A Peer Gynt' owner.

[deejayen]

Thanks, A.Twiddler. I'd seen the picture of yours, and hadn't realised you'd modified it by adding the bar-ends etc.

As you say, it can take a bit of practice and riding in all conditions to make a recumbent feel like second nature. Like Grldtnr, I'm not sure if the Peer Gynt is for me, but I'll give it a fair shot.

 

[grldtnr]

Thanks, A.Twiddler. I'd seen the picture of yours, and hadn't realised you'd modified it by adding the bar-ends etc.

As you say, it can take a bit of practice and riding in all conditions to make a recumbent feel like second nature. Like Grldtnr, I'm not sure if the Peer Gynt is for me, but I'll give it a fair shot.

Funny how that goes, some 'bents you can jump on and just go, others you wobble all over.
I suppose there are many variables to this, and you just have to learn to ride each one.
Just sitting on the Gynt feels like you are on a tightrope, definitely a case of pushing back into the seat and riding off against the front brake.
I don't think it helps that most of my 'brnt riding have been trikes I've owned, even test riders, but I have done a few 2 wheelers.
There used because dealer over in the Netherlands that allowed you to ride as many 'bents as you had time to , but :bent riding is now very polarised over which designs are ridden for touring , and for race, the current fad seems to be for EPAC trikes, and the retirement of several Dutch builders lessen this choice.
So you are left with deminishing returns on the used market in the UK, which never been that popular.

I guess it's down to self builds now which is one of the benefits of the BHPC Club and it's meets.

 

[a.twiddler]

It doesn't help that getting on a strange new-to-you 2 wheeler tends to make you tense up when what you need, particularly with USS, is gentle fingertip control rather than a death grip on the bars. That, and learning to relax back into the seat and keeping those pedals turning even when your instinct is to put a foot down in a turn are hard things to master when your feet are up and a long way off the floor compared with a conventional bike. It takes a while to retune your reactions from a 2 wheeler, let alone a trike.

I found that riding regularly was what made it work for me. At first I was full of trepidation before each ride, but I had regular circuits and routes which I'd ridden on my upright bike so they were familiar, and eventually as I went further afield they became less problematical. Starting at busy junctions, especially uphill, was more of a psychological obstacle and once I'd put my mind to it I just did it. After not very many rides I was finding that things just came naturally, and finding other challenges to conquer a bit at a time just happened. I just found the bike would follow my gaze, and only tight turns and narrow gaps needed more concentration.

 

[deejayen]

Yes, I read something recently where someone learning on a similar bike said they were 'trying to push the bike over'. You ideally need to be relaxed and not over-think things - the long wheelbase actually makes it really stable, so on flat ground it doesn't need to be held tight on the brakes or need a massive push on the pedal to get going.

 

[a.twiddler]

Something else that I remember reading when beginning to ride a strange new bike was that if you're used to commuting on a regular bike, make yourself do your commute on the recumbent, maybe once a week to start with, and build up from there.

I'm not suggesting that someone hurls themselves into rush hour traffic on something they can barely ride in a straight line, but the principle is that if you've got to do something for a purpose, you're more likely to make progress, and find ways round difficulties.

Starting a bit early, giving yourself a bit more time, maybe plan a route to avoid tricky junctions to begin with. It was a bit late for me as I'd already retired by the time I discovered the wonders of recumbent riding, but using it for utility trips is a good way of getting used to it too. If it's something so special that you've got to psyche yourself up to even sit on it, or feel that a fanfare of trumpets is needed before you turn a pedal, it's a long way to being able to say to gawping passers by, "Oh yes, that's just my bike. It took a while to get the hang of it. It's great!"

Although I concede that for some it might be not great, terrible even, and they will never come to feel at ease on something like that, it's only too easy to build up a wall of negativity that will be self defeating. Even when I'd been riding for a while, there were times when I wanted to turn round, on a decently wide road, but I couldn't move if there was another vehicle nearby, or the traffic noise was intimidating.

I came to realise that I was probably the scariest object on that stretch of road, and having had a good scan and given a clear signal, I had to Just Do It, and it was just amazing how other road users would give you unbelievable amounts of room. Similarly when starting off on an awkward slope. Sometimes it was easier to push to a place with a better view or more space. Once confidence increased, it was only the thinking about it that made it difficult. As long as you follow it through, it's hard not to be able to start and get going.

What's the worst that can happen? Maybe you're not fully in gear and your chain falls off. Maybe you stall and have to try again. Maybe some twit beeps at you. Ho hum. Worse things happen at sea. I'd often felt that I might fall off in the early days, but the answer to just about any situation seems to be Keep Pedalling, once you're actually moving. The only times I actually fell over (and they were rare) were when I inadvertently came to a stop. Mostly blame my short legs for that!

 

[deejayen]

I hope you're beginning to enjoy your Peer Gynt a bit more, Grldtnr.



I managed to get out on mine for a short (12.5 mile) ride on Saturday morning before work.



Yes, there was a slight weave\wobble when starting, but that's common with a new bike. It tracks dead straight once up to speed, though. There are a couple of places with rumble strips across the lane, apart from a narrow gap at the verge, and it was easy to sight the front wheel into the gap between the verge and the rumble strips and ride through with nary a wobble.



For the first three or four miles I had one foot clipped in, and I placed the other foot so that the midsole was over the SPD pedal (no risk of clipping in, but obviously not very comfortable).



Fortunately\unfortunately, I didn't have to stop at any junctions, so I made it all the way home without putting a foot down (or practicing any more starts). This is quite common for the sort of riding I do, but it means I don't get a lot of practice at slow speed manoeuvres!



I actually really enjoyed riding it. I made a point of not riding too hard\fast, and just kept it in the middle chainring. It was really smooth and quiet in the main. A couple of sections of rough tarmac could be sensed through the suspended rear wheel, but it was a lot more muted than it would be on some other bikes. It kind of lolloped along feeling neither fast nor slow.



It's not the liveliest thing on the climbs - I feel like some of my meagre power output is going somewhere other than forward motion, but it seems to use different leg muscles than the bike I'm more used to, so I think I could get stronger\faster. I did wonder if its 42lbs weight (not including water or tools etc.) is an issue, but it's probably best not to dwell on that! I could possibly get it under 40lbs with some lighter components, but it's never going to be as light as a... as a... well, any other bike which would normally be considered extremely heavy!



My average speed was 15.5mph which I was quite pleased with considering the restricted effort I was putting in. However, it was a calm morning - normally on that route there'd be a strong westerly headwind for the first 4.5 miles which are a gradual climb, and later there's a section on a faster road which usually has a helping tailwind.

I'm quite keen to do a few more rides on it now, and gradually build up the distance and climbing.

 

[a.twiddler]

It's good to hear feedback from another rider's point of view. It seems that you've overcome the biggest hurdle which is to actually brace yourself to do some riding.

It's useful to think ahead and initially try to be in a lower gear than you think you need so you can spin more to get over unexpected slopes. I found that my legs were definitely more restricted in their power output when I first started riding a recumbent due to different muscles being used but If I spun a bit it was easier. The Linear actually climbed better than I'd been led to believe having read all that stuff about recumbents being unable to climb, though I was no great climber on an upright bike anyway.

I came to recumbent riding from a traditional touring bike perspective. I'd never felt the need for clip in pedals, having persevered with toeclips and straps, usually not done up too tightly so there was no drama about starting and stopping.

Coming to a recumbent which already had flat pedals I learnt to ride without needing clip ins, and it would have been pointless to use toeclips and straps as the pedals are vertical, and your feet would tend to fall out backwards. I certainly couldn't reach to tighten or loosen them anyway.

Advice from some was to learn to manage a recumbent without clipping in, and once confidence developed, start using clip-in pedals then. There were dire warnings that your feet would slip off the pedals if not held on somehow leading to falls, and I did wonder if on longer rides that this might happen when I got tired. Some riders do have this problem but I've never suffered from this. Maybe taller riders are prone to it as the weight of their feet and longer legs overcome the friction between the soles of their shoes and the pedals. No one has ever accused me of being tall! Everyone has to work out a strategy for themselves but I never found the need to progress beyond friction to keep my feet in place. Probably behind that was also the worry of not getting a foot down in time but it's all become so instinctive now that it just happens without being conscious of it.

I can see the benefits of maybe being able to apply power to a larger part of the pedal revolution when clipped in, and you definitely need it when riding a tadpole trike to avoid your foot dropping and getting your leg trapped under the frame cross member, but the appeal of riding a recumbent 2 wheeler for me has been the ability to wear everyday clothes, including shoes, so you're not click clacking about the place in bike shoes.

Obviously when learning to ride something as different as a recumbent bike it's best to do it using what you're comfortable with and if it's second nature to be clipped in, that's the way to go.

Even when you're confident about riding to a standstill and keeping your feet up it sometimes becomes a sort of game. How many miles can I ride using anticipation to avoid actually putting a foot down? It can be annoying having to stop/start in a traffic queue but you can minimise it with a bit of planning, especially once you realise how much of a space bubble other traffic generally gives you.

 

[deejayen]

Yes, it's always good to get the first ride out of the way. I wasn't apprehensive about it at all, but I don't have a lot of free time, so at this time of year it's difficult to get out when it's not dark. Once the bike was ready for the road I just waited until I could get the first ride in the daylight when the weather wasn't too bad.



I've used clipless pedals for years, so I'm used to them. The pedals I'd fitted to the Peer Gynt were second-hand ones which I'd not used before. Although I'd tested them at home, there's always a risk that a different combination of cleats and pedals can slip or be difficult to release, and I just wanted to be able to get a foot down quickly until I'd settled into the bike. I'll have mentioned before that the only time I rode a front-wheel-drive recumbent without using clipless pedals, my knee wandered sideways and was slightly chewed up by the chain\idler! This was extremely painful, especially as it then happened a second time despite me making a mental note to keep my knee well away from the chain!

 

[grldtnr]

I hope you're beginning to enjoy your Peer Gynt a bit more, Grldtnr.



I managed to get out on mine for a short (12.5 mile) ride on Saturday morning before work.



Yes, there was a slight weave\wobble when starting, but that's common with a new bike. It tracks dead straight once up to speed, though. There are a couple of places with rumble strips across the lane, apart from a narrow gap at the verge, and it was easy to sight the front wheel into the gap between the verge and the rumble strips and ride through with nary a wobble.



For the first three or four miles I had one foot clipped in, and I placed the other foot so that the midsole was over the SPD pedal (no risk of clipping in, but obviously not very comfortable).



Fortunately\unfortunately, I didn't have to stop at any junctions, so I made it all the way home without putting a foot down (or practicing any more starts). This is quite common for the sort of riding I do, but it means I don't get a lot of practice at slow speed manoeuvres!



I actually really enjoyed riding it. I made a point of not riding too hard\fast, and just kept it in the middle chainring. It was really smooth and quiet in the main. A couple of sections of rough tarmac could be sensed through the suspended rear wheel, but it was a lot more muted than it would be on some other bikes. It kind of lolloped along feeling neither fast nor slow.



It's not the liveliest thing on the climbs - I feel like some of my meagre power output is going somewhere other than forward motion, but it seems to use different leg muscles than the bike I'm more used to, so I think I could get stronger\faster. I did wonder if its 42lbs weight (not including water or tools etc.) is an issue, but it's probably best not to dwell on that! I could possibly get it under 40lbs with some lighter components, but it's never going to be as light as a... as a... well, any other bike which would normally be considered extremely heavy!



My average speed was 15.5mph which I was quite pleased with considering the restricted effort I was putting in. However, it was a calm morning - normally on that route there'd be a strong westerly headwind for the first 4.5 miles which are a gradual climb, and later there's a section on a faster road which usually has a helping tailwind.

I'm quite keen to do a few more rides on it now, and gradually build up the distance and climbing.

It's a learning curve, I am used to SPD clips ,have ridden for many years with them ,but the Peer Gynt hasn't any yet, I think it might well be easier to ride with them, but I am not confident on the Gynt yet, perhaps I shouldn't push of that hard to get started on it, certainly not tried hill starts yet. And any climbing I've done has gone all right.
But, I've been riding recumbent trikes for 30 years or more. So I don't need to think about balancing one, I also been a long term 'Upwrong' rider, including fixes,, which I soon got used to once I remembered not to stop pedalling, a different thing that.
So , when it comes to riding a 'solo' recumbent 2 wheeler, it's a very different thing, almost I am a novice.
I wouldn't want to ride in heavy traffic on it, that does worry me, but recumbent riding has many styles, perhaps I'll take the bike to somewhere much quieter away from the busy urban area I ride in , ,fenland or the ,Breaks on quiet Suffolk roads is the answer to that.
Yes ,it is a confidence thing, but my feeling is the Gynt isn't for me, I daresay a more compact recumbent may provide the same problem, but I have the feeling that a SWB bike with the front wheel behind my heels may prove easier to ride, I have tried a few, but took up the trike instead.

 

[grldtnr]

It's a learning curve, I am used to SPD clips ,have ridden for many years with them ,but the Peer Gynt hasn't any yet, I think it might well be easier to ride with them, but I am not confident on the Gynt yet, perhaps I shouldn't push of that hard to get started on it, certainly not tried hill starts yet. And any climbing I've done has gone all right.
But, I've been riding recumbent trikes for 30 years or more. So I don't need to think about balancing one, I also been a long term 'Upwrong' rider, including fixes,, which I soon got used to once I remembered not to stop pedalling, a different thing that.
So , when it comes to riding a 'solo' recumbent 2 wheeler, it's a very different thing, almost I am a novice.
I wouldn't want to ride in heavy traffic on it, that does worry me, but recumbent riding has many styles, perhaps I'll take the bike to somewhere much quieter away from the busy urban area I ride in , ,fenland or the ,Breaks on quiet Suffolk roads is the answer to that.
Yes ,it is a confidence thing, but my feeling is the Gynt isn't for me, I daresay a more compact recumbent may provide the same problem, but I have the feeling that a SWB bike with the front wheel behind my heels may prove easier to ride, I have tried a few, but took up the trike instead.

I kind of regret not chasing after the Vision R40 I saw , that was a convertible recumbent, having both, longbike and SWB Options,, by simply unbolting the boom and fitting the SWB part, which to be honest , confused me at first, but I would have the option of either ,a 2 for 1 if you will.
Alas I didn't have my car at the time as it was off the road, and meant a long trip down to Bournemouth to view it.
I did post about it on another thread,
It was what I was after over the Peer Gynt, but at the price the Gynt was offered, it seemed bargain, but bargains are only that if it's what you truly want & need.
Still no regrets, you don't know. till you know,
Still the chance I'll master it ,then take it to the Netherlands, but hey ho!

 

[a.twiddler]

Sometimes what will be, will be. With rare things like recumbents often it's up to the individual to explore the possibilities of what the universe presents you with.

The unknown, unresearched Linear turned out to be a bargain in the way it opened up the world of recumbents to me. It happened to be cheap, adjustable to fit, it suited me. It converted me to LWB recumbents. It could equally well have been a disaster, and my cycling could have stayed with upright bikes, mileage diminishing yearly.

The researched, pored-over, Grasshopper which on paper was the answer to all my recumbent needs and which cost me more than any used bike had up to the time I bought it turned out to be a great disappointment. Try as I might, I couldn't get on with the seat recline, and it was always a challenge to get on and off it. It was the one that confirmed that LWB recumbents were the right choice for me. So no experience is wasted. The consolation was that I managed to sell it for more than I'd ever sold a used bike for which left me open to the temptation to buy the Rans Stratus XP. Karma... or what?

The XP is undoubtedly a comfortable mile muncher, but as yet I don't have the soft spot for it that I had for the Linear. Maybe in another 5 years... No room for them both unfortunately.

So who knows? With a bit of application the Peer Gynt might come through for @grldtnr and @deejayen too.

Peer Gynt. What a brilliant name for a touring bike. Henrik Ibsen's wandering hero from his play of the same name. Probably more well known from the accompanying music by Edvard Greig.

 

[deejayen]

I learnt about Peer Gynt at school, but it was the music side of it which stuck, and I hadn't remembered his travels… Now you mention it, it is a good name for a touring bike par excellence!

I've been eyeing up similar (LWB USS) bikes, including the current folding Linear Limo. However, the Peer Gynt is quite a bike - when I reassembled it (the previous owner dismantled it to send it to me) I was impressed by the build quality and design touches, including braze-ons for a bottle dynamo, pump pegs and bottle cages, a hefty bracket for a stand, routing for dynamo light cabling, rear rack support struts, and flag holder etc. All the cable routing is well thought out, and works well. Then there's the Magura hydraulic brakes with their 'snap in' brake blocks. It really has the air of an old Mercedes about it. You can certainly see why it was such an expensive bike in its day.

I've ordered a new front wheel and tyre for it, and I'm trying to decide on a build for the rear wheel.