Recumbent bicycles · Public discussion

Re: Widdershins, First Outing

Started by Tom Sherman · · Last activity · 1 post · 496 views

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Recumbent bicycles
Published
4 November 2007
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4 November 2007
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Tom Sherman
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  1. Bill Sornson said:
    Artemisia said:

    On this fair Sunday afternoon I took my new baby out for a short spin,
    along a rather drab, but flat and straight, cycling path not far from
    my home. We did several aller-retours, amounting to about 13 km.

    First Impressions

    I never noticed before how cambered a lot of streets are. I took a
    short stretch of road to reach my path and I swear my right wheel was
    about 6 inches lower than my left.

    STEER, STEER, STEER! This is new. On Fly, I only have to look in a
    direction and he reads my mind and goes there. Not so Widders. I have
    to tell him _everything_. On said cambered road, he kept trying to
    fall into the curb. No dear, go LEFT! Anyway, despite Carol Hague's
    contention that recumbent trikes are all female, I now have no further
    doubts about his gender.

    Overgown hedgerows are a problem. They now overhang at face level. I
    wouldn't even have noticed them on a bike.

    It is magnificent to be able to stop and just start again! I can be
    polite to families and old ladies. I can respect traffic lights
    without foul language. On a bike, all of this would have unhorsed me
    again and again.

    Uphill is a joy. My path was flat, but I spent some time yesterday
    doing the ramp to the upper storey of the underground parking. I used
    to practise getting up this on Myrtille. Shift down, pedal pedal
    pedal, brake, turn, pedal for your life, push, push, push, turn again
    at the top and usually miss the mark. Now, shift down, pedal relax,
    turn, pedal relax to the top, turn again. I kept trying to speed
    until I realized I didn't even have to. It's so zen, I don't even
    break a sweat.
    I had to get in before dusk, not so much because I feared Widders
    would turn into something hairy at the sight of the full Moon, as
    because I don't have lights for him yet. I've ordered two Cateye
    EL530's, since Helen is so pleased with hers. But I'm in a quandary
    as to where to put them. No room on the computer mount. I would like
    them on the front boom, one on each side, just next to the wheel
    axles. But how on earth shall I mount them as the diameter of the
    boom is about 3", much thicker than a handlebar?

    This is supposedly a folding trike but my first attempt to fold it
    failed miserably. I did get the seat off. But the quick release clamp
    for the fold didn't seem to release anything, and getting the seat
    back on was about 45 minutes of panicky sweat. The manual is most
    unhelpful because there are almost no illustrations so you can never
    tell what it is talking about; OTOH it is constantly telling you how
    much danger you are in if you put things back incorrectly. I will
    write to HP Velotechnik demanding more diagrams and better tech
    writing (given that it's my own profession.)

    Before Jobst flames you for posting a ride report here ( :-P ) and then
    starts another political thread, let me just say, "Charming."

    to quote Neil Brooks:

    "
    l
    e
    t

    i
    t

    g
    o

    B
    i
    l
    l
    ..
    "

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