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Date: 28 Jul 2007 18:59:04
From: Artemisia
Subject: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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Thanks to everyone who responded to my post on recumbents and old age,
disability etc. There were some really moving and uplifiting thoughts in
that thread.
I was delighted to discover a local dealer in Paris, Rando-Cycles, 12th
arr., who deals in a few models of recumbent trikes. He had a
non-folding Scorpion available to try. He told me he was thinking of
stocking the Greenspeed GT0 as well, and that he was hoping to have one
to try at the upcoming world bike fair, Mondial des Deux Roues, in Paris
at the end of September. If that trial arouses enough customer interest
he will stock and support the GT0.
I tried the Scorpion. Weird experience, pushing out from the belly like
that! It does indeed seem very comfortable, except for getting in and
out of it, a much bigger liability than I had anticipated! I suppose one
gets used to it and eventually develops a technique, but overall I found
it harder than a narrow bathtub, which is why I take showers! Unlike the
Scorpion, with a Greenspeed you can have optional grab-handles
installed, which should make this easier.
The guy was full of information. He said he wasn't interested in
stocking the folding Greenspeed models (GT3/5) because their 18" wheel
size is so hard to support in France. Already with Flyzipper's 35-406
rims I have a problem. The 18" wheels would mean having to take
pre-ordered replacement tyres and tubes wherever I go at all times,
since the liklihood of finding these locally is close to nil. He also
recommended a cromoly frame (Greenspeed) over an aluminum one
(Scorpion), because he said it was much easier to repair and maintain
over the very long term. This guy builds his own bikes, and can handle
steel with a simple blow-torch, but apparently much more specialized
equipment and skills are needed with aluminum.
OTOH, I was impressed with the lightness of the Scorpion. I picked it up
with a hand on the rack and on the headset, and it seemed scarcely
heavier than Fly, and much lighter than Behemoth. Still a bit cumbersome
to take up and down stairs though.
I have contacted the lady in Derby and hope to pay her a visit on my
next trip to the UK in August, to check out the other Greenspeeds and
compare the GT5 with the GT0 (rim size notwithstanding). I also really
need to see these things being folded or dismantled for travel.
The Rando-cycles guy says there is a waiting period of about one and a
half months between order and delivery of a recumbent. I have been
looking at the ephemerides, and have found that the best day to take
delivery of the trike would be March 6, 2008 - birthday of the most
important romantic involvement of my life, and of Michelangelo
Buonarotti. How do I feel about a Piscean bike? Glamorous certainly, but
so vague! How does all that visionary artistic ability and subtle
emotional intuition translate into bike terms? Perhaps it just means
"tantalizingly attractive but permanently beyond my reach", as for the
two Gay men I just mentioned? Currently my bikes are one Virgo and two
Scorpios (Capricorn and Sagittarius ascendants respectively), and they
all really do resemble their native charts. There are better days for a
bike birthday in 2007, but too imminent to get the act together. Later
in 2008 I'm getting very bad angles from outer planets, which stay
active for many years, so it's March or a very long wait, perhaps never.
That means I have to start putting aside a large portion of my monthly
paycheck _immediately_, and cancel a solo tour along the Moselle that I
was planning for late September.
To cheer myself on that subject, I did a short off-the-cuff survey over
lunch of how much my colleagues have to spend monthly on their cars,
gas, insurance, maintenance and depreciation combined. They averaged
about 300€. Surely I can meet the challenge of putting by at least that
much! A recumbent trike starts to look really good financially when you
see it like that! ;° >
Cheers all,
EFR
Ile de France
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Date: 30 Jul 2007 09:50:35
From: Alistair Gunn
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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In uk.rec.cycling Artemisia twisted the electrons to say:
> I tried the Scorpion. Weird experience, pushing out from the belly like
> that! It does indeed seem very comfortable, except for getting in and
> out of it, a much bigger liability than I had anticipated!
IIRC (because I've not had a go on one), on the Scorpion the 'arms' the
front wheels are mounted on are swept back (or fowards I suppose,
depending on your point of view!) which is supposed to make it easier to
get on/off since your feet are closer to your bum. Also, the seat on the
Scorpion FX is apparently 9cm slightly higher which should also make it
slightly easier to get on/off.
--
These opinions might not even be mine ...
Let alone connected with my employer ...
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Date: 30 Jul 2007 09:52:53
From: Dave Larrington
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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In news:46ab75da$0$26199$426a74cc@news.free.fr,
Artemisia <nospam@free.fr > tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us:
> He also
> recommended a cromoly frame (Greenspeed) over an aluminum one
> (Scorpion), because he said it was much easier to repair and maintain
> over the very long term.
I'd not worry about that. HP Velotechnik's kit seems to be pretty nearly
bulletproof.
ICE, OTOH:
http://legslarry.8bit.co.uk/BikeStull/borked2.jpg
About as far away from Chalfont St Peter as it was possible to get while
still being on the route of Saturday's 300 :-(
Bah!
--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk >
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative.
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Date: 31 Jul 2007 00:39:05
From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?G=FCnther?= Schwarz
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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Dave Larrington wrote:
> ICE, OTOH:
>
> http://legslarry.8bit.co.uk/BikeStull/borked2.jpg
>
> About as far away from Chalfont St Peter as it was possible to get
> while still being on the route of Saturday's 300 :-(
>
> Bah!
Ups, unpleasant surprise. Could you specify the diameter and material of
the broken tube. This is one of the trike's parts I never disassembled.
Seems impossible to brake.
F'up2 urc
Günther
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Date: 28 Jul 2007 18:22:39
From: Simon Brooke
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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in message <46ab75da$0$26199$426a74cc@news.free.fr >, Artemisia
('nospam@free.fr') wrote:
> Thanks to everyone who responded to my post on recumbents and old age,
> disability etc. There were some really moving and uplifiting thoughts in
> that thread.
>
> I was delighted to discover a local dealer in Paris, Rando-Cycles, 12th
> arr., who deals in a few models of recumbent trikes. He had a
> non-folding Scorpion available to try. He told me he was thinking of
> stocking the Greenspeed GT0 as well, and that he was hoping to have one
> to try at the upcoming world bike fair, Mondial des Deux Roues, in Paris
> at the end of September. If that trial arouses enough customer interest
> he will stock and support the GT0.
>
> I tried the Scorpion. Weird experience, pushing out from the belly like
> that! It does indeed seem very comfortable, except for getting in and
> out of it, a much bigger liability than I had anticipated! I suppose one
> gets used to it and eventually develops a technique, but overall I found
> it harder than a narrow bathtub, which is why I take showers! Unlike the
> Scorpion, with a Greenspeed you can have optional grab-handles
> installed, which should make this easier.
The German-made Anthrotech is much higher and more upright, and
consequently should be much easier to get in and out:
http://www.anthrotech.de/
Their French agent is
Montpellier On Avance ECOLOGIE & ECOMOBILITE 7 bis quai des Tanneurs
033 4 67 100 777
- which isn't exactly local for you!
--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Life would be much easier if I had the source code.
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Date: 28 Jul 2007 22:02:26
From: Artemisia
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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Simon Brooke wrote:
> The German-made Anthrotech is much higher and more upright, and
> consequently should be much easier to get in and out:
>
> http://www.anthrotech.de/
>
But as I think you already pointed out, the higher the trike, the lower
the stability in cornering. And that thing is elegant, but doesn't look
like it folds. Besides, it seems that the FX is a little higher than the
non-folding Scorpion, and the GT0 too.
But it could be worth a try. I'll see if Bikefix has one in stock for my
coming London trip. As you say, Montpellier is no-where in my path.
Cheers,
EFR
Ile de France
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Date: 28 Jul 2007 20:30:34
From: Steve Watkin
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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Dont forget whilst you are in UK to check out http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/
IMO the best of all the trikes !
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Date: 28 Jul 2007 22:01:31
From: Artemisia
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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Steve Watkin wrote:
> Dont forget whilst you are in UK to check out http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/
> IMO the best of all the trikes !
But I've already ruled out Trice because they don't come with SRAM
DualDrive gear shifting that can be shifted at a standstill. I consider
that an essential feature.
EFR
Ile de France
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Date: 28 Jul 2007 21:39:43
From: John B
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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Artemisia wrote:
> Steve Watkin wrote:
> > Dont forget whilst you are in UK to check out http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/
> > IMO the best of all the trikes !
>
> But I've already ruled out Trice because they don't come with SRAM
> DualDrive gear shifting that can be shifted at a standstill. I consider
> that an essential feature.
They must have stopped using them then, as mine is so equipped.
John B
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Date: 29 Jul 2007 11:17:49
From: Peter Clinch
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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John B wrote:
>> But I've already ruled out Trice because they don't come with SRAM
>> DualDrive gear shifting that can be shifted at a standstill. I consider
>> that an essential feature.
>
> They must have stopped using them then, as mine is so equipped.
Worth noting that ICE do two ranges, the cheaper T, Q and S which
have some degree of mass(ish) production to keep prices down and
availability up, and the huge custom range. With the latter (which
IIRC would include John's) you have a great deal more control over
what is available and fitted, though I don't know the full extent
of what they'll supply on the cheaper range.
Ask them directly to be sure.
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 p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
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Date: 29 Jul 2007 12:33:05
From: Artemisia
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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Peter Clinch wrote:
> Worth noting that ICE do two ranges, the cheaper T, Q and S which have
> some degree of mass(ish) production to keep prices down and availability
> up, and the huge custom range.
It says on their web-site that they are no longer offering the custom
trices, because the demand for the standard models is already too high
for their workshop to keep up. Otherwise, of course I would have kept
them in the line-up, as a slight modification to the Trice T would have
made it very viable.
Overall, though, I'm thinking I really want a machine that can be
delivered and serviced locally. Given that I have no maintenance skills
and no LBSs that I trust, it's too much of a hassle to have a bike I can
do nothing with if it goes wrong. After several years, Dahon finally has
a Paris dealer (same guy in the 16th arr who sold me Behemoth), but it
was a nightmare previously. Rando-Cycles supports Hase, Velotechnik and
may decide to support Greenspeed. This consideration weighs heavily in
the line-up.
EFR
Ile de France
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Date: 28 Jul 2007 20:45:14
From: Artemisia
Subject: Re: Dark Side Trikes - Further Thoughts
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Simon Brooke wrote:
> The German-made Anthrotech is much higher and more upright, and
> consequently should be much easier to get in and out:
>
> http://www.anthrotech.de/
>
But as I think you already pointed out, the higher the trike, the lower
the stability in cornering. And that thing is elegant, but doesn't look
like it folds. Besides, it seems that the FX is a little higher than the
non-folding Scorpion, and the GT0 too.
But it could be worth a try. I'll see if Bikefix has one in stock for my
coming London trip. As you say, Montpellier is no-where in my path.
Cheers,
EFR
Ile de France
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