Variety is the Spice of Recumbent Life

After a long winter, I am finally commuting again to work on either my
Strada or my Stratus. As most of you probably know, these are two
very different bikes. One is a LWB low BB bike. The other is a SWB
high BB bike. What I find remarkable is that I love riding both of
these bikes! They look different. They ride different. And they
both have things that I love about each. Yes, if I could only have
one, I would still choose a LWB low BB. But only having one would be
cruel and unusual punishment for a recumbent enthusiast! If I could
(OK if my wife let me) I would have a lowracer (maybe VeloKraft,
Challenge, or M5) and a trike too (maybe ICE, Greenspeed, or CAT)!
When I first started riding recumbents (circa 1999) I couldn't
understand why so many enthusiasts had so many bikes..... I took me
a while....... But now I understand!

Enjoy the ride!
Jim Reilly
Reading, PA

"stratrider" wrote in message
oups.com...
After a long winter, I am finally commuting again to work on either my
Strada or my Stratus. As most of you probably know, these are two
very different bikes. One is a LWB low BB bike. The other is a SWB
high BB bike. What I find remarkable is that I love riding both of
these bikes! They look different. They ride different. And they
both have things that I love about each. Yes, if I could only have
one, I would still choose a LWB low BB. But only having one would be
cruel and unusual punishment for a recumbent enthusiast! If I could
(OK if my wife let me) I would have a lowracer (maybe VeloKraft,
Challenge, or M5) and a trike too (maybe ICE, Greenspeed, or CAT)!
When I first started riding recumbents (circa 1999) I couldn't
understand why so many enthusiasts had so many bikes..... I took me
a while....... But now I understand!

If you are going to have only 2 recumbents, I think you have got it right.
You have a LWB low crank and a SWB high crank. Those are the two basic
configurations. Anything else is just a variation on a theme . I should
know. I have 12 recumbents! Take it from me, that is way too many.

I would forget about a lowracer - and a trike too unless you enjoy going
slow.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

"stratrider" wrote in message
oups.com...
After a long winter, I am finally commuting again to work on either my
Strada or my Stratus. As most of you probably know, these are two
very different bikes. One is a LWB low BB bike. The other is a SWB
high BB bike. What I find remarkable is that I love riding both of
these bikes! They look different. They ride different. And they
both have things that I love about each. Yes, if I could only have
one, I would still choose a LWB low BB. But only having one would be
cruel and unusual punishment for a recumbent enthusiast! If I could
(OK if my wife let me) I would have a lowracer (maybe VeloKraft,
Challenge, or M5) and a trike too (maybe ICE, Greenspeed, or CAT)!
When I first started riding recumbents (circa 1999) I couldn't
understand why so many enthusiasts had so many bikes..... I took me
a while....... But now I understand!

Yup. I've got a catrike speed, but I also want a LWB and a HP Velo Street
machine

On Apr 25, 8:05 am, stratrider aka Jim Reilly wrote:

...If I could (OK if my wife let me) I would have a lowracer (maybe VeloKraft,
Challenge, or M5) and a trike too (maybe ICE, Greenspeed, or CAT)!...

Try a Craigslist advertisement: For trade - one wife for a lowracer or
tadpole trike.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

On Apr 26, 4:54 am, Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman
wrote:


Try a Craigslist advertisement: For trade - one wife for a lowracer or
tadpole trike.

--

I'll even throw in a 96 Mazda pick up with 110,000 miles to sweeten
the deal!

Jim

"stratrider" wrote in message
oups.com...
After a long winter, I am finally commuting again to work on either my
Strada or my Stratus. As most of you probably know, these are two
very different bikes. One is a LWB low BB bike. The other is a SWB
high BB bike. What I find remarkable is that I love riding both of
these bikes! They look different. They ride different. And they
both have things that I love about each. Yes, if I could only have
one, I would still choose a LWB low BB. But only having one would be
cruel and unusual punishment for a recumbent enthusiast! If I could
(OK if my wife let me) I would have a lowracer (maybe VeloKraft,
Challenge, or M5) and a trike too (maybe ICE, Greenspeed, or CAT)!
When I first started riding recumbents (circa 1999) I couldn't
understand why so many enthusiasts had so many bikes..... I took me
a while....... But now I understand!

Yes, unlike upright bikes, recumbents differ *vastly* in their design,
riding position, comfort, speed and handling. If you're even moderately
curious, you're gonna end up wanting more than one. Ain't it grand?! :-)

I'm gonna have to suggest that with your current stable, a trike should be
your next purchase. At ~$1,500 [lightly used], the Catrike is the one to
own. It's light, nimble, fast and well engineered - a bona-fide bargain.
After years of shopping, I finally bought an '04 Catrike Speed (it was a
toss-up between that and the Catrike Road). The Speed is a 3 wheel
pedal-powered go-kart. It's every bit as low and aero as my heavy, huge,
expensive M5 lowracer was; but without the steep learning curve and no
worries about falling over at low speed. There's nothing quite like
cruising down a paved forest preserve path on a trike. Not having to balance
changes everything. You can glide to a stop and smell the flowers without
taking your feet off the pedals.

However, like a lowracer, trikes are low-slung machines. If you don't have
paved paths, safe bike lanes or empty stretches of smooth country roads, you
might not be able to safely and fully enjoy a trike. Personally, I don't
feel comfortable anywhere near SUV's on my Catrike, after having had a few
near-misses. Now, I get off the trike and walk it across intersections
(even that isn't often enough). Also, these stiff, unsuspended trikes can
beat you up a bit on rough roads. Smoother is better.

Enjoy the ride!

Keep looking up, Jim.

On May 9, 2:34 pm, "rocketman", who never played for Detroit, wrote:
"stratrider" wrote in message

oups.com...

After a long winter, I am finally commuting again to work on either my
Strada or my Stratus. As most of you probably know, these are two
very different bikes. One is a LWB low BB bike. The other is a SWB
high BB bike. What I find remarkable is that I love riding both of
these bikes! They look different. They ride different. And they
both have things that I love about each. Yes, if I could only have
one, I would still choose a LWB low BB. But only having one would be
cruel and unusual punishment for a recumbent enthusiast! If I could
(OK if my wife let me) I would have a lowracer (maybe VeloKraft,
Challenge, or M5) and a trike too (maybe ICE, Greenspeed, or CAT)!
When I first started riding recumbents (circa 1999) I couldn't
understand why so many enthusiasts had so many bikes..... I took me
a while....... But now I understand!

Yes, unlike upright bikes, recumbents differ *vastly* in their design,
riding position, comfort, speed and handling. If you're even moderately
curious, you're gonna end up wanting more than one. Ain't it grand?! :-)

If you were a farmer, you could have 9 or 10 recumbents.

I'm gonna have to suggest that with your current stable, a trike should be
your next purchase. At ~$1,500 [lightly used], the Catrike is the one to
own. It's light, nimble, fast and well engineered - a bona-fide bargain.
After years of shopping, I finally bought an '04 Catrike Speed (it was a
toss-up between that and the Catrike Road). The Speed is a 3 wheel
pedal-powered go-kart. It's every bit as low and aero as my heavy, huge,
expensive M5 lowracer was; but without the steep learning curve and no
worries about falling over at low speed. There's nothing quite like
cruising down a paved forest preserve path on a trike. Not having to balance
changes everything. You can glide to a stop and smell the flowers without
taking your feet off the pedals.

The trike is also useful in an area where almost every rural township
road intersection has loose aggregate piled up at the corners - the
wonders of "chip seal".

Speaking of the forest preserve with the paved path, do not ride
across the spillway dip in the road when water is flowing across it.
The suspension bridge on a windy day can also be interesting. (Don't
ask me how I know this.) The (still?) heated restrooms are nice,
however.

However, like a lowracer, trikes are low-slung machines. If you don't have
paved paths, safe bike lanes or empty stretches of smooth country roads, you
might not be able to safely and fully enjoy a trike. Personally, I don't
feel comfortable anywhere near SUV's on my Catrike, after having had a few
near-misses. Now, I get off the trike and walk it across intersections
(even that isn't often enough). Also, these stiff, unsuspended trikes can
beat you up a bit on rough roads. Smoother is better.

Well, I can think of quite a few people who ride lowracers and trikes
in traffic in Da Great City of Chicaguh and its suburbs.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

rocketman wrote:

Yes, unlike upright bikes, recumbents differ *vastly* in their design,
riding position,
snip

However, like a lowracer, trikes are low-slung machines.

I refer you to your first paragraph above. You seem to have forgotten
the well-worn caveat "except the ones that aren't"... ;-)

(i.e., Anthrotech, Kettweisel)

If you don't have paved paths

Hase now do an off-road specific version of the Kettweisel. They used
to have some Mad videos on their site of people enjoying them on notably
unpaved ground!

Also, these stiff, unsuspended trikes can
beat you up a bit on rough roads.

Also many models available with suspension, of course...

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
...
rocketman wrote:

Yes, unlike upright bikes, recumbents differ *vastly* in their design,
riding position,
snip

However, like a lowracer, trikes are low-slung machines.

I refer you to your first paragraph above. You seem to have forgotten the
well-worn caveat "except the ones that aren't"... ;-)

(i.e., Anthrotech, Kettweisel)

If you don't have paved paths

I should have said "most popular tadpole trikes." Thx 4 the cx.

Hase now do an off-road specific version of the Kettweisel. They used to
have some Mad videos on their site of people enjoying them on notably
unpaved ground!

I seem to remember reading a review of the EZ-3 trike which included an
off-road jaunt.

Also, these stiff, unsuspended trikes can beat you up a bit on rough
roads.

Also many models available with suspension, of course...

True. They would need 3-wheel suspension to prevent the whipping the rider's
head from side to side in uneven stutter bumps. That's one problem a
lowracer doesn't have; but I was glad to have a very thick headrest pad on
my M5 lowracer.

rocketman wrote:

True. They would need 3-wheel suspension to prevent the whipping the rider's
head from side to side in uneven stutter bumps.

There are a few about, and Stein are about to launch a new one.
Link to video of some tomfoolery on one in the recent news roundup
at www.velovision.co.uk IIRC.

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/