Recumbent-gallery.eu

The duo quest from Velomobiel.nl was one of the most interesting machines on SPEZI. We come with couple more pictures of this unique velomobile.

To answer some possible questions: The huge hole behind the cockpit is an entrance to trunk and the velomobile is steered by single bar in the middle of the cockpit.

Under the gallery you can find also two videos with Duo Quest. The first one shows even some kind of air brake system like on shuttles. The other one shows that this version of Quest is able to transport even more than two persons.

Trikes are getting more and more popular. While some producers are introducing full suspended models, others are trying themselves in a new field of tilting trikes. I personally do not see a lot of sense in that, especially when the construction of such a trike gets too complex and cycling with it requires practice to get it running.

Tripendo trike

For me, a trike is a comfort machine. I own an ICE Qnt and I use it for trips and to enjoy in the surroundings around me. To have a comfortable seat with me all the time so I do not have to look for a bench under a tree, as every tree for me is a perfect spot to rest in a shadow. And complex systems are certainly not what you would want on a cycling trip. But if you want a trike also for fast riding, then a tilting version is of course welcome. But if I would decide for one, I want to feel free on it – same freedom I feel on a two wheeler, but safer because of an additional wheel.

There is one tilting trike that actually made a step forward from last Spezi show. Tripod was this year presented on the Optima stand which certainly means better sale numbers. The design is also quite simple, which is positive, but I do not like the general idea of tilting, where the angle is related to steering position. Lets consider an older road where the side of the asphalt surface is sloped. With a normal trike your seat is always at the right angle to the road surface and in such a situation you do not sit vertically. While on a bicycle you are always vertical. If the tilting angle is related to the steering, then you can not tilt and cycle in a straight line, so even though you have a tilting trike you can not adjust your position to sit vertically. Tripendo on the other hand allows separate control over tilting angle, but why would we need any complex mechanisms to do that, if we can control our tilting angle the same way as on a bicycle?

Tripod

I found a prototype made by Bram Smit that I really liked. It is a tilting delta trike with two rear wheels and front wheel drive. Well, it is true that front wheel drive has weak points. Especially when climbing hills, as there is no pressure on the front wheel and tyre will start slipping, but the way tilting on this prototype works, it gives you total freedom and exactly the same feeling as when you are on two wheels. When unlocked you actually cycle a bike and not a trike.

Munzo tilting trike

So this is what I’d call a real tilting trike. Giving you freedom of a bike and safety plus comfort of the trike. Of course I would prefer rear wheel drive and having just a front break is certainly not enough, but it is the idea of tilting that I am looking at. It has to be simple and you have to feel free and natural using it. No learning
curve needed and no complicated tilting angle mechanisms.

Article by Peter from www.udobnoposvetu.si

It has been already quite some time since our last post and since SPEZI show in Germersheim. In next few days you can read here some pretty interesting reviews of new slovenian e-Hub and some commets about tilting trikes which appeared on SPEZI. At the moment just look at the gallery from SPEZI which we think is the best and with the nicest pictures posted.

Gallery by udobnoposvetu.si

This is pretty simple and short message. Greenspeed has introduced their new website about Greenspeed Glyde velomobile. Well, we can name it as a microsite because it has different layout than the original Greenspeed pages, also different colors and few interesting pages about the velomobile itself, about development, about designers etc.

The Glyde can be already ordered from dealers, but the european price is still not set up. We hope to see it soon.

You can find the website here: greenspeed glyde velomobile microsite

You can even probably the first review of it on Hostelshoppe website with two nice pictures and some good points. Let´s read it here: Hostel Shoppe Glyde review

foto: Hostel Shoppe

These couple of pictures probably doesn´t need any comment. Just to inform you. This beautiful and very comfortable bike is from UK and the picture was taken during the Get Cycling Show.

Here is one of the first set of recumbent pictures which we made in 2003 in Germersheim (D). You can see mainly recumbents made by homebuilders, but also few production recumbents from different brands. Quite interesting is the Cordes trike with only one bar. We do not know if this is common trike from some producer or if that is a way how Jan Cordes “improves” trikes and other bikes. If you know, post into the comments. Quite interesting is also the way of suspension of the front wheel. Does anybody have an experience?