"buckyllama" wrote

So I'm beginning an experiment with designing a recumbent.
[...]
My goal is a high-racer/fast touring style of bike. Challenge serian
or similar. I haven't yet sold myself on teh 26 front wheel tho.

I have a Volae Sport (650/650) that probably meets
that description. You can find high-racers used for perhaps
not a lot more than you could build one yourself, -- though
rolling your own may have certain rewards. I'd still suggest
that you ride as many types as you can before you finalize
your design and begin to build it.

I've never ridden a bike witha seat that high and I was
wondering how it might fare in stop and go traffic.

I've only been riding my Volae for about 5 months. Getting feet
down to stop hasn't been a problem. Getting them back up
to start is only rarely a problem. %^P

The extra visibility would be nice,

Between my two more upright seating recumbents
(Tour Easy and BikeE) and the Volae, I don't know
that I feel much extra visibility. Head height is not really
that different.

I will say it's easier for me to look behind on the Tour Easy
or BikeE than on the Volae because of head/neck angle.
I have mirrors on all my bikes, but still like to glance back.
The more horizontal the neck angle the less you can easily
see by looking over my shoulder. Because of this, I feel
that in traffic, the more upright seating is slight advantage.
Bottom bracket height is not really an issue.

The Volae is definitely faster/easier, but with narrow
(650x23) tires it is not much fun on bumpy/rough surfaces.
If I were commuting on it I would probably get another
wheelset and beefier tires. But that's why I have and
ride three different style recumbents...

I broke a spoke on the Volae last weekend, luckily only
about three blocks from home. I rolled the bike back
home, took off the wheel, strapped it behind the seat
on my Tour Easy and rode to the local bike shop to leave
it for repair. A person I know was shopping at the LBS
when I got there and I related my story. When I said
I'd "gone home and changed bikes", she commented
that I'd said that like someone else might say they had
"gone home and changed clothes".

I told he she was right. %^) Perhaps you may want
to design and build several different bikes!

Good luck,

Jon Meinecke