HPVelotechnik Speedmachine?
HPVelotechnik Speedmachine?
Just becoming interested in recumbents and reading much online. Most reviews seem to be done by one guy mostly. I rather like the look of the Velotechnik products (at the moment) seats look well thought out and I'd prefer some rear suspension. Does anyone own a Speedmachine? Or has anyone got any views on it? Quite expensive but not much more than a decent mid range carbon df really I thought?
Re: HPVelotechnik Speedmachine?
Dave W wrote:Just becoming interested in recumbents and reading much online. Most reviews seem to be done by one guy mostly. I rather like the look of the Velotechnik products (at the moment) seats look well thought out and I'd prefer some rear suspension. Does anyone own a Speedmachine? Or has anyone got any views on it? Quite expensive but not much more than a decent mid range carbon df really I thought?
I have owned a Speedmachine with under seat steering for about 5 years . I find mine very comfortable and easy to ride but not quick compared to other recumbents I have or previously owned.
I love it for days out when you want to do some exploring on rural roads or cycle paths and when I ride to work . It would not be my choice if I was looking to go for a fast ride or going somewhere hilly as they are quite heavy.
I am quite short in the leg and find the seat height very good and has loads of adjustment.
To give you some idea about what I am making my comparisons with I also own a Catbike Musashi and a Ice trike . I previously owned a Bacchetta Giro 26 which was amazing but to tall for me.
Re: HPVelotechnik Speedmachine?
All the reviews by one guy? Bryan Ball or David McGraw or Peter Eland? Bryan's review sounds right http://www.bentrideronline.com/?p=1452
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Stradageek
- Posts: 1668
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Re: HPVelotechnik Speedmachine?
Hi Dave
I wrote the comparative review (below) for Velovision a few years ago, it might also help.
As additional years have passed it is pertinent to add that I have now covered 50,000 trouble free miles on the Speedmachine and have added only one other recumbent to the stable (a Kettwiesel tandem pair for me and my wife).
I constantly review new offerings on the market but have concluded that if the Speedmachine died for any reason (I think it would take a major crash to do so mind you) I would buy another tomorrow. On bumpy roads and into a headwind it has few equals - comfort and speed, what more could you want?
Strada or Speedmachine a personal view
I am a six-year veteran recumbent cyclist who started by building a KS2, just for fun and as a cheap way of entering the recumbent market. Even this heavy, ugly monster convinced me of the delights of recumbent cycling and I migrated rapidly to a second hand HP Velotechnik Speedmachine. With the Speedmachine I gained full suspension, braking power (discs) and general refinement. I have put nearly 5000 miles per year on this little German masterpiece.
In the last couple of years my many ‘up-wrong’ bicycles have all gone to good homes as a neck problem (too much low profile racing bike riding) means that I can now only ride recumbents. The last to go was my old Orbea racing bike and with its departure I found myself desperately missing the acceleration and climbing power it offered.
So after much research (thanks especially to the Velovison Forums and Bentrider Online) I decided to fill the ‘Orbea void’ with a Bacchetta Strada, billed as a light, fast ‘Highracer on a budget’. I couldn’t really afford the Corsa or Aero and I needed the B-Stem anyway to cope with my short arms/long legs.
So here are a few comparative thoughts for those wondering which is best. The answer, of course, is that they are just different but I hope the comparison might help someone to decide where to start on their recumbent journey.
The Speedmachine is the Mercedes SLK of the recumbent world. It is beautifully smooth and comfortable and with BB7 discs it has immense stopping power. This is just as well because at 38 pounds and with 50mph descending speeds you need good brakes. Low speed handling (tiller bars) is a bit challenging but ok and high speeds are just immense fun. Headwinds are barely noticeable.
Hill climbing and acceleration are the only problem areas. You need to use all the gears to get up big hills and attempts to ascend faster result in heavy breathing but little extra speed. When pushing hard at low cadence on the flat significant extra effort also seems to disappear into everything except acceleration. I don’t know where the blame lies but something indiscernible (boom flex, idler angle, suspension squat, weight/inertia) is eating the power. It’s not a big problem given the manifold virtues of this machine, you just relax and take hills steadily at high cadence. I am rarely out of breath, just a bit slow. The Speedmachine is therefore an ideal daily workhorse/fast tourer, which copes, in great comfort with my hilly 33-mile, round trip commute, half urban. half rural, all year, all weathers.
In buying the Strada I was looking for that other option, sacrifice a little comfort but gain speed and power. I’ve had the Strada a few months now and here are my thoughts.
The Strada is high; much higher than the Speedmachine and the ‘superman’ bars in front of the knees are very different from ‘tiller’ bars over the thighs. Getting the seat position/angle and handlebar adjustments right took a few weeks. The Strada feels too upright after the Speedmachine, even at the same seat angle, mainly because the feet are lower on the Strada. Stretching out the arms also feels very odd compared to resting them on my lap (I often hold the tiller bars in the centre in ‘hamster’ mode for better aerodynamics). Even with my long legs, hill starts in traffic are taking some practice.
The mesh/foam seat lacks the lumbar support of the hard shell Speedmachine seat but a bit of ‘modification’ has solved that problem. The ‘give’ in the seat does seem to suck a little power from the legs but the rigidity of the rest of the bike more than makes up for this and I guess that a Strada with a hard shell seat would be a very harsh ride. The foam-padded mesh seems to be almost as good as a suspension system in soaking up any jarring.
Without suspension however big/high speed road bumps will bounce the Strada off-course while the full suspension Speedmachine can plough through almost unperturbed. On my local, often very narrow and bumpy cycle paths the Speedmachine is completely untroubled whilst the Strada requires more concentration. This is rarely a serious problem because the Strada is generally more stable by virtue of the big 650C wheels working in combination with the rigid frame and more central weight distribution. On the Speedmachine you ride with a lot of your weight over that little 405 front wheel. I also feel, but can’t prove, that on coarse tarmac the Strada offers lower rolling resistance.
The rigidity of the Strada does yield really solid handling, I’ve yet to find the limits but I already feel the Strada can take corners faster than the Speedmachine. High-speed descents (on smooth-ish roads) also feel much less flighty on the Strada. And, joy of joys, it does both accelerate and climb! I’ve abandoned cycle computers (in favour of enjoying the ride) so I can’t quantify the improvement but I can change-up whilst climbing and still feel the acceleration. On tired legs at the end of a long ride the last few hills no longer hold any fear. The Strada is nearly a stone lighter than the Speedmachine but I’m sure the rigidity is the bigger factor.
Being ‘high’ you do lose the ‘ground effect’ that the Speedmachine is low enough to enjoy. Strong headwinds are a bit more noticeable but it’s still miles away from the ‘cycling into a brick wall’ experience of an upright bike and I can’t be sure whether the Strada is really that much slower. I recently reeled in a serious amateur time trialist racing against a strong headwind, though it did take me a few miles.
Pleasant surprises that the Strada has gifted me are:
1) The brakes (calliper) are fine, not the laxatives I feared
2) Slow speed stability is excellent, the stall speed is significantly less than the Speedmachine
3) Breathing is easier, lower legs or open arms seem to have much improved the available chest expansion
4) Horses are much less prone to bolt. While they often mistake the Speedmachine for a crouching lion they recognise the Strada as simply a bike.
The downsides are few; wary motorist still give me the space that I never enjoyed on an upright bike but the inhabitants of Northamptonshire clearly feel that while the Speedmachine looked odd, the Bacchetta looks ridiculous. Then again raucous screams as I pass Sunday afternoon pub gardens and teenage girls in serious danger of wetting themselves with hysteria are a small and amusing price to pay for such speed and comfort.
So what do I conclude? Clearly I need to double my annual mileage to get the most out of both of these beautiful machines.
PS. My son now has the Orbea and has already taken 10 minutes out of his hilly 14-mile commute, he’s ecstatic!
I wrote the comparative review (below) for Velovision a few years ago, it might also help.
As additional years have passed it is pertinent to add that I have now covered 50,000 trouble free miles on the Speedmachine and have added only one other recumbent to the stable (a Kettwiesel tandem pair for me and my wife).
I constantly review new offerings on the market but have concluded that if the Speedmachine died for any reason (I think it would take a major crash to do so mind you) I would buy another tomorrow. On bumpy roads and into a headwind it has few equals - comfort and speed, what more could you want?
Strada or Speedmachine a personal view
I am a six-year veteran recumbent cyclist who started by building a KS2, just for fun and as a cheap way of entering the recumbent market. Even this heavy, ugly monster convinced me of the delights of recumbent cycling and I migrated rapidly to a second hand HP Velotechnik Speedmachine. With the Speedmachine I gained full suspension, braking power (discs) and general refinement. I have put nearly 5000 miles per year on this little German masterpiece.
In the last couple of years my many ‘up-wrong’ bicycles have all gone to good homes as a neck problem (too much low profile racing bike riding) means that I can now only ride recumbents. The last to go was my old Orbea racing bike and with its departure I found myself desperately missing the acceleration and climbing power it offered.
So after much research (thanks especially to the Velovison Forums and Bentrider Online) I decided to fill the ‘Orbea void’ with a Bacchetta Strada, billed as a light, fast ‘Highracer on a budget’. I couldn’t really afford the Corsa or Aero and I needed the B-Stem anyway to cope with my short arms/long legs.
So here are a few comparative thoughts for those wondering which is best. The answer, of course, is that they are just different but I hope the comparison might help someone to decide where to start on their recumbent journey.
The Speedmachine is the Mercedes SLK of the recumbent world. It is beautifully smooth and comfortable and with BB7 discs it has immense stopping power. This is just as well because at 38 pounds and with 50mph descending speeds you need good brakes. Low speed handling (tiller bars) is a bit challenging but ok and high speeds are just immense fun. Headwinds are barely noticeable.
Hill climbing and acceleration are the only problem areas. You need to use all the gears to get up big hills and attempts to ascend faster result in heavy breathing but little extra speed. When pushing hard at low cadence on the flat significant extra effort also seems to disappear into everything except acceleration. I don’t know where the blame lies but something indiscernible (boom flex, idler angle, suspension squat, weight/inertia) is eating the power. It’s not a big problem given the manifold virtues of this machine, you just relax and take hills steadily at high cadence. I am rarely out of breath, just a bit slow. The Speedmachine is therefore an ideal daily workhorse/fast tourer, which copes, in great comfort with my hilly 33-mile, round trip commute, half urban. half rural, all year, all weathers.
In buying the Strada I was looking for that other option, sacrifice a little comfort but gain speed and power. I’ve had the Strada a few months now and here are my thoughts.
The Strada is high; much higher than the Speedmachine and the ‘superman’ bars in front of the knees are very different from ‘tiller’ bars over the thighs. Getting the seat position/angle and handlebar adjustments right took a few weeks. The Strada feels too upright after the Speedmachine, even at the same seat angle, mainly because the feet are lower on the Strada. Stretching out the arms also feels very odd compared to resting them on my lap (I often hold the tiller bars in the centre in ‘hamster’ mode for better aerodynamics). Even with my long legs, hill starts in traffic are taking some practice.
The mesh/foam seat lacks the lumbar support of the hard shell Speedmachine seat but a bit of ‘modification’ has solved that problem. The ‘give’ in the seat does seem to suck a little power from the legs but the rigidity of the rest of the bike more than makes up for this and I guess that a Strada with a hard shell seat would be a very harsh ride. The foam-padded mesh seems to be almost as good as a suspension system in soaking up any jarring.
Without suspension however big/high speed road bumps will bounce the Strada off-course while the full suspension Speedmachine can plough through almost unperturbed. On my local, often very narrow and bumpy cycle paths the Speedmachine is completely untroubled whilst the Strada requires more concentration. This is rarely a serious problem because the Strada is generally more stable by virtue of the big 650C wheels working in combination with the rigid frame and more central weight distribution. On the Speedmachine you ride with a lot of your weight over that little 405 front wheel. I also feel, but can’t prove, that on coarse tarmac the Strada offers lower rolling resistance.
The rigidity of the Strada does yield really solid handling, I’ve yet to find the limits but I already feel the Strada can take corners faster than the Speedmachine. High-speed descents (on smooth-ish roads) also feel much less flighty on the Strada. And, joy of joys, it does both accelerate and climb! I’ve abandoned cycle computers (in favour of enjoying the ride) so I can’t quantify the improvement but I can change-up whilst climbing and still feel the acceleration. On tired legs at the end of a long ride the last few hills no longer hold any fear. The Strada is nearly a stone lighter than the Speedmachine but I’m sure the rigidity is the bigger factor.
Being ‘high’ you do lose the ‘ground effect’ that the Speedmachine is low enough to enjoy. Strong headwinds are a bit more noticeable but it’s still miles away from the ‘cycling into a brick wall’ experience of an upright bike and I can’t be sure whether the Strada is really that much slower. I recently reeled in a serious amateur time trialist racing against a strong headwind, though it did take me a few miles.
Pleasant surprises that the Strada has gifted me are:
1) The brakes (calliper) are fine, not the laxatives I feared
2) Slow speed stability is excellent, the stall speed is significantly less than the Speedmachine
3) Breathing is easier, lower legs or open arms seem to have much improved the available chest expansion
4) Horses are much less prone to bolt. While they often mistake the Speedmachine for a crouching lion they recognise the Strada as simply a bike.
The downsides are few; wary motorist still give me the space that I never enjoyed on an upright bike but the inhabitants of Northamptonshire clearly feel that while the Speedmachine looked odd, the Bacchetta looks ridiculous. Then again raucous screams as I pass Sunday afternoon pub gardens and teenage girls in serious danger of wetting themselves with hysteria are a small and amusing price to pay for such speed and comfort.
So what do I conclude? Clearly I need to double my annual mileage to get the most out of both of these beautiful machines.
PS. My son now has the Orbea and has already taken 10 minutes out of his hilly 14-mile commute, he’s ecstatic!
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PDQ Mobile
- Posts: 4664
- Joined: 2 Aug 2015, 4:40pm
Re: HPVelotechnik Speedmachine?
Excellent review.
I am not a Speed Machine owner but have ridden quite a few thousand miles on a Street Machine.
StM suits my purpose better I prefer the more upright position but the two bikes do have similarities.
I also owned PDQ for a good while.
It was an excellent little thing. I took it round a mountain biking trail once something I would not attempt with StM. The small size of PDQ made it very nimble( for a recumbent).
I loved the discription of afternoon rides past pub gardens!!
On my first recumbent outing I was shocked by some of the reactions to the bike.
I am not a Speed Machine owner but have ridden quite a few thousand miles on a Street Machine.
StM suits my purpose better I prefer the more upright position but the two bikes do have similarities.
I also owned PDQ for a good while.
It was an excellent little thing. I took it round a mountain biking trail once something I would not attempt with StM. The small size of PDQ made it very nimble( for a recumbent).
I loved the discription of afternoon rides past pub gardens!!
On my first recumbent outing I was shocked by some of the reactions to the bike.
Last edited by PDQ Mobile on 21 Jan 2017, 9:49am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: HPVelotechnik Speedmachine?
Great review. I think there are 3 choices of handlebar with the Speedmachine: tiller, open-cockpit and underseat steering. "Open-cockpit" is often described as most "bike like" but there's a lot of personal preference as well as definite pros and cons.