'bents and hills

[Chonker]

I'm hoping to pick up a trike in 10days time (pretty excited), I'm a little worried about the whole hill thing. I understand that the riding position gives you a disadvantage over a DF bike as you can't put your weight into it, and also you're at a disadantage because of the weight of the trike over a bike but just how much of a problem is it?

I'm pretty unfit and havn't ridden my DF in a year or so mainly because of the saddle (a big part of the reason I'm going for a 'bent) and am a bit worried I'm gonna come to my first hill and either get stuck, or go up it at a pace that's going to cause a huge traffic jam

 

[byegad]

First of all trikes climb hills without too many problems. The extra weight and the different muscle groups needed to power any 'bent means that most riders are slower uphill on a trike than a DF.

Your assumption that you can't exert as much pressure to the pedals is wrong. with the seat back behind you it is possible to push much more than your weight onto the pedals on a bent than on a DF where once you are pressing all of your weight your backside leaves the saddle. Yes I know you can pull on a Dfs handlebars but even so you can still lift far more weight than just you with your legs.

It's not a good idea to do this as your knees won't take kindly to the pressure. So you learn to spin in a lower gear. Both my trikes have a gear under 15" compared to a racing bike's 30 to 40" bottom or an MTB's 20" this allows me to spin on steep hills.

Once you start to get trike fit you will find you ride uphills without any problem. I occasionally ride with a group of DFs and have been told that riding with a recumbent trike is like riding with a tandem, but worse. This was not meant unkindly, the DF rider telling me this meant that I was slower up hill, but (a lot) faster down hill than the DFs. I also find that on the level I am faster than a DF especially into a strong wind.

As you start on your trike, make a concious effort to spin the pedals in what will initially seem to be a too low gear on the flat and up hill. This will build your spinning muscles up and after you have been riding for a while it will become a habit. Also change down as soon as you feel your cadence slowing at the start of a hill. A noticable effect in experienced 'bent riders is the fact that they all change down a gear before the hill has started and maintain a higher cadence untill they have crested the hill.

I hope this helps you. I'm sure you'll be fine abd develop the trike grin the moment you ride your new trike. What sort is it?

 

[LeeW]

Providing you have a low enough gear, you should be able to climb anything on a trike. Last year I climbed Hardknott pass on a trike (max gradient of 1:3), most of the DF riders were walking. You will be a bit slower mainly due to the extra weight.

 

[ufkacbln]

Just enjoy it!

The fact (as pointed out above) that they are "slightly" slower on hils is compensated for by a stunning increase in speed on the down hills!

Of course the other advantage on a trike you are not weaving or trying to balance at slow climbing speeds.

Simply have fun with the trike and take each adjustment in technique as you go, you will soon be up there with the rest.


PS Which Trike?

 

[TimP]

I'm sure that the thing of 'bents being slower than uprights up hill is based upon competent upright riders not being abl to climb a hill so fast on a 'bent.

Let alone considering the impact of using a comparable bike (there seems little apreciation that 'bents come in at least as many guises as uprights), and a rider who is equivalently stong on a 'bent.

An equivalent 'bent will weigh a bit more than an upright (and a bit more again for a trike), by the time you've got your fitness up this should be the only factor meaning you'll be climbing slower.

 

[Chonker]

I've been researching and a Trice Q seems to be the one for me. I've always had a bit of a fear of riding in the road mainly due to the wobbling/weaving of balancing a bike which I'm determined to man up and overcome and a trike should see my way towards that!

I'm getting rid of my mountain bike as I wasn't getting the use from it and really want to start using the roads and it's entirely unsuitable (15.5kg with enourmous tyres). I'll probably want to join up with a club or something once my level of fitness becomes less of an embarassment as I'd prefer not to ride alone (but at the moment I lack confidence, hopefully will change).

Thanks for all the replies, you guys seem really enthusiastic! I'm really getting excited about this

 

[ufkacbln]

I am not being negative, but I always reccomend riding one before buying, where are you based?

 

[Chonker]

Am in Enfield, North London. I've had a quick spin in a carpark in the trice already and it was a liberating experience!

 

[TimP]

Go and visit Kevin of DTek (just south of Ely) - he carries most of the Trice range and proper length test rides can be very easily arranged.

 

[Auntie Helen]

I can certainly echo TimP's recommendation of Kevin at D-Tek as he's excellent.

I have a Trice Q and love it to bits. I am slower up hills than DF riders that I travel with. However this isn't a big deal. I can usually catch them up on the flat after the hill (as long as they're not zooming ahead too much). Yes, hills take a bit longer, but overall it's not that big a deal. Perhaps I hold cars up a little now and again but I'm sure they can wait another 30 seconds until they reach their destination.

As I've become fitter and more accustomed to the trike I've found that I don't tend to get out of breath up hills. I feel slightly warmer at the top but that's it, I'm not knackered and they don't strike fear into me as they used to. I'm still slow up hills but I'm slow in a comfortable-and-relaxing kind of way.

 

[ufkacbln]

If in London, ring Ian at Wheels NV who imports the Catrike Range

 

[Chonker]

I've looked at the catrike range but they don't seem to be able to be packed up small. I'm really limited for space to store it so part of what sold me on the trice was that video of it going into a smartcar.

I may have gotten a bit carried away and bid on one at auction so will have to see how that goes before calling up D-tek

 

[Chonker]

I don't tend to get out of breath up hills. I feel slightly warmer at the top but that's it, I'm not knackered and they don't strike fear into me as they used to. I'm still slow up hills but I'm slow in a comfortable-and-relaxing kind of way.

This sounds exactly what I'm after, I went out for a last ride on my mountain bike today before it's sold and was going great until I came to a hill where I completely burned myself out.

I've never really understood the problem with hills on a bike, I think it must be one to do with balancing at lower speeds. As I see it if you're in the right gear the hill should only effect your speed not the amount of work effort you put in but whenever I reach a hill it's murder!

 

[somersetflyer]

I can also recommend Kevin, I drove all the way from Somerset and spent half a day over there, came away with a Trice Q, never regretted it, have taken it all over Exmoor on hills that I would struggle to walk up let along ride a bike. it is slow going up, but just you wait until you forget the brakes and hammer back down the hills, at speeds that make your eyes water.

Also look at the HP Scorpion I have a HP Grasshopper and the build quality is typical German, and the body link seats are so comfortable

Have Fun

 

[3tyretrackterry]

+1 for D tek just over a month bought a Trice explorer and never looked back have probably doubled my weekly mileage and am going out for a leisure ride much more than i ever was am slower up hills than my eldest son but he cant touch me on the flat or downhill and i always carry the drinks,toolkit and extras.