An Idiot's guide to recumbents?

[byegad]

Rear wheels. buy 20" rear wheel if you are likely to climb steep hills and 26" wheel if you live somewhere flat, like Norfolk! Gearing a 20" wheel up to give 100" plus top gear is easily done, gearing a 26" wheel down to climb 33% hills is possible but you are looking at spending serious money on a Mountain drive bottom bracket.

 

[ufkacbln]

Rear wheels. buy 20" rear wheel if you are likely to climb steep hills and 26" wheel if you live somewhere flat, like Norfolk! Gearing a 20" wheel up to give 100" plus top gear is easily done, gearing a 26" wheel down to climb 33% hills is possible but you are looking at spending serious money on a Mountain drive bottom bracket.

The Gekko was the opposite modification

I found the gearing ideal for hills, but too low on the flats - so I have fitted a Shlumpf HSD giveing a 34/85 on the front

You can see the heel button and gear housing at the front

 

[seraphina]

Thanks again for all the advice! Does anyone have experience of hub gears on a trike?

Also how does the steering work (stupid question, I know)? Is it just like a conventional bike except handles low down?

Some lovely machines here!

 

[FrankCrank]

Thanks again for all the advice! Does anyone have experience of hub gears on a trike?

Also how does the steering work (stupid question, I know)? Is it just like a conventional bike except handles low down?

Some lovely machines here!

.....I have a 3-speed Sturmey Archer on my tadpole trike, and Shimano version on my LWB. Both have coaster brake. I live in a flat area...............

 

[starhawk]

Panniers are not a problem, even with small wheels

This is my 20" wheel Gekko touring in Wales with full size Ortlieb rear panniers

Nice bags but they are usually called saddlebags, panniers are usually hanged over the seat

 

[TheDoctor]

@Auntie Helen has an Alfine 11 hub gear on her Trice IIRC. I'm sure she'll be along soon. I've tried a fair few 'bents, and trikes are definitely easier to get on and ride IME. They are way too much fun!

 

[Smokin Joe]

Do not worry about traffic not seeing recumbents, they do. In fact they slow down and get in the way so their kids can gawp at you out of the rear window.

I was thinking about that when I was in the car today. My normal field of vision means the tarmac immediately in front of the car is always visible (In fact that's the only place some idiots ever bother to look) no matter how far ahead I am scanning, so I can't see how being even a lot lower than someone on a DF makes you the slightest bit less visible to motorists. Anyone who drives will have run over a small rodent size animal that shoots out from the hedgerow just in front of the car - I bet every time it's happened you've seen the thing and automatically shot your foot across to the brake. I would even opine that a raised flag on the back is no more than a comfort blanket, use one if it makes you feel better but unnecessary.

 

[ufkacbln]

Thanks again for all the advice! Does anyone have experience of hub gears on a trike?

Also how does the steering work (stupid question, I know)? Is it just like a conventional bike except handles low down?

Some lovely machines here!

First... I have three trikes with Rohloff, the Catrike Expedition, the Gekko and the Kettwiesel.

I think hubs are ideal mainly because it can be difficult to start off when in thh wrong gear,and hubs sort this as you can change when static

Then we have steering!

You may as well have mentioned h*lm*ts as each design has its advocates and naysayers.... these are MY comments. They are neither right nor wrong and it is up to you to try and decide

My Catrike has two bars atached direct to the headsets. The two wheels are then connected by a single rod. This is direct, responsiva na dheaps of fun. However it can be affected by wheel motion and without damping has more vibration to the hands

The Gekko has an indirect system. Here there is a handlebar that is attached to a headset then linked to the wheels independently by rods-here on a TRice:

Still responsive, but the links mean that there is some damping that means less vibration and is more comfortable for that reason

Finally with the Delta trikes there is a pair of handlebars that connect by a steering rod to the front wheel

Utah Trikes in the US make both direct and indirect steering trike models... they describe it like this:

Indirect steering– The Path/Cruiser/Tour/Access/Sport/Race/Commuter/Tandem trikes all have linkage steering. Linkage steering separates the input of your hands from the wheels. The steering is set up so that the steering bar uses leverage to turn the wheels. This approach provides for very smooth steering and makes it easy to make subtle corrections and turn the wheels at slow speed. Linkage steering is sometimes compared to that of a luxury car like a Lexus or Cadillac.

Direct Steering – The Zoomer/Zoomer Elite/Edge trikes all have direct steering. With direct steering the steering handles are connected directly to the kingpin. Alignment is maintained with a single tie rod connected between the two wheels. Very little rider input is needed to turn the wheels which can make steering a little harder to get the hang of at high speeds. Direct steering is sometimes compared to that of a sports car like a Ferrari or Porsche.

 

[ufkacbln]

Nice bags but they are usually called saddlebags, panniers are usually hanged over the seat

A saddle bag fits to a saddle....

A Pannier fits on a rack:

A side pod fits at the side of a seat:

Seat bags fit on a seat

.. and rack top bags fit on the top of that rack


Or on the Kettwiesel I use a Carradice saddlebag attached t the seat which may (or may not) make it a seat bag

 

[byegad]

The Gekko was the opposite modification

I found the gearing ideal for hills, but too low on the flats - so I have fitted a Shlumpf HSD giveing a 34/85 on the front

You can see the heel button and gear housing at the front

Yes, although my QNT (20" rear wheel.) goes to 100" top on 2" Big Apples with 55 front to 11 rear. That gives this old slow and fat rider a top gear that can be spun up to around 35mph. BUT only down hill.

 

[starhawk]

A saddle bag fits to a saddle....

A Pannier fits on a rack:

A side pod fits at the side of a seat:

Seat bags fit on a seat

.. and rack top bags fit on the top of that rack


Or on the Kettwiesel I use a Carradice saddlebag attached t the seat which may (or may not) make it a seat bag

Ooohhh! I forgot this is mainly an English site, try it in U.S. and it is saddlebags, originally the bags you hanged over the horse just behind the saddle, so on a bike they are placed behind the saddle, that is the rear rack. The panniers are hanging on the sides of the seat. But regional differences makes for a blending so you may find any denomination for either, but I recently sourced a pair of hard saddlebags for my trike and found no one of the above (except for no 2 in pairs) under the title saddlebags, so I thought that was the proper name. And a have a pair of panniers to hang over the seat, never seen them with another name until recently.

 

[ufkacbln]

Ooohhh! I forgot this is mainly an English site, try it in U.S. and it is saddlebags, originally the bags you hanged over the horse just behind the saddle, so on a bike they are placed behind the saddle, that is the rear rack. The panniers are hanging on the sides of the seat. But regional differences makes for a blending so you may find any denomination for either, but I recently sourced a pair of hard saddlebags for my trike and found no one of the above (except for no 2 in pairs) under the title saddlebags, so I thought that was the proper name. And a have a pair of panniers to hang over the seat, never seen them with another name until recently.

Wasn't a dig......



it is just that we are a weird eccentric eclectic bunch and the terminology is confusing.... hence the note at the end as to whether a Carradice saddlebag on the seat of the Kett had morphed into a seat bag

 

[ufkacbln]

Yes, although my QNT (20" rear wheel.) goes to 100" top on 2" Big Apples with 55 front to 11 rear. That gives this old slow and fat rider a top gear that can be spun up to around 35mph. BUT only down hill.

It was down to the fold.....

I could have fitted a large cog at the front and used a Mountain Drive, but this version is more compact

Really the trick is to calculate where your main riding is and make sure that this is in the 1:1 ratio of the hub as this is more efficient

 

[byegad]

True Cunobelin. I went a different route with my Trail, gearing down to 12" for big hills and compromising on the top gear at 84" which, on a good day (Or read this as once a year!) I can spin out on the flat.

 

[Gasman]

There is a US website called Bent rider on line

Trying to explain that to some groups in the UK could misinterpret their TShirts (especially in Brighton) did not go down well

Bentrider Online to be pedantic, and what's wrong with my nice new shirt.