Bob’s Electric Catrike…

Bob's triker grin...

Bob has been enjoying his Catrike for the last few years in stock trim, but has been thinking about a electric bike assist kit for it so he can conquer the local hills that are giving him grief. I connected Bob with my friend Ken over at Power in Motion who specializes in all things for electric bikes. Ken had a new kit called the Mega Motion kit that he recommended for Bob’s Catrike e-assist needs. Ken’s shop did the install quickly and Bob’s been very pleased with the result. He’s out and riding more than ever now that he has some help for the steep hills he faces on his rides and he’s excited to explore further afield than he has done in the past when he only had his own leg power to rely on.

Since I’m not an expert on electric bike kits I’ve uploaded a PDF brochure of the Mega Motion Kit that anyone who is interested can download and read for themselves. Ken is an electric bike guru so if you have any e-bike needs [e-Tikit, e-cargo bike, e-commuter bike, etc...] don’t hesitate to call or email him at Power in Motion.

Dan’s M5 Carbon Highracer…

photo: ranDanneuring Blog

Just in case you thought I had no love for bents any longer I figured I would share this lovely rig Dan posted on his ranDanneuring Blog. Looks sweet…I’d swap in a set of OC bars and be rolling along happily on that bike…=-)

I’m sponsored by Catrike!

I'm never standing up again...=-)

Hahaha…just kidding. I only wish I was a sponsored Catriker…=-) I helped my boss buy a Catrike Expedition just like this one. Sweet rig.

Do I look like a natural born triker?

The nice folks at Fairfield Bicycle let me ride this Catrike around their store a bit, but they said if I scratched the paint or burned too much rubber I’d have to buy it. So I kept it under 15kph…=-)

If you don’t know what a Catrike is watch these videos.

Ortlieb Recumbent Porn…

Hard not to like that!

I don’t post much recumbent porn these days, but this image was worth its own post.  You can buy these bags here. Go Ortlieb..=-)~

Got Ortlieb Bent Pack?

Ortlieb Recumbent Backpack...

Josh turned me onto this Ortlieb rack top bag that is also a backpack.   I love my Ortlieb panniers and my Velocity backpack so this seems like it could be a winner.

Backpack straps...

I currently have an Axiom rack top bag that I don’t love and it’s not waterproof so I’m open to something better.

More strap detail...

The problem with all multi-function bags is that they may not do any of their functions well.  So my question is does anyone out there actually own one of these and if so can you tell me a bit about how it’s working for you?

Available in basic black...

Easy Racers…

David Cambon's lovely Easy Racer rando bike...

I mentioned a while back that I was contemplating getting a recumbent so I can enjoy the reclined bike-style again….=-)  I’ve been pondering what to get that would be interesting to ride and fit into my current bike mission profile.  One bike that keeps popping up on my radar is the Easy Racer Gold Rush Replica like the one pictured above. It’s a long wheelbase recumbent that’s got a reputation for speed and solid climbing performance.  It makes a great touring rig and long distance bike as David Cambon has proven on many occasions.  The GRR is particularly suited for fast riding with a front fairing and body sock. Living in Victoria BC the warmth and weather protection these items offer is definitely of interest for year round riding.

Peter Noris riding a body socked Easy Racer at PBP...

It would be very interesting to see how an Easy Racer LWB stacked up against the SWB bents I’m used to riding – especially in the climbing department.  They seem to offer a lot of potential benefits:

• efficient climbing for a bent
• high speed on downhills, flats and shallow climbs
• weather protection from fairing and body sock
• comfortable ride [due to long wheelbase and recumbent seat]
• easy to carry water and other supplies
• low BB makes starts and stops easy
• proven design
• great customer service
• 406 and 700c wheel sizes in common with bikes I already own

Configured the way I would need it a GRR would cost over $4K so I won’t be snapping one up tomorrow, but I will keep my eyes peeled for a good deal like a used bike in good condition.  In the meantime I’ll work on getting a test ride in when I go to Seattle in March 2011.

2011

I must have been thinking ahead to 2011!

Every year I have at least one project bike and try out some new gear that’s been on my mind.  My main focus for 2011 will be to upgrade and improve my existing rides.  Here is what I am thinking of for 2011:

• I’m going to put some energy into learning to unicycle.  Paul lent me a couple unis to try out.  I haven’t got to the point where I’m for sure going to take this up, but I should know by the end of 2010.  If I do I’ll score a uni for myself.
• Sharon has realized that although her cruiser/city bike is nice to look at she needs a more efficient ride if she is to cover a lot of kms riding to work and for errands.  So I’m going to build her a Surly Cross Check [in Robin's Egg Blue] using the main parts from her cruiser.  The more aggressive riding position and option to go with drops should be useful while still ending up with a nice looking ride.  Assuming she loves it I’m thinking of adding a dynohub wheel and headlight in the fall of 2011 for her birthday as her commutes to work start getting darker.
• We’ll save Sharon’s city bike frame and any parts we don’t swap over to build up a SS Burning Man bike for 2012 when we head to the playa again.
• My trusty Surly LHT is going to get a dynohub and dyno headlight for 24/7 light action.  I’ve really enjoyed the dyno setup on my Bike Friday NWT and it’s time to give my LHT the same treatment.  I’ll use a Shimano dynohub, but haven’t settled on a headlight yet.  My LHT will also get some smooth fast rolling Grand Bois Cypres tires.  I’ve been waiting until the existing Marathon  XRs wear out, but that is taking forever so I’ll pull them and save them for when I need a heavier tire on a tour.  If I get really into it I’d like a bigger/longer mudflap on my LHT, but that would be a luxury…the existing one is adequate.
• My Surly Big Dummy will get a dynohub [a 26" Shimano dynohub wheel I used on my Thorn Nomad] as well as a dyno headlight. Not sure about the headlight yet.  I’m thinking I’ll probably get an uber nice one for the LHT and a nice, but reasonably priced one for the Dummy. I can always swap them if I need a killer light on the Dummy.  I’ll probably swap the Jones Loop H-bar into the Dummy to test it out.
• My CETMA cargo bike will get a hydraulic disc brake on the front wheel to address the spongy brake action caused the long convoluted cable run. I still haven’t mounted fenders so that has to happen and I think, given the short rides I do with it, I’ll mount a less expensive SDG saddle and save the Selle Anatomica for a rig that sees bigger distances.  I’m considering pulling the Rohloff hub from the CETMA and replacing it with a cheaper Nuvinci IGH.  I feel like the Rohloff is kind of wasted in that bike and I’ve been interested in the Nuvinci so this would be a good opporttunity to try one out in an application where the smaller gear range and higher weight isn’t an issue.
• My Bike Friday NWT will get some full coverage Planet Bike Fenders and some fresh white bar tape. If Solidlights is still doing the XB2 light upgrade I may send my Solidlights dyno light back to the UK to get the upgrade from brighter LEDs and a focused optic.
• My Pugsley needs a saddle [I stole the Selle Anatomica for the CETMA from my Pug].  Rather than put the SA back on I’ll replace it with SDG plastic saddle unless I take it on tour where the SA would be appreciated.  I’d also like to swap in some MTB riser bars from my spare parts bin for the Titec H-bars to get a better relationship between the brake levers and the shifter/grips.  Right now I can’t have my hand on the grips fully while braking which is a problem in technical terrain.  I have a set of Surly Larry knobby 4″ tires I will be installing on the Pugsely in 2011 to improve traction in the wet.
• My Bike Friday 8spd Tikit has a new stem riser waiting on installation.  The new one piece unit replaces the previous separate stem and steering riser combo.  I’ve got to replace the whole drivetrain on this bike since it hasn’t seen any love since new.  It also needs a new set of Greenspeed Scorcher TRs.
• I’d like to get a tour of Vancouver Island in this spring…from Port Hardy back down to Victoria.
• I’d like to fit in more mountain biking.  Kiteboarding dominates my summer weekends, but I can fit more mountain bike rides in during the week.

There is also some stuff that I’m less certain about that is bouncing around my brain.  These items may not happen, but who knows?

• Getting a tandem.  I’m continuing to do research and will hopefully get some test rides in over the next few months to confirm our interest in riding on the same bike. I’ve got a few possibilities on paper right now, but nothing that is so compelling I’d rule out other options.
• Alfine 11 – I’d like to try one out, but I haven’t got a solid idea of where I might use one.
• Carbon belt – I’d like to try out a carbon belt drive at some point.  I’m not 100% sold on them, but without trying one it’s hard to speak about the benefits vs. a chain.
• Trying out a BQ approved 650B rando style bike.  I’m curious if I’ll come to the same conclusions as Jan Heine and the only way to know is to try one. I’m not ready to spend top of the line custom $$ on one so I’d be looking at something that’s in production like the Boulder Cycles Randonneur.
• I’m contemplating riding some more brevets this year…if I do it will be just the shorter ones [100K, 200K and 300K].  I’ve got to find my love of long solo training road rides.   I’ve also done all my previous brevets on a recumbent.  I don’t own a bent and I don’t see one in my immediate future so I’d probably press my Surly LHT or BBC 24 into service.
• I’m considering building a bike storage area in my yard to free up garage space.  It would be a concrete pad with eye bolts sunken into the pad for locking points.  It would have a roof, but not be fully enclosed.  I’d lock up my more sturdy bikes there [like my Surly Big Dummy] giving me more room in the garage and also making getting rolling on these bikes faster.
• I may get rid of one of my two fixed gear bikes to free up some space.  I love the fixed gear experience, but one bike would meet all my needs.

Velomobile Commute

HP Velo Factory Tour…

From BROL…

Making a Catrike…

In the spirit of the Schwalbe and Rohloff videos I posted yesterday here are a couple about making a Catrike recumbent trike.

RAAM 2010 Recumbents…

Photo: Velonews.com

There are several recumbent riders racing the 2010 edition of Race Across America [aka. RAAM].  Most notably Barbra Buatois the french rider shown above who is currently the 1st place female in the race.

Dana Liberman, owner of Bent Up Cycles and all around nice guy, is part of a 4 man recumbent men’s team.  They are going strong and currently in 3rd place for their division.

Photo: RAAM

Tim Woudenberg is racing solo on a recumbent in the men’s 50-59 age group. He’s currently in first place in that group.

Photo: Sandy Earl

Sandy Earl was racing in the solo women’s division, but has DNF’d – although it’s not yet clear what the reason was for her departure from the race.

No matter how the race ends for these riders just showing up ready to race RAAM is an amazing accomplishment.  It’s hard to fully grasp the effort and investment of time/$$ these folks will have put into this event by the time they cross the finish line.

BTW – there is also a trike rider on a mixed bent/DF team called Team FARA.

Going bent Ver 4.0?

Catrike Expedition...

I’m starting to get the hankering to ride a recumbent again.  No specific goals this time other than to try something new and see what I think.  This will be my fourth venture into the bent world.

My Recumbent resume:

1. Vision R40 SWB was my first bent. I never felt at home with the handling and sold it after 1 season.  Then I took a couple years off bents altogether.
2. BikeE CLWB was my second bent and a lot of fun, but I got the dreaded recumbutt after more than an hour in the saddle and the performance was not remarkable.  I took another couple years off at this point as well.
3. I started back up with a Volae Expedition high racer, then tried a Challenge Taifun and Fujin SL SWB low racers.  There was also a RANS Rocket SWB and a Challenge Hurricane in the mix for my riding partner.  I sold all my bents in late 2008 so I’m coming up on 2 years bentless.
4. The question is what bent to get and why?

The two front runners for my next bent are:

The Catrike Expedition shown in the photo above.

• I’ve always been intrigued by trikes and in particular the space frame design of the Catrike seems like a beautiful form and function mix.
• I’m pretty sure the go cart like handling and low slung riding position will be a ton of fun.
• This is about as different as it gets when it comes to my previous recumbents.

The RANS X-Stream shown in the photo below.

• I’ve never really “got” the LWB style recumbents until I saw the X-Stream.
• It looks fast, comfortable and easy to start/stop.
• I like the higher riding position for mixing it up with traffic as well as for riding with folks on DFs.
• My previous RANS Rocket was a sweet well made bent as was the RANS Street Crank Forward I had.

RANS X-Stream

I’m not in any rush to make a decision as I’ve got a busy summer ahead of me, but I thought I would throw out my ideas so far and get some feedback to incorporate into the process.  If you’ve got some thoughts about either bent or a totally different make/model I’m open to hearing from you.

RAAM 2010 – The Ataxians

Tikit Hyperfold in a Recumbent?

Hard to believe you can almost have the same crazy fast fold shown above with a Bike Friday Tikit in a lowracer recumbent….seeing is believing though…wow…=-)

…found via BROL and the Recumbent Blog

Zotefoam Bent Seatpad Free

Free Bent Seatpad

I have a Zotefoam seatpad [9.75" x 36"] for a hard shell bent seat.  It’s free for a local pick up or $15USD shipped anywhere in North America. It’s brand new – never been used.

Velocity Racers

Velocity Racers - Hong Kong

Corbett has posted some really interesting commentary on BROL about owning a recumbent bike shop in Hong Kong. Even if you are not into recumbents it’s still worth a read.

The shop looks so elegant and classy it almost doesn’t look like a bike shop!

Velocity Racers website.

The inside...

Terracycle Cargo Monster

Cargo Monster on a trike...

Terracycle is offering a cargo kit called the Cargo Monster similar to the Xtracycle Free Radical, but designed for recumbents and odd shaped upright bikes that won’t work with the Xtracycle Free Radical.

The Cargo Monster features:

• Full Chrome Moly tubing construction
• 100% Xtracycle compatability
• Custom laser cut lugs
• 203mm disk brake tab
• Fender mounts
• Built in Idler mounts
• 20 and 26″ wheel capability- and you can put a 26″ wheel on a 20″ trike if you want…
• Cable extender, cable, and extra housing for rear derailleur included
• Model specific clamps and adapters make everything very sturdy and easy to attach
• Motor mounts for electric mid drive
• Fits standard 135mm rear dropout spacing

Cargo Monster Parts

Happily the Cargo Monster will accept all Xtracycle accessories which means you have access to a wide range of cargo solutions.

At $770USD for the sub-frame kit this isn’t a low cost solution as you’ll be over $1000 once you get a few necessary Xtracycle parts, but for the recumbent trike or bike owner who wants to haul huge loads this is the only game in town I know of.

Cargo Monster in action...

I haven’t tried this product myself so I can’t say too much more about it other than it looks like a really interesting design.

406 Marathons for Sale

Marathon 20" x 1.5"

These are spoken for…

I’ve got 4 Schwalbe Marathons in 20″ [406] x 1.5″ with wire bead size for sale.  They are new although they have all been used for 4-5kms.  No wear at all, but some minor dust/dirt in tread.  This is a great touring/commuting/utility tire for a folding bike or recumbent.

Schwalbe sells them for $35USD each + shipping = $155USD for all 4 shipped.

I’ll ship them to you anywhere in North America for $110USD – or you can pick them up for $90USD.

Free Challenge Rear Rack

Fits metal Challenge recumbent seats...

Rack has been taken…thanks!

I’m giving away this brand new never used rear rack that fits metal Challenge recumbent seats.  It may require minor drilling on some seats.

If you are local just come on over and pick it up.  If you need it shipped I’ll ship it anywhere in North America for $30USD.

The same type of rack installed on a Challenge bent...

Thanks Ian!

Ian on the far right in his white Quest velomobile

Well I’m not stoked to be stranded so close to home for so many days [looks like it will be Monday before I'm rolling again...=-(], but on the plus side I got to meet Ian a local recumbent/crankforward/xtracycle enthusiast I’ve been chatting with online for a long time.  Even better he showed me his cool fleet of bikes – the prize being his lovely white Quest velomobile.  I’ve never seen a velomobile so that was very cool.  It’s a sleek machine that would be ideal for a cold/wet weather commute.

I gotta say that even though Ian has some uber cool bikes the thing I was most jealous of was the 3 car garage he has ‘em in!!!!….=-)  Heck a one car garage would rock my world, but a 3 car garage is a dream scenario.

Thanks Ian for an enjoyable diversion in Kennewick, WA…=-)