Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Recumbent
Reload this Page >

Hase Kettwiesel for touring?

Notices
Recumbent What IS that thing?! Recumbents may be odd looking, but they have many advantages over a "wedgie" bicycle. Discuss the in's and out's recumbent lifestyle in the recumbent forum.

Hase Kettwiesel for touring?

Old 05-05-19, 08:52 PM
  #1  
curbowman
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
curbowman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Posts: 158

Bikes: Imremo (cheap taiwanese mtb) and vintage Jupiter King (Japanese '70s road bike)

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 73 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Hase Kettwiesel for touring?

I often see tadpole trikes for touring; but I wonder if someone has used a Hase Kettwiesel for long trips. Do they have some shortcomings that precludes their utility for those trips? Any owners out there who can share their experiences?
curbowman is offline  
Old 05-06-19, 08:07 AM
  #2  
VegasTriker
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sin City, Nevada
Posts: 2,879

Bikes: Catrike 700, Greenspeed GTO trike, , Linear LWB recumbent, Haluzak Horizon SWB recumbent, Balance 450 MTB, Cannondale SM800 Beast of the East

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 521 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 227 Times in 179 Posts
I don't own one but have ridden with a husband and wife who own a pair of Ketts. They love them and ride regularly but don't know if they ever toured on them. One problem I see from just looking at the trike is how to carry gear. I've owned three tadpole trikes, one a Greenspeed GTO, specifically designed for touring. You need a sturdy rack and a good set of panniers to carry stuff. With the seat so far back on the Hase trike and the two rear wheels, I wonder how you can carry equipment.
VegasTriker is offline  
Old 05-06-19, 05:16 PM
  #3  
curbowman
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
curbowman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Posts: 158

Bikes: Imremo (cheap taiwanese mtb) and vintage Jupiter King (Japanese '70s road bike)

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 73 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
I found out Hase sells some carrying gear for the Kettwiesel. For the fully suspended models like the one you've posted, there is a 100 liter bag that even has an option to add a wheeled cart. And for non-suspended models, there is a 42-liter Ortlieb bag that slings on the seat, plus a front wheel lowrider rack. With this setup it is possible to carry 62 liters of luggage, very close to the 65 liters of a classic set of four Ortlieb roller bags. Could it be that Kett users are not aware of these options?

100-liters bag for Kettwiesel fith full suspension.


Ortlieb set for Kettwiesel: twin lowriders in the front plus another on the seat.
curbowman is offline  
Old 06-07-19, 05:06 PM
  #4  
curbowman
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
curbowman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Posts: 158

Bikes: Imremo (cheap taiwanese mtb) and vintage Jupiter King (Japanese '70s road bike)

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 73 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
I posted this question in a video review about the Kettwiesel, and the owner wrote this:

"First, I have had a difficult time finding the variety of accessories for the Kett that I could easily find for my Greenspeed and ICE. I don't think it lends itself very well to being packed for touring.

Second, it is less stable than a tadpole. I never flipped a tadpole but didn't take me long to roll the Kett. Definitely my fault but it isn't as playful as a tadpole.

Third, if you are climbing a steep incline, say goodbye to a simple right turn. If the incline is really steep the drive system will cause the nose to drift to the left unless you plan way ahead to accommodate this tendency. Keep in mind that mine was a single wheel drive. This problem would not exist with dual wheel drive.

I would never consider the Kett for touring but I would take it over a tadpole any time for just plain fun in and around down. It can turn in its own length and weave traffic and obstacles in ways that a tadpole never will. It's a gentleman's (or person's) trike. It is far easier to mount and dismount and can pull a trailer or carry a ton of groceries. The Kett wins the fun factor for around town. The tadpole wins for touring. Hope that helps."

The very detailed video is here:
curbowman is offline  
Old 06-09-19, 07:36 AM
  #5  
rydabent
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924

Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,054 Times in 634 Posts
The simple fact is anyone can tour on pretty much any good condition bike or trike.

One great and useful fact about touring on a trike is they stay upright when stopped. Fully loaded bikes needs to be leaned against something, because even if they have a kick stand, all the weight often causes it to sink and the bike falls over.

Last edited by rydabent; 06-09-19 at 07:39 AM.
rydabent is offline  
Old 06-09-19, 08:09 AM
  #6  
Retro Grouch 
Senior Member
 
Retro Grouch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225

Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times in 363 Posts
Originally Posted by curbowman
I posted this question in a video review about the Kettwiesel, and the owner wrote this:

"First, I have had a difficult time finding the variety of accessories for the Kett that I could easily find for my Greenspeed and ICE. I don't think it lends itself very well to being packed for touring.

Second, it is less stable than a tadpole. I never flipped a tadpole but didn't take me long to roll the Kett. Definitely my fault but it isn't as playful as a tadpole.

Third, if you are climbing a steep incline, say goodbye to a simple right turn. If the incline is really steep the drive system will cause the nose to drift to the left unless you plan way ahead to accommodate this tendency. Keep in mind that mine was a single wheel drive. This problem would not exist with dual wheel drive.

I would never consider the Kett for touring but I would take it over a tadpole any time for just plain fun in and around down. It can turn in its own length and weave traffic and obstacles in ways that a tadpole never will. It's a gentleman's (or person's) trike. It is far easier to mount and dismount and can pull a trailer or carry a ton of groceries. The Kett wins the fun factor for around town. The tadpole wins for touring. Hope that helps."

The very detailed video is here: https://youtu.be/TYIq5Vvk4H8
I think that right turn on an incline thing is probably a differential related thing. Ketts are almost two different trikes depending on whether or not you have a diff.

For carrying capacity, I'd think a Kett with that big Ortleib bag would seriously exceed any tadpole.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
Retro Grouch is offline  
Old 06-09-19, 01:06 PM
  #7  
BlazingPedals
Senior Member
 
BlazingPedals's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Middle of da Mitten
Posts: 12,474

Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1511 Post(s)
Liked 733 Times in 454 Posts
Any delta with a single driven axle would have the same problem. That's probably one reason why tadpole trikes are so popular. Delta designs present you with a choice of either a heavy differential system or to drive one off-center wheel. Is this where we start talking about leaning FWD deltas? I don't think they'd be very good for touring.
BlazingPedals is offline  
Old 06-17-19, 05:41 PM
  #8  
curbowman
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
curbowman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Posts: 158

Bikes: Imremo (cheap taiwanese mtb) and vintage Jupiter King (Japanese '70s road bike)

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 73 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
For carrying capacity, I'd think a Kett with that big Ortleib bag would seriously exceed any tadpole.
I do agree. The Ortlieb Kettwiesel bag holds 42 litres, while a set of their recumbent bags for tadpoles carries 54 litres. However, the Kett bag is a big cube instead of two bananas, which might be more useful on a daily basis. And the possibility of adding two lowriders on the front wheel helps to balance the trike during ascents.

BTW, I just found this picture where the rider has the front lowriders with the Ortlieb bag AND a Rack-Pack attached to it! That's about 98 litres of luggage! I'd just add the differential and a Rohloff to make it a serious touring trike, which is exactly the setup this one has.

Last edited by curbowman; 06-17-19 at 06:03 PM. Reason: Spelling errors
curbowman is offline  
Likes For curbowman:
Old 06-22-19, 10:11 PM
  #9  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
recumbent touring?

Only issue .. shipping it ahead? .. hiring an LBS rebuild? send as much helpful information for the mechanic,
doing the work as possible to help them out..

may be the only one ever seen so far .. help them out ...



as an old guy I managed when offered sparse information.. in those situations,..
fietsbob is offline  
Likes For fietsbob:
Old 06-25-19, 08:57 AM
  #10  
Retro Grouch 
Senior Member
 
Retro Grouch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225

Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times in 363 Posts
Originally Posted by fietsbob
Only issue .. shipping it ahead? .. hiring an LBS rebuild? send as much helpful information for the mechanic,
doing the work as possible to help them out..

may be the only one ever seen so far .. help them out ...



as an old guy I managed when offered sparse information.. in those situations,..

Oh yeah!

Recumbent trikes are just enough different from conventional bicycles that some shops don't want to take the time necessary to learn or to work on them. That's reality. On recumbent trikes, whether tadpole or delta design, paired wheel toe in is a critical dimension and it can vary depending on the load involved. If you are paying somebody to reassemble a shipped trike for you, I'd want it to be somebody who has done it before. Pressuring somebody into something they are not comfortable doing is never a good idea.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
Retro Grouch is offline  
Old 07-12-19, 03:17 PM
  #11  
tim24k
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NW
Posts: 747

Bikes: To many to list. I like them all!

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 60 Post(s)
Liked 43 Times in 32 Posts
Hase Kettwiesel for touring?

I don’t own one but have ridden one over a long four day weekend that my buddy owns and tours on. I have to say it makes a fabulous trike to tour on. I personally own a two year old ICE Adventure trike.

Originally Posted by curbowman
I often see tadpole trikes for touring; but I wonder if someone has used a Hase Kettwiesel for long trips. Do they have some shortcomings that precludes their utility for those trips? Any owners out there who can share their experiences?
tim24k is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SMartin
Recumbent
5
04-06-16 01:06 PM
Ramblin Man
Touring
13
03-20-16 05:35 PM
KC8QVO
Touring
14
10-04-15 07:02 PM
BikeArkansas
Touring
3
02-26-15 12:24 PM
antokelly
Touring
6
08-22-11 10:31 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.