Cycling UK Forum

meic wrote:...
As I am sure that one of the joys of a recumbent is the screaming descents and breaking the 50mph barrier...

Yes: I love fast descents, especilly after I have worked so hard to get to the top !!
BUT I just can't stop thinking about what happens if I come off a 2 wheeler (puncture, grit, oil slick...) on that descent

At the moment I descend faster on my Zox lowracer than on my Kett, but the Kett is more fun !! (hopefully my on-order Vortex will bring the best of both worlds !!)

Cost: well we do not have a car, I cycle everywhere, and a bent is cheaper than a car ! And if you factor in car insurance, maintenance, VED and spread the purchase cost over over 10 years then I can easily convince myself that a new Vortex is just what I need

Comments etc: for every "that's a weird bike" there's a "cool bike mister" !!

I have had SJSC 140mm cranks on my recumbents for sometime now: I am very happy with them, and love the short cranks

http://www.zoxed.eu/short_cranks.html

[XAP]Bob wrote:

zoxed wrote:I would check carefully what is required. As a German company this model probably has a clear place within German law, but it's legal requirements may be ambiguous under UK law !

I though there were EU harmonisation legislations....

"EU harmonisation" = oxymoron ?

I do not follow electric bike developments, but, IIRC, Germany recently introduced a new, higher speed, e-bike laws.

(Personally I hope they do not allow a 28mph trike on the bike paths !!)

I would check carefully what is required. As a German company this model probably has a clear place within German law, but it's legal requirements may be ambiguous under UK law !

I noticed that no-one linked to Seamus' list yet: https://sites.google.com/site/cyclingfilms/

13 Semester: recumbent trike chase !! http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/s ... ter_e.html

Probably not the answer you are looking for but here is my experience:

Many years ago I bought a recumbent trike (Hase Kettwiesel) for commuting in the snow/ice/wet leaves. I used it one winter and never went back to 2 wheels: I loved the relaxed feeling of less to worry about when cycling, and commute on it year round now. However at the weekends, especially in the summer I preferred the fun and speed of 2 wheels: either a PDQ or a Zox Lowracer.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I fell off my Zox: no one else involved, just an argument with a kerb stone The tarmac was rougher than usual so quite bad grazing but nothing broken. It was the last straw (especially as I have occasionally wondered what kind of road rash I would get if I fell off descending at 30/40mph !!) and I am now looking out for "fast" trike for the weekends (WC/Vortex/700). Maybe I never go back to 2 wheels !!

Summary: the best way to avoid hip injury is to go to 3 wheels.

Steveo2020 wrote:I read somewhere, I think in the CTC mag, a Mike Burrows article about riding with short cranks
...

Download article here (Dec 2007 CT mag): http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/200801047.pdf (PDF)

Brucey wrote:size 54...?

doesn't that make his feet/shoes about 18"-20" long????

That is almost twice the size of my little trotters!
...

Or he could making a point: the ignone-inconsistent-formulas-and-use-what-is-comfortable point does not help you choose a crank length !!

Benethi wrote:Maybe that's not such a bad idea...as most people will have one leg stronger than the other, you could have a longer crank for the weaker leg...

Or for a longer leg ?

WaterLab Rat wrote:...We both have an x-seam of 42.5" but I am 6' with a 34" inside leg and the seller is 5'8" with a 28" inside leg...

I agree that X-seam is what counts on a recumbent. I guess you both used the same method for measuring the X-seam, but did you use the same method to determine inside leg ? I am never sure exactly how to measure this (e.g. for trousers): did you both measure from the floor to your 'sit bones' ? Did you both measure it yourself, which requires bending over which alters the measurement ? Or did a friend measure it ?

Went for £2,105.21

thirdcrank wrote:

meic wrote:I dont know, you cant see much from down there.

i wonder if that's what ordinary riders said about the new-fangled safety bicycles.

Somewhere I have a cutout from the CTC mag where they have a quote about how low these "new" bikes are, how unstable they are to ride etc. Only at the end do your see that the quote is 18?? and so they are referring to "safety" bikes, not recumbents !

irc wrote: Anyone any idea what these go for?

I am not sure, but I would not be surprised if it headed for 2k (in good condition and it does have extras.)

I also note that the eBay user is benkinetics, so I *guess* it is the guy who owns the bike shop ! Probably does not come with a shop guarantee, but I would trust a bike shop owner selling a trike over someone I had never heard of !

If he was shipping to Germany I may have bid !