SMGTe: Well impressed

[arallsopp]

So there I was last night. Two weeks into ownership of an SMGTe and about 30 miles in the seat. Its raining, my boys and I are out for our once regular weekly ride. We head off into country lanes, aiming for about 10 miles or so. Early days for me, and plenty of good climbs up towards Keston / Biggin Hill.

Coming back, its dark. There are oil spills in the road. My buddy Als is out infront on a DF. Another is behind on a skinny tyred hybrid. I'm in the middle, just above the floor, enjoying the rain in my face. We're all entirely too close together.

Single carriageway road, dropping fast into the valley from Leaves Green. I'm enjoying rolling up behind Als, freewheeling far faster than he's pedalling, then squeezing the brakes and dropping back a little so as to do it all again. Looking for the perfect spot of proving I'm faster, whilst trying not to compromise safety.

Just as all three of us bunch up, Als gets something in his eye (other than envy for my bike) and grabs his brakes. We go into a 5 wheel skid (not bad between the 3 of us) and I find myself very much aware that I'm drifting sideways on both wheels. The bike stays absolutely balanced, facing just a few degrees off the direction its actually travelling. I have a little think about which is the rear brake and which is the front, let go of both and gently squeeze them back on (rear first) until wheels are spinning roughly the same speed that I'm moving. Bike felt like coasting on a supermarket trolley over polished marble for a few seconds, but never gave the impression it was going to drop me.

Poor buddy behind was in a DF front wheel skid and not loving it one bit. He'd have let the front out and grabbed the back had I not been drifting sideways across the road infront of him

What a fantastic bike. By all rights I should be in a ditch somewhere covered in rain water, but instead I'm just very wet, heart racing, and with a great big grin.

 

[Andy in Sig]

The Street Machine is a stable bike, isn't it? It's taken me a long time but I am increasingly confident in leaning over more and more into corners. I suppose one day I will find the limit and tip over. The other great thing is that because it is a recumbent you can carry on pedalling round the corners.

The only tendency to instability about which you can do little is that encountered when you go over sand and deep gravel. I don't know if it's worse than on a DF but it does seem harder to react to other than by slowing down.

 

[BentMikey]

We can't be too far away from each other then, I'm in Biggin Hill and commute down the A233, A21 to the West End. Not seen you out riding yet though.

 

[arallsopp]

BentMikey: Ah... so you're the fabled recumbent rider of Biggin Hill. I do keep hearing of you. I live about 3 minutes wobble from Bigfoot Bikes in Hayes, who were helping you with your headset and BB earlier this year.

I came out your way again last night, as my sister lives between Polesteeple and Stock Hill. I spun like fury to get out of the valley onto Church Rd, then up through Leaves Green before an eye watering descent via Saltbox Hill.

Man. You've got some crazy hills out there. I nearly broke my arm indicating a turn at the bottom. That whole low profile thing gives little indication that a wayward arm used to signal will be suddenly battling a 30mph+ headwind.

I used to live on the Biggin Hill / Tatsfield borders, so favoured the brevity of Polesteeple Hill as a return route. From there, a lovely downhill spin in to Hayes. No idea how fast I was going, but I kept catching up with cars in the enforced 30 zone by Keston.

I'm out your way again tonight. Weekly ride night with the boys, and we're supposed to be ramping up the miles a bit.

Andy in Sig: Let me know when you hit that limit. It'd be nice to know where it is, just for future reference I'm still a bit wary of pedalling round corners at speed, just because I kept clipping my heel in the front wheel when turning around. The logical part of my mind says, "the front wheel is only going to be 10 degrees out at speed", but the bit that looks after being afraid says "NONONONONONOOO!".

One day, I'll tame it.

 

[BentMikey]

LOL, the bigfoot bikes guys are great aren't they? Although a little hazy on the memory, that was May/June 2007 I did the rebuild.

The bit that sometimes gets me pedalling round corners is pedal steer - this becomes much more potent at high angles of lean. I'd like to think I pedal smoothly thanks to many hours on fixed, but not always smoothly enough.

Got stuck in a serious traffic jam today - chemicals spill on the Downe/Keston roundabout on the A233, so had to go via the backroads. At one point I asked a WVM if I could clamber over his flatbed trailer, no problem! Still got stuck, it was that tight, but I got through a lot quicker than all the drivers did. Plus a few nettle stings.

 

[arallsopp]

Pedal steer... Ah. Think that must be what I encountered when I riding the lanes on Wednesday. I was deep in the pack, and for the most part the boys remembered I was there. We slowed to hill start a T junction, and pitched into a sharp right. Flanked left and right, and battling a slight incline I began to turn and suddenly found the boom swinging round a whole lot faster than I'd expected. Half a pedal stroke later, things balanced out again, but it was enough to claim a bit of road space from the boys. They ride a little further from my elbows now, which is nice

The A233 has always been trouble. From my old house, I used to travel that road twice a day. Entire days would pass when someone hadn't rolled a Saxo into the s-bend by the airport...

At the time, I was normally aboard a 320, and it was pretty standard to disembark and walk the rest of the way. Once jammed, that road stays closed.

 

[BentMikey]

Yeah, it's amazing how many idiots crash their cars on that S bend. Mind, I haven't seen any for a while now, since they installed slow down signs and resurfaced it.

 

[arallsopp]

I'm glad to hear that its getting safer. I moved away from the area, shortly after they introduced a roadside electronic speed display. Although the method was unexpected, it had the desired effect on road use. The apparently irresistable temptation for teen motorists to race between the roundabouts aiming for the highest speed when they hit the sign soon culled off the worst offenders.

I like to think of it as a tribute to the area's eminent naturalist.

 

[peter_streetmachineGT]

I'll agree, the SMGTe is indeed a fantastic bike. I had the fortune to borrow one for a weekend (courtesy of Bikefix while they fixed my 1999 SMGT) and it was an astonishing improvement on my cherished SMGT (good to see HPVelotechnik haven't been resting on their laurels for 9 years!). It felt so quick, stable and the handling was superb. Oh, if I had a spare £1500 right now..

 

[arallsopp]

Welcome, Peter.

Brockley isn't so far from me. Keep an eye out for the bent kent ride, and maybe we'll get a chance to hook up. Glad to hear the SMGT is still going strong.