"James B. Andrews" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
>
> If you want to have a special trike made for you out of carbon fiber
> and totally stripped,,, you could beat the time on the upright but
> most trikes are just too heavy. Your best speed would probably be on a
> tadpole, deltas are just too massive. A Greenspeed or a Cat trike
> would be the type to check.
>
> I own a Penninger recumbent trike that weights 53 pounds and it
> take a lot of effort to get it to 15-17 miles per hour, My wife can do
> that speed on her Penninger for about a mile(flat ground, no wind)
> before starting to slow down.. We normally ride along at about 8-10
> miles per hour.
>
> Now as for riding time/ riding comfort, my wife and I have ridden 8-10
> hours many times with very little discomfort. After a couple of hours
> the endorphens kick in and we just don't want to stop.
>
> Now, a Penninger that weighs in at 20 lbs would be a dream to ride..
>
> Anyone else have any comments???
>
> Jim Andrews Columbus Phoenix
Glad to hear you say you cruise at such a low speed. That is how fast I
usually go on my Penninger. I think I got it up to 25 once or twice, but I
was really huffing and puffing. I enjoy my trike very much and the low
speed is not a big problem for me. I feel like the tortise in the race with
the hare. I may not go fast, but I just keep going
And I don't fall
over... and my butt doesn't hurt... and I can pick up coins on the ground
without getting off the thing. Parking is sweet - I just stand up and walk
away.
There are some disadvantages other than the low speed. It can flip without
much effort. The lack of suspension can be a problem in rough terrain. I
have to think ahead when preparing to cross a busy road - making sure I gear
down before stopping so I have good pickup for a quick crossing. It is
difficult to look behind for vehicles sneaking up on me. It is also
dangerous in places like parking lots because it is so low and not visible
when coming out from behind a parked car. Also, it attracts a lot of
attention. I haven't had a big problem with that yet, but I often find
myself thinking that some idiot is gonna throw something at me from a moving
car. But even with all these drawbacks, I wouldn't give it up, unless, as
you say, they make a lighter Penninger...
P2