Um...'Bents Uniquely Unadjustable?

NYC XYZ said:

By which I mean that you can't just have a friend hop on and off for a
test ride, right?

I'd love to promote 'bents by allowing friends and such to try out my
'bent, but it looks like, aside from being a major pain adjusting the
boom (on an SMGTe, anyway), you ABSOLUTELY NEED to adjust the chain
length -- which, of course, you can't, since YOU need that particular
length of chain!

In the last year or two of their existence, Vision recumbents had a
gadget that took up the excess chain as you shortened the boom. It
allowed length adjustment without any additional mechanical work.

What do you mean by "particular length of chain"? Any bicycle chain can
be cut anywhere along its length. Adding links is a little more
complicated (Shimano chains require the special pin, SRAM chains use
the PowerLink), but that's a fairly minor problem for anyone used to
working on bicycles.

If you're playing with the chain for test rides, I'd put a couple extra
PowerLinks in it. Most boom adjustments can be made temporarily without
modifying the chain, though. Shifting won't suffer *that* much.

Jeff

Jeff Wills said:

NYC XYZ said:

By which I mean that you can't just have a friend hop on and off for a
test ride, right?

I'd love to promote 'bents by allowing friends and such to try out my
'bent, but it looks like, aside from being a major pain adjusting the
boom (on an SMGTe, anyway), you ABSOLUTELY NEED to adjust the chain
length -- which, of course, you can't, since YOU need that particular
length of chain!

The chaps at Ligfietscentrum and Ligfietswinkel in the NL where
Roos test rode a whole pile were /very/ handy with chain tools.
They'd have a few links in or out while chatting with you and it
was really no delay at all. I'll freely admit I'm not good enough
with a chain tool to manage that, but some people are.

Quoted message said:

In the last year or two of their existence, Vision recumbents had a
gadget that took up the excess chain as you shortened the boom. It
allowed length adjustment without any additional mechanical work.

Standard on the Hase Kettwiesel, and for his demo bikes Ben
"Kinetics" Cooper has installed them on Streetmachines. I wouldn't
want one on my own though.

For a quick test I'm okay letting the shifting suffer a bit.
Doesn't really affect the handling or the general comfort. To make
the boom easier to set just replace the standard bolts with QRs,
which seems quite common on demo machines.

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 [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

NYC XYZ said:

By which I mean that you can't just have a friend hop on and off for a
test ride, right?

I'd love to promote 'bents by allowing friends and such to try out my
'bent, but it looks like, aside from being a major pain adjusting the
boom (on an SMGTe, anyway), you ABSOLUTELY NEED to adjust the chain
length -- which, of course, you can't, since YOU need that particular
length of chain!

A recumbent with a fixed boom and sliding seat, such as the RANS
recumbent models can be adjusted in a minute or so to reasonably fit a
different rider.

A bicycle with both telescoping frame and boom (and no guide pins or
ovalized tubing to make alignment easy) and a tensioned chain that
needs to be cut or extended can easily consume more than an hour.

--
Tom Sherman - (In Transition)

NYC XYZ said:

I'd love to promote 'bents by allowing friends and such to try out my
'bent, but it looks like, aside from being a major pain adjusting the boom
(on an SMGTe, anyway), you ABSOLUTELY NEED to adjust the chain length --
which, of course, you can't, since YOU need that particular length of
chain!

Dozens of people, friends and strangers, have ridden my SWB recumbent. If
they are within 2cm of my height I don't bother to adjust anything. If
the boom does need adjusting (2 bolts, 6mm Allen key), I say "Leave it in
the middle ring." Only if someone were going to take it away for a ride
where they might need to use every gear from absolute lowest to
absolute highest would I bother to mess with the chain length.

The biggest problem most people have is using the bar-end gear shift.

Mike