Andy in Sig
Vice President in Exile
- Location
- Sigmaringen, Germany
I've often wondered if Rohloff plus Schlumpf (to give more lower gears for going up hills) would be the ideal gearing combination for any kind of recumbent.
Can I use all my gears?
- Thread starter Auntie Helen
- Start date
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Riding in Circles
Veteran
- Location
- EDINBURGH
Andy in Sig said:
You can only do it with a Speed Drive with a 38 tooth ring or bigger, any less and the torque from the front will rip the Rohloff to pieces internally, I have done a couple with this combination, other than the expense and a bit of resonance in eighth gear on Rohloff when in low range on the Schlumpf it is scarily good set up.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
squeaker said:
If you ride a fixed wheel upright for a bit, you won't need a trike to be able to do this.
Riding in Circles
Veteran
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- EDINBURGH
BentMikey said:
I bet I can keep my feet up for longer while stationary on my trike that you can on your fixie.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
LOL, true, although that sidesteps my point, which was about simply learning to give a bit of welly if you stop in too high a gear.
Riding in Circles
Veteran
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- EDINBURGH
The point could equally be that on a trike it does not matter how slowly you move off from a standstill, you still cannot fall over. Not so on a two wheeler.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
I'm not trying to have a debate on trikes vs two wheelers. Both are good and I like all sorts of cycles. I'm simply pointing out that many people don't realise quite how high a gear you can start off safely in, with the exception of fixed riders perhaps.
Riding in Circles
Veteran
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- EDINBURGH
BentMikey said:
Just admit trikes are better or I'm going to take a ride past your house.
I know where you live remember.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
Mook!
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
BentMikey said:
I found I really needed to get my Azub bent into a low gear to restart even on the flat.
On a DF I'd routinely use the same gear that gave me 11-12mph as a starting gear, That would be around a 45" gear.
On the AZUB I used around a 25" gear as the start gear on the flat and down as low as the bottom gear (15") on any kind of hill.
I really couldn't manage to balance the AZUB under a high geared start and needed to be able to spin gently right from the off in order to avoid dumping it! After all your only balance mechanism is the steering as your body weight is in a fixed position. What's more most of the 'bent bike riders I spoke to agreed they use a much lower gear to launch their 'bents than their DFs.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
It's true, it's easier with a lower gear, but I've found it's still very possible to pull off in a big gear. I wouldn't say I have particularly good balance, but I can pull off in what I'd think is well over 70" or 80" quite easily. Defo not in the first 1000 miles of owning the Hurricane though. More practice perhaps?
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
Well I had 2000miles on the Azub when I sold it and starting was always a matter of a low gear. Having 81 gears with a dual drive I developed the trick of approaching a likely stop in the high hub range so if I had to stop a drop to low on the hub and maybe a cog or two at the back gave me a low gear to pull away in. I did try higher gears but the swerving it generated would ot have been safe in traffic.
That said I sold the AZUB (all my two wheeler DFs are going too) due to chronic Vertigo. In fact I learnt to ride the AZUB while still suffering from the after effects of a bad spell. This is why I asked every 'bent bike rider I could find about their experience of starting.
I got quiet good at balancing in the end, 3mph up a 1 in 5 took some learning, about a month if I recall. Also in at least the last 1000 miles I never fell off at all, I sold it on medical advice as when I get an attack it is a big one and give no warning. His advice was sobering to say the least.
That said I sold the AZUB (all my two wheeler DFs are going too) due to chronic Vertigo. In fact I learnt to ride the AZUB while still suffering from the after effects of a bad spell. This is why I asked every 'bent bike rider I could find about their experience of starting.
I got quiet good at balancing in the end, 3mph up a 1 in 5 took some learning, about a month if I recall. Also in at least the last 1000 miles I never fell off at all, I sold it on medical advice as when I get an attack it is a big one and give no warning. His advice was sobering to say the least.
