ICE Sprint-X Tour w/EP8 and Rohloff SpeedHub 14 - Gearing options

[PH]

I echo the comments on E-Drive, as I average over 17mph I would be lugging around a lot of weight and mechanical complication just to make hills easier.

Anyone finding themselves in that position has chosen the wrong sort of assistance, or the wrong sort of bike.

[[XAP]Bob]

" the wrong sort of assistance"
You mean "legal"

I used to average 17ish on my commute, partly because the e assist helped up a couple of sharp hills - for me (on that commute) it was worth it on the trike, but the rapto was absolutely faster, and didn't need the boost.
So much of the effort put in is psychological - if it feels direct, you put more effort in.

[UpWrong]

Get a large speed camera sign and hang it on the back of the trike, and a real camera too so it isn't a bluff. How long are you on this busy road before you get to turn off? Half a mile, one mile? HGV drivers are professional drivers. They can't afford to lose their licence. At 15 mph drivers are usually prepared to wait a while for a chance to overtake.

[Drummer]

I told you it was a controversial opinion!

Some fair replies there, thank you, however, it seems I've done a poor job of describing my near-death experiences at the zebra crossing, as well as those of a great many others. This is a major A road through a fairly straight (with a few bends) market town, lined with buildings on both sides, with parked vehicles, and trees, lining both sides of the road all the way up. Drivers may well not be going out of their way to hit anyone, but my view is that they get tunnel vision, almost entranced. Seriously, I, and others, have stood in the middle of the road, jumping up and down, waving my arms at a fully lit zebra crossing with nothing obscuring the view (I was in the MIDDLE---OF---THE---R-O-A-D-!!!!!!), and drivers have sailed through, because they aren't paying attention! I managed to slap the side mirror of a car going through once!!! This has been a scalding hot topic on the local Facebook page for years, it's a problem the whole way up the main road, yet nobody does a thing about it. Then there's the likes of Foleshill Road in Coventry; I don't know if anyone's ever cycled down there, but I have, and I only did it once!!! Everything from running red lights, through to pedestrians literally walking down the middle of the road, to drivers mounting the pavement, driving along the pavement, just to avoid queueing so they can take the junction with the traffic lights, I've seen it all, both while cycling and driving. This is not an isolated thing, I'm just putting my views and experiences forward and asking for advice on adjusting my gearing, given that I make no use of my lower gears (that is the point of this topic, lol!).

At the moment, considering I have such an expensive trike here (even more expensive with all the lights and luggage), I'm not at all comfortable with disclosing my location to anyone. I am, however, desperately trying to find somewhere else to live, so, once I've done that, I'll let you know where this is, so you can check out the local Facebook page, and all the almost daily reports of ruthlessly horrendous driving which we see up and down this road.

Right! Now that's over with, does anyone else have any ideas on gearing upgrades or adjustment, please? I haven't managed to get any clear pictures today, sorry. I had wanted to take the trike out and get some clear daylight pictures, but the weather's been a bit naff.

[PH]

" the wrong sort of assistance"
You mean "legal"

No, I meant what I said. There are types of assistance which are lightweight and don't detract much from the cycling experience while not being used. They make the hills easier without the need to be lugging around a lot of weight, which was the point I addressed, which had nothing to do with legality.

[[XAP]Bob]

Easiest by far is a chainring upgrade.

That lowers torque to the hub, so no issue there.

[Jdsk]

Easiest by far is a chainring upgrade.

That lowers torque to the hub, so no issue there.

I expect so.

How many teeth at the front and how many at the back? And please add some close up photos of the front. That will show us how easy it will be to change something.
...

Jonathan

[Sightblinder]

Get a decent rear light, it will make you feel better, irrespective of any other effect - and I have to ask where in the lane you ride?

What is particularly dodgy about the situation?
Have you driven behind someone else on a recumbent?



Google suggests that the EPS motor takes conventional cranks, so it should be trivial to fit a larger chainring.

I've been riding a 2 wheel 'bent for a while now after having to give up riding an upwrong due to health issues. I'm actually thinking of switching to a Trike as I'm still struggling with stability on the 2 wheeler, especially on hills.

The single best bit of safety kit I own is the Garmin Varia rear light with the built in radar. It gives you audible and visual alerts when traffic is coming up behind you, up to 100m away, identifies multiple vehicles, still works if you are riding in a group, and will tell you when it's clear behind again. It's also a really good rear light. I still use a mirror but having the Garmin means I'm not having to constantly check it.

[[XAP]Bob]

Nice - does it require a garmin head unit?

[pjclinch]

Looking back at the start of the thread you say you're not using 1-6... Fair enough, but are you actually spinning out 14?
If you're not spinning out 14 then you won't gain anything by raising the gearing. If you feel you are spinning out, at what sort of cadence?

A Rohloff gives a very large total range, about the same as an old school 3x9 triple as used on mountain bikes, and it's entirely normal to not use the whole range on any given ride, especially if you're not in particularly hilly terrain (1 for winching up cliffs, 14 to pedal down them!)

While you might want to go at 30 mph that is a big ask for sustained riding even for a fit rider on a fast bike. Once you're past assist speed all the extra weight will make getting much faster quite hard unless it's downhill, and the big range of the Rohloff will still typically be enough as long as you're not at very low cadences (which put quite a strain on a body, so I'd avoid those!).

In summary it's not what gears you're in most that's important, but do you run out at either end of the range? High gears alone won't make you faster.

Pete.

[[XAP]Bob]

Very true, particularly since 8-14 are the more efficient gears (one fewer gearset engaged)

[pjclinch]

Very true, particularly since 8-14 are the more efficient gears (one fewer gearset engaged)

As I understand it 11 is the most efficient gear (direct drive), so if it's set up to use 11 a lot then as long as 14 is big enough that's optimal.

Pete.

[[XAP]Bob]

Indeed:



Note that the pattern of 1-7 is the same as 8-15, just a couple of percent down.
And there is an alternating pattern as other gear trains are manipulated, so 11, followed by 9 and 13.

[pjclinch]

I'm shocked because if I felt I was "taking my life in my hands every time I went out I wouldn't bother - no fun. Maybe consider calming down, get rid of most of those lights and enjoy the ride. You might get an occasional close pass but then even when I drive my car I have an occasion mad overtake with swerve in in front of me, etc. (probably more other driver madness when I'm driving my car than on the bent).

nb trying to keep pace with traffic is a non-starter. Drive a car along a motorway at 69 mph and the car behind will be overtaking you so they can do 70 (or drive at 75 and they'll be overtaking to do 76, etc.). On a cycle, leave a safe distance to the car in front and the car behind will often need to overtake into that space because "cyclists hold up traffic", passing cycles is what cars do. But cycle along behind a car at 30 mph and car stops suddenly, who has the better brakes (car designed to go a lot faster or cycle designed to go slower), who has better visibility, etc.. Let them pass, they don't want to hit you.

This ^^^^

Saying you need to relax is much, much easier said than done. Every time there's a survey asking why folk don't cycle the biggest reason is they find it too scary, so I see where you're coming from. But... you can't throw stuff at the problem because ultimately if the preoccupation is e.g. being pancaked by an HGV then there's nothing you can buy for a cycle that will do anything about it: you have to trust the people you're sharing the road with (again, easier said than done). Super-loud horns, flags and lights to outshine the Blackpool Tower suggest that you don't trust them (with reason if you concentrate on the worst examples), but if they really didn't care then nobody would be cycling on the road at all because we'd all have been run off it or worse.

Riffing off Ian's point that you can't keep up with flowing traffic, the relaxing thing is easier if you're not trying to be something you can't be. So rather than worrying you can't easily get to 30 mph, embrace the fact that you can easily get to 15. Rather than worrying that you can't filter past traffic easily embrace the fact that despite your worries a recumbent trike has real road presence, and so on.

Just as there's no magic stuff to buy to make everything seem safe, there's sadly no magic wand to solve the scariness mind game. But it is largely a mind game, rather than the signing up for a trip to A&E that it may seem like. Keep at it!

Pete.