Blog the Travelogue

Hope you liked the pics. Here’s a summary about the bike so far.

First, I love the bike. For three years I've worked and sweated and cried and bled to get this bike running. Now I have my own recumbent bicycle for 1/3 the cost of a new Volae or Bacchetta. The bike is just as fun now as it was during those first roll tests.

But I have found areas which need improvement. For a while I road without adequate cushioning. That caused a lot of tail bone pain. But a 2 inch thick open cell foam pad solved that problem.

The center of gravity was too far forward. Thus making the bike very sensitive at high speeds. So I moved the seat back, and bought handlebars to allow for better arm positioning. Now my knees come behind the handlebars. This takes pressure off my tail bone, makes my arms much more comfortable, and is much more stable at high speeds. In fact, you could ride the bike with one hand now.

The Cinelli cork tape makes for a good grip. Before my hands would ache because the bare handlebars were too small to grip over a long period of time.

The Schwalbe Marathons are great. These are the first real "touring" tires I've ever bought. I like how they stick to the road, especially through turns at speed. They're a much smoother ride than my old Specialized Crossroads.

The Cateye handlebar mirror rocks. My Third Eye helmet mirrors have lost their "grip." It's like the bushing have gone bad or something. So I don't use them anymore. The handlebar mirror is bigger and their is no learning curve. Helmet mirrors, they're like an optical illusion in your field of vision all the time. Your eyes don't know what to focus on. You get used to it, but I'd rather have a handlebar mounted mirror.

Next? Smaller cranks and chainrings. Then panniers. Then paint. Then touring.

# posted by funbun @ 8:10 PM