Off-Road Recumbent
07-10-20, 07:05 PM
#1
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Off-Road Recumbent
Maybe this should be on the "recumbent' section but it's an off-road or mountain topic as well.
Are there any of you that have tried mountain biking or gravel biking on a recumbent bike?
Describe or show pics of your bike and experience.
Are there any of you that have tried mountain biking or gravel biking on a recumbent bike?
Describe or show pics of your bike and experience.
07-10-20, 07:35 PM
#2
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NO! I can see someone gravel biking on a recumbent, but definitely not trails that are normal for a mountain biker. I envision all kinds of bad in that scenario. Sorry, no, I have not ridden a recumbent on anything but pavement and that experience was very limited.
07-11-20, 09:29 AM
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There are off-road 3 wheelers and even 4 wheel conversions for 3 wheelers. But I haven’t seen anyone pushing a 2 wheel version.
few-to-no SSFG bents either, probably!
few-to-no SSFG bents either, probably!
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07-11-20, 03:27 PM
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RANS makes crank forward mountain bikes. My brother was looking at a Dynamik at one time. I’ve read decent reviews on them, but was never tempted enough to try one. I think they have one with front suspension.
John
John
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07-11-20, 03:53 PM
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I tried it once when I was riding a bent, so 20 years ago. I was on a short wheelbase Vision R40, it was near impossible in tight single track. The crank and front end was 2 ft out from the front wheel and wouldn’t clear trees in turns. As well I had no suspension and was getting bounced all over the place. People don’t realize that it’s hard to balance on a bent and very easy to fall. You don’t realize how much weight is in the legs on a diamond frame mt. bike and that helps keep the center of gravity low. Knew a guy on a full suspension bent, said he was OK, but he had better skills then me.
07-11-20, 03:57 PM
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I tried it once when I was riding a bent, so 20 years ago. I was on a short wheelbase Vision R40, it was near impossible in tight single track. The crank and front end was 2 ft out from the front wheel and wouldn’t clear trees in turns. As well I had no suspension and was getting bounced all over the place. People don’t realize that it’s hard to balance on a bent and very easy to fall. You don’t realize how much weight is in the legs on a diamond frame mt. bike and that helps keep the center of gravity low. Knew a guy on a full suspension bent, said he was OK, but he had better skills then me.
07-11-20, 08:14 PM
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https://mtbtandems.com/
07-12-20, 09:16 AM
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Tandem MTB’s are pretty highly developed and available in a variety of styles (fat, front suspension, full suspension, gravel) from Ventana, Calfee, Da Vinci, Nicolai, MTB Tandems, sometimes Cannondale and KHS. Salsa recently took a try but the serious types didn’t like their offering, it was steel, too low, and had pre-Boost MTB rear spacing
https://mtbtandems.com/
https://mtbtandems.com/
07-12-20, 10:03 AM
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07-12-20, 11:46 AM
#12
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Off-road Bent
I was just wondering...I do ride a Stratus XP with disks off road which is a real blast. I also ride an E Z Sport on trails. Both bents take 1.95 knobby tires. With the 26" tire on front of the Stratus there is more wheel flop than on the E Z Sport with the 20" up front, but next time (after the trails dry out) I'm gonna try putting the 20" onto the Stratus and see how that rides. I don't like the real technical trails with lots of roots and large rocks with no suspension on the bents, but other than that, off-roading on a two wheel bent is really a lot of fun. I'm surprised more folks don't try it. You really need to keep your mind on what you're doing though.
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07-16-20, 05:32 AM
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How do you manual a recumbent?
Seems like gravel and smoother trails would be OK, but once you start dealing rougher terrain, I don’t see how you weight and unweight the front and back to get over things. I guess you would just need big wheels and a lot of suspension because your just plowing over stuff like a sack of potatoes.
Seems like gravel and smoother trails would be OK, but once you start dealing rougher terrain, I don’t see how you weight and unweight the front and back to get over things. I guess you would just need big wheels and a lot of suspension because your just plowing over stuff like a sack of potatoes.
Last edited by Kapusta; 07-16-20 at 05:36 AM.
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07-16-20, 08:29 AM
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For me it would be a disaster waiting to happen, especially if clipped in. The whole center of gravity, forward momentum, balance thing would be problematic for me.
07-16-20, 09:03 AM
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Over on BROL, Richard Ehrlich has a lot of videos of him riding offroad on a bent. I think his current ride is a Kodiak. Long wheelbase, so really tight track doesn't work very well, but he can certainly do a lot more than I would have thought possible.
Example (not the Kodiak, but a new bike coming to market):
https://www.bentrideronline.com/mess...hlight=ehrlich
Example (not the Kodiak, but a new bike coming to market):
https://www.bentrideronline.com/mess...hlight=ehrlich
07-16-20, 10:03 AM
#20
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Prj71
And hey Dude lighten up a bit...sorta sounding a little like my mother (God rest her soul). After all the off-road riding I've done on a bent, I've never been injured. And after having ridden both DF's in the past and bents off-road, I cannot see that one is more dangerous than the other. At 75 years of age I have had and wish to continue to live a careful, fun, adventurous life all the way to the grave; not a careful dull life wishing I had done more.
And so, my friend, that is why the hell this one would want to mountain bike on a recumbent.
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07-16-20, 10:57 AM
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There's the Sun Seeker Fat Tad for rough terrain. Fat tires and full suspension.
https://www.sunseeker.bike/index.php/products/fat-tad/
https://www.sunseeker.bike/index.php/products/fat-tad/
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07-16-20, 09:42 PM
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There's the Sun Seeker Fat Tad for rough terrain. Fat tires and full suspension.
https://www.sunseeker.bike/index.php/products/fat-tad/
https://www.sunseeker.bike/index.php/products/fat-tad/
07-28-20, 06:06 AM
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I have ridden recumbents for a while, and built my own. You can definitely ride on gravel roads.
The problem is that you can't stand up on a recumbent. And that means you'll be missing all that suspension and leverage needed for rougher trails.
If you want to give this a try, why not start riding on fire roads and easy trails?
The problem is that you can't stand up on a recumbent. And that means you'll be missing all that suspension and leverage needed for rougher trails.
If you want to give this a try, why not start riding on fire roads and easy trails?
07-29-20, 09:32 AM
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Because I really enjoy mountain biking as well as road riding! With my physical circumstances, I can only ride a recumbent bike these days, both on-road and off-road.
And hey Dude lighten up a bit...sorta sounding a little like my mother (God rest her soul). After all the off-road riding I've done on a bent, I've never been injured. And after having ridden both DF's in the past and bents off-road, I cannot see that one is more dangerous than the other. At 75 years of age I have had and wish to continue to live a careful, fun, adventurous life all the way to the grave; not a careful dull life wishing I had done more.
And so, my friend, that is why the hell this one would want to mountain bike on a recumbent.
And hey Dude lighten up a bit...sorta sounding a little like my mother (God rest her soul). After all the off-road riding I've done on a bent, I've never been injured. And after having ridden both DF's in the past and bents off-road, I cannot see that one is more dangerous than the other. At 75 years of age I have had and wish to continue to live a careful, fun, adventurous life all the way to the grave; not a careful dull life wishing I had done more.
And so, my friend, that is why the hell this one would want to mountain bike on a recumbent.
07-29-20, 10:44 AM
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ICE makes a trike.
I think you can it with electric assist. Based on the weight, that would be the way I’d go if I ever needed one.
John
I think you can it with electric assist. Based on the weight, that would be the way I’d go if I ever needed one.
John
