in one minute . . . . in 1899. Any of you ever heard of him.

Of course! They laid a wood track between the rails and he tucked (almost a pun Tucky) behind a passenger train and rode 60 MPH.

(BTW, my brother Scott and I both exceeded 60 MPH going down the back side of the feared Giant of the Provence in 2005: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Ventoux.)

Then a crazy Frenchman Jose Meiffret hit 200km (120mph) behind a 300SL MBZ in 1962

John Howard (who I raced with in the 70's) hit 152mph in the 80's

Fred Rompelberg is the current record holder with 167mph in 1995.

I guess no one is stupid enough to try and break his record.

kimbottles wrote:

Tucky wrote:Anytime I see folks talking about bikes I think of the story I read as a kid about Mile-A-Minute Murphy, the man who rode a bicycle one mile in one minute . . . . in 1899. Any of you ever heard of him.

Of course! They laid a wood track between the rails and he tucked (almost a pun Tucky) behind a passenger train and rode 60 MPH.

(BTW, my brother Scott and I both exceeded 60 MPH going down the back side of the feared Giant of the Provence in 2005: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Ventoux.)

Then a crazy Frenchman Jose Meiffret hit 200km (120mph) behind a 300SL MBZ in 1962

John Howard (who I raced with in the 70's) hit 152mph in the 80's

Fred Rompelberg is the current record holder with 167mph in 1995.

I guess no one is stupid enough to try and break his record.

Good GREIF! I've driven across Nevada at 160-170 mph and I simply can't image doing that on a bike. Think of the centrifugal force on the wheels, they are way too big. Crazy! The road down the west side of the Marin Headlands from Hawk Hill to Pt. Bonita is crazy steep - so much so that cars go off the edge occasionally. The computer says I hit about 80 going down it and I used to enjoy the flight until I helped pull a guy out of the weeds after his front tire popped. Now, I'm more careful.

Rasp, I do adore varnished wood here's my road bike. I like larger tires (to get over bumps and holes) and so far haven't found any wood tires that will really do the job.

While on active duty, I carried a mountain bike on deployment with me. A great way to get away from the ship and enjoy the country side. On Mallorca, when the highway MA-1 was completed but not open, a group of us rode from Old Palma to Palmanova and ran the highway. One section drops from 400' MSL to about 90' MSL over a 1 mile section. Even with 60 psi in the fat tires, I got into "speed wobble" and sat up about 80% through the descent. No speedo on my bike but the guy with me on a road bike told me I hit 60. Not recommended on fat tires. In those days, padded shorts, a shirt and no helmet was the uniform of the day. Sometimes, it's amazing to me that I survived my younger days.

LarryHoward wrote:While on active duty, I carried a mountain bike on deployment with me. A great way to get away from the ship and enjoy the country side. On Mallorca, when the highway MA-1 was completed but not open, a group of us rode from Old Palma to Palmanova and ran the highway. One section drops from 400' MSL to about 90' MSL over a 1 mile section. Even with 60 psi in the fat tires, I got into "speed wobble" and sat up about 80% through the descent. No speedo on my bike but the guy with me on a road bike told me I hit 60. Not recommended on fat tires. In those days, padded shorts, a shirt and no helmet was the uniform of the day. Sometimes, it's amazing to me that I survived my younger days.

The wobbles might have had more to do with the lack of "trail" in the front-end geometry of that mountain bike than the tires.

You probably survived your youth more from what was inside than outside your head. I wear a helmet all the time these days, but I never forget that it won't prevent a concussion and will only help save my bacon in the rather narrow range of events potentially resulting in a skull fracture.

Orestes Munn wrote:

LarryHoward wrote:While on active duty, I carried a mountain bike on deployment with me. A great way to get away from the ship and enjoy the country side. On Mallorca, when the highway MA-1 was completed but not open, a group of us rode from Old Palma to Palmanova and ran the highway. One section drops from 400' MSL to about 90' MSL over a 1 mile section. Even with 60 psi in the fat tires, I got into "speed wobble" and sat up about 80% through the descent. No speedo on my bike but the guy with me on a road bike told me I hit 60. Not recommended on fat tires. In those days, padded shorts, a shirt and no helmet was the uniform of the day. Sometimes, it's amazing to me that I survived my younger days.

The wobbles might have had more to do with the lack of "trail" in the front-end geometry of that mountain bike than the tires.

You probably survived your youth more from what was inside than outside your head. I wear a helmet all the time these days, but I never forget that it won't prevent a concussion and will only help save my bacon in the rather narrow range of events potentially resulting in a skull fracture.

Here is proper bicycling attire for those sort of speeds.



Heck, don't even need the bike...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNVslA7T2q8

That's great! He must feel every grain of sand and 3 yo chewing gum dot on the pavement.

Beau, I am beginning to suspect that the siding of your house is finished bright...

JoeP wrote:Beau, I am beginning to suspect that the siding of your house is finished bright...

LoL!! Well, I don't have any control over it. We live in a single family house that is buried within a condo complex, so the Architectural Review Board controls how everything "looks". Don't get me started on these clowns.

My house is clad in mud-spattered, chipped-enameled, steel.