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#1
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
Hi,
I do loaded touring on my regular standard bike (sitting upright, Brooks saddle, Aero bar) using panniers. I'm interested in buying a tadpole trike for my next "expedition" being roughly 4000 mi/6000 km. I'm not interested in recumbents - only trikes. My main reason for buying a trike would be the speed increase. But browsing various forums and newsgroups it turns out that the speed picture is different. So I have a question for those who ride both a trike and a regular bike: Without talking about weight, rolling resistance etc, I would like to know if you go faster on a trike (with or without panniers). On my loaded touring bike I go 125mi/200km a day, even in mountains like the Rockies. Usually I'm only limited by the daylight hours. I average at 15 mph/24kmh. I know it's a bit extreme, but it would be cool to go even faster. Feeling that my power is used efficiently is VERY important to me - this is why I don't have any bike generators (like the ones in the front hub) or internal gear hub systems on my touring bike. I know recumbents and trikes call for a much more relaxed driving style which eliminates soar etc. But if I ride from dusk til dawn on my regular touring bike (and not biking when it's dark) I do those 125 mi averaging 15 mph (loaded with 35 pounds of gear) and that's it. The values are, of course, without hourly brakes, eating, shopping etc. If I cannot go faster/longer I will not buy a trike. This is crucial. I must admit that I'm the stamina type of rider - I don't like to waste excess energy because I know the wind resistance is squared, so I ride at 15 mph but for a LONG time. I would adapt this riding style to the trike. On my regular bike I usually bike 1 hour, make a 10 min break, ride one hour, 10 min break, at noon shopping, eating for 1 hour and so forth. I'm only making breaks to give my butt some rest (it might irritate a bit) and eating snacks. So, if I could eat snacks while riding the trike, because I would't get soar at all anymore - it would of course be interesting. So what are the experts saying? Can I gain 1-2 mph compared to a standard bike (we're talking loaded bikes here)? Thanks in advance, Lucas Jensen |
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#3
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
Now, a Penninger that weighs in at 20 lbs would be a dream to ride.. I just saw that one of the catbikes is 28 lbs only. Lucas |
#4
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
wrote:
Now, a Penninger that weighs in at 20 lbs would be a dream to ride.. I just saw that one of the catbikes is 28 lbs only. In addition, some of the Trice range might be worth considering, though no idea if the current low-dollar/strong pound makes them too expensive in the US. Trice have made a one-off super light test model, but their regular models are over 30lbs. On your original point about speed, I think you may have to trade speed/comfort a little. The faster trikes I've tried have rigid seat shells, the more comfortable (particularly cooling!) have mesh. That said, a Trice Ice-QNT (mesh seat, probably one of the Trice models to start your inspection) is very quick on a short test run; I was spinning out of gears on the flat with a very minor tail wind, so would specify it with a higher top gear than the standard option. I cannot comment on long distances. - Nigel -- Nigel Cliffe, Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/ |
#5
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
Hi, Lucas:
You'll have to skip the trike. Although you would almost certainly be more comfortable--and probably enjoy the view and riding experience--if speed is the most important factor, you will be a bit slower. Almost all trikes are heavier, have more rolling resistance, and climb hills more slowly. For hill climbing especially, you'll be hard-pressed to beat a good upright bike--or a really high end recumbent (think Ti and carbon). Some recumbent bikes (not trikes) can be very fast, especially something like a body-socked Gold Rush, but you'd be on two wheels. Have you considered slowing down and getting more in touch with the places through which you ride? Then you can ride whatever is the most FUN and not worry about the miles so much. A fine gentleman, whose name I can't recall, kept cutting back on his daily mileage to experience more closely the land and people around him. He called it "learning to linger." He believed 30miles a day was about perfect. Now that's a bit on the short side for most days for me, but the idea is generally sound. Why turn a bike tour into a job? Anyway, for what it's worth, that's my philosophy these days--always subject to revision, of course! Good luck on your search, wherever it leads. Cheers, Scott wrote: Hi, I do loaded touring on my regular standard bike (sitting upright, Brooks saddle, Aero bar) using panniers. I'm interested in buying a tadpole trike for my next "expedition" being roughly 4000 mi/6000 km. I'm not interested in recumbents - only trikes. My main reason for buying a trike would be the speed increase. But browsing various forums and newsgroups it turns out that the speed picture is different. So I have a question for those who ride both a trike and a regular bike: Without talking about weight, rolling resistance etc, I would like to know if you go faster on a trike (with or without panniers). On my loaded touring bike I go 125mi/200km a day, even in mountains like the Rockies. Usually I'm only limited by the daylight hours. I average at 15 mph/24kmh. I know it's a bit extreme, but it would be cool to go even faster. Feeling that my power is used efficiently is VERY important to me - this is why I don't have any bike generators (like the ones in the front hub) or internal gear hub systems on my touring bike. I know recumbents and trikes call for a much more relaxed driving style which eliminates soar etc. But if I ride from dusk til dawn on my regular touring bike (and not biking when it's dark) I do those 125 mi averaging 15 mph (loaded with 35 pounds of gear) and that's it. The values are, of course, without hourly brakes, eating, shopping etc. If I cannot go faster/longer I will not buy a trike. This is crucial. I must admit that I'm the stamina type of rider - I don't like to waste excess energy because I know the wind resistance is squared, so I ride at 15 mph but for a LONG time. I would adapt this riding style to the trike. On my regular bike I usually bike 1 hour, make a 10 min break, ride one hour, 10 min break, at noon shopping, eating for 1 hour and so forth. I'm only making breaks to give my butt some rest (it might irritate a bit) and eating snacks. So, if I could eat snacks while riding the trike, because I would't get soar at all anymore - it would of course be interesting. So what are the experts saying? Can I gain 1-2 mph compared to a standard bike (we're talking loaded bikes here)? Thanks in advance, Lucas Jensen |
#6
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
wrote in message oups.com... Hi, I do loaded touring on my regular standard bike (sitting upright, Brooks saddle, Aero bar) using panniers. I'm interested in buying a tadpole trike for my next "expedition" being roughly 4000 mi/6000 km. I'm not interested in recumbents - only trikes. My main reason for buying a trike would be the speed increase. But browsing various forums and newsgroups it turns out that the speed picture is different. So I have a question for those who ride both a trike and a regular bike: Without talking about weight, rolling resistance etc, I would like to know if you go faster on a trike (with or without panniers). I have yet to see a fast trike |
#7
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
Mark Leuck wrote:
I have yet to see a fast trike You have evidently not seen one going downhill. As the speed goes up, a trikes advantages (low drag) overcome it's disadvantages (high rolling resistance and weight). Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I only road one once but it was FUN. (it's primary advantage) Rich |
#8
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
Mark Leuck wrote: I have yet to see a fast trike[.] See http://home.pacifier.com/~jwills/vector/vector.htm for a fast trike. Of course the Vector would be practically unusable anywhere outside an oval track or closed highway. -- Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley |
#9
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
OK, I don't thinik it makes a whole heck of a lot of difference what
you ride on a tour as long as you are comfortable on the bike and you enjoy it. From your post, your tour sounds more like work than fun. 125/mi per day. an hour on the bike 10 min off, and hour for lunch. Gimme a break! Most of the people I have been on bike tours with have an agenda something like this: Well we really need to travel about 125 miles today and we might just do it if we have a good tailwind and there is nothing else to do. However if we meet some really neat people or find a very fine place to stop and only make 30 miles well that will be just fine too. If you only have a limited amount of time, take a shorter tour. |
#10
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Face to face: Trike vs. standard bike on expedition
Mark Leuck wrote:
I have yet to see a fast trike The Lands End to John O' Groats distance record is held on a Windcheetah. I guess with 41 hours 4 minutes total time including breaks the extra stability does start to count for something in an endurance event like that, and the OP is looking at a big tour. But overall a trike won't get you many places faster. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
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