Cycling UK Forum

New bike at Spa, quite different from their usual ware.
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s19p3385

I quite like the look of it, especially the articulated (is not the word...please insert ) front steering. It's not a big load carrier, or could it be adapted to improve load carrying?

A bit pricy, but then when people think nothing of spending that on a car, it may appeal to some new-comers to urban cycling.

Not something I'd ride, but I do quite like that. Especially the ability to lean it over during cornering. That's quite clever

Tilting tikes are quite fun... Make it easier to ride than a non tilting trike...

There are other folding trikes on the market. The leaning stuff is like 2 front wheel motor scooters which have been around for some time, and I'm pretty sure leaning pedal trikes have been invented several times over. The main problem is that it is far far too expensive. Cut the price to £600-700 and perhaps there is a market. I cannot see where the cost comes from, unless it is because it is aimed at the present Christiani type market. On a positive note, at least it is moderately light unlike other utility tricycles.

[XAP]Bob wrote:Tilting tikes are quite fun... Make it easier to ride than a non tilting trike...

Easier because they ride like a bicycle. But the fun in riding a lightweight upright tricycle is hanging off the side of the thing on decent bends. Obviously this is a very different market place. I admit I quite fancy a go on a Piaggio two front wheeled scooter.

IMHO it's a great concept and very simple to fold.
In a flatish city/town environment it's a winner due to it's versatility.
Will it it sell in the UK?
Outside certain flat terrain cities such as London,Cambridge,etc it's appeal is limited I think,though it could be geared down to suit with a smaller chain ring or larger sprocket.
The price is the real killer though,I'd have to have a serious use for that bike to spend £2100 on it.
One thing that does concern me is wear on the front steering/leaning joints,if replacements are standard stuff readily available then it's a goer,but if they can't be sourced and replaced easily it's a dead duck,and I'd need some reassurances on that

Whenever I see something new like this I ask myself,what can it do than an ordinary bike can't?
In this case not much IMO,unless you're trucking stuff around town all day it begs the question,is it durable enough?
OTOH it does fold quite compact for a trike,and may have an appeal to those who aren't comfortable on two wheels.
My mind keeps coming to the price stacked against it's usefulness.For some that'll be an equation easily squared but for most I'm inclined(sorry)to think it won't.

We looked at these in the Spa shop this week. I concluded that as an active person something like this might come in useful in my old age, if balance or stability became an issue.

I would rather have a bike with panniers and a separate shopping bag on wheels though!

Having spent 15 years in around Cambridge I can't see it taking off there either to be honest.

ETA that obvs we didn't go into the shop to look at the Kiffy, it was just there!

Bensons wrote:ETA

What does that mean? ETA seems increasingly common but abbreviation searches suggest more than 300 possibilities. Which is it? I can usually figure something else from context but not when it stands alone at the start of a post.

Cute. And I love the fact the BBC have taken to doing a review [emoji848]

Me thinks that it's not a bad idea to have more cargo bikes about.

Edited to add?

Looks like a very interesting concept and an extremely elegant design. They have done well to keep the weight so low. However it's a bIt pricey and some gears would help.

Looks interesting - useful but expensive. I guess the lack of gears is down to the hub and a shifter being on separable parts of the bike - not insurmountable but certainly an application crying out for wireless shifting.

fastpedaller wrote:Edited to add?

This

MartinC wrote:Looks interesting - useful but expensive. I guess the lack of gears is down to the hub and a shifter being on separable parts of the bike - not insurmountable but certainly an application crying out for wireless shifting.

No problem - just add another grand to the price

No real need to put the gearshift on the handlebar......

Colin
That gear changer is a necessary compromise due to the seperable wheelchair nature of the vehicle.IMHO it won't wash for an everyday bike,and may even be a mark against it in a world of fingertip STI convenience.
I could be wrong though.