Trikin'

It's about the journey, not how fast you got there. I ride a trike for the comfort, not interested in high speeds anymore.

ancient11

I have always been perplexed with this obsession with speed. When I am really flying – hair straight back –hmmmmmmmm maybe 2 miles an hour. I like to stop and smell the roses, take a break in that shady spot, stop again and just watch the stream flow by. Hey, when you get in your late 80s and have COPD – dragging two oxygen tanks around, you learn to appreciate life and all that is around you. You realize that speed means absolutely nothing.

BlazingPedals

When you add a velomobile body, it becomes something else. Not a standard trike anymore. Of course, the price goes up 3x or 4x. Here's a Quest in action:

https://vid38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/blazingpedals/Bike%20Rides/Dalmac%202012/day4ridingthroughClarion.mp4 Speed DOES matter, because the ability to go faster with the same amount of energy implies the ability to go the same speed with LESS energy. Nobody wants to work harder to go slower; otherwise we'd all be riding around on gaspipe cruisers from out of the '50s.

delcrossv

Bingo. +1,000,000

Bob Shaver

I have not ridden a Windcheetah, but I have a Catrike Speed tadpole trike with a front bubble, mostly to keep me warmer in winter, and ceramic bearings all around (yes, I"m a believer). I can cruise at 18-20 on the flat, have hit 49 mph on downhills, but its pretty darn slow uphill. I also have a 2 wheel bent, a Rans F5, and for longer mileage rides or group rides, I take the 2 wheeler. On the uphills, a few people pass me, but I generally pass them on the downhill and I can hold my own with most DFs on the flats. I'm 64, diabetic, clean shaven, 5'9" 185 pounds (not much aerobelly) a fair athlete, but I'm not training for racing. With the 2 wheeler, I don't finish a group ride with the other 64 year olds, I finish with the 30 year olds. But for comfort, stop and go, and commuting, I take the trike without question. Its more fun.

On the trike, I love to pass DFs, and if the road is even slightly downhill, like imperceptibly downhill, goodbye, I'm gone. If its rolling, that can work to my advantage. Its is a long uphill, I'm pretty damn slow on a trike. The thing is, bents have a different performance curve than DFs. Its not really practical to ride with a group of DFs if you are on a trike, you are either slower or faster than them all the time. A high racer 2 wheel bent is more similar to DFs on flats and downhills, and speed uphill totally depends on the rider. They can be faster than DFs, but are in the same ball park speed wise as a DF. Trikes are not in the same ball park as a DF when going uphill.

Bobcat22

My first post and I thought I would chime in on the relative speed of a trike vs DF.

#t=71

Bizman

Inspiring video thanks for sharing! What kind of trike are you riding? A tadpole, or Delta, brand, model? I just got my Catrike Road last week so I am still getting my legs in shape. Right now I am slower than I was on my DF bikes but I do feel in time I will be atleaat as fast as I was on the DF. It feels like I am not that much slower on the trike when riding it, but my times are saying different on my 12.5 mile commute, about 10 or so minutes slower. Going up hills I feel are a slow point for me along with sharp turns (rolled it already), intersections, starting from a stop. On the down hills and flats it moves right along!

delcrossv

Welcome! Actually it was a Rans stickbike, but the point's well taken.

Bobcat22

Thank you for the welcome.

Bizman - you said you rolled your trike, did you try displacing your weight as to help compensate? Did you get hurt on that roll?

I just acquired an ICE QNT (2006) with all 20 inch wheels. I am methodically replacing and upgrading. The bike runs nicely.

Started a new thread describing the Upgrades and Mods. ref: https://www.bikeforums.net/recumbent/...ke-2006-a.html

Bizman

Bobcat, yeah I rolled my trike on my daily commute (2nd ride) and yes I did shift my weight, just not enough as I was gong to fast for the type of turn. I was coming up to a "T" intersection, it's a back road, 2:00 am, no cars around at that hour, making a left hand turn up hill (off camber),I felt the left wheel lift and before I knew it I was sliding across the payment on to the germ and landed in a hedge row. I scraped up my right arm (road rash) and fortunately on ly scraped the right front center cap on the trike. I was lucky and learned very quickly mainly to slow down and lean even more on turns.

I am running 26" wheels, Allfine 11 rear IGH, Schlumpf high speed drive. I am enjoying it allot. As people say ars tend to go way out around me giving me more space than a DF bike. No sore back, wrists, not that tired, just a great new experience. This trike is getting me ready for my Carbon Quest XS due in November.

Was that you on your trike in that video or was that a Rans Stickbike as delcrossv said? If that was on your trike or even a Rans that was impressive!

Also here is a link to my trike https://www.utahtrikes.com/RECENTTRIK...sionTrike.html

Bobcat22

Great you did not hurt yourself greater. That video is not me - however it and the Velomobiles motivated me to go trike. I am lucky to have an - correction "amateur shop" where I can modify or create solutions.

BlazingPedals

Does this tie into the "there, they're, their" thread on the 50+ forum, or does the shop really make electric motors?

delcrossv

Or the spindles that CF fiber is wound on. In CF mast making the "plug" is called an "armature"

Bobcat22

My mistake, meant to write amateur shop and not armature.

About Mid Drive Motor: The Bafang motor is made in China and is a top quality product. The BBSO series of crank drives (mid drives) are among the quietest and reliable in the industry. However there are distribution concerns. product link:
https://www.tnabattery-ebike.com/?Bafang-motor-c621.html

"Does this tie into the "there, they're, their" thread on the 50+ forum, . . ." Unfortunately I do not understand the question.

BlazingPedals

Refers to a thread in 50+ about misspellings and homophones.
https://www.bikeforums.net/fifty-plus...ere-their.html