New Cyclist-Bauer Trisalu Experience

in message <[email hidden]>, Brian Millson

(') said:

Well, yesterday I finally took up cycling at the tender age of 52. Due
to an operation that resulted in some balance difficulties, I took the
decision to get tadpole trike design from Bauer (Panther) bikes known
as a Trisalu

http://www.pantherbike.de/pages/spezial/frameset_spezial.html (click
on
the thumbnail at the bottom of the page).

The experience has been great and I did 20 kilometres yesterday. It
surprised me, but it did involve some balancing and I came off twice in
the
first 300 metres but managed to come off only once after that. Today I
attempted up and down hills and that went well. I am truly hooked and
lucky enough to live on the German/Dutch border with loads of cycling
paths-and not many hills.

Ah, yes, the upright tadpole - we've discussed it here in the past. How
does it handle? How heavy is it? And what cause you to come off? I
gather from friends who used to race them that falling off upright
tricycles is not uncommon until you've got used to their handling
characteristics.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Ring of great evil
Small one casts it into flame
Bringing rise of Men ;; gonzoron

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ah, yes, the upright tadpole - we've discussed it here in the past. How
does it handle? How heavy is it? And what cause you to come off? I
gather from friends who used to race them that falling off upright
tricycles is not uncommon until you've got used to their handling
characteristics.

On the web page, it says it weighs 23.5kg. Racing ones are a lot lighter I
think.

Cheers, helen s

So how did you manage to fall off?? As well as my bikes, I have a recumbent
trike - one of these and it's great fun...

http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/trikes_t.htm

It seems to be a bit lighter than your trike.

Anyhow - welcome to the whacky world of cycling :-)

Cheers, helen s

On 18/8/05 00:06, in article
[email hidden], "Simon Brooke"

Quoted message said:

Ah, yes, the upright tadpole - we've discussed it here in the past. How
does it handle? How heavy is it? And what cause you to come off? I
gather from friends who used to race them that falling off upright
tricycles is not uncommon until you've got used to their handling
characteristics.

Simon,

It is very good in the straight line. What caused me to come off was an
initial tendency to lean into a turn with disastrous results. You have to
make sure that both front wheels are on the ground. Once you get used to
it, the bike is fine. The Trisalu weighs 23.5 kilos and I am very pleased
with it. The front wheels are 84cm apart which came as a bit of a surprise.
It certainly is an odd looking beast but I have wanted to cycle for ages. I
thought of a recumbent tricycle but I have had experience of recumbent
stationary bikes and never found them comfortable. Also, I want the bike
primarily for riding with my wife and daughters and an upright is more
sociable and perhaps safer, although here with bicycle paths in most places
this is less of an issue but where I live (permanently) in the Vale of York
it is.

I had to decide between a tadpole and a delta design and after a bit of
reading decided to go for the tadpole. I think it is better but I could be
wrong. After a year of using the tadpole I may try and go for 2 wheels
again and see if my balance has improved at all, but we shall see.

Brian Millson

"wafflycat" <waffles*A*T*v21net*D*O*T*co*D*O*T*uk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So how did you manage to fall off?? As well as my bikes, I have a
recumbent trike - one of these and it's great fun...

I suspect a recumbent trike is a *lot* more stable. I know from personal
experience that if you've never ridden an upright trike before the first
thing you do is ride down the camber and into the kerb (or ditch). You're
so busy trying to steer it with your body weight (which doesn't work) that
you feel as if the steering is posessed.

Tim

"Tim Downie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"wafflycat" <waffles*A*T*v21net*D*O*T*co*D*O*T*uk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So how did you manage to fall off?? As well as my bikes, I have a
recumbent trike - one of these and it's great fun...

I suspect a recumbent trike is a *lot* more stable. I know from personal
experience that if you've never ridden an upright trike before the first
thing you do is ride down the camber and into the kerb (or ditch). You're
so busy trying to steer it with your body weight (which doesn't work) that
you feel as if the steering is posessed.

Tim

The 'bent is incredibly stable. Nathan uses it for the college commute in
icy weather for that reason. Last winter he said quite a few times that if
he'd been on a bike he'd have gone over, but the Trice sticks to the road.
Great fun downhill round corners 😉

Cheers, helen s

Brian Millson said:

Well, yesterday I finally took up cycling at the tender age of 52. Due to
an operation that resulted in some balance difficulties, I took the decision
to get tadpole trike design from Bauer (Panther) bikes known as a Trisalu

Congradulations and may happy kms of wheeling.

Quoted message said:

http://www.pantherbike.de/pages/spezial/frameset_spezial.html (click on
the thumbnail at the bottom of the page).

The experience has been great and I did 20 kilometres yesterday. It
surprised me, but it did involve some balancing and I came off twice in the
first 300 metres but managed to come off only once after that. Today I
attempted up and down hills and that went well. I am truly hooked and lucky
enough to live on the German/Dutch border with loads of cycling paths-and
not many hills.

One of my best friends has also taken up cycling this week at the age of 42
but he opted for 2 wheels and it has gone okay except for corners and
stopping :-).

Tricycles seem to be not uncommon in Germany although fairly rare in the UK.

I cannot speak for the UK but they are very very rare here in Canada.

Quoted message said:

My secretary also has one as she could not get the hang of 2 wheels. I
wonder how many people have trouble balancing on 2 and don't take to
cycling? (it seemed to take my kids all of about 3 days to get used to 2
wheels).

A very good question and I don't think I have every hear it asked
before.

Quoted message said:

In any case, I have rarely enjoyed myself so much and plan to cycle on a
daily basis. We have a large number of keen cyclists here and I felt a bit
awkward about the using this type of bike but many of them seemed keenly
interested in the design.

At work I should be able to do about 20 km most days. A subscription to
Velo Vision is coming up.

Brian Millson

John Kane
Kingston ON

Tim Downie said:

"wafflycat" <waffles*A*T*v21net*D*O*T*co*D*O*T*uk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So how did you manage to fall off?? As well as my bikes, I have a
recumbent trike - one of these and it's great fun...

I suspect a recumbent trike is a *lot* more stable. I know from personal
experience that if you've never ridden an upright trike before the first
thing you do is ride down the camber and into the kerb (or ditch). You're
so busy trying to steer it with your body weight (which doesn't work) that
you feel as if the steering is posessed.

You should try it with a loaded tandem trike ;-)

Riding an upright barrow on the continent is also an interesting
experience, especially if it is a one wheel drive machine (the most usual)
The combination of the camber and the drive wheel (no longer taking the
most weight) makes handling even more difficult with wheel spin almost inevitable.

It makes for strong arms tho'

Cambers hardly affect a recumbent trike at all.

John B