# 'bents and hills



## Chonker (19 Apr 2009)

I'm hoping to pick up a trike in 10days time (pretty excited), I'm a little worried about the whole hill thing. I understand that the riding position gives you a disadvantage over a DF bike as you can't put your weight into it, and also you're at a disadantage because of the weight of the trike over a bike but just how much of a problem is it?

I'm pretty unfit and havn't ridden my DF in a year or so mainly because of the saddle (a big part of the reason I'm going for a 'bent) and am a bit worried I'm gonna come to my first hill and either get stuck, or go up it at a pace that's going to cause a huge traffic jam


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## byegad (19 Apr 2009)

First of all trikes climb hills without too many problems. The extra weight and the different muscle groups needed to power any 'bent means that most riders are slower uphill on a trike than a DF.

Your assumption that you can't exert as much pressure to the pedals is wrong. with the seat back behind you it is possible to push much more than your weight onto the pedals on a bent than on a DF where once you are pressing all of your weight your backside leaves the saddle. Yes I know you can pull on a Dfs handlebars but even so you can still lift far more weight than just you with your legs.

It's not a good idea to do this as your knees won't take kindly to the pressure. So you learn to spin in a lower gear. Both my trikes have a gear under 15" compared to a racing bike's 30 to 40" bottom or an MTB's 20" this allows me to spin on steep hills. 

Once you start to get trike fit you will find you ride uphills without any problem. I occasionally ride with a group of DFs and have been told that riding with a recumbent trike is like riding with a tandem, but worse. This was not meant unkindly, the DF rider telling me this meant that I was slower up hill, but (a lot) faster down hill than the DFs. I also find that on the level I am faster than a DF especially into a strong wind. 

As you start on your trike, make a concious effort to spin the pedals in what will initially seem to be a too low gear on the flat and up hill. This will build your spinning muscles up and after you have been riding for a while it will become a habit. Also change down as soon as you feel your cadence slowing at the start of a hill. A noticable effect in experienced 'bent riders is the fact that they all change down a gear before the hill has started and maintain a higher cadence untill they have crested the hill. 

I hope this helps you. I'm sure you'll be fine abd develop the trike grin the moment you ride your new trike. What sort is it?


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## LeeW (19 Apr 2009)

Providing you have a low enough gear, you should be able to climb anything on a trike. Last year I climbed Hardknott pass on a trike (max gradient of 1:3), most of the DF riders were walking. You will be a bit slower mainly due to the extra weight.


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## ufkacbln (19 Apr 2009)

Just enjoy it!

The fact (as pointed out above) that they are "slightly" slower on hils is compensated for by a stunning increase in speed on the down hills!

Of course the other advantage on a trike you are not weaving or trying to balance at slow climbing speeds.

Simply have fun with the trike and take each adjustment in technique as you go, you will soon be up there with the rest.


PS Which Trike?


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## TimP (19 Apr 2009)

I'm sure that the thing of 'bents being slower than uprights up hill is based upon competent upright riders not being abl to climb a hill so fast on a 'bent.

Let alone considering the impact of using a comparable bike (there seems little apreciation that 'bents come in at least as many guises as uprights), and a rider who is equivalently stong on a 'bent.

An equivalent 'bent will weigh a bit more than an upright (and a bit more again for a trike), by the time you've got your fitness up this should be the only factor meaning you'll be climbing slower.


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## Chonker (19 Apr 2009)

I've been researching and a Trice Q seems to be the one for me. I've always had a bit of a fear of riding in the road mainly due to the wobbling/weaving of balancing a bike which I'm determined to man up and overcome and a trike should see my way towards that!

I'm getting rid of my mountain bike as I wasn't getting the use from it and really want to start using the roads and it's entirely unsuitable (15.5kg with enourmous tyres). I'll probably want to join up with a club or something once my level of fitness becomes less of an embarassment as I'd prefer not to ride alone (but at the moment I lack confidence, hopefully will change).

Thanks for all the replies, you guys seem really enthusiastic! I'm really getting excited about this


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## ufkacbln (19 Apr 2009)

I am not being negative, but I always reccomend riding one before buying, where are you based?


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## Chonker (19 Apr 2009)

Am in Enfield, North London. I've had a quick spin in a carpark in the trice already and it was a liberating experience!


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## TimP (19 Apr 2009)

Go and visit Kevin of DTek (just south of Ely) - he carries most of the Trice range and proper length test rides can be very easily arranged.


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## Auntie Helen (19 Apr 2009)

I can certainly echo TimP's recommendation of Kevin at D-Tek as he's excellent.

I have a Trice Q and love it to bits. I am slower up hills than DF riders that I travel with. However this isn't a big deal. I can usually catch them up on the flat after the hill (as long as they're not zooming ahead too much). Yes, hills take a bit longer, but overall it's not that big a deal. Perhaps I hold cars up a little now and again but I'm sure they can wait another 30 seconds until they reach their destination.

As I've become fitter and more accustomed to the trike I've found that I don't tend to get out of breath up hills. I feel slightly warmer at the top but that's it, I'm not knackered and they don't strike fear into me as they used to. I'm still slow up hills but I'm slow in a comfortable-and-relaxing kind of way.


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## ufkacbln (19 Apr 2009)

If in London, ring Ian at Wheels NV who imports the Catrike Range


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## Chonker (19 Apr 2009)

I've looked at the catrike range but they don't seem to be able to be packed up small. I'm really limited for space to store it so part of what sold me on the trice was that video of it going into a smartcar.

I may have gotten a bit carried away and bid on one at auction so will have to see how that goes before calling up D-tek


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## Chonker (19 Apr 2009)

Auntie Helen said:


> I don't tend to get out of breath up hills. I feel slightly warmer at the top but that's it, I'm not knackered and they don't strike fear into me as they used to. I'm still slow up hills but I'm slow in a comfortable-and-relaxing kind of way.



This sounds exactly what I'm after, I went out for a last ride on my mountain bike today before it's sold and was going great until I came to a hill where I completely burned myself out.

I've never really understood the problem with hills on a bike, I think it must be one to do with balancing at lower speeds. As I see it if you're in the right gear the hill should only effect your speed not the amount of work effort you put in but whenever I reach a hill it's murder!


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## somersetflyer (19 Apr 2009)

I can also recommend Kevin, I drove all the way from Somerset and spent half a day over there, came away with a Trice Q, never regretted it, have taken it all over Exmoor on hills that I would struggle to walk up let along ride a bike. it is slow going up, but just you wait until you forget the brakes and hammer back down the hills, at speeds that make your eyes water.

Also look at the HP Scorpion I have a HP Grasshopper and the build quality is typical German, and the body link seats are so comfortable

Have Fun


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## 3tyretrackterry (19 Apr 2009)

+1 for D tek just over a month bought a Trice explorer and never looked back have probably doubled my weekly mileage and am going out for a leisure ride much more than i ever was am slower up hills than my eldest son but he cant touch me on the flat or downhill and i always carry the drinks,toolkit and extras.


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## Mr Magoo (19 Apr 2009)

If you are bidding for the ICE Q on Ebay 
I hope you have done a little homework .
Are you aware it is a June 2007 vintage .
Loads of changes have been made including 
revised rear wheel and groupset etc etc .
So it may be low miles but do not kid yourself 
its the latest model .
Do not overlook the seat ? Hardshells can run very hot and sweaty and may not suit the shape of your spine . Ask other forum members for their view about seats . If you need to change to the mesh cover and revised frame that could cost £130 -£160 Plus shipping .
Food for thought and I hope that helps .






Chonker said:


> I've looked at the catrike range but they don't seem to be able to be packed up small. I'm really limited for space to store it so part of what sold me on the trice was that video of it going into a smartcar.
> 
> I may have gotten a bit carried away and bid on one at auction so will have to see how that goes before calling up D-tek


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## squeaker (20 Apr 2009)

*Hardshell...*



Mr Magoo said:


> Do not overlook the seat ? Hardshells can run very hot and sweaty and may not suit the shape of your spine .


But they can recline more, which some find more comfortable, and can always be padded between the cover and seat back to adjust the shape.


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## Chonker (20 Apr 2009)

I actually prefer the idea of the hard seat, it was the one on ebay though and I didn't know it was different, what's the difference with the rear wheel/groupset? , bugger!


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## thewrinklyninja (20 Apr 2009)

Another recommendation for Kevin at D.Tek. I went down to see him thinking I preferred trikes ora Euro low bike like the Hurricane, but low and behold I preferred the Bacchetta Giro high type bikes with big handle bars.

So the morale of the story here is dont buy what you THINK you will like, go sit on and ride as many as you can, you may surprise yourself as to what you actually like as to what you THINK you like.

Just my 2p's worth.


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## Mr Magoo (20 Apr 2009)

Further info .........hope this helps .........before the final countdown with the E.Bay auction .
*This is the 2009 spec lifted from the ICE website :-*
"Here at ICE we have taken the 9T concept and created a custom 9 speed cassette with a wide range of 9-32T (310g).
9,10,11,13,15,18,21,26,32 are the actual sprocket sizes.
These have been used by custom Trice owners over many years on heavily loaded tours with great success. This kind of cassette still needs a special hub due to the very small cog sizes and perhaps the weakest link in the system was the relatively low end Shimano Capreo hub with it's non sealed cup and cone bearings and rather heavy weight (462g with QR). we also wanted to offer the option of a disc brake rotor mounting. Our new custom hub overcomes these issues with quality industry standard sealed cartridge bearings, CNC'd I.S. 6 bolt disc brake rotor mount and a top quality hollow QR Skewer (404g with QR).
To get the perfect range of gears for a touring trike we have combined the new cassette with a Truvative Firex compact MTB chainset which has an integrated axle and external BB bearings for a rigid setup. The result is a fantastic super wide range, easy shifting and reliable all derailleur gear shifting system... as standard!"
*Other upgrades reported but not listed by ICE include :-* higher quality brake levers + Jagwire cables + hubcaps +improved seat cushions by Ventiseat + light mount studs now welded on (not after market clamp on ) +bigger chain guide pulley .........
Plus loads more frame detailing on cable runs and steering mountings + brake mounts 
and more and more and more ! 
The ICE men never stop improving (probably why many owners suggest these are the best trikes in the world ).



Chonker said:


> I actually prefer the idea of the hard seat, it was the one on ebay though and I didn't know it was different, what's the difference with the rear wheel/groupset? , bugger!


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## Chonker (22 Apr 2009)

Oh well that's it, I've won it so I guess that's one more for the recumbent fold. I'm still pretty stoked (although in hindsight I should have been more patient), I can't wait to go pick the sucker up and break my will on some hills


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## byegad (22 Apr 2009)

Let us all know how you get on with it. You will be able to change a lot of things to make hills easier.


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## squeaker (23 Apr 2009)

Chonker said:


> I actually prefer the idea of the hard seat, it was the one on ebay though and I didn't know it was different, what's the difference with the rear wheel/groupset? , bugger!


See News on the ICE site.
Basically a wider range cassette on a custom ICE hub, as far as the gearing goes. I wouldn't fret to much though, I find the 18 to 89 inches on my 'S' fine for general use. I definitely need half a gale behind me to spin out on the flat in top, even with 155mm cranks and, if I needed a lower bottom gear, then an 11-34 cassette with 26T chainwheel would get me 14"


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## Arch (23 Apr 2009)

Chonker said:


> Oh well that's it, I've won it so I guess that's one more for the recumbent fold. I'm still pretty stoked (although in hindsight I should have been more patient), I can't wait to go pick the sucker up and break my will on some hills



Good for you. Don't worry too much about whether it's an older model. My (sadly underused due to storage issues) trike is a pre-ICE Trice, and it's just as much fun as a newer one - just a bit more rattley. Components can always be upgraded.

I'm not fast on hills, upright or recumbent, but at least on my trike I don't have the issue of stalling because I'm going so slow. I just wind it in gradually. Also, I can stop and restart on a really long hill - I can't do that once I'm in bottom gear on two wheels. And I go down the other side way faster on 3 wheels than I ever do on 2, just from a nerve point of view.


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## byegad (23 Apr 2009)

Chonker said:


> I actually prefer the idea of the hard seat, it was the one on ebay though and I didn't know it was different, what's the difference with the rear wheel/groupset? , bugger!



What people haven't mentioned is that while you get ICE's own Capreo style 9-32 hub on the 2008-on Trice models, you also get a very noisy freewheel! Riding with a friend, me on my 2007 Deore rear hub QNT and him on his 2008 QNT, his freewheel was very intrusive, making me glad I have the 2007 model.


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## Chonker (30 Apr 2009)

well I put the first few miles on it yesterday at redbridge cycle centre (counterclockwise). I managed to get up the hills but the longest and steepest had me down to 4mph in the lowest gear  I did manage to get all the way up, though a few times I had to stop for a breather, hillstarts are easy huh? 

Put a massive grin on my face going down hill, I hit 30 on my first lap just coasting, it steers like a racecar too, was a bit nervous of how "twitchy" it was a first but as I became used to it I was grinning like an idiot!


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## byegad (30 Apr 2009)

The hills get easier, at first don't force it and slowly you'll improve.


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## sunnyjim (30 Apr 2009)

You're just about where I was 18 months and a few thousand miles ago, Chonker. 

Between work & medical reasons I'd done relatively little cycling during the previous year, but only about a week after I'd assembled the giant meccano set which became my new QNT I went out intending to pootle around for an hour or so practice, and ended up doing an Edinburgh-Linlithgow round trip over 50 miles almost without noticing. 

On the daily commute, I'd say my speed has increased 30-40% since Trike_zero. I still get easily overtaken uphill by DF-ers who look as or more younger/fitter than me, but I now do my own share of passing the less gifted -especially this time of year, with the new season summer-onlies coming out. There is nothing so pleasant on a monday morning as the look on the face of a proper bicyclist who has just been overtaken by a nutter in a deckchair. Not that it's a race, obviously.


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## Chonker (30 Apr 2009)

Haha "nutter on a deckchair" love it


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