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Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 24 Sep 2021, 9:20pm
by Tigerbiten
I you're going down the second hand route then try contacting Kevin Dunseath, of D-TEK in Little Thetford near Ely.
He's the person to get in contact with about all things second hand recumbent.

The bigger knee-hip-shoulder angle on a recumbent means you don't engage your glutes as much when you pedal, so you rely more on the quads for power.
So even if you're cycling fit, it helps to do around 1000 miles to build your quads up a new level of fitness and get your "bent legs".
I was very unfit when I first got my bent trike and spent many an hour over the few months in first gear cycling up the most gentle hills at around 3 mph wondering how to go faster before I built mine up.

Trikes can be "fun" on a camber.
If you lean right on a trike to counteract the camber then the trike tries to turn left into the ditch.
So if you're not careful on an upright trike with it's high CoG then you can find yourself automagically in the ditch.
This effect is much less noticeable on a bent trike with it low CoG, so nothing to worry about but it is how you can steer a bent trike hands off.

Luck ........... :D

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 24 Sep 2021, 9:53pm
by [XAP]Bob
There is also the lack of “instinct” trying to counter steer to induce a lean that never comes

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 25 Sep 2021, 4:30pm
by LiveFree
Another fantastic round of helpful responses, thanks folks :D I will do my best to heed your advice and hopefully not find myself jettisoned into a nearby ditch :roll:

It's good to be prepared for how long it might take to acclimatise to riding in a totally different way to what I am used to. I think now that Tilley has kindly offered to hopefully help out- I will aim to take a short test ride locally from some helpful soul, and then- from there- if all goes well, make contact with Kevin at d-tek: thanks Tigerbiten for that fantastic suggestion.

Fingers and toes crossed all goes well! Perhaps I will post an update at some point..if I remember to! Thanks again to you all for taking the time to reply- you have been brilliant.

Happy cycling to you all :D

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 27 Sep 2021, 11:16pm
by searat
Tilley wrote:I'm based in Bristol and have an ICE sprint 26" and a TNT 20". The TNT is an earlier version of the ICE adventure trike and it has been upgraded to full suspension as well as other mods. I also run a Facebook group for recumbent trike riders in Wales and the South West with some members in Gloucester. So between us we should be able to arrange a test ride.
Hi - which is the Facebook group for recumbent trike riders in Wales?
Cheers,
Steve


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 28 Sep 2021, 11:08am
by hercule
I think the option of buying second hand is an excellent one. Personally I don’t think an hour or two of riding is long enough to get an idea of what a machine is like especially if you have no prior experience. I don’t think you can go wrong with an ICE trike, they have excellent factory support, they are well thought out, and if you do buy used and don’t like it you will probably be able to sell it on for minimal loss - just consider your expenditure a returnable deposit! If you like it you can either upgrade it as you go along or buy one new in a year or so when you are confident you know what you want/need.


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 28 Sep 2021, 11:21am
by LiveFree
Hello my friend, thanks for that- I found it really helpful :D That was basically exactly the view I was taking! Seeing it as a way of 'renting' one to try out properly. I really do concur with what you said about an hour or two not being enough. I had a couple of test rides on a Brompton bike years ago..and didn't like it very much. I then later received one as a gift, and after a period of getting used to it (which took a fair bit longer than an hour or two!) really loved it.

I will start to scan around now then for a secondhand one. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Happy cycling :D

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 28 Sep 2021, 11:55am
by Tigerbiten
I tried riding a bike after my accident with a tiger and while it was possible, the safety factor it was also very iffy.
Found ICE on the internet and gave them a ring, "can I come and try one".
I was very 50-50 about buying one on the drive down.
It took me 30 seconds trying one around the carpark to decide "I WANT one of these".
Picked up my first bent trike a couple of weeks later.
That was ~12years ago.
It took me a further 4 years and a new model to slowly tweak the trike to it's current configuration.
Once I truly built up my bent legs, I never regretted it.

Luck ........ :D

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 28 Sep 2021, 5:46pm
by [XAP]Bob
LiveFree wrote: 28 Sep 2021, 11:21am Hello my friend, thanks for that- I found it really helpful :D That was basically exactly the view I was taking! Seeing it as a way of 'renting' one to try out properly. I really do concur with what you said about an hour or two not being enough. I had a couple of test rides on a Brompton bike years ago..and didn't like it very much. I then later received one as a gift, and after a period of getting used to it (which took a fair bit longer than an hour or two!) really loved it.

I will start to scan around now then for a secondhand one. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Happy cycling :D
My first one was an ebay special - it was damaged avoiding an incident with a vehicle whose driver wasn't watching what they were doing at all, and my insurance was new for old - I did quite well out of that.

But the "a year's rental" philosophy was what convinced me to take the plunge, and I never looked back.

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 28 Sep 2021, 10:56pm
by belgiangoth
LiveFree wrote: 28 Sep 2021, 11:21am I will start to scan around now then for a secondhand one. Thanks for taking the time to post.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224615614744
*cough* not mine *cough*
I would totally have gone for it, had I sold a couple of bikes. It's above a standard starter price, but comes with extras (streamer, bags, lights) which more than make up for it imo.

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 30 Sep 2021, 7:07pm
by LiveFree
Evening all,

Thanks Tigerbiten for sharing that..I will certainly still aim to take a quick test ride on someone else's trike; but I will also start to scan around a bit and see what going prices are and just do a bit of research. Kevin at d-tek still seems like a very good option for me- one I prefer to an 'ebay special' if I'm honest. (I've had my fingers burnt one too many times with ebay and buying from a distance from some 'random.') Btw..it had crossed my mind that your username was an interesting one..I didn't think for a minute that it was a literal one!! Poor you: but much respect to you for finding a cycle solution that works for you :D

I like the 'year's rental' philosophy Bob! Once I have hopefully found a recumbent to take a little ride on first, this will most certainly be my approach I think.

Thanks Belgiangoth for the link to that ebay advert..I had already come across it actually, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. I notice though that it has now sold anyway..so good for the seller!

Happy cycling all :D

Re: Anybody with a recumbent trike in Gloucestershire?

Posted: 30 Sep 2021, 8:29pm
by [XAP]Bob
A day trip to DTek would give you a lot of information very quickly.

All the different steering mechanisms, seat types, suspension options etc...

It would be a full day for you, but you'd be making a first purchase with as much information as it is reasonably possible to acquire.

Still worth finding something local for a first try, and if there is a good deal locally then it's worth testing.