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

Bacchetta trike questions

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.

Bacchetta trike questions

Old 06-01-20, 07:41 PM
  #1  
Surubi
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Bacchetta trike questions

I am thinking of buying a Bacchetta Carbon trike, but I have two concerns. First I am dubious about the 22 speed transmission. To get wide range gearing the gear ratios will be very far apart meaning you will usually be in gear which is too long or too short. Has this been a problem for anyone.
I wonder about the ride as the trike is equipped with 28 mm wide tires, which might require considerable pressure and therefore a rough ride. Has anyone experience about this
Surubi is offline  
Old 06-02-20, 08:28 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
If you know the number of teeth on each sprocket on the cassette you can calculate the gear range here: Mike Sherman's Bicycle Gear Calculator Using the 11/42 and 50/34 you get upper and lower limits of 21.5 to 121 gear inches. Without knowing what is in between on the cassette you can't tell how many gears are duplicates or near duplicates. Email Bachetta and ask for the exact specs on the cassette.


Have you actually ridden the trike? Are you going to be able to get out of the seat? My trike has a 25 degree seat. I've had more than a few people be unable to exit the trike without help. My 2013 Catrike 700 has 30 speeds but I almost always just use the 10 gears in the middle range for the front chainrings. I can find a comfortable cadence just within those 10. I don't own a carbon frame anything so don't know how well it functions to absorb shocks. Bacchetta probably used these narrow wheels to reduce the overall weight to the trike and increase speed. Catrike did the same thing with the 2013 CT700 and sent it out with Schwalbe Ultremo ZX 406 front tires. I threw them away immediately and went to using a 1.4" 406 BMX tire that although heavier was far more suitable when it came to durability and flat resistance. It has a maximum of 85 pounds so is a lot more comfortable If you want to avoid pinch flats you are going to have to run these tires at full inflation. My rear is a 700C X 23 and is certainly not the greatest for absorbing road shock. That's just part of having narrow tires for a faster ride.
VegasTriker is offline  
Old 06-02-20, 09:16 AM
  #3  
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
With 22 gears to play with, you would seem to be too picky being in a gear too long or to short. For many many years 10 speeds were enough.
rydabent is offline  
Old 06-02-20, 04:10 PM
  #4  
Surubi
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by rydabent
With 22 gears to play with, you would seem to be too picky being in a gear too long or to short. For many many years 10 speeds were enough.
It depends on how you like to ride. If you are content to cruise along at seven mph and enjoy the scenery, the clouds and warm sun on your chest, then ten speeds are fine for you. If, however, you are like me and enjoy speed, feeling disappointed if I cover a route 0,1 mph slower than the last time then having the perfect gear to pedal at maximum efficiency is important.
Surubi is offline  
Old 06-03-20, 09:23 AM
  #5  
Steamer
Zircon Encrusted Tweezers
 
Steamer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: high ground
Posts: 1,344
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 260 Post(s)
Liked 127 Times in 82 Posts
Originally Posted by Surubi
It depends on how you like to ride. If you are content to cruise along at seven mph and enjoy the scenery, the clouds and warm sun on your chest, then ten speeds are fine for you. If, however, you are like me and enjoy speed, feeling disappointed if I cover a route 0,1 mph slower than the last time then having the perfect gear to pedal at maximum efficiency is important.
Gearing is personal. And most people who are fussy about gearing and performance have usually taken the time to educate themselves about what their needs are. To a large extent, nobody else can tell you what your preferences and needs are, because as I said, gearing is personal.

Personally, I find on bents that I need a lower low and a higher high than my upright road bikes. The lowest low wants to be about 2/3rds the size of the lowest low on my uprights. The top gear on the bents wants to be 10% higher or so. I like a range from 20" to 110" if I can get it without compromising what I consider to be reasonable jumps between gears. I can happily tolerate anything up to about 15-16% between gears, and I am pretty easy to please in that regard. But much more than that I an notice it, and it's a little annoying. If I lived in a flat place or in a place where the grade of the road wasn't constantly changing, I would want tighter gear spacing.
Steamer is offline  
Old 06-03-20, 07:56 PM
  #6  
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
Originally Posted by Surubi
It depends on how you like to ride. If you are content to cruise along at seven mph and enjoy the scenery, the clouds and warm sun on your chest, then ten speeds are fine for you. If, however, you are like me and enjoy speed, feeling disappointed if I cover a route 0,1 mph slower than the last time then having the perfect gear to pedal at maximum efficiency is important.
I do enjoy speed, which is why I usually ride my lowracers or highracer and not a trike. Even an impressive trike like the Bacchetta is going to give up some speed to a fast bike.
BlazingPedals is offline  

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.