HP Velotechnik Street Machine?

NYC XYZ wrote:

Can you tell me what you think the difference is between the Street
Machine GTe and the Speed Machine?

Primarily, about 20cm of seat height, so you're quite a bit lower and
more aerodynamic.

I mean, sure one's supposed to be built for speed -- though the company
website's photos show it being used just like any other tourer -- and
so it's got an even lower profile...which means it probably can't take
that under-seat rack...

The original version would only allow 2 panniers on the rack, but the
2006 version will allow 4. However, if you get panniers like Radical's
'bent specific ones then you can take 4 panniers' worth of gear in a
pair anyway (70l for the big ones, my partner uses a pair of 50l on her
20/20 semi-low Nazca Fiero, HP Vel's "Moonbiker" bags are rebadged
Radicals but only available in the biggest size).

but other than that and the price, it seems the
same as a GTe, no? I mean, is it just better components?

No, the geometry is very different. While you sit /on/ a Streetmachine
it's like you sit *in* a Speedmachine. While the StM is incredibly
refined and encourages me to take my time, the SpM encourages me to Go
As Fast As Possible. Though either can be used for loaded touring
they're quite different beasts in many ways.

For the ~$300 difference in price, I think I might even wind up with a
Speed Machine after all if it really is faster!

20cm head height is a lot of extra wind to hold you back. My partner's
'bent is similarly about a head lower than my Streetmachine, and when
we're riding into the wind she's noticeably better off, and if it's
behind a lowish wall then she just disappears into the distance.

My main concern WRT
speed is really hill-climbing. I love to climb them much as the next
cyclist, but it's nice feeling that your efforts aren't compromised by
a hog of a machine underneath! =)

Neither are the lightest machines so either will take their time getting
up the braes. But the gearing goes low enough that you /will/ get up
them as long as you keep spinning and then you have a truly superb piece
of kit to scream down the other side.

As has already been said, testing in person is the best way to decide
for yourself which is best by a country mile, and then some.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

gotbent wrote:


much prunage

Check out www.recumbents.com there's a '03 Speedmachine with a tailfairing
for bout $2500.

The 'bent LBS -- ~300 miles away! -- sells the basic GTe new for
$26xx...with accessories and taxes that'll be $3K. The extra dollars
will be worth it for a brand new aluminum Street Machine, I think.

I have an older one too. It's a sweet ride, even if I can't
make it go all that fast.

Is it you or the machine? Seriously, I'm curious, since I'd like not
to be slower than a kid on skates, you know!

F'r instance, the best flat speed I'd seen yet from my Trek 1000c
upright is ~31 mph, IIRC. Actually, a human being can sprint up to
like 25 mph...so I guess that's not very fast after all, what I can do
on a bike!

Some people say they have trouble starting up and
steering Sm's with the hampster bars.

What are hampster bars? Their "ergobars" look all right.

I bought mine used and never had a
test ride. I saw one once and I wanted it, but couldn't afford it.
Eventually I had some cash, the I gotta have it itch and the opportunity. It
came with the aero bars and I never had a problem steering (Don't put the
brakes on in a slow speed turn! Never, ever!)

I have no 'bent experience.

I am so looking forward to test-riding a bunch of stuff at the LBS come
Spring!

I think that it's more stable
than my SWB RANS. I upgraded to new air shock, new Magura Louise calipers
and a seat that's the right size. It's red. It's a really sweet ride.

Oh, Goodness, I haven't even gone skiing yet and I'm already hoping for
Spring to come!

fat old geezer onna bent

I'd like to meet some sexy girl on a 'bent!

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Johnny Sunset wrote:


I had no trouble riding a HP Velotechnik Speedmachine with the "T" bars
even though the seat was about 5 cm too far back. I would get the "T"
bars since they look so much better (opinion).

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley


You mean OSS? USS seems more "natural" and "aesthetic" to me.

I can't wait to test-ride already!!

I don't understand your comment about the seat, though. Isn't it
adjustable?

NYC XYZ wrote:

What are hampster bars? Their "ergobars" look all right.

Above seat steering (more usual on the Speedmachine, the original
version only had over-seat) usually falls into two categories,
"Superman" bars with the arms held straight out in front and "hamster"
bars with the arms held close to the chest (a little like a hamster
sitting up holding a nut). The Speedmachine now has underseat ergobars
as an option.

I have no 'bent experience.

I am so looking forward to test-riding a bunch of stuff at the LBS come
Spring!

And make sure you do test ride everything you can. It's easy to select
a 'bent on paper and find it isn't quite what you'd thought. Don't set
your heart on anything you haven't ridden yet, no matter what the
reputation.

I'd like to meet some sexy girl on a 'bent!

I know a lady who fits the bill but the bad news for you is she lives
with me! ;-)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

NYC XYZ wrote:

You mean OSS? USS seems more "natural" and "aesthetic" to me.

Try them. In practice the difference is less than you might expect IME.
Note that if you want to go faster OSS is probably more aerodynamic.

I prefer USS, but I've owned and loved an OSS bike and wouldn't rule out
another.

I don't understand your comment about the seat, though. Isn't it
adjustable?

Yes, or rather the boom is, but if you're just having a quick hack on
someone else's bike then getting out the allen keys to do the boom, and
take a couple of links out of the chain (or put some extra ones back) is
more of a faff than it's usually worth.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch wrote:


Above seat steering (more usual on the Speedmachine, the original
version only had over-seat) usually falls into two categories,
"Superman" bars with the arms held straight out in front and "hamster"
bars with the arms held close to the chest (a little like a hamster
sitting up holding a nut). The Speedmachine now has underseat ergobars
as an option.

OIC! I'll probably go with the GTe, though -- the Street Machine.

Any experience with that new Bodyliner seat available? Wonder what's
the difference. I'm especially interested in the headrest option.

And make sure you do test ride everything you can. It's easy to select
a 'bent on paper and find it isn't quite what you'd thought. Don't set
your heart on anything you haven't ridden yet, no matter what the
reputation.

Yes, that's true. I must stop drooling all over my keyboard....

I know a lady who fits the bill but the bad news for you is she lives
with me! ;-)

Hey, I just wanna meet her, is all. Help motivate me up them hills....

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Johnny Sunset" wrote in message
oups.com...

gotbent, a self-described fat old geezer onna bent, wrote:
"NYC XYZ" wrote in message
ups.com...

Great points! So it's decided, then...I'll see you out there -- in my
GTe!

Ouch...$3K...I'd just spent $3K this past month...!

much prunage

Check out www.recumbents.com there's a '03 Speedmachine with a
tailfairing
for bout $2500. I have an older one too. It's a sweet ride, even if I
can't
make it go all that fast. Some people say they have trouble starting up
and
steering Sm's with the hampster bars. I bought mine used and never had a
test ride. I saw one once and I wanted it, but couldn't afford it.
Eventually I had some cash, the I gotta have it itch and the opportunity.
It
came with the aero bars and I never had a problem steering (Don't put the
brakes on in a slow speed turn! Never, ever!) I think that it's more
stable
than my SWB RANS. I upgraded to new air shock, new Magura Louise calipers
and a seat that's the right size. It's red. It's a really sweet ride.

I had no trouble riding a HP Velotechnik Speedmachine with the "T" bars
even though the seat was about 5 cm too far back. I would get the "T"
bars since they look so much better (opinion).

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley


A purple Sunset??? Just an opinion, of course.



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NYC XYZ wrote:

Any experience with that new Bodyliner seat available? Wonder what's
the difference. I'm especially interested in the headrest option.

I've tried the Bodylink on the Grasshopper (also worth a try, same cost
and basic options as the Streetmachine GTe but with a 20/20 wheel setup
so you only have to carry one flavour of spare tube). It's very
adjustable, though to be honest I prefer the older non-adjusting one
because it happens to fit me very well.
But for A.N.Other rider the Bodylink has a better chance of fitting
because you can fiddle it in so many ways. Sit on it and see... One
thing my gf like about her bike is the seat shape cuts away around the
shoulders. I prefer the HPVel seat for the opposite reason; they're a
personal thing and the only way to see what's best is take a seat and
see for yourself.

I've never felt the need for a headrest, and I have my seat at maximum
recline, but again sucking it and seeing is the best way to decide.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Peter Clinch" wrote in message
...
NYC XYZ wrote:

You mean OSS? USS seems more "natural" and "aesthetic" to me.

Try them. In practice the difference is less than you might expect IME.
Note that if you want to go faster OSS is probably more aerodynamic.

I prefer USS, but I've owned and loved an OSS bike and wouldn't rule out
another.

I don't understand your comment about the seat, though. Isn't it
adjustable?

Yes, or rather the boom is, but if you're just having a quick hack on
someone else's bike then getting out the allen keys to do the boom, and
take a couple of links out of the chain (or put some extra ones back) is
more of a faff than it's usually worth.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/



New versions have the 'body link' adjustable seat. Old ones came small -
large. Original medium seat was too long for my torso. Lumbar curve hit too
high and felt like a device from the Spamish Inquisition..no, the real
one...I bought a new small size and it's very comfortable,especially with a
$150 piece of Supracor substituted for the air flow cushion inside the air
flow pad.



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"NYC XYZ" wrote in message
ups.com...

gotbent wrote:


much prunage

Check out www.recumbents.com there's a '03 Speedmachine with a
tailfairing
for bout $2500.

The 'bent LBS -- ~300 miles away! -- sells the basic GTe new for
$26xx...with accessories and taxes that'll be $3K. The extra dollars
will be worth it for a brand new aluminum Street Machine, I think.

I have an older one too. It's a sweet ride, even if I can't
make it go all that fast.

Is it you or the machine? Seriously, I'm curious, since I'd like not
to be slower than a kid on skates, you know!

It's me. I'm a FOG, like my siggy said. I can do 30 mph sprint, though to
show a speed violation on the local road side radar speed reminder thingy
the cops leave at various places in the subdivision.

F'r instance, the best flat speed I'd seen yet from my Trek 1000c
upright is ~31 mph, IIRC. Actually, a human being can sprint up to
like 25 mph...so I guess that's not very fast after all, what I can do
on a bike!

Some people say they have trouble starting up and
steering Sm's with the hampster bars.

What are hampster bars? Their "ergobars" look all right.

"T" bars vs" U" bars.

I bought mine used and never had a
test ride. I saw one once and I wanted it, but couldn't afford it.
Eventually I had some cash, the I gotta have it itch and the opportunity.
It
came with the aero bars and I never had a problem steering (Don't put the
brakes on in a slow speed turn! Never, ever!)

I have no 'bent experience.

I am so looking forward to test-riding a bunch of stuff at the LBS come
Spring!

I think that it's more stable
than my SWB RANS. I upgraded to new air shock, new Magura Louise calipers
and a seat that's the right size. It's red. It's a really sweet ride.

Oh, Goodness, I haven't even gone skiing yet and I'm already hoping for
Spring to come!

fat old geezer onna bent

I'd like to meet some sexy girl on a 'bent!

There's a couple cruising around monkey island, but you'd have to catch them
first, and good luck with that....their husbands are really fast too. Good
Luck and enjoy your new bwnt whatever youend up with.

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