a.twiddler
Veteran
12/5/25
Two years with a HP Velotechnik Spirit 16/20
Two years have passed since this odd looking bike arrived as a collection of parts from the previous owner. It feels as if I've had it longer, as i've done such a varety of rides on it. The seller sent comprehensive assembly instructions and it went back together with no major issues.
It’s a compact long wheelbase (CLWB) two wheel recumbent with a fairly upright seating position, over seat steering, full suspension and a 16” front, 20” rear set up. The bottom bracket is at the steering head. It has a SRAM Dual drive 3X8 rear hub giving 24 gears. Perhaps performance orientated recumbentists might scoff at its uprightness and describe it as an unfashionable Chairbike, Scooterbike, Semi recumbent bike, etc. SWB bikes seem more the thing now, or increasingly, trikes. Whatever, it works for me.
It fulfils nearly all the criteria which I was looking for.
1. Lowish seat. Adjustability to pedals suitable for a shorty, not too much seat recline or at least, enough adjustability.
2. Good gear range. After experimentation, I’ve settled on 17.5 -89”
3. Bottom bracket not too high.
4. Rear suspension.
5. Would have preferred USS. However, the OSS is very practical, easy to mount gadgets.
6. Luggage capacity -came with under seat pannier frames.
7. Made in the 21st century.
8. Versatile enough to be able to be ridden on unmade surfaces, with mudguard clearances.
9. Value for money! I had a very good deal when I bought this bike.
Also dual suspension, mudguards, rear rack, kick stand.
It has plenty of extras. Disc brakes, SON hub dynamo with Supernova headlight. Underseat pannier frames, as mentioned above. The previous owner had done some tweaks to the chain line so that the chain tubes had a straighter run than standard, and lowered the gearing by fitting a smaller chainring. The original was around 40” -100”, it was 16”-82”, a little too low, when I bought it, now 17.5” -89” which is a decent compromise.
The original cranks were 160mm but despite myself being pretty short, after giving them a good trial I fitted 170mm to replicate the feel of the 170s on the Linear.
It came with some cheap general purpose pedals which I replaced with some MKS folding pedals as the trike took up so much space in the garage. Once I’d sold the trike I fitted some MKS 303 BMX pedals to the Spirit which felt much more direct.
It has a reputation as an “urban recumbent” but this is to undersell its abilities. My first longish trip in the first year, about 33 miles, included road, towpath and bridleway and it coped fine. I even passed an old guy going uphill on an upright bike in club colours! (very s l o w l y though). In light of that experience I fitted a new Big Apple on the front with good effect as the original Cityjet had become hardened with age. It’s a similar set up to the Linear, with the front tyre being slightly wider than the rear. I’ve shortened the stem, fitted Humpert Englischer cockpit style bars. I’ve made adjustments to stop the side stand buzzing against its stop, and to stop the rear mudguard vibrating on rough surfaces. The suspension is very effective against larger bumps, and soaks up speed humps like a dream, but some surfaces do create a slight buzz.
Since then I’ve done several of 55+ mile rides again covering some towpath and a good part of the Chester Greenway. The small wheels don’t seem to be a handicap despite the misgivings of those who follow the doctrine of biggest is best. I met a MTBer on the well surfaced towpath in Chester. A meeting of two extremes. My 16” front versus his 29 inch wheels. He said, “how do you balance with those tiny wheels?”. I just do. Perhaps it’s one of those things that if you think about it too much you won’t be able to ride, as in my early days with the Linear. If you just set off, you can do it, but if you think about it too much, you’ll be paralysed into inaction. The phrase “just do it” helped me get over that.
The Linear seemed to have a tiny front wheel when I first had it, but with a Big Apple on it, the 20” wheel seems unremarkable now. Perhaps a 20/20 would look more balanced, but the 16” front on the Spirit works and gives a low stepover for us shorter types. After a few months of use I came across a traffic jam in town one day and it just sort of clicked. Without thinking about it I found myself standing alongside it ready to wheel on to the pavement and get back on the road at a clearer spot. The Linear or the trike would have taken some forward planning to get off and do this. It’s more like the Brompton where you can just hop on and off.
The SON hub dynamo and Supernova front light work very well. After being late turning for home after one of my rides I was very impressed by the way I could ride at fairly normal speed after dark. The beam is long and narrow but keeps its brightness even down to walking speed going uphill.
It is very easy to get on and off with its low stepover, even on steep hills and difficult surfaces. Unlike the Linear, where it’s necessary to use the side stand to get on and off, or lean it on something, you can just step off holding the bars. Just as well, as the side stand is a bit difficult to reach when seated on the Spirit. No problem when standing alongside, though you could just as easily lean it against a wall like a conventional bike. It climbs surprisingly well, though I find that it works best for me with the seat back in its most upright position. The seat cushion is well padded but curiously, the one on the Linear with less padding feels more comfortable. Perhaps a Linear cushion, if I can find one, might be an improvement. There’s definitely more scope for recumbutt with this one.
How does it roll? It has a 50-305 Big apple on the front, and 47-406 Marathon on the back. Given any sort of downhill, it picks up speed quickly and seems fast enough, but loses speed noticeably quickly too, on a corresponding uphill. On the flat the wheels seem quite busy beneath you even at moderate speeds though it accelerates noticeably faster than the Linear with its 20/700C set up. Particularly noticeable in town traffic with a lot of stop/ start. The larger wheeled bike holds on to its momentum and freewheels better. On open road riding there doesn’t seem much difference between them in terms of speed. The Spirit is much lower than the Linear so presumably is more aero. Its disc brakes combined with the small wheels are very sharp without much lever effort.
The Spirit is reputedly heavy (a HP Velotechnik characteristic with the suspension and extras) but doesn’t feel it with the weight being concentrated low down.
The appearance of this bike changes a lot depending on the height of the rider it’s set up for. The rear rack is fixed to the seat base and slides with it so when set up for a tall rider it hangs out over the rear wheel together with any luggage attached to it or the seat back. This exaggerates the length of the frame tube protruding from under the seat giving it an ungainly appearance. For a shorter rider with the seat well forward it looks more of a piece, especially with the Humpert bars I’ve fitted instead of the originals.
As you couldn’t fit lowrider panniers to the front wheel, the underseat pannier frames are a welcome bonus. I’ve been using a pair of vintage Carradice front panniers on them. The space between the seat base and the road is a bit tight for conventional depth rear panniers. I’ve since increased the carrying potential with some used Arkel RT40 recumbent specific panniers.
I’ve seen several Spirits on ebay since I’ve had this bike, all with a higher starting price than this one, and with lower specifications. For a HPV bike, they’re still relatively cheap.
If this bike had underseat steering… There’s always the wondering if there’s something that’s faster with less effort out there, even for a sloth like me, with the same level of comfort.
Then again, a HPV Grasshopper came and went, seemed great on paper, even had USS, but I just couldn’t get it to go. It weighed about the same as the Spirit, but whether it was the seat recline combined with me being short, or just something else, I don’t know. The Spirit just was an easier ride, especially on hills, and the Linear was too. I reconciled myself to the fact that more upright recumbents suit me better.
My hopes of stretching the miles out towards the end of last year came to nothing, after a promising 80 miler on the Linear which I’d hoped to match on the Spirit. I went down with Covid then Pericarditis with “no strenuous activity” for a month by which time the clocks had changed and the riding day had shrunk.
The Grasshopper was a distraction which kept me off my other bikes until I sold it in January this year.
I was just getting going again with these, enjoying the space in the garage, when another distraction emerged in the form of a Rans Stratus XP which I had the chance to buy.
Having got used to the idea that LWB is the way to go, after several years searching for the “one” SWB that’ll do it all to maybe replace the Linear, here was something even lengthier to evaluate.
The Spirit, as a handy sized recumbent that could go on a car rack, on a train, carry touring gear and is generally comfortable to ride even on mild off road, has seen off my last diamond framed bike (which it was actually shorter than), my trike, and the Grasshopper. It’s definitely one to keep, for its general handiness.
It’s a very underrated bike. Very suitable if you are short, or old, or both.
After writing this up, I was motivated to give it a wash. Then I rode it round the block to dry it out. Nope. Nothing’s changed. It’s still a very nice bike.
Two years with a HP Velotechnik Spirit 16/20
Two years have passed since this odd looking bike arrived as a collection of parts from the previous owner. It feels as if I've had it longer, as i've done such a varety of rides on it. The seller sent comprehensive assembly instructions and it went back together with no major issues.
It’s a compact long wheelbase (CLWB) two wheel recumbent with a fairly upright seating position, over seat steering, full suspension and a 16” front, 20” rear set up. The bottom bracket is at the steering head. It has a SRAM Dual drive 3X8 rear hub giving 24 gears. Perhaps performance orientated recumbentists might scoff at its uprightness and describe it as an unfashionable Chairbike, Scooterbike, Semi recumbent bike, etc. SWB bikes seem more the thing now, or increasingly, trikes. Whatever, it works for me.
It fulfils nearly all the criteria which I was looking for.
1. Lowish seat. Adjustability to pedals suitable for a shorty, not too much seat recline or at least, enough adjustability.
2. Good gear range. After experimentation, I’ve settled on 17.5 -89”
3. Bottom bracket not too high.
4. Rear suspension.
5. Would have preferred USS. However, the OSS is very practical, easy to mount gadgets.
6. Luggage capacity -came with under seat pannier frames.
7. Made in the 21st century.
8. Versatile enough to be able to be ridden on unmade surfaces, with mudguard clearances.
9. Value for money! I had a very good deal when I bought this bike.
Also dual suspension, mudguards, rear rack, kick stand.
It has plenty of extras. Disc brakes, SON hub dynamo with Supernova headlight. Underseat pannier frames, as mentioned above. The previous owner had done some tweaks to the chain line so that the chain tubes had a straighter run than standard, and lowered the gearing by fitting a smaller chainring. The original was around 40” -100”, it was 16”-82”, a little too low, when I bought it, now 17.5” -89” which is a decent compromise.
The original cranks were 160mm but despite myself being pretty short, after giving them a good trial I fitted 170mm to replicate the feel of the 170s on the Linear.
It came with some cheap general purpose pedals which I replaced with some MKS folding pedals as the trike took up so much space in the garage. Once I’d sold the trike I fitted some MKS 303 BMX pedals to the Spirit which felt much more direct.
It has a reputation as an “urban recumbent” but this is to undersell its abilities. My first longish trip in the first year, about 33 miles, included road, towpath and bridleway and it coped fine. I even passed an old guy going uphill on an upright bike in club colours! (very s l o w l y though). In light of that experience I fitted a new Big Apple on the front with good effect as the original Cityjet had become hardened with age. It’s a similar set up to the Linear, with the front tyre being slightly wider than the rear. I’ve shortened the stem, fitted Humpert Englischer cockpit style bars. I’ve made adjustments to stop the side stand buzzing against its stop, and to stop the rear mudguard vibrating on rough surfaces. The suspension is very effective against larger bumps, and soaks up speed humps like a dream, but some surfaces do create a slight buzz.
Since then I’ve done several of 55+ mile rides again covering some towpath and a good part of the Chester Greenway. The small wheels don’t seem to be a handicap despite the misgivings of those who follow the doctrine of biggest is best. I met a MTBer on the well surfaced towpath in Chester. A meeting of two extremes. My 16” front versus his 29 inch wheels. He said, “how do you balance with those tiny wheels?”. I just do. Perhaps it’s one of those things that if you think about it too much you won’t be able to ride, as in my early days with the Linear. If you just set off, you can do it, but if you think about it too much, you’ll be paralysed into inaction. The phrase “just do it” helped me get over that.
The Linear seemed to have a tiny front wheel when I first had it, but with a Big Apple on it, the 20” wheel seems unremarkable now. Perhaps a 20/20 would look more balanced, but the 16” front on the Spirit works and gives a low stepover for us shorter types. After a few months of use I came across a traffic jam in town one day and it just sort of clicked. Without thinking about it I found myself standing alongside it ready to wheel on to the pavement and get back on the road at a clearer spot. The Linear or the trike would have taken some forward planning to get off and do this. It’s more like the Brompton where you can just hop on and off.
The SON hub dynamo and Supernova front light work very well. After being late turning for home after one of my rides I was very impressed by the way I could ride at fairly normal speed after dark. The beam is long and narrow but keeps its brightness even down to walking speed going uphill.
It is very easy to get on and off with its low stepover, even on steep hills and difficult surfaces. Unlike the Linear, where it’s necessary to use the side stand to get on and off, or lean it on something, you can just step off holding the bars. Just as well, as the side stand is a bit difficult to reach when seated on the Spirit. No problem when standing alongside, though you could just as easily lean it against a wall like a conventional bike. It climbs surprisingly well, though I find that it works best for me with the seat back in its most upright position. The seat cushion is well padded but curiously, the one on the Linear with less padding feels more comfortable. Perhaps a Linear cushion, if I can find one, might be an improvement. There’s definitely more scope for recumbutt with this one.
How does it roll? It has a 50-305 Big apple on the front, and 47-406 Marathon on the back. Given any sort of downhill, it picks up speed quickly and seems fast enough, but loses speed noticeably quickly too, on a corresponding uphill. On the flat the wheels seem quite busy beneath you even at moderate speeds though it accelerates noticeably faster than the Linear with its 20/700C set up. Particularly noticeable in town traffic with a lot of stop/ start. The larger wheeled bike holds on to its momentum and freewheels better. On open road riding there doesn’t seem much difference between them in terms of speed. The Spirit is much lower than the Linear so presumably is more aero. Its disc brakes combined with the small wheels are very sharp without much lever effort.
The Spirit is reputedly heavy (a HP Velotechnik characteristic with the suspension and extras) but doesn’t feel it with the weight being concentrated low down.
The appearance of this bike changes a lot depending on the height of the rider it’s set up for. The rear rack is fixed to the seat base and slides with it so when set up for a tall rider it hangs out over the rear wheel together with any luggage attached to it or the seat back. This exaggerates the length of the frame tube protruding from under the seat giving it an ungainly appearance. For a shorter rider with the seat well forward it looks more of a piece, especially with the Humpert bars I’ve fitted instead of the originals.
As you couldn’t fit lowrider panniers to the front wheel, the underseat pannier frames are a welcome bonus. I’ve been using a pair of vintage Carradice front panniers on them. The space between the seat base and the road is a bit tight for conventional depth rear panniers. I’ve since increased the carrying potential with some used Arkel RT40 recumbent specific panniers.
I’ve seen several Spirits on ebay since I’ve had this bike, all with a higher starting price than this one, and with lower specifications. For a HPV bike, they’re still relatively cheap.
If this bike had underseat steering… There’s always the wondering if there’s something that’s faster with less effort out there, even for a sloth like me, with the same level of comfort.
Then again, a HPV Grasshopper came and went, seemed great on paper, even had USS, but I just couldn’t get it to go. It weighed about the same as the Spirit, but whether it was the seat recline combined with me being short, or just something else, I don’t know. The Spirit just was an easier ride, especially on hills, and the Linear was too. I reconciled myself to the fact that more upright recumbents suit me better.
My hopes of stretching the miles out towards the end of last year came to nothing, after a promising 80 miler on the Linear which I’d hoped to match on the Spirit. I went down with Covid then Pericarditis with “no strenuous activity” for a month by which time the clocks had changed and the riding day had shrunk.
The Grasshopper was a distraction which kept me off my other bikes until I sold it in January this year.
I was just getting going again with these, enjoying the space in the garage, when another distraction emerged in the form of a Rans Stratus XP which I had the chance to buy.
Having got used to the idea that LWB is the way to go, after several years searching for the “one” SWB that’ll do it all to maybe replace the Linear, here was something even lengthier to evaluate.
The Spirit, as a handy sized recumbent that could go on a car rack, on a train, carry touring gear and is generally comfortable to ride even on mild off road, has seen off my last diamond framed bike (which it was actually shorter than), my trike, and the Grasshopper. It’s definitely one to keep, for its general handiness.
It’s a very underrated bike. Very suitable if you are short, or old, or both.
After writing this up, I was motivated to give it a wash. Then I rode it round the block to dry it out. Nope. Nothing’s changed. It’s still a very nice bike.
Last edited:
