What Tips and Tricks can you give me?

[byegad]

The widest gear ratio possible is always the way to go. My three trikes all use 11-34 rear cassettes and have variously 22-34-48, 24-40-50 and 26-40-53 triples up front, all with a 20" drive wheel.

Ignore those who suggest you can get away without a triple up front, the weight of a tadpole trike makes going up hill slow work and having a gear low enough to do this without too much heaving and straining is well worth the extra weight and complication of setting it up. It also saves your knees! The riding position on a recumbent allows you to press much harder on the pedal than you would on a DF which is not good in the long term for your knees, so learn to change down early and spin rather than heave up hills. Running out of a gear low enough for this too often is a bad thing! Having as high a gear as you can get as well as the lowest you need means you can power down hills in rolling countryside and use the speed you gain to help you part way up the next rise.
As for setting up the triple, it is exactly the same process as a normal bike so any half way decent bike shop should be able to do it for you.

 

[Encephrich]

Bit late to this but I have been remiss in logging in lately

The advice for ideas and things to do I found by seeking out blogs and a few groups on social media.
Much of it I probably will not do due to costs but they give rise to alternate ideas that may be less expensive and could be done.

one such blog is http://liegeradmann.de/ Its in German but the PC will translate for me. Down on the right hand side is a link to the technical section, which may be of interest!

Not sure if this will help *probably just posting to say I'm still alive*

 

[Tigerbiten]

Thanks, but I personally don't think the sprocket is the cause of the problem tbh. It really shows no signs of use. I'll photo it later and see what you think but compared to a brand new 16t one we happen to have spare it looks identical ... Other than 1 extra tooth that is!

Do you have the sprocket removal block or can you get your hands on one ??
If you can then try the 16t sprocket.
This will prove if you need a new 17t sprocket or not.

Even after 8k miles my 21 tooth sprocket didn't look at all worn but the chain just started to jump.
They were surprised at ICE when the new chain started to jump under load.
I don't think it takes much wear at all on the sprocket before a new chain starts jumping on a Rohloff sprocket with a derailleur.

 

[starhawk]

I've put the waterbottle on the helping handle but they are just out of reach. Nothing can go on the steering handles because after the grips and brake lever, there simply isn't room. The mirrors are designed to go on them and were, but I've moved those over to the helping handles as well so I can see them better without constantly having to move my head. The front derailuer mount is in use by the front derailuer, so I have the official ICE bracket to mount the front lights.

I have mounted my waterbottle on the original place on the frame just in front of the seat. ICE have this wonderful bottle cage riser which turn this mount into a very good place to have the bottle. I also plan to move my mirrors to the helping handles, as I have Mirrycles mirrors I plan to use my two Mirror mounts also a good mount from ICE. My front lightmount from ICE is used by a home-made bracket which holds the front unit of Bicygnals so I have got an adjustable T-mount for the front light which I mount on that home-made bracket

 

[jayjay]

Rain - anything with a zip in the front tends to let in water because it puddles, and even a good zip and flap aren't going to work well submerged. I use a sailing type top which pulls on over the head. Too sweaty for athletic pedalling but keeps out the sleet 'n' stuff completely. Regrettably expensive unless you find a bargain somewhere, as it's that type of market. Has anyone found a good buy?

 

[Encephrich]

Now I think of it here's a tip I was given when I first went recumbent:

'Dont try any serious gradients for the first 150Kms.'

I was told that the body (muscles, circulation etc) has to get used to pedaling in a recumbent position and needed time to adjust, if one tried serious gradients you would run out of steam pretty fast and suffer, psychologically as well asphysically.
Apparently some have given up bents because of this mistake, believing bents were not for them.
Some of the more experienced riders on the forum would be able to confirm/deny this advice as I just went with it and haven't had probs

 

[Ganymede]

Now I think of it here's a tip I was given when I first went recumbent:

'Dont try any serious gradients for the first 150Kms.'

I was told that the body (muscles, circulation etc) has to get used to pedaling in a recumbent position and needed time to adjust, if one tried serious gradients you would run out of steam pretty fast and suffer, psychologically as well asphysically.
Apparently some have given up bents because of this mistake, believing bents were not for them.
Some of the more experienced riders on the forum would be able to confirm/deny this advice as I just went with it and haven't had probs

I found mine very hard going at first, and ended up not using it for years. I only re-instated it last summer and have had a lot of fun on it, but it's been a learning experience!

 

[stuee147]

iv said it before and i belive there is no real differance between riding a bent or riding a standard bike. the thing you have to remember it dont matter if you can do 50 miles a day on a standard bike you wont be able to keep up on a bent. at least to start with. you use different mussels on a bent to a standard bike.
its a bit like walking on your hands you can do it with practice but it will show you mussels you didnt know you had but if you keep it up and start from scratch you can eisily build the right mussles up and you will soo be keeping up with your old standard bike times.

 

[Scoosh]

^ ^ ^ ^ and getting-started-balance on a 2-wheeled 'bent is about the same as walking on your hands to start with !
IMHE !

 

[Scoosh]

A possible future addition, to help with both the rain and cold could be a fairing - Calling @BlackPanther !

 

[Ganymede]

^ ^ ^ ^ and getting-started-balance on a 2-wheeled 'bent is about the same as walking on your hands to start with !
IMHE !

I always feel this is a really strong protection against bike thieves. They just wouldn't be able to ride it away....

 

[classic33]

Now I think of it here's a tip I was given when I first went recumbent:

'Dont try any serious gradients for the first 150Kms.'

I was told that the body (muscles, circulation etc) has to get used to pedaling in a recumbent position and needed time to adjust, if one tried serious gradients you would run out of steam pretty fast and suffer, psychologically as well asphysically.
Apparently some have given up bents because of this mistake, believing bents were not for them.
Some of the more experienced riders on the forum would be able to confirm/deny this advice as I just went with it and haven't had probs

Had no real choice when it came to starting out with regards hills.
I go down to get out, I've a 30° slope to get up. Head up and I've a 40° one way & a 50° the other.

 

[machew]

Trikes will roll if you corner to fast without shifting your weight over the inside wheel. (I speak from having rolled mine twice)

 

[Tigerbiten]

Trikes will roll if you corner to fast without shifting your weight over the inside wheel. (I speak from having rolled mine twice)

It's not the big fast corners that get you as you tend to expect a wheel to lift and lean to compensate.
I find it's the odd corner with an adverse camber that catches you by surprise and you suddenly find yourself up on two wheels.
The other classic one is misjudging the angle of a slope you are going across.

 

[starhawk]

Old myths die slowly, I have read on a number of places that there are no new muscle groups in play when you ride a recumbent compared to a DF. My own experience confirms this, I had no problem changing from my Mountainbike to my lovely trike