What Tips and Tricks can you give me?

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

OK

As per the title....

I'm after your advice, experience, tips and tricks on a recumbent.

It can be anything from lights, where the **** to mount a garmin, how to deal with rain, how to keep my knees warmer, how to stay dry... maintenance, cleaning it, dealing with dogs (so far OK) dealing with horses (met one and the rider asked if she could introduce the horse to me)... anything you can think of please because this is a totally new field to me and I'm feeling a little daunted and reckon there must be loads of experience out there that can be put down electronically and conveyed to me!

I've lost the smilie I wanted... the one that bows down to everyone... where has it gone to.

Found it...

 

[andytheflyer]

Well, as for horses......
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/horses-and-recumbent-bikes.172708/

Lights: you can fit a mount (I like the Minoura spacebar mount) to the FD post and mount lights on that. I also have a largish road bike underseat bag fixed to the back at the top of the seat - that (Topeak) has a tape so you can clip in a rear light - I use a big Smart LED. With a bit of ingenuity you should be able to do similar of the top of your seat. The bag tapes go around the headrest mount.

The Topeak bottle cage mount also allows you to fit a bottle to any tube, and then a pump on the same mount.

Looking at yours, I bet the handrest posts are 25mm dia, so a Minoura would fit on there, and you could mount a Garmin on that, or lights.

Recumbents are a challenge - nothing made for an upright quite fits, but with a bit of creativity you can make the usual kit work.

I have found it a satisfying challenge to set my bike bent up the way I want it, using my road bike lights and Garmin, using whatever mounts and adaptors I can find on the 'net, or in my bits box.

 

[Ganymede]

I've got a good one - don't wear a skirt!! Well I thought I'd give it a go... really, really doesn't work! But I suspect you're not much of a skirt-on-a-bike kinda gal, I only do it occasionally if needed!

 

[young Ed]

to keep water bottles dry, clean and sanitary give them a normal wash out be it by hand with hot water and washing up liquid or in the dishwasher etc and then let just flick them out and then for the magic! roll up a piece of kitchen paper and stick it in the bottle length ways and screw the cap on just enough to hold it but not on tight, you may need to change the paper after a day or two if it is properly moist/damp but otherwise just leave it in there until next use and it will keep the bottle bone dry and stop any algae/bacteria etc growing
Cheers Ed

 

[Slioch]

@SatNavSaysStraightOn
I think I've got an unused spacebar mount kicking around in my box of spares, and you're very welcome to it if you want? I won't have time this evening, but I'll dig it out and post up a picture of it tomorrow for you to see what you think.

 

[Tigerbiten]

The best ways I've found to lock it away from home is with a 4 foot cable with loops both ends and a padlock.
The cable goes through one front wheel and then both ends get padlocked to the chain guard.
This makes a big area between the cable and the frame for a post/tree/railings/etc to fit inside to stop the trike going walkabout.
If you need a longer length then just feed the cable through a loop and only padlock one end to the chainguard.
Also if you use the top of the chainguard, you wont need to bend as far to lock it.
I use this all the time plus a D lock in the back wheel as needed.

 

[classic33]

OK
I've lost the smilie I wanted... the one that bows down to everyone... where has it gone to.

Found it...

Better Version.

 

[Tim Hall]

An alternative to drinks bottles is a Camelback (or cheap knock off copy) slung in a bag over the back of the seat. @kimble did some magic with strategically placed rare earth magnets to hold the drinking tube in a grabbable place under the seat, but she's clever like that.

A toe strap/rubber band can be used on a brake lever as a parking brake.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

@Tim Hall the magnets sound like good idea. We had also been thinking about a camalbak rucksack type solution as well but finance being tight, it will have to wait until I've sold some old kit or a few months have passed.

@Slioch that would be fantastic thank you.

Today's project is to see some Velcro onto some trekking pole holders to adapt them to the back of the trike seat to take my crutches which it sadly seems like I'm going to need for some time to come. The trekking pole holders were an entire £3.50 each off eBay. Plus a couple of buckles that were lying around, the pole holders have straps on them already, and some old pipe insulation cable tie onto the bike and jobs sorted. We h
Already had the Velcro, so that it sorted for £7 including postage! I know other options are available but they rely on other people doing it for me, and that other person is exhausted and it's his birthday this Sunday so I don't want to over burden him.

 

[Slioch]

@SatNavSaysStraightOn
Apologies SNSSO, but I've just been through my spares box and can't find the spacebar. Guess I must have already passed it on somewhere along the way. Sorry!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

@SatNavSaysStraightOn
Apologies SNSSO, but I've just been through my spares box and can't find the spacebar. Guess I must have already passed it on somewhere along the way. Sorry!

Never mind. Thanks for the offer.

 

[Bazzer]

I don't have a recumbent, so feel free to shoot me down, but having read some of your posts about the modifications you required to your 'bent, have you considered speaking with a small engineering company about a purpose made bar/s? You are not too far from Warrington, Chester etc or there could even be one in some of the smaller settlements.
They may have some off cut stainless tubing or bar which they should be able to cut and bend to your specific requirements. With luck the most difficult aspect would be making the brackets to fit to your existing frame.
With finances being tight, a couple of calls may give you some idea of the cost and at least you would have something which suited you and not a compromise or bodge.

 

[classic33]

What size are the poles? Have you considered plastic pipe clips/spacers to hold them.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

What size are the poles? Have you considered plastic pipe clips/spacers to hold them.

They are crutch sized. Sorry! I have considered pipe clips but pipe clips have a little hole in the back of them to be screws into something and I was thinking that may not be my best move screwing 6 clips into the metal frame of the seat



The trekking pole holders I have found will work really well once I have them attached by Velcro later today and it's something can do rather than rely on others to get for me and do like my husband fitting the long reach derailuer for me...

 

[machew]

As I dont like flags on my 'bent I built one of these


I serves as a double purpose, it holds the camera and on the back I have stuck red leds as a rear light

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30cm-LED-...Domain_3&var=510583399215&hash=item4ae59ad918