Where to start with recumbents?

DIscuss anything relating to non-standard cycles and their equipment.
Campag
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Joined: 2 Dec 2018, 8:04pm

Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by Campag »

That looks good. Another option for the bars would be the tandem stoker stem that St John Street cycles sell, as a way of getting the cars higher / closer. If the diameter of the seat tube is suitable, or alternatively you might be able to fasten it to the vertical part of a stem.
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squeaker
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Location: Sussex

Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by squeaker »

Neat :) (Must check the seat post on my Marin East Peak :lol: )
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UpWrong
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Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by UpWrong »

Impressive! Is the pole steel or aluminium?
Freedom21tim
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Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by Freedom21tim »

Aluminium about 1.2mm thick wall, feels pretty stiff, there is some flex in the end of the boom but i think that is mainly due to the sleeve only being screwed currently will get it welded once I'm fully happy with setup.
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squeaker
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Location: Sussex

Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by squeaker »

Freedom21tim wrote:Aluminium about 1.2mm thick wall, feels pretty stiff, there is some flex in the end of the boom but i think that is mainly due to the sleeve only being screwed currently will get it welded once I'm fully happy with setup.

Hmmm, my HPV Grasshopper uses 60mmOD 3.5mm wall (Al) and ICE trike ~44.5mm OD with 1.6mm wall (steel) - suggest you keep an eye on the stress points ;)
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nobrakes
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Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by nobrakes »

Really impressive work! How much does it weigh?
Freedom21tim
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Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by Freedom21tim »

According to my luggage scales 14kg I recon when I can get out and get some bits from the metal stockist I can trim 500 grams off no trouble. For example the stem bolt is a bit of 10mm threaded rod nearly 500mm long with just the ends turned down and re treaded.

It was really just a test to see if I get on with the ‘bent’ riding position and if my ideas would work. I took
It for 4 mile ride yesterday and really pleased, hills may take some getting used to. The steering needs some tweaking, it’s a bit twitchy but I think that maybe the length of the stem and the 20” front wheel. On the flat I get up to top gear pretty quickly but any kind of incline and I’m flicking down fairly promptly. Now some of that is me(power or lack off) and some I think is the change in position.

But the longer term plan is once I’m satisfied with the setup to rebuild with fresh tube.

As well as fitting a back brake the real niggle is sorting the chain guides/rollers they are a bit noisy.
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hercule
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Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by hercule »

At first glance I thought that was a HPV Streetmachine. Well done, if that’s your first attempt I reckon you’ll be in business soon! :D
nobrakes
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Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by nobrakes »

14KG isn't too bad - less than my Fuego. Climbing hills may feel harder then you expect at first, it takes a while to get the legs adapted. When I first started riding in the steep hills of the Borders it felt like someone was pulling me backwards whenever I hit a hill, now I can put out the same power that I can on my road bike. Took a while to get there.

Small front wheel definitely might make the steering twitchier, I think the gyroscopic stability of big wheels is quite noticeable by its absence when you lose it on a 20 inch wheel.
Freedom21tim
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Joined: 28 Feb 2020, 7:43am
Location: Winchester

Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by Freedom21tim »

Yeah if I can find a suitable pair of 26” forks I may give those a go. Think I will need to extend the seat links otherwise I will almost be horizontal :D

Yeah it’s a hill a normally climb in a much higher gear, the other thing is I need to relax back in the seat a bit
I could feel myself pulling on the bars quite a bit.
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Orbit tandem
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hercule
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Re: Where to start with recumbents?

Post by hercule »

Freedom21tim wrote:Aluminium about 1.2mm thick wall, feels pretty stiff, there is some flex in the end of the boom but i think that is mainly due to the sleeve only being screwed currently will get it welded once I'm fully happy with setup.


You might want to stay with some kind of telescoping boom or at least adjustable crank position - changing crank length or altering the seat angle invariably needs a bit of seat-pedal adjustment.
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