Roy Grant wrote:
> Your advice is appreciated. I really am holding out for the
> Streetmachine GT (or an upgraded version thereof), but for the riding
> I do a Grasshopper would be similarly suitable. Realistically I will
> not be buying a Speedmachine, I'm not into racing, and I don't have
> any need to be THAT low.The suspension that the HP folks use, along
> with underseat steering, are features I haven't seen packaged in other
> 'bents;
The fine tuning of the HP Vel suspension does seem very good, but that's
not to say nobdoy else's is any good. Riding beihind my gf's Nazca I
can't spot any obvious pedal bob, for example, which I could do on a
Rainbow Lyner. As for underseat steering and fulls sus, there's no
shortage of options from European 'bentmongers. Many come with either
ASS or USS as options, like the Streetmachine, Grasshopper and Fiero.
> I'm really quite taken with the Velotechnik bikes.I'll look
> online at Nazca just for fun...
IME the biggest tangible difference is in the seat. I prefer the
Streetmachine's to the Fiero's, but OTOH Roos prefer's hers to mine.
The Nazca seat is more "3D", srapping around more by the hips, and the
padding is substantially thicker. It is cut away from the
shoulderblades, and all of these factors give it a very different feel,
Whether it's better or worse is up to the person sitting on it. If
you've already tried the HPVel seat and like it then note that Optima's
are very similar. If you haven't tried the HPVel seat, don't buy one of
their bikes until you have! (and IMHO this is advice that should be
applied to any hard shell seat). The new Bodlylink seat on the
Grasshopper and upcoming GTe may be adjustable in all sorts of ways but
I personally prefer the basic Streetmachine seat and Roos personally
prefers the Fiero's (she auditioned the Grasshopper, but preferred the
Fiero).
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/