Recumbent trike-DF tandem

I've been contemplating building/buying a tandem for my wife and I, but
think she might be better served by a recumbent trike, while I still
prefer the standard diamond-framed upright bike. The Haas Pino
http://hasebikes.com/96-1-Tandem-Pino-Tour.html looks interesting, but
also rather pricey. This home-made hybrid
http://www.gizmag.com/tandem-trike-for-brain-injury-therapy/18775/
looks to be almost exactly what I'm looking for, except I think that not
being able to tilt the upright portion of the bike might lead to
stability problems in corners. Finally, I noticed that the Greenspeed
Anura http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura.html has an optional adapter
http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura/Tandem.Coupling2400.jpg that allows
you to link two together to make a tandem. I was wondering whether I
could just take the front wheel off my regular touring bike, clamp it
onto the adapter and (differing axle heights neglected) build a tandem
that way. A friend of mine mentioned that the inability to actually
steer the front wheel of the DF bike would result in me falling over
sideways at the least provocation. How bad would this be? Is the
concept completely unworkable?

On 12/15/2013 12:00 PM, Ralph Barone wrote:
I've been contemplating building/buying a tandem for my wife and I, but
think she might be better served by a recumbent trike, while I still
prefer the standard diamond-framed upright bike. The Haas Pino
http://hasebikes.com/96-1-Tandem-Pino-Tour.html looks interesting, but
also rather pricey. This home-made hybrid
http://www.gizmag.com/tandem-trike-for-brain-injury-therapy/18775/
looks to be almost exactly what I'm looking for, except I think that not
being able to tilt the upright portion of the bike might lead to
stability problems in corners. Finally, I noticed that the Greenspeed
Anura http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura.html has an optional adapter
http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura/Tandem.Coupling2400.jpg that allows
you to link two together to make a tandem. I was wondering whether I
could just take the front wheel off my regular touring bike, clamp it
onto the adapter and (differing axle heights neglected) build a tandem
that way. A friend of mine mentioned that the inability to actually
steer the front wheel of the DF bike would result in me falling over
sideways at the least provocation. How bad would this be? Is the
concept completely unworkable?


No more reason to steer the rear half than any other tandem.
That assumes the captain is competent and able, as we
stokers do.

How bad would it be? Hangs on mass and velocity, right? Just
highly unlikely when coupled to a three wheeler up front.
Not to my taste, but instability is probably your smallest
problem, what with four wheels on the ground and all.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sunday, December 15, 2013 1:00:55 PM UTC-5, Ralph Barone wrote:
I've been contemplating building/buying a tandem for my wife and I, but
think she might be better served by a recumbent trike, while I still
prefer the standard diamond-framed upright bike. The Haas Pino
http://hasebikes.com/96-1-Tandem-Pino-Tour.html looks interesting, but
also rather pricey. This home-made hybrid
http://www.gizmag.com/tandem-trike-for-brain-injury-therapy/18775/
looks to be almost exactly what I'm looking for, except I think that not
being able to tilt the upright portion of the bike might lead to
stability problems in corners. Finally, I noticed that the Greenspeed
Anura http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura.html has an optional adapter
http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura/Tandem.Coupling2400.jpg that allows
you to link two together to make a tandem. I was wondering whether I
could just take the front wheel off my regular touring bike, clamp it
onto the adapter and (differing axle heights neglected) build a tandem
that way. A friend of mine mentioned that the inability to actually
steer the front wheel of the DF bike would result in me falling over
sideways at the least provocation. How bad would this be? Is the
concept completely unworkable?

Well, if you want some speculation...

First, I test-rode a Counterpoint tandem long ago, very similar to the Hase Pino Tour. It was very nice, no problems at all. My wife liked it too.

If you're interested in a trike (recumbent or not) I think it's better to have the tadpole design (2 front wheels) rather than the delta (two rear wheels). Two rear wheels mean you'll either have only one of them driven (like on primitive rear-drive trikes) or you'll have a differential, which is complicated and expensive. You'll also have much more risk of toppling forward if you enter a corner too fast and brake hard while in a turn.

By contrast, tadpoles (two front wheels) corner like cats. They need a steering linkage, but that's cheaper and simpler than a differential.

Any trike adds complication on potholed roads. You're looking for three smooth tracks through the bumps instead of just one.

If you hooked your single bike's front dropouts to an adapter on a trike, I don't know that it would be unstable. There are lots of trail-a-bikes in use, where parents tow their kids bikes using a similar arrangement. I've not heard many complaints. But then, the kids are lighter than you by far....

If you were seriously interested in either the custom arrangement or a manufactured one, you might ought to correspond with the builder. I think they'd be willing to talk to you.

Having said that, I'd greatly prefer a two wheeled machine to one with three wheels. I rode an upright racing trike once - light weight, drop bars, ten or more speeds, one front and two rear wheels - and it was really disconcerting. I wouldn't have wanted to do even ten miles on it. Being unable to lean into a corner makes cornering very difficult. And hard on wheels, too, I suspect.

- Frank Krygowski

AMuzi wrote:
On 12/15/2013 12:00 PM, Ralph Barone wrote:
I've been contemplating building/buying a tandem for my wife and I, but
think she might be better served by a recumbent trike, while I still
prefer the standard diamond-framed upright bike. The Haas Pino
http://hasebikes.com/96-1-Tandem-Pino-Tour.html looks interesting, but
also rather pricey. This home-made hybrid
http://www.gizmag.com/tandem-trike-for-brain-injury-therapy/18775/
looks to be almost exactly what I'm looking for, except I think that not
being able to tilt the upright portion of the bike might lead to
stability problems in corners. Finally, I noticed that the Greenspeed
Anura http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura.html has an optional adapter
http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura/Tandem.Coupling2400.jpg that allows
you to link two together to make a tandem. I was wondering whether I
could just take the front wheel off my regular touring bike, clamp it
onto the adapter and (differing axle heights neglected) build a tandem
that way. A friend of mine mentioned that the inability to actually
steer the front wheel of the DF bike would result in me falling over
sideways at the least provocation. How bad would this be? Is the
concept completely unworkable?


No more reason to steer the rear half than any other tandem. That assumes
the captain is competent and able, as we stokers do.

How bad would it be? Hangs on mass and velocity, right? Just highly
unlikely when coupled to a three wheeler up front. Not to my taste, but
instability is probably your smallest problem, what with four wheels on the ground and all.

Thanks. Now, what would be the large problems you alluded to? As I see it,
between the adapter and the head bearings on the rear bike, there would be
three axes of rotation between the two bikes.

On Sun, 15 Dec 2013 18:37:04 -0800, Frank Krygowski wrote:

snip

If you're interested in a trike (recumbent or not) I think it's better
to have the tadpole design (2 front wheels) rather than the delta (two
rear wheels). Two rear wheels mean you'll either have only one of them
driven (like on primitive rear-drive trikes) or you'll have a
differential, which is complicated and expensive. You'll also have much
more risk of toppling forward if you enter a corner too fast and brake
hard while in a turn.

Ooooh yes indeed. As a case in point I present this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8
--
davethedave

On 12/15/2013 8:37 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Sunday, December 15, 2013 1:00:55 PM UTC-5, Ralph Barone wrote:
I've been contemplating building/buying a tandem for my wife and I, but
think she might be better served by a recumbent trike, while I still
prefer the standard diamond-framed upright bike. The Haas Pino
http://hasebikes.com/96-1-Tandem-Pino-Tour.html looks interesting, but
also rather pricey. This home-made hybrid
http://www.gizmag.com/tandem-trike-for-brain-injury-therapy/18775/
looks to be almost exactly what I'm looking for, except I think that not
being able to tilt the upright portion of the bike might lead to
stability problems in corners. Finally, I noticed that the Greenspeed
Anura http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura.html has an optional adapter
http://www.greenspeed.com.au/anura/Tandem.Coupling2400.jpg that allows
you to link two together to make a tandem. I was wondering whether I
could just take the front wheel off my regular touring bike, clamp it
onto the adapter and (differing axle heights neglected) build a tandem
that way. A friend of mine mentioned that the inability to actually
steer the front wheel of the DF bike would result in me falling over
sideways at the least provocation. How bad would this be? Is the
concept completely unworkable?

Well, if you want some speculation...

First, I test-rode a Counterpoint tandem long ago, very similar to the Hase Pino Tour. It was very nice, no problems at all. My wife liked it too.

If you're interested in a trike (recumbent or not) I think it's better to have the tadpole design (2 front wheels) rather than the delta (two rear wheels). Two rear wheels mean you'll either have only one of them driven (like on primitive rear-drive trikes) or you'll have a differential, which is complicated and expensive. You'll also have much more risk of toppling forward if you enter a corner too fast and brake hard while in a turn.

By contrast, tadpoles (two front wheels) corner like cats. They need a steering linkage, but that's cheaper and simpler than a differential.

Any trike adds complication on potholed roads. You're looking for three smooth tracks through the bumps instead of just one.

If you hooked your single bike's front dropouts to an adapter on a trike, I don't know that it would be unstable. There are lots of trail-a-bikes in use, where parents tow their kids bikes using a similar arrangement. I've not heard many complaints. But then, the kids are lighter than you by far...

If you were seriously interested in either the custom arrangement or a manufactured one, you might ought to correspond with the builder. I think they'd be willing to talk to you.

Having said that, I'd greatly prefer a two wheeled machine to one with three wheels. I rode an upright racing trike once - light weight, drop bars, ten or more speeds, one front and two rear wheels - and it was really disconcerting. I wouldn't have wanted to do even ten miles on it. Being unable to lean into a corner makes cornering very difficult. And hard on wheels, too, I suspect.

- Frank Krygowski


And yet, "ideal for spastics"

http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...st/HWTRIKE.JPG

Among the more memorable advertising phrases of all time.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Monday, December 16, 2013 8:59:04 AM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:

And yet, "ideal for spastics"

http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...st/HWTRIKE.JPG

Among the more memorable advertising phrases of all time.

Wow. Pre-PC? Or, as with so many other terms, did a once neutral but descriptive term since degenerate into being offensive?

It's been pointed out that Gresham's Law applies to words as well as to coins. The bad usage drives out the good.

- Frank Krygowski

SANTA TO BARONE SANTA TO BARONE CUMIN BARONE

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/tr...king.html?_r=0

wrote:
SANTA TO BARONE SANTA TO BARONE CUMIN BARONE

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/tr...king.html?_r=0

Yup, that's what I would like to get the wife interested in, but she won't
go unless I help to push.

On 17/12/13 00:59, AMuzi wrote:

And yet, "ideal for spastics"

http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...st/HWTRIKE.JPG

Among the more memorable advertising phrases of all time.


Aw, that's gold.

--
JS