Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
Agree. And if his prices for the Performer frameset is in Reals ... 1150 plus 150 shipping ... well you don't need a degree in Advanced Mathematics to figure that its less than 1600 Real (427 USD). I DOUBT a homebuilder can put a BAD frame together for that little money. BTW its just as well that the highracer in the picture is on the other side of the country. Blazing Pedals ran down the essentials for a speedy bike and that one fails the aerodynamics qualifying round big time. Feet are too low and seat recline is not low enough. Weight, I have no idea, but it doesn't look particularly light either. Speed costs money. Real speed costs real money. Interesting that Brazilian's name their currency thus. Having a budget and a need for speed are mutually exclusive. It is VERY hard to make an amazingly light frame with steel. The Performer frames are aluminum. They aren't especially light, but they are stiff and as good as anything else made with aluminum. Most homebuilders cannot weld aluminum. On the BROL site in the Homebuilder section is a recent thread for a mid-racer (probably steel) that has the potential to be very fast. I say potential to be fast because once the frame is finished you need wheels and tires and they also have a profound impact on the final result. TBH I would be looking at Carbon Fiber or even Wood! Aircraft Spruce is strong and light and a good design can give Carbon Fiber a good run for the money. On a hard drive somewhere I have plans I bought (no longer availalbe) from James Robinson for low (and high) racer recumbents in 2 x 4 lumber.
Oh the Performer frameset price was in USD, so 1300 USD plus all the taxes thats 8111 BRL for the rim brake version, $150 more for disc brake, much more than 1600 BRL!
The guy is not a homebuilder really, he's a very skilled framebuilder, only hasn't made a recumbent yet. I don't understand why the trail/rake maths should be any different on a recumbent... And I can get that on a plan for reference. Trail is 65mm on the mentioned plan.
I really don't care about weight at all, that has marginal effects on semi-flat routes. That discussion is a can of worms but I'm pretty much convinced weight is not important at all for a recumbent that won't climb anything steep, I'm all in for aero and rolling resistance. All I'd need for climbing is one cog bigger and a bit slower. My heavy gravel-tourer with 60mm G-One tires and luggage climbs just fine, only slower. On the flats I feel no difference if I add 10kg to it.
I know it's hard to make a light frame on steel, my race bike is made of Columbus Spirit, 6.9kg climbing mode and 7.5kg with aero wheels and smoother tubeless tires. Took a long time to get done!
BUT FORGET ALL ABOVE, look at what I've found! After researching some old brazilian forum posts I came across this brand. It didn't show up on searches because they don't mention the word "recumbent" (or "reclinada" in pt) anywhere... Duh!
https://www.facebook.com/commerce/pr...fS4&__tn__=C-R
Now that convinces me to be aero enough if I fit narrower handlebars. A pair of Schwalbe Pro One's and a pair of homemade discs with expansive foam should make it. Plus windshield.
And its only 300km away! U$530 for the full bike although I'd buy the frame kit only (for U$400~) and get a short crankset with bigger (oval) chainring(s?), probably 11s on the back. Well, I actually got that kit at hand, only missing the 406mm wheels.
I'm probably going with that now I've found it! The guy mentioned it's possible to use a 406mm rear wheel for improved aero, he only didn't tell me if he makes a shorter rear fork accordingly and if he compensates the fork offset with the angle change.
But I still have ideas for a future build. Actually radical ones. Full on UCI illegal. I'll leave some clues for you to ferment:
-Linear foot motion;
-String drive similar to
Stringbike
-CVT shifting;
-Heavier pull when leg is stretched.
And yes I know how to make that CVT work
I'm talking to a guy in the mechanical engeneery department of federal university to find a way to machine all the parts required... Thats a longer term project, could take over an year just to get a riding prototype, but I've been dreaming with that for the past year already.