recumbents (three wheelers)

natureboy
natureboy Posts: 155
edited June 2008 in Road general
Has anyone got any experience of three wheeled recumbents? (two wheels at the front)
Are they very slow going up steep hills?
I'm 6'3" and wonder about getting one to fit, especially as some don't have a telescopic boom up front.
I know shimano do the capreo system, but is it possible to make a chainset with oversize chainrings shift gear?

Comments

  • pete.whelan
    pete.whelan Posts: 788
    Speed up hills is dependent on the rider, bt slightly slower than other machines.

    I've got a 55t chainring working OK with an 11t at the rear (20" wheels)
    Recipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.
  • Cunobelin
    Cunobelin Posts: 11,792
    Step back now!

    Go no further.....

    Leave now while you have the chance.....

    Trikes are the most fun you can have on a bike. The are stable, fast, corner as if on rails and are a real blast. Most are heavier than two wheelers because more framework is required, but any uphill struggle is made up for on the downhills.


    TRy one, and see, but don' t say I didn't warn you.........
    <b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
    He that buys flesh buys many bones.
    He that buys eggs buys many shells,
    But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
    (Unattributed Trad.)
  • pete.whelan
    pete.whelan Posts: 788
    got to agree with Cunobelin here. Es[ecially good fun in the winter when there is ice about. Always doing my best to spin the Trice.
    Recipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.
  • natureboy
    natureboy Posts: 155
    Is the trice made in florida?
    I saw a website for an australian made one that didn't have a telescopic boom, so how do they make it fit 6'3" me?
    I want MAXIMUM speed dowhill so need big gearing.Can 60t chainrings still change gear at the front? I fancy the shimano capreo system with its 9tooth cog, but does anybody have any experience of them?
    Because they're low, what are they like, visibilty wise, riding along dry stone walls?
  • pete.whelan
    pete.whelan Posts: 788
    natureboy wrote:
    Is the trice made in florida?
    I saw a website for an australian made one that didn't have a telescopic boom, so how do they make it fit 6'3" me?
    I want MAXIMUM speed dowhill so need big gearing.Can 60t chainrings still change gear at the front? I fancy the shimano capreo system with its 9tooth cog, but does anybody have any experience of them?
    Because they're low, what are they like, visibilty wise, riding along dry stone walls?

    No, Trice are made in Cornwall, UK.

    I think 55/56t is ablout the limit for good changing of the front mech, especially with a triple chainring. It might be easier to work with a double.

    Try it out in stages, a 55 x 9 will be more than enough
    Recipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.
  • Cunobelin
    Cunobelin Posts: 11,792
    natureboy wrote:
    Is the trice made in florida?
    I saw a website for an australian made one that didn't have a telescopic boom, so how do they make it fit 6'3" me?
    I want MAXIMUM speed dowhill so need big gearing.Can 60t chainrings still change gear at the front? I fancy the shimano capreo system with its 9tooth cog, but does anybody have any experience of them?
    Because they're low, what are they like, visibilty wise, riding along dry stone walls?

    Nope the Trice is made in that other foreign country - Cornwall!

    I am 6'2 " and rode a Trice for 14 years before trading for a Catrike Expedition:

    Catrike008a-1.jpg


    I would not be without a Trike!

    As for the position - it isn't a problem. you are sat on achair, so you don't have to look up, your head is already there, so vision is good. There is a problem with some country lanes, but to be quite honest you accept high walls on a normal bike, why not acept them on a trike.

    It's down to your perceptions, again noting we can tell you will beat a ride.
    <b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
    He that buys flesh buys many bones.
    He that buys eggs buys many shells,
    But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
    (Unattributed Trad.)
  • Cunobelin
    Cunobelin Posts: 11,792
    Should have said (with Bias) that I find the Catrikes faster then the Trice, and the 700 is one of the fastest around.

    http://www.catrike.co.uk
    <b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
    He that buys flesh buys many bones.
    He that buys eggs buys many shells,
    But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
    (Unattributed Trad.)
  • pete.whelan
    pete.whelan Posts: 788
    The other benefit I find with this position is that my nose doesn't run compared to virtually all the time when on an upright
    Recipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    As I said a couple of days ago :

    "I've ridden 2-wheel bents and an upright racing trike, but never a tadpole 'bent: the Greenspeed GT3 is simply awesome! I can't imagine anything legal that's better. AND even cajoled herself onto the tandem version (would be ungentlemanly to say how long it is since she has been on ANY pedal-powered vehicle, but certainly not since I've known her - and that's 38 years!): every partnership into cycling really ought to get one. "

    Obviously a VERY limited experience - few times round a flat track - but do, DO, have a go on one!
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • natureboy
    natureboy Posts: 155
    What about the tri-sled apex race?
    I want something fast and light, but also with a low bottom-bracket so I can see where I'm going. Some trikes bottom brackets are too high
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    "also with a low bottom-bracket so I can see where I'm going. Some trikes bottom brackets are too high"

    At 6'3" I can't imagine that seeing "over" the b/b would be a problem? It surely needs to be above the seat base for max effeciency (unlike e.g. my "vintage" 2-wheel LWB Roulandt!).
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • CatrikeUK
    CatrikeUK Posts: 3
    Cunobelin wrote:
    Should have said (with Bias) that I find the Catrikes faster then the Trice, and the 700 is one of the fastest around.

    http://www.catrike.co.uk

    Expeditions are faster in Candy Purple but not as fast as a 700. :twisted:
    Welcome to the dark side.
  • natureboy
    natureboy Posts: 155
    Has anybody heard anything about the tri-sled race?
  • CatrikeUK
    CatrikeUK Posts: 3
    Is the Tri Sled available in the UK?
    Welcome to the dark side.

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