My first solo ride (without family to "slow" me down)

[Time Waster]

First solo ride today on my recumbent. After a couple of months canal towpath rides or promenade rides with 5 year old son (pootle) I've found I've got a little time to give it some welly on my streetmachine.

OK so it's 8:15 and I've got no lights so not going to be a long ride. So as a test I took a hilly route. Well it's practically all uphill one way then weeeeeeeee! All the way home.

That is a good description because at speed I found out I get more scared on the recumbent than on an upright. It's the low down, my elbow will hit the floor first kind of scared. Not helped by my wobbles at did. And I only got to 30mph max speed.

Overall I did an 8mph average over the way out. Actually a few flat and downhill sections until the final, steep uphill. I dropped from 12.5mph to 8mph average speed over that section.

Then fast downhill home to finish a pathetic 11mph average.

Distance? Embarrassing! Just a few miles. I visited someone halfway so ran out of time.

This ride was to see what the open road felt like on my own and especially hills. A shake down ride. I've got time to get better before a summer, fully loaded tour.

Conclusions range from boy my quads burn uphill (until I realised the low gear wasn't best for me and I went up a few gears even into the middle ring) to a realisation my boom needs to come out a bit more. Not possible with current chain length. I'm going to get a bike mechanic to do a bit of fettling so I'll get him to replace the chain and adjust the gears at the same time.

I'm not the sort to spin up a hill and recumbents aren't good for mashing it in a high gear / low cadence which is my usual upright style. However it's still easier for me to do hills as halfway between what's best for recumbents and my usual style I at a higher than usual cadence but in a few gears up.

Because I've only been riding cyclepaths and not really done hills either going up or down I didn't really believe the recumbent legs bit. I do now! That means I need to put miles on between now and early August.

Does anyone have any advice on how to ride fast downhills? Do you feel uncomfortable once you get close to 30mph? I've done high 50s on my upright which is scary but only after getting into mid 40s. It's this just down to experience? Any advice?

 

[arallsopp]

Can't say I feel too uncomfortable at speed on the downhills. I did scare myself (and the local constabulary) silly once doing a roll down at 62mph in the black down hills on a velomobile with tank steering, but the StreetMachine is supremely stable compared, and doesn't ever get up to truly silly speeds. Sitting up seems to help, as it makes it much easier to use body steering and air brakes. Might be worth moving your seat closer to upright until you're fully trusting of the machine?

 

[Nigelnightmare]

After a few times whizzing down the hills you'll not only get used to it But be wanting it to go Faster.
The fear of dropping it and having your elbows scraping the road will lessen as your confidence improves.

Get out there and have fun!!!!

 

[neil earley]

The more you ride it the more confidence you will get on your bent. it takes time to build up your bent legs! when you have them I am sure your average speed will increase.
Ride as often as you can good luck with your tour

 

[Tigerbiten]

My advice is the easiest thing to say but the hardest thing to do.
Relax
The more you tense up, the more you'll fight the bike and the harder it will get.
So you're better at sticking to a speed you're happy with and you'll soon be surprised at what that speed is.

Luck .........

 

[Time Waster]

It's crazy! 30.4mph is not fast by my upright downhill terms. When younger and stupid I used to have a "training" loop. I wasn't really training it's just that it's a loop I knew well and loved riding. The hills on there I always got to 50hmph. My all time upright top speed was 58mph and I got it on at least three occasions on 2 different hills (one near great Harwood iirc and the other hill near Warton). Needless to say when I first moved to this way I was early 20's I was reckless. Probably because I d young and into whitewater kayaking (big time, on grades) plus coming off a canoe polo spell too. So my hand eye coordination and reactions were quick and my reaction to adrenaline released by my body was more controlled (possibly). Whatever it was fear of harm never crossed my mind ok the one time I reached 58mph with enough downhill to break 60mph I got a bit concerned.

Anyway I've been used to speed on an upright. 30mph feels like nothing on an upright. I'm wobbling all over on my recumbent at that speed. It feels closer to 60 on an upright with your belly on the saddle in a stretched out position (my speed aero position of choice - told you I was nuts).

Not sure I'll be comfortable with speed on my recumbent. I'll certainly give it a go though. 30 is good enough for first proper speed trial. I've got plenty to give to beat 58mph.

My real concern though is how I'll find loaded touring. This bike was partly about a budget way into recumbent riding but mostly about a budget way into owning a touring bike. I didn't like the £500 touring bikes even secondhand ones (since seen one my size on a forum for £500 with all the racks - ridgeback panorama and not that old plus size 60cm).

If I'm still struggling up hills unladen how am I going to be chief donkey on our family tour? Training plan needed!

BTW anyone know what a fully laden streetmachine is like going downhill fast? Does it become more or less stable? Assume heavy stuff on lowrider, lighter on rear rack. It seems to me it could possibly help.

I need a speedo too. I have a cheap wired one I can fit. Easier to use than a GPS tracker watch.

BTW I'm still buzzing about the ride despite the concerns it's thrown into the mix. That recumbent hook that was loosely in my mouth has just embedded deeply into the corner of my mouth I think I'm being reeled in!

One last question, what extras should I add to the base recumbent? I'm getting a lowrider (and the big, big Ortliebs that have 70 litres capacity) I've got a minoura bracket that'll fit on the derailleur stub (if I take off the bottle cage) and I've got a wired computer. I'm intending to use the minoura thing for front lights and possibly get another for pointing back and the speedo. I'm also going to lose the only bottle cage at the front (no other attachment points unless I drill the hard seat), so I'm getting a camelbak unbottle. Most places don't sell them I suspect it's no longer in production. Two or three litre? Touring the three but 2 litre might be better for weight reasons.

I'm wondering about mirrors. I appreciate their practicality but tbh a mirror each side makes the look a bit wrong somehow. I'd consider one side but are the mirrcycle or B&M CycleStar ones transferable right to left for foreign trips? USS with bar end shifters so B&M ones with their jubilee clip fixings seem best option.

Is there anything else you'd recommend. It's a touring / leisure / family ride type of bike and use.

A tailbox springs to mind (for luggage honestly, not for aerodynamics) Although I'm not likely to spare that amount of cash on one.

 

[Time Waster]

Sorry for that long thread. I'm buzzing that's all. I know it was only 30mph and felt scary but I liked it. I'm concerned but boy do I want more downhills! Forgot I had this adrenaline junky side to my very conservative nature.

Where is Battle Mountain again?

 

[Nigelnightmare]

BTW I'm still buzzing about the ride despite the concerns it's thrown into the mix. That recumbent hook that was loosely in my mouth has just embedded deeply into the corner of my mouth I think I'm being reeled in!

That hook is now SET DEEP IN THE BONE so much so that you'll need surgery to get it removed.
Remember the dark side is very seductive to it and enjoy.
P.S.
Your credit card is going to take quite a beating but should make a full recovery..................................

........................................Eventually.

 

[Time Waster]

No credit cards! Got the money, get the kit. A simple life!

Seriously though, bargain bent at £500, but so far I've spent on a new lowrider rack and a minoura space grip. I'm thinking of a camelbak unbottle to strap to my seat so I can mount a light to the front bottle cage. Afterall a single bidon isn't enough water holding capacity on a long day ride and my bent only has that one point to fit a cage.

After that it'll be a large ortlieb pannier bag set (the 70 litre version of the classic roller ortlieb) costing £140.

One day I think I'll replace the seat or at least the seat pad. Flag for my family's comfort. Lights to bolt to the rear rack and leave attached. Possibly similar for the front bottle cage. Maybe one day a radical designs seat pack (the xl one giving 30 litres).

Right now the rack, panniers, bladder and light fittings should be enough to get by. Although it can be expensive if I wasn't planning to tour with it the bent wouldn't cost much. Day rides could cope with one bidon, lights not needed and other costs aren't needed.

 

[PaulM]

The most stable two wheeled bent I've ridden is my Stratus XP when it had two 26" wheels. Now I've changed the front to a 20" it's not quite as good but I managed the fast descents of the Isle of Wight without needing to brake, apart from getting around the roadies in their tuck positions blocking the road and slowing me down

 

[Falco Frank]

@Time Waster Well done!

I had to remind myself about the StreetMachine and found the following - some interesting images in there

https://www.bikefix.co.uk/street-machine-gte

My Toxy TT was dreadfully unstable when I tried under seat steering. A spot on head bearing made things a little better but not enough for me to persist.

I too am a big drinker and found a sports bottle with long tube and bite valve but a Camelback must be the touring way to go, maybe one in a side pannier, eight next to you?

Good luck.

 

[Time Waster]

With the unbottle you get a neoprene sleeve for the normal bladder which has clips or loops that take a webbing strap. I intend to use that to strap it to the back of my seat with the tube down the side of my seat to where I can easily reach it. If necessary I can buy extra tube lengths and quick click fittings to extend the bite valve to where I want it. Not sure camelbak do them anymore, certainly can't get them through my normal retailers. So might have to buy from a new, untried retailer online.

That link is for the current version, mine is an earlier version called the streetmachine GT not GTe. Means a steel frame not an aluminium one. Plus being an old one it doesn't be even have the second set of bottle cage bosses under the frame under the seat. Still a good bike I reckon.