Going.
http://recumbentcyclecon.blogspot.com/
Gone:
http://blog.nycrecumbentsupply.com/2013/11/recumbent-cycle-conventional-not.html
Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
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| Me (Robert) at the end of the road at the top of Whiteface Mtn. with my Street Machine Gte. The factory gearing (and my legs) got me and my luggage there okay.
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On the Yahoo Group for HP Velotechnik owners, there has been an interesting sharing of perspectives on the standard gearing for the HP Velotechnik Street Machine Gte.
I share it here, edited to the essential parts about gearing:
From original poster L Campbell:
I would appreciate suggestions as to how long an axle should be for a triple and also, does the factory suggest any minimum / maximum sizes for the chainrings?
Zach Kaplan of Zach Kaplan Cycles wrote in:
The stock crankset on the Street Machine has 52-42-30 rings. They have used various brands of cranksets and spindle lengths over the years. To get lower gearing, I have replaced the stock 30T inner rings with 26T or 24T rings. I have also set up Street Machines with MTB cranksets with 44-32-22 rings which I think is a better gear range for a bike designed for loaded touring.
Writer Ed Walkling seemed to have a similar view:
When I get a new (secondhand) GT the first thing I do is change the crankset. I find the standard chainrings much too large for full camping gear touring or pulling my daughter in the trailer.
I run 22, 32, 44 chainrings as said before and also use a large 36 tooth cassette giving me a very low gear. This allows me to pull the trailer up a steep gravely hill we use often on the way back from our local town.
The axle length on your bottom bracket will be determined by the crankset you choose to install. Only the shell diameter and width is predetermined by the frame. As you have a deralieur post you should be fine fitting a triple.
My (Robert’s) own view was the following. I tried to provide context so others may translate my experience to their own terrain and habits.
I’d like to contribute to the range of perspectives about the SMGte’s factory gearing since I have a different experience.
I ride an SMGte for solo, self-supported, loaded touring, carrying all gear for shelter, cooking, repairs and travel. My last tour, this past July, was a 12-day, 750-mile rainy (cycling) trip through the Adirondacks in New York State with a brief dog-leg through Vermont. I basically followed the Adventure Cycling Association’s “Adirondacks Loop.” The trip included constant and often steep elevation changes on both improved and “unimproved” roads: paved, dirt, farm, trail, mud, broken asphalt, etc.
The steepest, longest incline during the trip was up Whiteface Mtn., the ski mountain used during the two Lake Placid Winter Olympics. I rode up with full panniers, which, in addition, were particularly heavy due to my having been caught in daily thunderstorms without a chance to dry my gear. From the direction I was riding, it was a 10-mile climb, in all, with long steep grades, often between 8-10% during the last five miles, and a somewhat rough winter-damaged asphalt surface.
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| This is the elevation profile for the Whiteface Mtn. section of the Adventure Cycling Association’s Adirondacks Loop. |
I rode with HPV’s factory-supplied Shimano XT drivetrain with their Truvativ Tuoro crankset and their 155 mm (short) crank arms. It was okay. I believe the Elita crankset yields more power output and 170 mm crankarms would give a lower gearing, but I didn’t leave the trip believing I needed yet lower gears.
The RPMs of my preferred cadence may be slower than those who prefer lower, mountain bike gearing; I, personally, seem to have better slow twitch than fast twitch leg muscles. Between me and others, there may also be differences in the weight of the payload, rider plus luggage, as well as strength.
It’s important to remember that the cadence speed of one rider may be very different from that of another and that cadence will hugely effect the optimal choice of gearing. A rider with a high cadence may benefit from mountain bike gearing for loaded touring. But a rider with a low cadence may not, and may really regret losing the higher “cruising” gears, as the chain rings are all reduced in size.
It is also impossible to predict the future. In this case, I mean that you don’t know how you’ll pedal after you become an experienced rider on a specific bike. When you’re new to a bike, you may pedal with one cadence, but as you get to know the bike and grow stronger, you may develop a preference for a different cadence. Also, on a new bike, you might begin with one seat angle or boom length (x-seam length) or cleat position or leg extension, and that may lead you to prefer one cadence. As you become stronger and more experienced, if you’re like many other people, you will tweak these things and those tweaks may effect cadence. Also, in my own case, I find that the time I spend in the saddle changes my preferred cadence; on long trips and long days, I seem to prefer a slow cadence. On short trips and day rides I seem be happy with a faster cadence. Maybe I don’t know what I’m doing; maybe a great coach would tune my cadence and it’d be better if I pedaled the same way always.
I continue to believe it’s fine and maybe best to start with the factory’s gearing, and use that to get to know the bike and yourself as a rider of that bike. As you develop your strength and technique on a particular frame, you’ll come across instances where the gearing wasn’t quite what you needed — not high enough, not low enough, not close enough, not wide enough. Then, based on personal experience, you can experiment with your set-up and hone in on your optimal gearing.
All that said, there is indeed one good shortcut to slowly and surely putting in the miles and experimenting as you ride. It’s called “intensely putting in miles and experimenting as you ride.”
Have fun and — why not:? — try something new,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
There are a few other products I sometimes use. They’re the usual suspects: Finish Line, White Lightning, Phil’s Tenacious, etc. And I have a few other “secret” lubes that I experiment with, but, sorry, they’re secret.
One not-so-secret lube is graphite dust applied liberally to the outside of the chain. Very old school, dirty as heck, and highly effective.
What you DON’T want to use on your chain:
– WD40
– Fluids that penetrate and remove grease from the chain (grease is good).
To clean dirt off your chain, simply use a clean dry dust-free rag to wipe off the dirt.
Before all else, I should probably say, you need to start with a clean high quality chain. You can’t turn a dirty old chain into a good and efficient chain. Chains are cheap. So are cassettes and chain rings. Start fresh.
High quality chains, such as those from Shimano, KMC and SRAM, have been assembled in the factory with industrial grade lubricants. So, that job has been done for you, better than most people could ever do it themselves. Generally, you just want to protect that industrial grade lubricant and keep dirt particles from getting inside the chain (inside the chain’s bushings). Dirt on the inside of the chain’s bushings causes the greatest amount of friction and wear.
Corrosion on the outside (and inside) of the chain is something you want to avoid, by keeping your chain lubed. If you have chain tubes on your bike, you’ll want to dry off your chain between rain storms because moisture inside the chain tubes will cause corrosion on the outside of the chain.
Dirt on the outside isn’t a huge concern in terms of performance and wear. For one thing, you can’t do much about it, so there’s little point in worrying about it. There may need to be asterisks and foot notes here (you need a clean chain before applying lube; dirt on the outside may be desirable, it actually may prevent dirt from getting inside the bushings; dirt on the outside will wear your chain rings and cassette, but you can’t stop parts wearing out, same as you can’t stop entropy; dirt on the outside of a chain may mask corrosion on the outside which you definitely do not want; the best thing of all for long term chain and “cog” life is to have a bike with an enclosed drive train, e.g., Flevobike’s Green Machine).
Are you keeping all this straight? The main thing to remember is this: start fresh, apply T9.
Your mechanic may have a few chain maintenance secrets too. There’s no reason not to go with whatever they suggest.
Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
So, from now on, that single easiest, hill-climbing gear on a bike shall be known as the “mountain gear.” That makes me, and everyone else who uses that lowest gear, a mountaineer. And I like that better.
Have fun and stay young forever,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
About one-third of the HP Velotechniks I order are in custom colors. Here’s one of the recent ones, in graphite-black. Fitted with a black Rohloff speed hub 500/14 and DT Swiss Air Shock. Nice bike, as the kids say.
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| In the bright sun. You get a good view in this photo of the efficient chain line on a SMGte |
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| Many people wonder how the SMGte looks without the front derailer post. Shown here. The small black tube near the front is HPV’s computer mount. This mount isn’t strong enough to support a typical smart phone, but it’s good for a Cateye-like odometer. |
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| The Rohloff Speedhub, shown here, is a superb and sophisticated piece of equipment. Designed for trouble-free operation and strongly recommended for long distance touring, it comes with a fairly extensive manual. You wouldn’t think you’d need to, but do read the manual before your first ride so you understand the finer points of operating the hub. |
Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
Smooth speed. That’d be the two-word description of the ride quality of the 2013 Silvio 2.0. The one-word description would be, I guess, spooth.
I have a Silvio 2.0 in the shop as a demo and I took time at lunch to ride 4 loops (16 miles) in a continuing effort to understand the current model a bit better. This ride: avg. apx. 21 mph., high: 32 mph, low: 12 mph, 16 mpib, 1 drdh (drafting roadie dropped on hill).
The bike isn’t set up with an odometer*, but, given I know the distance of the course, I can say with some accuracy that I’ve put in about 40 miles on this version so far and, though I can handle it better now than I did at first, it’s not yet second nature. Just for context, people should realize than when I say second nature I mean really truly second nature — riding without having to think at all about coordination. I ride a Cruzbike (Sofrider) every day for commuting, shopping, etc. so, as a general thing, the Cruzbike handling is pretty much second nature to me. The Silvio 2.0 is forcing me to develop higher level skills. But that’s always been true of the Silvios; you must have higher level Cruz skills before you can safely handle any of their bikes at high speed. The Silvio, like any highly aero bent, is inherently fast when energy is input. (*I rode with the Bike Brain app turned on so I’d know my speeds.)
The first time I rode the S 2.0, several weeks ago, I was focused on understanding the handling, otherwise known as “just trying to hold on” and figuring out the boom length and where to put my hands. It is so much more reclined than the 1.0/1.5 model, that it’s really a new bike. It deserves a new name, not simply a new numeral. The Goldio; the I-don’t-know-ee-oh. Yes, it’s a lot more aero, and significantly faster on the flats and downs due to that, but also, due to my head angle (I mean skull, not head tube), I need to develop new techniques for watching the road, looking for obstacles and people, broken pavement and trash, looking behind me, etc. At this point, my technique is to lift my head whenever I’m in an unpredictable area due to a rough road or crazy kids or murderous texting drivers. Around unpredictable traffic, I’ll pedal sitting fully up.
While riding, I also get more wind up my sunglasses so I’ve had to start wearing shades that are closer to my cheeks (facial). Hmm. I realize as I write this that I also seem to get a drier throat on the S 2.0 compared to the S 1.5 and other less aero bikes. I think the wind is hitting the roof of my mouth in a way that dries out my mouth; I don’t think I’m getting more wind up my nose, but who knows. Maybe my mouth is more open as a ride, maybe due to the highly aero position when using the headrest. Maybe because the headrest supports me in that sweet spot on my neck, like someone is using the head-tilt method to open my throat for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
I’ve breathed in two bugs, that I can remember, over the 40 miles. Now there’s a stat that should be mentioned in bent reviews: miles per ingested bug. The Silvio has a MPIB of 20 overall, for me. The HP Velotechnik Street Machine Gte has a MPIB of about 325. I don’t know which is better. It depends on the bug.
The main thing I appreciate about the S 2.0, from the first ride, is how much softer and smoother the ride is. The new suspension design is fantastic. (Just FYI, on Cruzbikes there is essentially no power loss from suspension.) The bike here is set-up with Schwalbe Ultremo tires at 130 psi, which on the Silvio 1.5 could be jarring on rough roads. The S 2.0 though is smooth, especially considering this is an aluminum frame. Another context: when I say bad roads, I mean I rode it on cobble stones and paving stones for about 2 miles and then there are some areas with broken asphalt in Prospect Park right now that I’d take at about 20 mph. You may not have roads like this.
It strikes me that the seats of most the bents I ride on a regular basis are fairly vertical. I can’t be bothered to measure them, but the seat angles are about 35 degrees or so. Less than that and I need a head rest and I prefer to ride without one. My beater Sofrider has an apx. 45 deg. seat angle. My Street Machine touring bike is about 35. With the Silvio 2.0, I feel so reclined (and comfortable) when I lean my head back on the non-optional headrest that I honestly sort of want to go to sleep…at the same time I’m the most aero and fast. Resist the call of the nap! (At least till you’re off the road.)
On the speed front, the S 2.0 is extremely aero, so I’ll simply say it’s very fast. I don’t want to encourage people to ride like they are racing when they could be riding for pleasure.
Gotta go. I have some bikes to build.
Have fun and stay healthy, and stop measuring your fun,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
On Tue, September 10, 2013 8:19 pm, Michael A______ wrote:
Hi Robert,
I am having trouble getting the seat-back to be held securely by the tube arrangement. The black tube wiggles in the frame tube. I have tightened the clasp as much as I think I can, but it still wiggles, with the net being the back is lower than I would prefer.
Any ideas?
Mike A____
Hi Mike,
The seat tube. Indeed, this should not be loose.
Please check:
– Ring/quick release (QR) clamp is around the lower (frame section) of the seat tube, as opposed to being loose and floating on the upper (black) part of the seat tube.
– The ring/QR clamp is tight.
– Bolt in QR clamp is NOT broken. (Excessive tightening force could have caused this to break.)
– Clamp has nothing interfering with its closing and tightening. Check both ends: the clamp and the “end screw.” The water bottle cages might interfere with this in some positions, but it need not. There’s a sweet spot where the clamp closes securely but there’s no interference from the bottle cages.
– No looseness in the bolts at the top of the seat, which hold the seat and racks.
– Clamp is right side up (there is a ridge on the top side of the clamp).
– Clamp is oriented so that the closing part of the circular clamp is oriented with the cut-out in the frame, where the seat tube is inserted into the frame.
– Remove and reset the ring/clamp around the frame to make sure it’s properly seated.
– Make sure the upper (black) part of the seat tube is securely inserted into the frame.
– The seat braces are properly oriented. The seat braces connect the seat tube to the seat. Generally, the braces should be somewhere between 180 degrees (vertical, running from the top of the seat tube up to the seat) to 90 degrees (with the seat braces running horizontally from the seat tube to the seat). As you get to know the attachments here, you can experiment with this, even going so far as to turn the seat tube backwards in order to gain an extreme recline. The main thing though is to ensure the seat tube is adequately seated into the frame to provide a secure connection there.
All best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
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| This looks to me like the arm of a Burley trailer, attached to a mountain bike via Weber’s hitch. |
A shout-out to Bike Box, in Frittlingen, Germany for their help. I’m trying to get a Weber hitch for a customer with a Scorpion fs 26 and a Burley Child Trailer. They’re being immensely helpful. Burley doesn’t (yet) sell this part in the USA.
The situation:
To attach a trailer to an HP Velotechnik trike, you need to use a special mounting bracket for the trike. It is made by HP Velo. From there, you need the hitch made by Weber. (Weber also makes trailers, by the way.) There are two parts to the Weber hitch: the bicycle (male) end, which attaches to the mounting bracket on the trike/bike, and the trailer (female) end, which attaches to the trailer arm. HP Velotechnik makes the bracket and sells it with the bicycle (male) end. For the end that attaches to the trailer arm, we’re dependent on the trailer company (Burley).
As I write, Bike Box is helping us figure out which part, exactly, we need. And you too can reap the benefit through the info. here. In the future, maybe we can convince Burley USA to carry the part. Maybe?
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| The part on the right attaches to the trailer. |
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| You need the 23.5 mm version of this. |
Here is the part (for as long as this link works):
“Weber Deichselanschluss ohne Kupplung für Kinderanhänger”
and “Umrüstset, 23.5 4-Kant für Burley”
Their article number is: 510
https://www.bikebox-shop.de/kinderanhaenger-fahrradanhaenger/croozer-kinderanhaenger-fahrradanhaeger/weber-deichselanschluss-ohne-kupplung-fuer-kinderanhaenger/a-510/
Under the product, where you see the text “Auswahl,” this is a drop-down list box. Click it to select the correct size.
– If the arm of the trailer is square, as for the Burley, you need a 23.5 changing set (Umrüstset)
Select: “23.5 4-Kant für Burley”
– If the arm is round you need a 27.5 (Umrüstset)
When you use the site, if you don’t speak German, use Google’s translate feature and it’ll all make more sense.
Have fun and stay well,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
Taylor Flook
http://www.mediacoop.ca/blog/taylor-flook/18826
My Letter To Rob Ford, Mayor of Toronto
Dear Mayor Ford,
As the mayor of this city, you are charged with the safety and concern of all its people, not just the ones you like or identify with. I am a cyclist who has suffered an accident because there was no bike lane for me to ride in. Right after the accident, good people got out of their cars and helped me to the side of the road and stayed with me while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. I was quite shaken up and these perfect strangers showed me a world of compassion. The police that appeared on the scene deemed that neither they, nor myself were at fault for the incident, but that a bike lane would have avoided the whole thing….
Ride and advocate for safer cycling,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
On Thu, September 12, 2013 10:10 am, James L______ wrote:
Robert and Maria
The ADEM headrest has been wonderful.
I am riding almost 100 miles a week to and from work
I want to go the next step and get a fairing to improve efficiency.
Any recommendations
Hi James,
Your weekly mileage is fantastic! Great job!
Fairing on a Cruzbike.
Fairing: front
I advise NOT using a front fairing on a Cruzbike. (Front fairings work better on traditional, non-Cruzbike recumbents and trikes.)
Although I’ve read a few posts and have seen one photo on-line of people using front fairings on their Cruzbikes, I believe a front fairing is dangerous on a Cruzbike for two reasons: 1) front fairings are heavy and that weight is likely to negatively effect steering; and 2) front fairing are sail-like and they catch wind from your back, therefore wind gusts will cause the front wheel to turn in unexpected ways on a Cruzbike.
I’d also mention that, generally speaking, small front fairings — which would impact steering less — give very little aerodynamic benefit (a customer and I once did a series of tests to measure it). The main benefit of the small front fairing is to keep your feet warm during the winter. (And they do this well.)
Large front fairings (like the one from HP Velotechnik) — which would impact steering more — help keep you drier in the rain and warm in the winter (and for this, they are GREAT), and will give more aerodynamic benefit than a small fairing, but I haven’t measured this. At any rate, it’s hardly worth the downside (on a Cruzbike).
So, I don’t recommend a front fairing on a Cruzbike. However, you may be able to find posts on the Cruzbike forums of riders using a front fairing on a CB with success. Also, while there have been rumors that John Tolhurst, the Cruzbike designer, once toyed with designs for a front fairing, it hasn’t been introduced.
Instead of using a front fairing, I suggest you experiment with a steeper recline of the seat. This will give a significant and comparatively safe aerodynamic advantage.
Fairing: rear
A REAR fairing (a.k.a., tail box, tail sock, etc.) gives significant aerodynamic advantage without as much effect on steering. (My customer and I measured this as well.) TerraCycle sells a “Tail Sok” but you’re on your own in terms of figuring out how to attach it to a Quest (or any other Cruzbike). If you figure it out, please tell me, because I like the TC Tail Sok!
http://t-cycle.com/tailsoks-c-10/?zenid=agq74v3s2s8enu193ef9pu8u85
An inexpensive and practical alternative to the rear fairing is an aerodynamic bag on the seat back or rack, such as those from Radical Design or Ortlieb. This doesn’t give as much benefit as a rear fairing, but I’ve measured a benefit.
The easiest and cheapest way to improve your aerodynamics is with a time trial aerodynamic helmet which you’ve bought on sale.
http://www.racycles.com/apparel/performance-gear/helmets-aero
In a conversation, Maria Parker recommended using more aerodynamic clothing, such as a lycra race kit (a.k.a., roadie clothing, spandex, etc.).
I believe an aerodynamic wheelset helps a lot, but these can be expensive.
On that note, another inexpensive option is to look at the tires you’re using. Schwalbe makes excellent race tires, that are also durable, and are available in 26″ sizes. This isn’t to improve aerodynamics but to decrease rolling resistance.
http://www.schwalbetires.com/
If there’s a reader out there who has had a different experience, or would like to share a solution they have tested with great success, please post a note.
All best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson