Recumbent Advice

[Danny Colyer]

Matt wrote:
> I am now set on buying a recumbent and have seen this on eBay
> http://tinyurl.com/z6q47 (item 280015391848). Does anyone have any views
> on this particular model? I am guessing by the front shock absorber (more
> than anything) that this particular bike is about 6 to 8years old.

See <url:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/stable/smq.html>

If I was replacing my Street Machine now, I'd probably buy a
Grasshopper. But the SMGT is still a great bike.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Danny Colyer]

Peter Clinch wrote:
> So, on to the bike itself, I am *very* happy with mine. I would
> disagree with the seller's comment that it's fast: while not a lame duck
> in the speed stakes it certainly doesn't qualify as fast unless you're
> going down a hill.

The seller /does/ mention that he previously owned a Peer Gynt. I've
never ridden a Peer Gynt, but from what I've read I reckon someone to
used to riding one would regard the SMGT as very fast.

> as I'm aware there aren't many particular Streetmachine GT issues, aside
> from maybe the foam on the idler wheel might need replacing
> (transmission gets noisy when it dies though everthing still /works/,
> new one is a few quid from Kinetics or Bikefix, or free if you've just
> bought a new set of hydraulic brakes from them!).

Fiver. I now keep a couple of spares in my bits box, though the current
one has done several thousand miles without any problems. FWIW the bike
works OK without one. The suspension may bob a bit without the
Silentring, but it's better than using a worn out one.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Danny Colyer]

Mark McNeill wrote:
> I'd recommend that the OP changes the pedals to clipless if he buys the
> bike: I wondered if they'd been put on just for the auction.

They could be the sort of pedals that I chose for mine - platform one
side, SPD on the other.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Danny Colyer]

squeaker wrote:
> Dave Larrington wrote:
>><URL:http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/images/cosimo/BottomBrackets.jp
>>g>

> Like wot Legs said (but his url didn't work for me)

Legs posted using OE, resulting in URL wrap. Try moving the "g" from
the second line back up to the end of the first, i.e. (and it will be
embarrassing if this doesn't work):
<url:http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/images/cosimo/BottomBrackets.jpg>

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Dave Larrington]

Danny Colyer wrote:

> Legs posted using OE

(Hangs head in shame)

I just don't want to fall foul of the Thought Police so early in the new
jobbe...

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
Dead journalists make excellent objets d'art.

 

[Dave Larrington]

Alistair Gunn wrote:
> Dave Larrington twisted the electrons to say:
>> Alistair Gunn wrote:
>>> (Interestingly the person I bought the Streetmachine off of last
>>> year was selling it because they'd replaced it with a Grasshopper!)
>> Pete Cox, by any chance?
>
> Can't remember to be honest, lived in Chester and was a BHPC member.

Yep, that's Pete...

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
Dead journalists make excellent objets d'art.

 

[squeaker]

Alistair Gunn wrote:
> I have noticed is that it seems to be impossible to make the BodyLink
> stay firmly fixed in place - however that may be because I use the top of
> the seat to lift the back of the Grasshopper up to get it through the 90
> degree bend into my back garden.
Mine too, and it creaks when you lift it - fortunately it doesn't move
or creak when you are riding it!
>
> Overall I would rate the BodyLink being a nice idea in theory, but
> being a piece of German over-engineering in practice.
>
Agreed - the simpler (but very light) aluminium seat on my Challenge
Mistral suits me fine. Mind you, I have not tried the eye-wateringly
expensive airflow cushion yet, which the BodyLink is kind of designed
for......

> I think I'm a little faster (haven't really tried > any serious hills yet though)
Wound mine up the north side of Ditchling Beacon yesterday - mostly
bottom gear (std. dual drive) at 5mph - but we got there

> and it's a little more comfortable (but that'll be the better rear suspension!).
Is a DNM DV-22 better than a block of rubber? Discuss! (I suspect
that the rubber has better damping...)

 

[Peter Clinch]

squeaker wrote:

> Agreed - the simpler (but very light) aluminium seat on my Challenge
> Mistral suits me fine.

A demonstration that mileagevaries with different seats. Roos & I were
both fairly underwhelmed with the Mistral's seat when a test ride over a
day in NL saw it firmly in the Reject list.

> Mind you, I have not tried the eye-wateringly
> expensive airflow cushion yet, which the BodyLink is kind of designed
> for......

I took the covers off our seat cushions for a wash and to hose down the
foam after the sweat-tastic recent tour. And I can see why the HPVel
Airflow is more expensive than anything else now, since it's
construction is far more elaborate than I'd previously realised with
different layers and a suspended top gauze over lower, denser foam.
Whether that makes it objectively /better/ or not I can't say, but
you're at least paying for something different from the plain foams used
by e.g. Nazca and Optima as standard.

I have tried the Bodylink with the Airflow, and I still couldn't wangle
it into the right shape for me, and Roos didn't seem to manage any better.

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 [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Dave Larrington]

Peter Clinch wrote:

> I took the covers off our seat cushions for a wash and to hose down
> the foam after the sweat-tastic recent tour. And I can see why the
> HPVel Airflow is more expensive than anything else now, since it's
> construction is far more elaborate than I'd previously realised with
> different layers and a suspended top gauze over lower, denser foam.

Which tend to migrate sideways when used on a trike.

Bah!

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
Although the hippopotamus hath no sting in its tail, the wise
man would rather be seated upon the back of a bee.

 

[Matt]

"Matt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I am now set on buying a recumbent and have seen this on eBay
> http://tinyurl.com/z6q47 (item 280015391848). Does anyone have any views
> on this particular model? I am guessing by the front shock absorber (more
> than anything) that this particular bike is about 6 to 8years old.
>

Thanks to all for the very comprehensive feedback

Just got to find the money now...