So how easy is a 'bent to ride?
- Thread starter Smokin Joe
- Start date
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I'm not sure now
classic33
Leg End Member
Get you noticed though!
I think my tits might drag on the floor #nipplerash
OP
OP
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
I'd like an inexpensive way into recumbents, any suggestions for a starter bike of decent quality that doesn't weigh a ton. I live in a hilly part of the world so bags 'o gears are a must.
Underseat steering is a must as I don't fancy ape hangers.
Underseat steering is a must as I don't fancy ape hangers.
classic33
Leg End Member
[QUOTE 3771197, member: 9609"]Can you see over the hedges on a bent ? I wouldn/t mind giving one a go, but my cycling is all about enjoying the countryside, so I would be missing out if I couldn't see over the hedges - what is your eye height above the ground on a bent ?[/QUOTE]
Heights vary, but I'm at the same head height as my neighbour in her Volvo estate.
Heights vary, but I'm at the same head height as my neighbour in her Volvo estate.
Sounds daft, but it really does not matter that much
On an upright there will be high hedges and wooded areas where you cannot see the full landscape
You still see a variation, and a stunning view through a gap in a hedge is just as stunning as the same gap when on an upright
Simply take it as it comes
Check out a few trike rides on YouTube and you will see what I mean
On an upright there will be high hedges and wooded areas where you cannot see the full landscape
You still see a variation, and a stunning view through a gap in a hedge is just as stunning as the same gap when on an upright
Simply take it as it comes
Check out a few trike rides on YouTube and you will see what I mean
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
[QUOTE 3771197, member: 9609"]Can you see over the hedges on a bent ?[/QUOTE]
no, but you very quickly learn that can you see through them (assuming they are not brick/stone/earth at the bottom) and the human mind is far better at filtering out the leaves and branches than a camera is!
You do learn to appreciate gates and holes though!
no, but you very quickly learn that can you see through them (assuming they are not brick/stone/earth at the bottom) and the human mind is far better at filtering out the leaves and branches than a camera is!
You do learn to appreciate gates and holes though!
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
My recumbent experience started some 10 years ago when I bought a new AZUB-4 from the makers in the Czech Republic. I found starting and stopping much more difficult than I'd expected, and took a few falls at close to 0 mph, until I got the hang of it some month or so after purchase.. (I later found out I have balance issue so most people would have fewer issues than me.) It was damn fast on the flat and down hill and very slow uphill. I had the 81 speed version with gearing from 15" to 150", yes 1 5 0, and made use of them all in hilly County Durham. I am a slow rider and the climbing speed was very slow due to the weight of the bike and the rider! Other fitter riders report slower than DF climbing speed and much faster flat and down hill speeds. I got over 50mph down hills on the AZUB more than once, and was still able to pedal at those speeds.
I then bought an ICE QNT trike, adapting to a recumbent trike takes 0 seconds, and I guarantee that you will have an ear to ear grin within minutes of your first ride starting. 8 years later my grin is still there! Climbing is slow but what's the rush? On the flat in still air I'm a little slower than I was some 7 years ago when I last rode a DF bike, but into a wind and down hill
I'm quicker and have hit or topped 50 mph on all my trikes.
As has been said all recumbents are unusual and so generate a lot of room on the roads, drivers tend to keep away from a machine most will not have seen before. If you are low down a flag or luminous ribbons on the end of a pole makes you visible to traffic following a car behind you. Drivers have been known to stop on a main road in town to let me pull out from a side road (When did that last happen to a DF rider????) and close passes are very, very rare.
I then bought an ICE QNT trike, adapting to a recumbent trike takes 0 seconds, and I guarantee that you will have an ear to ear grin within minutes of your first ride starting. 8 years later my grin is still there! Climbing is slow but what's the rush? On the flat in still air I'm a little slower than I was some 7 years ago when I last rode a DF bike, but into a wind and down hill
I'm quicker and have hit or topped 50 mph on all my trikes. As has been said all recumbents are unusual and so generate a lot of room on the roads, drivers tend to keep away from a machine most will not have seen before. If you are low down a flag or luminous ribbons on the end of a pole makes you visible to traffic following a car behind you. Drivers have been known to stop on a main road in town to let me pull out from a side road (When did that last happen to a DF rider????) and close passes are very, very rare.
jayjay
Veteran
- Location
- East Yorks
The view might be obstructed a bit more on my trike when passing higher walls, but those aside the touring view is excellent, as the landscape and sky are in a natural widescreen vista, and on balance I see a lot more than the tarmac in front. A lot of 2-wheel 'bents put one's view point at a height comparable to cars or bikes wi' saddles on.
CopperBrompton
Bicycle: a means of transport between cake-stops
- Location
- London
Yep, you see far more on a recumbent trike as your natural head position is looking at the horizon, not the tarmac in front of you.
mrandmrspoves
Middle aged bald git.
- Location
- Narfuk
Is a trike an answer to general doderiness? Yes - if it's a recumbent. (Upright trikes are surprisingly unstable at even low speeds)
Are they easy to ride? Yes - no balance required at low speeds. At higher speeds, and depending on the trike configuration, you may need to learn to lean into corners to stop it lifting a front wheel. (Tadpole)
Tadpole or Delta? Different beasts. Tadpoles tend to be lower and faster so may not be ideal for some people - especially getting on and off. Deltas tend to be higher, so easier to get on and off - but less stable at speed. They also tend to be a bit more complicated if they have a rear drive and differential.
Are trikes as fast as upwrongs? On the flat, about the same. Downhill, I feel a lot safer going downhill at 35mph on my trike than I did going down the same hill at 25mph on my upwrong.
Uphill though they are slower than an upwrong.
At my fittest I could average 15 - 16mph over 30 miles or so on my trike and I am never going to be a fast cyclist.
Traffic? As everyone else has said, motorists notice you and tend to overtake wider and hold back more readily.
Gears? Fit a triple MTB crankset and cassette and off you go. I recommend a shorter crank - say 152mm, which has improved my speed and range considerably.
Cheap options? Depends what you call cheap. You can pick up a well maintained older model for £400 or so. In this bracket you might find an old Trice, a TW Bents or more likely a KMX. Trice were predecessors to the ICE models and the basic design was pretty good and easily evolved into an excellent range - some of the earlier models were rather weak towards the back end and may have seen repairs by now. My first trike was a Trice and £400 well spent. TW Bents were a budget brand and seem quite reasonable. KMX are slightly more of a Go Kart trike. Described as being a bit agricultural, not very refined - but robust and often very good value.
Home built machines are often offered cheap and it is usually quite clear why.
It may be worth a look if there's one near enough and cheap enough - but I would stay clear as too much of a gamble unless you can ascertain the quality of the frame build.
Quality makes such as later ICES will always fetch a good price and you won't see much for less than a grand.
Alternatively you can go the budget new route as I did. A1 Performer Trike E - brand new shipped to your door in a partially assembled state for around £1000 if purchased off eBay (I was lucky and did not get charged import duty - but reckon for this in your price and you are looking at £1250 ish.
Alternative is to go to someone like Kevin at D-tek in Cambridgeshire and spend the same sort of money for a well vetted 2nd hand model. (I must admit that I have only ever spoken with him on the phone - and suspect that if I ever visit the shop I will leave in a much poorer state!)
All the above options will work better for some than for others - but a starter trike can be purchased cheaply enough and sold just as easily for a similar price.
If you are considering one, it definitely makes sense to take a test ride on a few and see what suits. I would certainly happily recommend a Trike E to anyone looking in that price bracket. Anyone that is near enough to me in West Norfolk is welcome to come and have a test run on mine.
Are they easy to ride? Yes - no balance required at low speeds. At higher speeds, and depending on the trike configuration, you may need to learn to lean into corners to stop it lifting a front wheel. (Tadpole)
Tadpole or Delta? Different beasts. Tadpoles tend to be lower and faster so may not be ideal for some people - especially getting on and off. Deltas tend to be higher, so easier to get on and off - but less stable at speed. They also tend to be a bit more complicated if they have a rear drive and differential.
Are trikes as fast as upwrongs? On the flat, about the same. Downhill, I feel a lot safer going downhill at 35mph on my trike than I did going down the same hill at 25mph on my upwrong.
Uphill though they are slower than an upwrong.
At my fittest I could average 15 - 16mph over 30 miles or so on my trike and I am never going to be a fast cyclist.
Traffic? As everyone else has said, motorists notice you and tend to overtake wider and hold back more readily.
Gears? Fit a triple MTB crankset and cassette and off you go. I recommend a shorter crank - say 152mm, which has improved my speed and range considerably.
Cheap options? Depends what you call cheap. You can pick up a well maintained older model for £400 or so. In this bracket you might find an old Trice, a TW Bents or more likely a KMX. Trice were predecessors to the ICE models and the basic design was pretty good and easily evolved into an excellent range - some of the earlier models were rather weak towards the back end and may have seen repairs by now. My first trike was a Trice and £400 well spent. TW Bents were a budget brand and seem quite reasonable. KMX are slightly more of a Go Kart trike. Described as being a bit agricultural, not very refined - but robust and often very good value.
Home built machines are often offered cheap and it is usually quite clear why.
It may be worth a look if there's one near enough and cheap enough - but I would stay clear as too much of a gamble unless you can ascertain the quality of the frame build.
Quality makes such as later ICES will always fetch a good price and you won't see much for less than a grand.
Alternatively you can go the budget new route as I did. A1 Performer Trike E - brand new shipped to your door in a partially assembled state for around £1000 if purchased off eBay (I was lucky and did not get charged import duty - but reckon for this in your price and you are looking at £1250 ish.
Alternative is to go to someone like Kevin at D-tek in Cambridgeshire and spend the same sort of money for a well vetted 2nd hand model. (I must admit that I have only ever spoken with him on the phone - and suspect that if I ever visit the shop I will leave in a much poorer state!)
All the above options will work better for some than for others - but a starter trike can be purchased cheaply enough and sold just as easily for a similar price.
If you are considering one, it definitely makes sense to take a test ride on a few and see what suits. I would certainly happily recommend a Trike E to anyone looking in that price bracket. Anyone that is near enough to me in West Norfolk is welcome to come and have a test run on mine.
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BlackPanther
Hyper-Fast Recumbent Riding Member.
- Location
- Doncaster.
If you're ever up Doncaster way, I have an Ice Trice and a Raptobike if you want to try one out.
BlackPanther
Hyper-Fast Recumbent Riding Member.
- Location
- Doncaster.
Looking over your shoulder is a doddle on a trike, but can be dodgy on 2 wheels, especially on the lowracers where balance is more difficult especially at low speeds. I have 2 mirrycle mirrors, and they work perfectly. Under seat steering machines are harder to ride, and less 'aero'.
