a.twiddler
Veteran
10/6/24
A year with a HP Velotechnik Spirit 16/20
A year has crept up on me since this odd looking beastie arrived as a box of bits from the previous owner. The seller sent comprehensive assembly instructions and it went back together with no major issues.
It’s a medium wheelbase or compact long wheelbase two wheel recumbent with a fairly upright seating position, over seat steering, full suspension and a 16” front, 20” rear set up. The bottom bracket is at the steering head. It has a SRAM Dual drive 3X8 rear hub giving 24 gears. Perhaps diehard horizontalist recumbentists might curl a lip at its uprightness and describe it as an unfashionable Chairbike, Scooterbike, Semi recumbent bike, etc. The fashion, if indeed there is a fashion in recumbents, seems to be for SWB bikes, or nowadays, trikes. Whatever, it works for me.
It fulfils nearly all the criteria which I was looking for.
1. Lowish seat. Adjustability to pedals suitable for a shorty, not too much seat recline or at least, some adjustability.
2. Good gear range, or the ability to change things to get it the way I want it.
3. Bottom bracket not too high.
4.Rear suspension.
5. Would have preferred USS? However, OSS is very practical, easy to mount gadgets.
6.Luggage capacity -came with optional under seat pannier frames.
7. Made in the 21st century.
8. Versatile enough to be able to be ridden on unmade surfaces, with mudguard clearances.
9. Value for money!
Also dual suspension, mudguards, rear rack, kick stand.
It has plenty of extras. Disc brakes, SON hub dynamo with Supernova headlight. Underseat pannier frames, as mentioned above. The previous owner had done some tweaks to the chain line so that the chain tubes had a straighter run, and lowered the gearing by fitting a smaller chainring. The original was around 40” -100”, it’s now 16”-82”. The original cranks were 160mm but despite being pretty short, after giving them a good trial I fitted 170mm to replicate the feel of the 170s on the Linear.
It has a reputation as an “urban recumbent” but this is to undersell its abilities. My first longish trip last year, about 33 miles, included road, towpath and bridleway and it coped fine. In light of that experience I fitted a new Big Apple on the front with good effect as the original Cityjet had become hardened with age. It’s a similar set up to the Linear, with the front tyre being slightly wider than the rear. I’ve shortened the stem, fitted Humpert Englischer cockpit style bars. I’ve made adjustments to stop the side stand buzzing against its stop, and to stop the rear mudguard vibrating on rough surfaces. The suspension is very effective against larger bumps, and soaks up speed humps like a dream, but some surfaces do create a slight buzz.
Since then I’ve done a couple of 50+ mile rides again covering some towpath and a good part of the Chester Greenway. The small wheels don’t seem to be a handicap despite the misgivings of those who follow the doctrine of biggest is best. I met a MTBer on the well surfaced towpath in Chester. A meeting of two extremes. My 16” front versus his 29 inch wheels. He said, “how do you balance with those tiny wheels?”. I just do. Perhaps it’s one of those things that if you think about it too much you won’t be able to ride, as in my early days with the Linear. If you just set off, you can do it, but if you think about it too much, you’ll be paralysed into inaction. The phrase “just do it” helped me get over that.
The Linear seemed to have a tiny front wheel when I first had it, but with a Big Apple on it, the 20” wheel seems unremarkable now. Perhaps a 20/20 would look more balanced, but the 16” front on the Spirit works and gives a low stepover for us shorter types. After a few months of use I came across a traffic jam in town one day and it just sort of clicked. Without thinking about it I found myself standing alongside it ready to wheel on to the pavement and get back on the road at a clearer spot. The Linear or the trike would have taken some forward planning to get off and do this. It’s more like the Brompton where you can just hop on and off.
It is very easy to get on and off with its low stepover, even on steep hills and difficult surfaces. Unlike the Linear, where it’s necessary to use the side stand to get on and off, you can just step off holding the bars. Just as well, as the side stand is a bit difficult to reach when seated on the Spirit. No problem when standing alongside, though you could just as easily lean it against a wall like a conventional bike.
It climbs surprisingly well, though I find that it works best for me with the seat back in its most upright position. The seat cushion is well padded but curiously, the one on the Linear with less padding feels more comfortable. Perhaps a Linear cushion, if I can find one, might be an improvement. There’s definitely more scope for recumbutt with this one.
How does it roll? It has a 50-305 Big apple on the front, and 47-406 Marathon on the back Given any sort of downhill, it picks up speed quickly and seems fast enough, but loses speed noticeably quickly too, on a corresponding uphill. On the flat the wheels seem quite busy beneath you even at moderate speeds though it accelerates noticeably faster than the Linear with its 20/700C set up. All as might be expected with small wheeled bikes and well documented with Bromptons and Moultons. Particularly noticeable in town traffic with a lot of stop/ start. The larger wheeled bike holds on to its momentum and freewheels better. On open road riding there doesn’t seem much difference between them in terms of speed. The Spirit is much lower than the Linear so presumably is more aero. Its disc brakes combined with the small wheels are very sharp without much lever effort.
The Spirit is reputedly heavy (a HP Velotechnik characteristic with the suspension and extras) but doesn’t feel it with the weight being concentrated low down.
The appearance of this bike changes a lot depending on the height of the rider it’s set up for. The rear rack is fixed to the seat base and slides with it so when set up for a tall rider it hangs out over the rear wheel together with any luggage attached to it or the seat back. This exaggerates the length of the frame tube protruding from under the seat giving it an ungainly appearance. For a shorter rider with the seat well forward it looks more of a piece, especially with the Humpert bars I’ve fitted instead of the originals.
As you couldn’t fit lowrider panniers to the front wheel, the underseat pannier frames are a welcome bonus. I’m currently using a pair of vintage Carradice front panniers on them. The space between the seat base and the road is a bit tight for conventional depth rear panniers. I would like to increase the carrying capacity with something of the depth of conventional front panniers with a bit more fore and aft length. They would need to be separate, rather than linked, as the bike frame fills the gap between the pannier frames at the top. If I can find something suitable I would be all set for a trial tour later this year. Any suggestions welcomed.
Interestingly, there is a similar HPV Spirit on ebay at the moment, same colour, too. Starting price is more than I paid for mine, and it doesn’t have the hub dynamo or underseat pannier frame which mine has. Just reminds me what an excellent deal I got on this bike.
If this bike had underseat steering… There’s always the wondering if there’s something that’s faster with less effort out there, even for a sloth like me, with the same level of comfort. A HPV Grasshopper perhaps, though the seat recline might be too much, and finding anything with as good a spec as this one could be pricey. A Challenge Hurricane or similar, generally more budget friendly than HPV products? All academic anyway, as with these legs, have to try before you buy, and anything interesting seems to be a 300 mile round trip just to kick the tyres
Anyhoo, I hope to stretch the miles out further in the coming weeks. On results so far this year, a century seems possible, for the first time this century.
It’s a very underrated bike. Very suitable if you are short, or old, or both.
A year with a HP Velotechnik Spirit 16/20
A year has crept up on me since this odd looking beastie arrived as a box of bits from the previous owner. The seller sent comprehensive assembly instructions and it went back together with no major issues.
It’s a medium wheelbase or compact long wheelbase two wheel recumbent with a fairly upright seating position, over seat steering, full suspension and a 16” front, 20” rear set up. The bottom bracket is at the steering head. It has a SRAM Dual drive 3X8 rear hub giving 24 gears. Perhaps diehard horizontalist recumbentists might curl a lip at its uprightness and describe it as an unfashionable Chairbike, Scooterbike, Semi recumbent bike, etc. The fashion, if indeed there is a fashion in recumbents, seems to be for SWB bikes, or nowadays, trikes. Whatever, it works for me.
It fulfils nearly all the criteria which I was looking for.
1. Lowish seat. Adjustability to pedals suitable for a shorty, not too much seat recline or at least, some adjustability.
2. Good gear range, or the ability to change things to get it the way I want it.
3. Bottom bracket not too high.
4.Rear suspension.
5. Would have preferred USS? However, OSS is very practical, easy to mount gadgets.
6.Luggage capacity -came with optional under seat pannier frames.
7. Made in the 21st century.
8. Versatile enough to be able to be ridden on unmade surfaces, with mudguard clearances.
9. Value for money!
Also dual suspension, mudguards, rear rack, kick stand.
It has plenty of extras. Disc brakes, SON hub dynamo with Supernova headlight. Underseat pannier frames, as mentioned above. The previous owner had done some tweaks to the chain line so that the chain tubes had a straighter run, and lowered the gearing by fitting a smaller chainring. The original was around 40” -100”, it’s now 16”-82”. The original cranks were 160mm but despite being pretty short, after giving them a good trial I fitted 170mm to replicate the feel of the 170s on the Linear.
It has a reputation as an “urban recumbent” but this is to undersell its abilities. My first longish trip last year, about 33 miles, included road, towpath and bridleway and it coped fine. In light of that experience I fitted a new Big Apple on the front with good effect as the original Cityjet had become hardened with age. It’s a similar set up to the Linear, with the front tyre being slightly wider than the rear. I’ve shortened the stem, fitted Humpert Englischer cockpit style bars. I’ve made adjustments to stop the side stand buzzing against its stop, and to stop the rear mudguard vibrating on rough surfaces. The suspension is very effective against larger bumps, and soaks up speed humps like a dream, but some surfaces do create a slight buzz.
Since then I’ve done a couple of 50+ mile rides again covering some towpath and a good part of the Chester Greenway. The small wheels don’t seem to be a handicap despite the misgivings of those who follow the doctrine of biggest is best. I met a MTBer on the well surfaced towpath in Chester. A meeting of two extremes. My 16” front versus his 29 inch wheels. He said, “how do you balance with those tiny wheels?”. I just do. Perhaps it’s one of those things that if you think about it too much you won’t be able to ride, as in my early days with the Linear. If you just set off, you can do it, but if you think about it too much, you’ll be paralysed into inaction. The phrase “just do it” helped me get over that.
The Linear seemed to have a tiny front wheel when I first had it, but with a Big Apple on it, the 20” wheel seems unremarkable now. Perhaps a 20/20 would look more balanced, but the 16” front on the Spirit works and gives a low stepover for us shorter types. After a few months of use I came across a traffic jam in town one day and it just sort of clicked. Without thinking about it I found myself standing alongside it ready to wheel on to the pavement and get back on the road at a clearer spot. The Linear or the trike would have taken some forward planning to get off and do this. It’s more like the Brompton where you can just hop on and off.
It is very easy to get on and off with its low stepover, even on steep hills and difficult surfaces. Unlike the Linear, where it’s necessary to use the side stand to get on and off, you can just step off holding the bars. Just as well, as the side stand is a bit difficult to reach when seated on the Spirit. No problem when standing alongside, though you could just as easily lean it against a wall like a conventional bike.
It climbs surprisingly well, though I find that it works best for me with the seat back in its most upright position. The seat cushion is well padded but curiously, the one on the Linear with less padding feels more comfortable. Perhaps a Linear cushion, if I can find one, might be an improvement. There’s definitely more scope for recumbutt with this one.
How does it roll? It has a 50-305 Big apple on the front, and 47-406 Marathon on the back Given any sort of downhill, it picks up speed quickly and seems fast enough, but loses speed noticeably quickly too, on a corresponding uphill. On the flat the wheels seem quite busy beneath you even at moderate speeds though it accelerates noticeably faster than the Linear with its 20/700C set up. All as might be expected with small wheeled bikes and well documented with Bromptons and Moultons. Particularly noticeable in town traffic with a lot of stop/ start. The larger wheeled bike holds on to its momentum and freewheels better. On open road riding there doesn’t seem much difference between them in terms of speed. The Spirit is much lower than the Linear so presumably is more aero. Its disc brakes combined with the small wheels are very sharp without much lever effort.
The Spirit is reputedly heavy (a HP Velotechnik characteristic with the suspension and extras) but doesn’t feel it with the weight being concentrated low down.
The appearance of this bike changes a lot depending on the height of the rider it’s set up for. The rear rack is fixed to the seat base and slides with it so when set up for a tall rider it hangs out over the rear wheel together with any luggage attached to it or the seat back. This exaggerates the length of the frame tube protruding from under the seat giving it an ungainly appearance. For a shorter rider with the seat well forward it looks more of a piece, especially with the Humpert bars I’ve fitted instead of the originals.
As you couldn’t fit lowrider panniers to the front wheel, the underseat pannier frames are a welcome bonus. I’m currently using a pair of vintage Carradice front panniers on them. The space between the seat base and the road is a bit tight for conventional depth rear panniers. I would like to increase the carrying capacity with something of the depth of conventional front panniers with a bit more fore and aft length. They would need to be separate, rather than linked, as the bike frame fills the gap between the pannier frames at the top. If I can find something suitable I would be all set for a trial tour later this year. Any suggestions welcomed.
Interestingly, there is a similar HPV Spirit on ebay at the moment, same colour, too. Starting price is more than I paid for mine, and it doesn’t have the hub dynamo or underseat pannier frame which mine has. Just reminds me what an excellent deal I got on this bike.
If this bike had underseat steering… There’s always the wondering if there’s something that’s faster with less effort out there, even for a sloth like me, with the same level of comfort. A HPV Grasshopper perhaps, though the seat recline might be too much, and finding anything with as good a spec as this one could be pricey. A Challenge Hurricane or similar, generally more budget friendly than HPV products? All academic anyway, as with these legs, have to try before you buy, and anything interesting seems to be a 300 mile round trip just to kick the tyres
Anyhoo, I hope to stretch the miles out further in the coming weeks. On results so far this year, a century seems possible, for the first time this century.
It’s a very underrated bike. Very suitable if you are short, or old, or both.
