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Recumbent Trike Riders Groupand comments about their trikes |
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9703728114 Loveland, CO Greenspeed GTO
(5000 miles since march 06)
I have been riding trikes for 10 years (not exclusively) and at present have a stock GTO. This is my second GTO - I sold my first one to a friend, then found that I really missed it! I took my current GTO on Ride the Rockies in 2009. It was a great week-long experience - We climbed several mountain passes (including Independence Pass, at 12,200 feet) plus rode the 47 mile climb from Hotchkiss to the north rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The GTO performed flawlessly. I'm sure that I would have been faster on a 2-wheeled bike, but the GTO was so comfortable and stable, and stability becomes very important when you're zooming down a 20-mile descent with strong variable crosswinds. Several diamond frame riders who were openly scornful of the GTO when I showed up on the first day were actually asking me where they could buy one by the end of the week. I'm a pretty strong rider, averaging 16-17 mph on 40-50 mile rides, but the years are beginning to take their toll - I'm 62.
San Marcos, TX Catrike
(1000 miles since march 09)
I had severe spinal cord injury after a minivan came out a driveway and I hit it at 20mph. After months of therapy I got away from the walker and thought I'd try riding my mountain bike; I fell right over. A friend of mine (able-bodied)had gotten a trike and loved it, so I found Mike at Easy Street Recumbents in Austin, and he fixed me up with a Catrike Pocket. I started out with a mile or two--my legs had atrophied pretty badly, and it's all hills where I live. But now I've extended my range to about 15 miles, and my wife doesn't have to stop and wait for me. I've gotten to absolutely love it--it feels like a human-powered Formula One. Even if I get back my balance, I'll continue with it. I like that more people seem to be aware of me than when I was riding an upright--they wave and give me lots of room. And the riding has strengthened my legs and my general system. It's therapy that's a lot more fun than a stationary bike, and I'd recommend it to anyone whose legs still work.
IA WINDCHEETAH,Greenspeed GTO 818-952-1500 Apoyo 20-26
(6000 miles since 06)
Took the Windcheetah hypersport across Canada last summer. Survived well without any mechanical problems. A blast to ride. My other trike is a Greenspeed GTO--It is too wide for my tastes. What I have learned: 1)Greenspeed Scorcher tires are really, really, great. Can't say enough good about them. 2) Steel/carbon are much more forgiving on the body compared to aluminum (sold a Windcheetah ClubSport). 3) If you don't want to worry on long rides, get a trike with standard parts (Windcheetah is great but has non-standard rear hub, etc. 4) Windcheetah is really comfortable and quick. Rides well compared to most other trikes I have ridden. 5) There is never enough biking time available.....
La Canada, CA Greenspeed 818-952-1500 Apoyo 20-26
(400 miles since 04/07)
Have a Greenspeed GTT and a Greenspeed GT5.
M K Bailey
Gulfport, MS Scorpion FX
(1200 miles since 06/07)
Have cycled for years. Owned a Vision R44, but never quite felt comfortable. Went back to an upright. Just purchased a Scorpion FX less than a month ago. I am now riding more than ever. I am averaging 85-90 miles a week. When someone asks me what it is like to ride a trike I say, "It's like a Big-Wheel on steroids." I feel like I am 10 years old and am loving every minute!
Melbourne, Australia 61 (0)428 330358 Apoyo 20-26
(1500 miles since 06/06)
I've been a recreational / fitness cyclist since my mid - twenties (about 30 years ago!) I've had an interest in recumbent trikes for several years, brought the Apoyo from Ian at Flying Furniture in Canberra. It was a 'pre-production" evaluation and demo. model, so the price was very attractive. I rie the trike as my commuter three to four days a week, 15 km (10 miles) each way, and then on longer rides over the weekend, about 40 - 60 km (25 - 35 miles) usually. We've already had some long trips together. Completed the 210 km Around The Bay In A Day in October, and then the 650 km Great Victorian Bike Ride in November / December last year. What do I enjoy about the trike? First, I Like that it's an unusual vehicle and provokes much interest with other cyclists and non-riders as well. Next, along with most recumbent riders, the sense of speed and the go kart handling give me every reason to display the trike rider's grin. And lastly, the sureness of handling and primary safety in all weather conditions.
Madisonville, KY 270-824-9747 wheelz 3.5 Race
(140 miles since 01/07)
Found it used with less than 100 miles total on it! I made the decision to buy a trike after looking and studying for about three years and after riding my V-Rex for two years. After getting it home and taking it out for a good test ride, I wonder why I waited so long!!! The TT is a blast to ride and after tinkering with it for a couple weeks, I think I got it the way I want it. I rebuilt an old rear rack to lower it so it would be sturdier and look a little more like it was made for it, which it was after I fixed it. Also I built a head rest to fit on the back of the rack and it sure does help! I added fenders, a Minoura mount and constructed a mount for my GPS to help me get around while touring. One othe rthing I installed was a 4"x6" 18 LED Taillight that really lets the motorists coming up behind me see me. It's cold here but since it's warm in Florida.....I'll be there next week!!!! I can't stand it! I gotta ride!!!
Mike Nickolaus
South Sioux City, NE TRice XL NT
(3,600 miles since 02/2006)
After long research I purchased a Trice XL NT this February. I now have 1600
miles on it and can say that it's as good as I thought it would be. It is
probably the best crafted tadpole trike and handles wonderful. I have ridden it
on smooth, rough and terrible roads and it takes all of them great. The brakes
are excellent and are the disc brakes. My gear range is from 9.6 to 117 gear
inches. I have the ICE modified Capreo 9-34 on the rear and a dual 52-40 on the
front with the Schlumph giving me a nice wide range of top to bottom. I wanted
something that will let me your with a low range to climb about anything. The
color is Metallic Maroon. I previously rode a Lightning P-38 for 18 years and I
have now switched over to the Trice almost exclusively. I will say that my speed
is probably 1-2 mph slower on the trike but I don't wobble!
I have a Burley Nomad trailer that I can pull and hope to do some touring with
this setup. I also have a set of Ortlieb sport packer plus that I will use. As I
am a Ham Operator I hope to mount an HF 5-watt QRP radio and antenna on this
setup. If you are a Ham, my call is NF0N, give me a call if you hear me.
Erskien Lenier
Corona, CA
951-515-8905 WINDCHEETAH
(3,200 miles since 12/2005) Hypersport Carbon and Ti. Front Fairing and Rear Tail Box. Installed Camel Back in rear pod. Install Lumicycle Halide - L-ion Lighting system. Have had this rig up to 63 mph coming down off 8400 ft climb from Big Bear Mountain! Love it! Thanks Bob Dixon and company! It can be seen at: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2107441388
St. Paul, MN 651-699-7206
Greenspeed
(700 15-30 thousand miles since 1997)
My trike is my workhorse. It's great daily transportation, and for trips, it carrys everything nicely. I usually travel with a curb weight around 60 - 65 pounds with camping gear and fairing and find it goes quite well... even up hills. My normal gearing on the middle sprocket is 35 to 95 gear inches. That will get me up to 30 mph and up most hills, so I rarely use the other rings. They take me up to 115" and down to 30". I swapped my 175mm cranks for a pair or 150s and lowered the gear ratios late last season, but had little time to evaluate them. My first surprise was how little difference I felt. My initial impression was that I don't get as much speed on the level or up hills. Whether I switch back is something I'll decide in the spring.
Severna Park, MD 410-647-4812
WINDCHEETAH, Big Wheel GT-5
(700 450 miles since 11/15/05)
See the following link to see pictures of my Trimuter and other toys and my favorite trails:
http://home.comcast.net/~vulcan751/toys.htmlErnie Savinsky
Crystal River, FL 925-634-9649
Greenspeed GT-5
(700 miles since 04/05) http://greenluck.smugmug.com/
Visit link above for photo album's of Greenspeed GT5 and Flordia triking experiences
Discovery Bay, CA 925-634-9649
Greenspeed GTO
(500 miles since 08/05)
I bought my GTO from my my daughter Shawn's friend Ben, they
own a GTT and she owns a GT5. They Live in Ketchum, ID and he is the Idaho
dealer for Greenspeeds. So far I just ride my GTO in and around where live. I
ride 5 miles every day. I bought the GTO because of it's "packability" but after
putting it together I don't think I'll take it apart very often. I bought it
with drum brakes, front fenders, 2nd mirror, Sigma Sport 1600. I've added Lights
front & rear, a Swing Grip T-Bar & mount for my GPS & Camara, Grocery Getter
Bags for going to the store. I've already "rolled" it and gotten a flat tire.
Replaced all tubes with "Slime" tubes and if there is a increased "rolling
resistance" I've not noticed it. When I travel im my motorhome I carry the GTO
on top of my Jeep Wrangler. I also have blog so you can (or will be able to see
post & pics soon)
http://samsgsgto.blogspot.com/
St. George, UT
435 688 7584
Greenspeed GT-3 (7100 miles since 07/03)
My Greenspeed recumbent Trike experiences have been very positive, even the two "flip overs" have presented lessons. Three months back I changed over to "The Rotor System", I doubt that the improvement was worth the money? I will give the system its dues, it is an improvement in hill ascents. The Greenspeed is still the brand that everyone strives to emulate, I feel that my trike is a sound piece of equipment and a sound investment. Four set of tires have been on my Greenspeed in 7100 miles. This is a search that goes on for me. The Tioga Comp Pool 90 is the least rolling resistance and feel great on the road. Quality control leaves a lot to be desired, sidewall bubbles appeared after a few miles.
The distributor was no help...Greenspeed company offered to replace if I would return them to Australia..it was cheaper to search for new tires...The search took me through two different tire sets until I finally settled on "Primo Comet" these are Kevlar belted which makes them tough! Sizing was wee bit smaller than previous tires (20X1.50) and I noticed the difference. Rolling resistance was better than the previous two sets of tires but not up Tioga standard. I have 3100 miles on the Primo Comet and will replace them with Tioga Comp Pool 90 to take with me to the midwest for a fall outing. The Greenspeed still gets a lot of attention around my town, I ride at least 5 days a week, it has been a real boon to my health.
John Dissauer
Carmel, IN 770-671-0338
Greenspeed GT-3 (120 miles since 05/05)
A friend introduced me to
recumbents. At the LBS I was drawn to the 3 wheeled versions. Tried Sun (delta
and tadpole), and Greenspeed. Tried a two wheeled recumbent but the handlebars
and my kneew were frequently in conflict while turning. Not a positive thing in
my opinion. Loved the responsiveness of the GT-3 and the foldability (it fits
into a Toyota Camray trunk). Greenspeed won the day. Haven't ridden since
mid-70's. I currently get out 3 times a week and look forward to each
opportunity. The engine on this trike needs lots of work on technique,
endurance, and strength. At 60+ years it takes time.
Although I have been riding recumbents for three years, this
is my first trike. It is a Trice XXL. It is a beautiful machine and I know I'm
going to enjoy riding many miles over the next several years. I hope to do
Century rides and Brevets in addition to some touring. I did have some problem
getting my local bike shop to assemble the trike properly. Most traditional bike
shops do not like to work on these machines. I had to assemble most of it myself
and undo some of the problems created by the local bike shop. As I get more
riding miles on the trike I will share my experiences.
Enjoying this spring, now I
make my GTO trike a daily companion in my retirement, I also ride with my dog
Lucky the sheltie; although it was quite an investment , I believe every cent of
it has made a difference in my life.
I 2would definitely reccomend anyone to ytake tzhe sport and ride as much as
possible since this activity is proven to be safe, healthy and better than
ending up under the surgeons knife, I will be traveling to South America soon
ands will be writing from there until then byee
My wife Kathy and I are planning a Trans Am adventure in
May'05 and had been traing hard when we decided there had to a more comfortable
ride than the upright tandem we were riding. So last Jan. we switched in
midstream to this trike and have no regrets except only one, and that is we soon
realized the GTT 5S with the ability to break down to travel on air flights was
the better choice. So we ordered a second trike and should pick it up the day we
begin our trip.
I have owned a GT3 (one of the first production batch of 50)
since i returned from korea at the end of jun 04. I love it. 3 weeks after
recieving it, i took it on RAGBRAI (bike tour across iowa) and it held up great.
i haven't had a single problem with it. I switched out the stock tires to
marathons with the kevlar belt and have not had a flat tire yet (1000 miles so
far). I did get it with the mountain drive in place of the front derailer and
like the simplisity. I have also rode this trike down in Yosemite N.P and had no
problems climbing some of the hills (the desents were really fun). A very stable
trike at speeds of 40 mph.
I sustained a TBI in late '03.
I had been talking about going on RAGBRAI for several years previously, and I'm
not going to let balance difficulties or fatigue get in my way.
I like the fact that I can pull over and snooze if I need to. :D My youngest
tried it out when I got it, and it got so that I had to hunt him down if I
wanted to ride, so he has his own GT3 now.
The GT3 is a hoot to ride. It feels like an extention of my body. It is very
stable. I was trying to make a front wheel rise off of the ground on a turn, and
I had to work hard and go very fast to get it to float.
My GTO is perfect for my intended use on long, self-supported
tours. (See my tour journal at:
http://aroundthelake.crazyguyonabike.com First, it is very comfortable.
Second, it's very durable and solid. Finally, it is the ultimate in
non-conformity which I really enjoy! I intend to eventually ride it on the AC
Southern Tier route but, having ridden it around Lake Erie I have no doubt that
a GS GTO is the way to go. For me, after several other bents, it's the ultimate
ride!
I bought my trike following open heart surgery, it is less
than 6 months and I put 300 miles on it, it is great, easy on my back and a
great rehab tool,keeeps my spirits up, also I ride with my dog ( Lucky) a
sheltie running by mi side, I reccomend to anybody for fitness and just plain
joy!
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Hi I'm the gimprider, a former long distance wedgie tourist with 30,000+ miles experience. After a head on car wreck left my ankle looking like an erector set I discovered the wierd world of recumbents. I bought a used Greenspeed and built up the miles. My low gear is around 7" so I'm no speed demon. People ask how fast will that go and I tell them how far it will go. At 52 I'm not in a hurry anymore. I'm heading around Northwestern America to show people that disability does'nt have to mean dispair or an electric scooter and a rag to wipe my chin. I'm self powered and in love with the highway. If God keeps me out from under the wheels of a logging truck I hope to log 5,000 + miles on this trip. I'm carring a big load so I won't log more than 30 miles a day most of the time. I'll log on from public libraries around the country and list my progress. Watch for me. |
I started riding a trike after a Dr. told me to give up
cycling because I have Parkinson's disease, & this disease is taking my ability
to balance. So now you might say that I am in a ride for life. My initial
purpose for cycling was to try to control an anxiety disorder that is a part of
the PD package. But after my first 12,000 miles, I noticed that my tremor was
gone. You can read more about my challenge at
www.inevergiveup.org, & while you are
there, don't forget to sign my guestbook.
I have the TT3.4 it's been a real blast. I almost got a 2
wheel bent, a Haluzak Horizon, but what I really wanted was a trike. When I was
a kid I wanted a GoKart and never got one, and trikes remind me of GoKarts. So
when WizWheelz had their $1899 promotional price, which was just a little more
than the 2 wheel Haluzak, I took the plunge. I can't really compare it to other
trikes as it is the only one I've tried, but I have found it to be as much fun
as I'd hoped. It works well and I think the price is quite reasonable compared
to machines like the Greenspeed. The positives are all the usual trike 'bent
positives: the comfy seat, the stability, the fun of being close to the ground.
The negatives are there too: you are slower on hills, having to get your 'bent
legs. Some other negatives to consider is transporting the thing. I plunked down
the $300+ bucks for a Hitchrider rack after plunking down $200 bucks for a hitch
reciever for my Accord. If you have a truck you'll be ahead of me on this score
but on a car the Hitchrider is well worth it. Also you will not be taking mass
transit with your trike. Those racks on the front of busses don't work and most
rail systems do not like 3 wheelers, so consider that too. As for riding on the
street, I've gotten used to that after being a little scared at first, but I
much prefer dedicated Class 1 bike paths. Fortunantly here in Los Angeles we
have a good selection of those. BTW, if there are any fellow trikers out there
in LA who want a riding partner, feel free to email me. Anyway, good luck with
Triking. I love it.
The Windcheetah is a wonderful combination of beautiful form
and efficient function.
I have been riding 6 days a week since I took delivery on the GreenSpeed. A few things I have found out: 1. wire FREE COMPUTERS do not function reliably on the trike 2. Tioga Comp Pool 90 tires are way better than other rubber 3. Dual mirrors are a necessity if you ride at all in traffic 4. An inexpensive head rest makes all the difference on a longer ride 5. Hope disc brakes are worth the money 6. 72 Speeds are not excessive gearing regardless of the age of the engine 7. You will meet many new people riding a trike, every one wants to talk about a trike... 8. I consider the GreenSpeed a good investment for health & recreation.
Delta (2 wheels at rear) 9 speed drive to r/h rear wheel. Now
69 used to race in time trials in the distant past. Then many bikeless years
later got interested in 'bents after seeing some reports in my son's bike mag.
Went on a trike weekend organized by the sadly defunct RUK where I went down
hill on a Greenspeed at the speed of light and on rails. The Kettweasle is fun,
BUT the offset drive causes problems on hills, which are many in Devon (you
leave Sidmouth by going up steep hills) and the seat could be better. A double
chainring is planned, changing by manually moving chain.
Will be Morris dancing in Boston (US) area May 22nd/30th I'll keep a look out
for any nutters on 3 wheels.
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