# Who'd like try a new electrically assisted recumbent trike?



## mickle (12 Sep 2013)

We've just been given a Como trike for demo purposes, an electric assisted recumbent trike. It looks ace, and it's available to test ride (in York) if anyone's interested. 

http://www.comotrikes.co.uk/

I'm riding it home tonight, I'll let you know how it goes..


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## starhawk (12 Sep 2013)

If electric assist trike where available when I bought my trike I probably would have got one, as it is I bought an e-bike kit and outfitted my trike with it, best upgrade I have on the trike


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## irw (13 Sep 2013)

Which kit did you get starhawk? I'm thinking of doing something with my trike, but not sure which sort of kit would be best- the only one I've got experience of is the one I fitted to my wife's upright, which is front wheel drive.

Edited to add:

Goodness Mickle, just looked on the Como Trikes website...How Much?!!


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## biggs682 (13 Sep 2013)

@mickle i am still waiting to try a trike full stop , apart from a quick ride around a sports field a few weeks ago i have never tried one .

wish i was nearer


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## ufkacbln (14 Sep 2013)

I thought the same about the price

You can buy a fully equipped (folding) Gekko with Bionx motor and a holiday for that price


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## starhawk (15 Sep 2013)

irw said:


> Which kit did you get starhawk? I'm thinking of doing something with my trike, but not sure which sort of kit would be best- the only one I've got experience of is the one I fitted to my wife's upright, which is front wheel drive.



There were not much to choose from at the time and I hade only one choice as I wanted to have a store close by (in case of service needed). It was the Ecoride kit, available in either front or rear drive, mine is rear drive as I have a trike


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## gavroche (15 Sep 2013)

I am not keen on recumbents, they don't look safe on the road to me. Too low and hard to see for motorists. Everyone to his own though.


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## starhawk (15 Sep 2013)

gavroche said:


> I am not keen on recumbents, they don't look safe on the road to me. Too low and hard to see for motorists. Everyone to his own though.



You obviously haven't ridden one of them, it's astonishing how well the cars both see you and leave you a wide berth in the traffic if on a recumbent. As the cars see the markings on the street why shouldn't they see a recumbent? they are much higher.


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## gavroche (15 Sep 2013)

starhawk said:


> *You obviously haven't ridden one of them,* it's astonishing how well the cars both see you and leave you a wide berth in the traffic if on a recumbent. As the cars see the markings on the street why shouldn't they see a recumbent? they are much higher.


 Quite right and I don't intend too either but like I said, everyone to his own, it just isn't my idea of cycling, sorry.


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## ufkacbln (15 Sep 2013)

gavroche said:


> I am not keen on recumbents, they don't look safe on the road to me. Too low and hard to see for motorists. Everyone to his own though.



I am not keen on uprights...

Two wheels are less stable and the rider likely to have a wheel lose grip, and without a third wheel is going to be under the following traffic

Then there is also so much further to fall increasing injury

Looks extremely dangerous from down here


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## TheDoctor (15 Sep 2013)

That looks chuffin' lovely. Balking a bit at the price though.


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## starhawk (16 Sep 2013)

gavroche said:


> Quite right and I don't intend too either but like I said, everyone to his own, it just isn't my idea of cycling, sorry.



Have run across this notion before "not my idea of cycling" we run on cycle wheels, we have standard cycling equipment that you can find on any upright (upwrong?) bike so in what way is it not cycling?


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## gavroche (16 Sep 2013)

starhawk said:


> Have run across this notion before "not my idea of cycling" we run on cycle wheels, we have standard cycling equipment that you can find on any upright (upwrong?) bike so in what way is it not cycling?


 I did not say it is not cycling, just that it is not for me, I wouldn't not feel comfortable riding one, as I explained in my first post, that's all.


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## windmiller (16 Sep 2013)

gavroche said:


> I am not keen on recumbents, they don't look safe on the road to me. Too low and hard to see for motorists. Everyone to his own though.



Since your experience of actually riding a recumbent is zero, your opinion is unconsidered.


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## windmiller (16 Sep 2013)

3 years ago while in Germany I tried out quite a few electric bicycles. Mostly top end ones. I was disappointed with them, perhaps because my fitness is fairly good.
Battery technology needs to evolve a long way before I would recommend them and the price is horrendous.


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## markg0vbr (16 Sep 2013)

windmiller said:


> 3 years ago while in Germany I tried out quite a few electric bicycles. Mostly top end ones. I was disappointed with them, perhaps because my fitness is fairly good.
> Battery technology needs to evolve a long way before I would recommend them and the price is horrendous.


A very small assist goes a long way.....

If you use a large strong motor to wizz you along quickly without much effort you need big heavy battery's which need a big heavy strong motor to pull them along.
A small light setup used to get you moving from a stop and give enough assistance so you are not straining week or damaged joint but is disengaged the rest of the time can give you an effective system.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2012/10/electric-velomobiles.html for full article


"The eWAW that I drove has everything that the WAW has, plus an electric motor of 250 watts and a surprisingly small battery of 288 Wh, which takes you 60 to 130 km further (37 to 81 miles). The battery and the motor add only 5 kg, bringing the total weight of the vehicle to 33 kg. This is comparable to the weight of other velomobiles without electric assistance. Hence, this pedal powered Ferrari is more than 10 kg lighter than other velomobiles, with a 250 watt electric assistance, such as the hybrid Alleweder and the e-Sunrider, which weigh 45 kg.
*Cycling at 50 km/h*

So how fast is the WAW, and how much faster is the eWAW? First of all, the eWAW is a hybrid vehicle, but the biomass powered motor, also known as the driver, is not included in the package. Because the driver always provides the main part of the total power output, the speed of the vehicle will depend on the power that he or she can deliver. There is no better illustration of this than my test drive. Over a period of about an hour and a half, Brecht and I managed to reach an average speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) -- I was in the eWAW and had the regular assistance of the electric motor, Brecht was in a WAW _without_ pedal assistance.





Cycling literature makes a distinction between three types of cyclists: people with an average fitness level, people with a good fitness level, and top athletes. Riders with an average fitness can maintain a power output of 100 to 150 watts over a period of one hour. Riding a WAW, this translates to speeds of 35 to 40 km/h in ideal conditions -- an unobstructed racetrack, and a completely closed vehicle. Drivers with a good fitness level can deliver 200 watts of power over a period of one hour, which translates to speeds of 45 to 50 km/h under the same circumstances.

With 250 watts of power, the electric motor of the eWAW gives a person with an average fitness level (like me) the power output of an athlete (100 + 250 watts = 350 watts).

*Maximizing Range and Efficiency*

I am a speed freak, so when I found myself on a nice, open stretch of road, the first thing I did was start the motor at full throttle and pedal like a madman at the same time. If I could have more than 350 watts at my disposal, I calculated, I must be able to reach speeds of at least 70 or 80 km/h (40 to 50 mph). However, my attempt to go any faster than 50 km/h (30 mph) left me frustrated -- the vehicle lacks the high gears needed for those speeds.

Why? Because the eWAW is designed for maximum efficiency. The electric motor is intended to be used for acceleration only (and for climbing hills). Once the velomobilist reaches a cruising speed of about 40 to 50 km/h, he or she switches to pedalling alone.

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The engineer's choice to assist the driver only during acceleration is smart; it increases the range of both the cyclist and the battery spectacularly

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The eWAW does not increase the cruising speed or top speed of the unassisted WAW, although it does increase the average speed because it speeds acceleration. This is a different approach from the electric bicycle, where pedal assistance is continuous at normal cruising speeds. With regards to efficiency, the concept behind the eWAW makes much sense. A bicyclist needs less energy to accelerate than a velomobilist does (because of the bike's lighter weight) but more energy to keep up speed (because of its weak aerodynamics). In contrast, a velomobilist needs more energy to accelerate than a bicyclist does (because of the vehicle's heavier weight) but less energy to keep up speed (because of its excellent aerodynamics)."


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## glasgowcyclist (16 Sep 2013)

gavroche said:


> I am not keen on recumbents,



So why would you venture into a forum specialising in them?!



> they don't look safe on the road to me. Too low and hard to see for motorists.



I dare say that's the misunderstanding most people start from, myself included, but neither of those statements is supported by reality.

Why not try one for a week and see if that changes your mind?


GC


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## steveindenmark (27 Dec 2013)

At over £4000, they must be kidding. I would rather get another ICE trike and sort it out myself.

Steve


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## steveindenmark (27 Dec 2013)

I had an ICE trike which was wonderfully made.

You may be lower down but you are far bigger than a bike and cars always treat me as though I was another car. I felt much safer in a trike then I do on a bike.

I have an electric bike for fun, I don't need an electric bike. I also have a wide range of other bikes including Kickbikes which I race marathons on.

The idea that electric bikes are only for the old and infirm must be the biggest thing holding the sales of electric bikes back. Having said that, they have boomed in Denmark over the past 2 years. They are even getting quite trendy now.

I can make a 60 km round trip on mine and still have plenty of battery left. It is just nice to go for a long ride without any effort at all. Mine even has a throttle. My LBS in Denmark has never seen my model before and they love testing it out.

I bought it from the UK and it was not expensive. I bought it from Power Pedals and the after sale service has been beyond first class.

http://www.powerpedals.co.uk/





Steve


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## mrandmrspoves (27 Dec 2013)

Having read the thread I can't see your review @mickle (not that I was contemplating buying an electric trike any time soon!)

@gavroche - my experience of riding a recumbent trike is as above (so far!) Motorists don't try and squeeze past to overtake, they tend to wait and pull out into the other lane to get past. I have even had cars stop to let me out onto main roads when I am waiting at a junction (never happened to me in nigh on 40 years of riding an upright bicycle) 
To sum it up I had a conversation with one of my staff a few months ago which went something like this.....
She " I really worry about you cycling to work on your trike thingy!"
Me "why"
She " I drove past one last week and I thought how vulnerable it looked"
Me" How many bicycles did you drive past last week?"
She " Loads I should imagine - why?"
Me " The bicycles never made enough of an impression on you to remember them - but you clearly noticed the trike that you thought looked vulnerable......"


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