Recumbent Trike Tyres

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I'm trying to come up with ways of making the ride a little less boring for my husband who feels he does not get any exercise when he cycles with me*. I am solely road now, on the recumbent trike and have the tyre pressures up at 60psi for both the Schwalbe Big Apples (20x2.0) and the Schwalbe Marathon XR (26x2.0) tyres I have on the trike.

I was thinking that I may consider something lighter and slicker if there was such an option available.
What are people's thoughts? What are my options tyre wise and what options exist that are not too prone to fairy visits because I still don't think I will be able to deal with any and would be reliant on either the person with me (roughly 33-50% of the time) or my breakdown cover which I have finally taken out which would not be ideal but. I doubt I can go much below 1.0 because of the rims I have, I would need to check out what they permit but roughly guessing 1inch max at present.

*I'm too slow and at a loss as to how to get any faster** without a lot more time.
**I am working on the other way of making the trike lighter and faster, but it is a slow and hungry option which is exhausting me!

 

[coffeejo]

Can't help re: components/accessories but surely your hubby can do stuff like blast on ahead at maximum effort for, say 10 minutes and then come back to find you, ride together for a bit and then repeat?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Can't help re: components/accessories but surely your hubby can do stuff like blast on ahead at maximum effort for, say 10 minutes and then come back to find you, ride together for a bit and then repeat?

been there, done that, he doesn't like not riding with me and says it does nothing for him. He has done plenty of hill repeats. hates them.

Sadly the ride this weekend was a testing ride in more ways that one. I don't think he actually likes riding with me anymore. In the past I set the pace that was slow for him at the start and fast for him at the end (I didn't change speed, it is just I am endurance he is a sprinter/uphiller). Now, after years of riding with me (and literally years because of the touring) he no longer wants to ride with me because I am simply too slow.

 

[coffeejo]

been there, done that, he doesn't like not riding with me and says it does nothing for him. He has done plenty of hill repeats. hates them.

Sadly the ride this weekend was a testing ride in more ways that one. I don't think he actually likes riding with me anymore. In the past I set the pace that was slow for him at the start and fast for him at the end (I didn't change speed, it is just I am endurance he is a sprinter/uphiller). Now, after years of riding with me (and literally years because of the touring) he no longer wants to ride with me because I am simply too slow.

You've had to make a lot of adjustments recently and without wanting to sound harsh, he needs to get his head of his arse, accept that things have changed and do the same. (Or maybe something politer since I've only met him for a few minutes and don't have the right to comment!) But if "he doesn't like not riding with [you]", does that mean he's going to quit cycling altogether?

 

[numbnuts]

I think if you went with a narrower tyre is is going to give you a very hard ride something you could do with out

 

[ufkacbln]

Never mind the tyres...

My wife fills my panniers, trailers and Christiania with heavy objects!

That ensures I get more exercise!

 

[ufkacbln]

The other thing we found worked was intermittent breaks....

When you plan a route, put in some extra circuits for him

For instance on one route I break away and do a mile long circuit rejoining the wife about half a mile from where we split up

Most routes can be planned with these options.

 

[Falco Frank]

Recumbent Tandem trike?

Electric assist?? Both expensive options I think...

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

You've had to make a lot of adjustments recently and without wanting to sound harsh, he needs to get his head of his arse, accept that things have changed and do the same. (Or maybe something politer since I've only met him for a few minutes and don't have the right to comment!) But if "he doesn't like not riding with [you]", does that mean he's going to quit cycling altogether?

I guess at 46 the last thing he was expecting was to end up with a disabled wife. The adjustment has been hard on both of us because I can cycle yet not walk very far, I can't stand to do the dishes or put a load on in the washing machine or cook a meal but I can make a loaf of sourdough bread which takes 2 days. I can make a batch of scones 15 mins max if he has got the mixer out for me. We need to replace the car something I have always dealt with because I have an ear for mechanical noises that should not be there but I can not work at my trained job. Despite working full time he also has to do all the household stuff that I always dealt with and on top of that act as an unpaid carer to me like now, I can't shower myself. He gets no rest in the evenings or the weekend and I know he is exhausted.

Maybe a better phrase is that he is not enjoying cycling with me anymore and I'm looking for a way of changing that. I need to get faster. I am only managing 8mph average over a fairly flat route and whilst I know it is early days etc, i don't want to end up where he wants to quit cycling. I try to get him to go out by himself but he tells me he misses my company. He doesn't want to get involved in the club scene, he isn't that into cycling .
If I could get 2mph onto my average speed it would make all the difference.

The other thing we found worked was intermittent breaks....

When you plan a route, put in some extra circuits for him

For instance on one route I break away and do a mile long circuit rejoining the wife about half a mile from where we split up

Most routes can be planned with these options.

I shall have a try at that. There are plenty of lanes around Cheshire where we can do that if his garmin will show the route and not have a temper tantrum as it did last Sunday!

Hopefully our holiday to Scotland will help but I need to have changed the car before then and learnt to sit for much longer especially as there will be no reclining chair for 2 weeks! That is going to be hard but we do have a solution to that which we worked with before we got the chair.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I think if you went with a narrower tyre is is going to give you a very hard ride something you could do with out

Fair point, I was wondering how much harder than with me running the tyres at 60psi?
Would something slicker than a heavy duty touring tyre help matters? The XR is cracking and will need replacing soon and whilst I have another one on the front wheel on my tourer which is also probably cracking, I was wondering if something else might be better? It is obviously the drive wheel though.

 

[coffeejo]

I guess at 46 the last thing he was expecting was to end up with a disabled wife. The adjustment has been hard on both of us because I can cycle yet not walk very far, I can't stand to do the dishes or put a load on in the washing machine or cook a meal but I can make a loaf of sourdough bread which takes 2 days. I can make a batch of scones 15 mins max if he has got the mixer out for me. We need to replace the car something I have always dealt with because I have an ear for mechanical noises that should not be there but I can not work at my trained job. Despite working full time he also has to do all the household stuff that I always dealt with and on top of that act as an unpaid carer to me like now, I can't shower myself. He gets no rest in the evenings or the weekend and I know he is exhausted.

Maybe a better phrase is that he is not enjoying cycling with me anymore and I'm looking for a way of changing that. I need to get faster. I am only managing 8mph average over a fairly flat route and whilst I know it is early days etc, i don't want to end up where he wants to quit cycling. I try to get him to go out by himself but he tells me he misses my company. He doesn't want to get involved in the club scene, he isn't that into cycling .
If I could get 2mph onto my average speed it would make all the difference.

A friend of mine, 5 years younger, has just dealt with his first year as a widower after his wife was killed during their round the world cycling trip. I know he'd happily take on any disability to hear her voice again.

I think you're doing all you can and you probably both need patience with yourselves and each other. Hang in there.

 

[ufkacbln]

You've had to make a lot of adjustments recently and without wanting to sound harsh, he needs to get his head of his arse, accept that things have changed and do the same. (Or maybe something politer since I've only met him for a few minutes and don't have the right to comment!) But if "he doesn't like not riding with [you]", does that mean he's going to quit cycling altogether?

Don't take this the wrong way

Any relationship needs to work in two directions.

Lifestyle changes are a big thing that affects both partners and even if the priority is one of the partners, the second needs time as well. One of the most common issues is some form of "resentment" when one partner feels they are being taken over by their new role and restricted from having their own space and time

We compromise, I realise that long distance cycle touring is no longer an option, nor is climbing Blencathra

I get the occasional afternoon when I can put in the miles when my wife is resting at home. Occasionally I will cycle to a destination and meet up whilst she drives there and I will cycle back meeting at home

As above when we go out together on the bikes (electric assist helps her a lot) I have the occasional detour

When we occasionally shop by bike we use the scooter rather than the wheelchair, I take the scooter in the Christiania for when we get to the destination and unload the scooter

Finally I get a week of "my time" when we arrange for others to offer the support and I get to do some of the things I cannot normally manage with my wife

It works well for us and it is up to everyone to find their own compromises that fits the needs of both partners

 

[stuee147]

i know just how you feel i used to be able to ride at a good pace with an avarage speed of around 15mph but since my acident iv had to move to a recumbent trike as i couldnt ride a standard bike anymore. to start with it would take me the best part of an hour to cover 4 to 5 miles with an avarage speed of 4.2mph.
this left me with very little confidence to ride with anyone else as i didnt want to slow them down but since i got a e-kit for my trike iv been amazed i tend to use the throttle a little when pulling away espeshely if im on a hill or in trafic, but then once im moveing i can use just the peddal assist which helps me get to a decent speed at which point i tend to turn off the e-kit and only turn it on when i hit hills or trafic. and im now doing a 5.8 mile ride in about 20 mins with an avarage speed of around 11mph (on a good day i managed it in 16 mins with a top speed of 26 mph i was well chuffed )
the e-kits arnt cheep but its well worth it in my opinion i was honestly thinking of giving up riding as i just couldnt get any faster but now i love it and i find im going out a lot more and in return getting fitter and able to use the e-kit less. i got a basic 36v 250w rear wheel kit off ebay for £137 i then got a set of 3x12v 14amp hr batterys for £50 that was about 3 mounths ago and im already able to do a 15 mile ride (5 to 6 was my max before) and when i get home iv still got power in the batterys only just under half but i recon i could do another 5 to 10 miles befor the batterys went compleatly.
i would highly recomend a e-kit its certanly helped me iv even been considering looking for a ride buddy now i can sort of keep up with other riders lol

 

[Falco Frank]

 

[classic33]