A
Artemisia
Guest
Just back from a trip to the UK which included, among other things, a
visit to Carol and Rob at Westcountry Recumbents in Derbyshire, to test
their beautiful Greenspeeds.
In London I also talked for a long time with the guy at Bikefix, admired
some hanging Velotechnik bikes, checked out some colour options and had
the opportunity to sit down, although alas nothing more, in a Trice QNT.
Enthusiastic thanks to Carol and Rob, who effected my final conversion
to Dark Side Trikes and established the ground rule that I simply _must
have_ one. Through no fault of their own, I have decided for the
Scorpion rather than any of the Greenspeeds. I really wish I could have
preferred the Greenspeeds for the sheer delight of dealing with them.
Their kindness was immense. They collected me at the Derby train
station, presented me with all their trikes, helped me seat my ponderous
self in those low seats and scramble up again, took me for test rides up
and down hills (something I was particularly keen to try out), rescued
me when I jammed near the top of a hill on too high a gear and couldn't
move further (not so easy to back up on a trike), leant me SPD shoes,
clipped me in, unclipped me out, got out some suitcases to show me how
the GT0 would pack, folded the GT3, brought me color charts for frames
and seats, and gave me a whole afternoon of their time.
Although I loved riding the Greenspeed, I felt that the 1500 € price
difference with the Scorpion at more or less equivalent configuration
(81 gears, suspension, mudguards, luggage racks, hydraulic disc brakes)
was not really justified. That is too big a price jack for what I
suspect is just import duty, rather than a proportional jump in
desirability. I was also disappointed with the looks. It may seem
trivial, but the most expensive purchase in my life second to my
appartment really needs to be a dream-machine. The available colours
were like plastic toys in a kindergarten - ignorant primary hues at the
opposite pole from my childfree idea of sexy. Really I'm not going to
disburse 1500€ extra unless I can have the subtlest, most iridescent
butterfly-wing metallics! What would Galadriel ride? Also, the
Greenspeeds are unsuspended in their basic form. I noticed a very strong
jiggle-and-judder effect on the GT0 as soon as it got up to speed,
reminding me of the hand-held camera that gave me such a headache in
Woody Allen's film HUSBANDS AND WIVES. This may be accentuated for me
personally by the fact that I wear varifocal lenses - my eyes can't
focus fast enough to keep up with the jiggle; my whole field of vision
vibrates and makes it hard for me to actually see. I think on a long
ride this effect could become very irritating. The French say "sonné",
for that feeling that your head has been used as the clapper of a
bell... I have no proof that the same thing does _not_ happen on the
Scorpion, but it does have standard suspension which should mitigate
this effect.
Finally, it would be harder to pay for the Greenspeed. Payment in full
would be due on arrival, and it would have to be in £, and I can foresee
all sorts of problems with the bank transfers and exchange rates and
overdraughts. I don't want to have to take out a loan. I can buy the
Scorpion locally and pay in Euros in monthly installments, up to the end
of the year. That makes budgeting so much easier. I also like the idea
of a German make - so much nearer and more familiar than Australia.
Here's to the Eurozone!
So I'll keep the newsgroups posted on my progress. I'm hoping to have an
offical"birth" on November 3rd at around 6am. I don't quite know how to
decide that this is the "birth" - but if I miss that moment I won't have
such good synsastry with a sporting or transport tool until 2011.
Cheers all,
EFR
Ile de France
visit to Carol and Rob at Westcountry Recumbents in Derbyshire, to test
their beautiful Greenspeeds.
In London I also talked for a long time with the guy at Bikefix, admired
some hanging Velotechnik bikes, checked out some colour options and had
the opportunity to sit down, although alas nothing more, in a Trice QNT.
Enthusiastic thanks to Carol and Rob, who effected my final conversion
to Dark Side Trikes and established the ground rule that I simply _must
have_ one. Through no fault of their own, I have decided for the
Scorpion rather than any of the Greenspeeds. I really wish I could have
preferred the Greenspeeds for the sheer delight of dealing with them.
Their kindness was immense. They collected me at the Derby train
station, presented me with all their trikes, helped me seat my ponderous
self in those low seats and scramble up again, took me for test rides up
and down hills (something I was particularly keen to try out), rescued
me when I jammed near the top of a hill on too high a gear and couldn't
move further (not so easy to back up on a trike), leant me SPD shoes,
clipped me in, unclipped me out, got out some suitcases to show me how
the GT0 would pack, folded the GT3, brought me color charts for frames
and seats, and gave me a whole afternoon of their time.
Although I loved riding the Greenspeed, I felt that the 1500 € price
difference with the Scorpion at more or less equivalent configuration
(81 gears, suspension, mudguards, luggage racks, hydraulic disc brakes)
was not really justified. That is too big a price jack for what I
suspect is just import duty, rather than a proportional jump in
desirability. I was also disappointed with the looks. It may seem
trivial, but the most expensive purchase in my life second to my
appartment really needs to be a dream-machine. The available colours
were like plastic toys in a kindergarten - ignorant primary hues at the
opposite pole from my childfree idea of sexy. Really I'm not going to
disburse 1500€ extra unless I can have the subtlest, most iridescent
butterfly-wing metallics! What would Galadriel ride? Also, the
Greenspeeds are unsuspended in their basic form. I noticed a very strong
jiggle-and-judder effect on the GT0 as soon as it got up to speed,
reminding me of the hand-held camera that gave me such a headache in
Woody Allen's film HUSBANDS AND WIVES. This may be accentuated for me
personally by the fact that I wear varifocal lenses - my eyes can't
focus fast enough to keep up with the jiggle; my whole field of vision
vibrates and makes it hard for me to actually see. I think on a long
ride this effect could become very irritating. The French say "sonné",
for that feeling that your head has been used as the clapper of a
bell... I have no proof that the same thing does _not_ happen on the
Scorpion, but it does have standard suspension which should mitigate
this effect.
Finally, it would be harder to pay for the Greenspeed. Payment in full
would be due on arrival, and it would have to be in £, and I can foresee
all sorts of problems with the bank transfers and exchange rates and
overdraughts. I don't want to have to take out a loan. I can buy the
Scorpion locally and pay in Euros in monthly installments, up to the end
of the year. That makes budgeting so much easier. I also like the idea
of a German make - so much nearer and more familiar than Australia.
Here's to the Eurozone!
So I'll keep the newsgroups posted on my progress. I'm hoping to have an
offical"birth" on November 3rd at around 6am. I don't quite know how to
decide that this is the "birth" - but if I miss that moment I won't have
such good synsastry with a sporting or transport tool until 2011.
Cheers all,
EFR
Ile de France