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boneyabba
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Joined: 12 September 2009
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| Posted: 30 November 2009 at 3:07pm | IP Logged
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That title is totally misleading as there will be no more intentional alliterations. However, it will be rich with laments. Well, complaints maybe? Pleas for help is probably best.
I posted a couple months ago when I took my first ride and I was pretty bummed by how it went down. The big factor was certainly the weather. I took a few nighttime rides and the nearly dying part got better... However, all of my trike complaints just got more defined.
I took a rough stab at some fixes and now I know MORE about the problems, but I am still pretty demoralized.
Item One - Seating Position.
Man I wish I bought the pocket instead of the more expensive oTrike. I cannot imagine how they could make the seating position worse (for me). It was so bad before I tried to modify it that I literally couldn't spend more than 20 minutes on it. Now I can spend much longer- but the end result is even more unhappiness. I just did a 6.5 mile loop and I feel like I was in a car accident- or beaten up by a wrestler.
The stock position felt like I was laying on the ground flat and doing a quarter sit up- and then the headrest felt like someone behind me was trying to force my forehead through my sternum.
I removed the headrest and put a 2 inch spacer between the frame and the back of the seat. This is actually more like a 3.5inch spacer though since the seat sits recessed on the frame and the spacre pushes the ribs of the seat forward (ribs? spines?). Now the seating position is better- but I tend to slide off the bottom. I am cosntantly fidgeting trying to get back up.
This is probably made worse by what feels like the wrong distance to the pedals. I've adjusted the heck out of the boom and can't find anything better than where it is at- but it still feels wrong. When I am "up" on the seat I get about 95% leg extension at full thrust. I can pull my toe more than 90' towards my knee and lock my knee if I need a stretch. However, at the other end, when at the most drawn back I feel like I can't breath. This is certainly made worse by being FAT but I'm not that big... Note: this was equally bad before I adjusted the angle of the seat.
All of this makes it so that even just a nice low pressure ride like I tried to do today is freaking miserable. My neck is killing me. Can I get a seat like the one on the pocket where I am almost vertical?
Item Two - Stability
The trike does not track straight. If my hands are on the handles I can go pretty straight but with ever pedal rotation I feel it pull the direction I am pushing. If I let go of the handles- even at low speeds- it begins to shimmy such that I am convinced its about to come apart. I noticed that the tie rod (or whatever you call it on the trike) has a couple of bolts for adjusting its position- they were set to the middle and could spin freely. I finger tightened them but otherwise haven't investigated this.
I am going to stop here. I've got a couple more items, but right now they are gripes... in fact- the feet is a gripe too. The first two contain "makes me not want to do this" and "potentially dangerous" so we better stick there.
Some nice person PM'd me last time to help with an issue and I really dropped the ball. Sorry.
Okay Wise Ones- point me the way!
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boneyabba
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| Posted: 30 November 2009 at 4:41pm | IP Logged
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A couple hours and 800mg of ibuprofen later most of these issues seem a lot more manageable. Nevertheless, it doesn't seem right that there is this much discomfort with just casual use. I'm not in that bad of shape- I could go golf 18 holes or help somebody move heavy furniture all day... I'd be sore after- but I could do it. I feel like there is some weird body geometry incompatability with me and the trike and I'd really like to sort it out. :(
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digitalmouse
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Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Denmark
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Posts: 158
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| Posted: 01 December 2009 at 1:14am | IP Logged
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I had a lot to say about the OTrike - mostly because of my own experience with the seller Andy - but I will leave that for another day and focus on the problems you have.
Regarding the seating - I, too, felt quite uncomfortable with the seating angle/headrest angle. Thankfully being so close the the Lietra velomobile shop I could make some changes.
The first one I made was to create two new seat-angle brackets (the ones at the upper middle area that connects to the top of the rear suspension on the OTrike Silver. Essentially I doubled the length of original brackets which raised the seat angle quite a bit. Hopefully you can see how much so in the following picture, compared to your own ride:
(Otrike Silver during my tour to SPEZI 2009)
Below are two shots that show the silver metal 'extensions' I fabricated (just behind the seat, connecting seat to top of the suspension). Feel free to download them and zoom in for a better look. All photos are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/jimm.pratt/TrikesAndVelomobiles# and http://picasaweb.google.com/jimm.pratt/SPEZI2009Expo#.
Just this simple mod improved neck comfort and back angle. My feet felt more comfortable on the pedals, and I believe I got a bit more power since I could press against the seat better.
I also physically bent the headrest mount into a better position so that it would not push my head forward quite so much.
Regarding the pedal steer - the trike I used has the same issue. It's mostly due to your position between the front wheels. Certain locations generate more pedal steer, and unfortunately the OTrike Silver model (oddly the Bronze unsuspended model had much less) is not built with the optimum position in mind.
The best way I found to correct this is to change my pedal habits. the pedals I have are clip ons (SPD-style) with a leather-strap harness on the reverse side. I use the harness system to strap in my feet rather securely (but not too tight), and use a 'push-pull' pedal effort: when pushing with one foot, I pull with the other. This cancels out the pedal steer, and actually gives me more power since i'm using the pedal stroke to it's fullest. It takes a bit of practice before you can do it unconsciously, but it's well worth it. Good workout for the legs too. If installed and used correctly, there is a quick-release 'lever' when you need to get off the trike.
For most people this might be a 'well duh' moment, since pro cyclists use the same technique to get more power, but i've never used SPDs/clip-ons or straps before. It took my 2009 tour ride to get me to figure out that I can push *and* pull with the straps and not worry about my foot coming off the pedal. Mostly a trust issue. Now I kinda miss that system on my Anthrotech/Leitra project (LeitraTech), and will probably install one this winter.
The reason why I don't just buy clip-shoes and pedals to match is because my Anthrotech is a daily use vehicle - shopping, work, errands, tours. Carrying around an extra pair of shoes all the time is not practical. But a strap system is, if used correctly.
Edited by digitalmouse on 01 December 2009 at 2:35am
__________________
Trike Adventure! recumbent touring in Denmark, Sweden, and Germany - contact Jimm for tours and schedules!
http://trikeadventure.terapad.com
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boneyabba
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Joined: 12 September 2009
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| Posted: 01 December 2009 at 6:51am | IP Logged
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Pssh Andy! Honestly my first thought is always "I wonder what corner Andy cut that is causing me this problem"...
Anyway.
I modified a bracket that changed the seating angle similar to what you have shown. Now I find that I feel I am sliding off the bottom of the seat. I am not in danger of actually falling off but its very uncomfortable. Was this something you experienced and just got used to or was it not a problem for you?
Thanks!
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boneyabba
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| Posted: 01 December 2009 at 9:39pm | IP Logged
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Update. I made a neck support out of a rolled towel and a bungie cord and it made a HUGE difference in the comfort level.
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digitalmouse
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Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Denmark
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| Posted: 02 December 2009 at 1:08am | IP Logged
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boneyabba wrote:
| ...I made a neck support out of a rolled towel and a bungie cord and it made a HUGE difference in the comfort level... |
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Simplicity for the win! 
After a bit of trial and error, I found that the current bracket mod length was the most comfortable, not too high, not too low. I made an extra set of holes about 1.5-2 centimeters shorter for the girlfriend because she does not like it quite so upright.
For me, the height shown in the photos is just right. I don't slide off, I have a good almost-level view of my surroundings, and I get a good bracing against the back for acceleration or hill-climbing.
Due to disagreements with Andy on how to sell his Otrike (I had planned to be a dealer at one point), I've stopped riding it. It currently sits up at the Leitra shop and is available for rental. I prefer my Anthrotech and (almost finished) Steintrike Nomad anyway due to various things I don't like about the OTrike: direct steering rattles my arms over rough terrain, and next to no weight on the rear wheel affecting handling and traction in turns.
Now in the OTrikes defense, it's a great ride for going straight over long distances, as in my last 700km tour from SPEZI 2009 to Copenhagen. It carried me and my cargo quite well along the Rhine river, and with weight over the rear wheel it handled quite predictably. It just sucks going around wet or cobblestone street corners (rear-end wants to come around (oversteer)) above 5kph.
__________________
Trike Adventure! recumbent touring in Denmark, Sweden, and Germany - contact Jimm for tours and schedules!
http://trikeadventure.terapad.com
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RTR Message Board : Recumbent Trike
Topic: Litany of Laments and other Alliterations
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