Saturday, October 07, 2006

New Wheels

First there was the T-Bone. The T-Bone is an amazing bike, it's super fast and incredibly durable. I've toured on it coast-to-coast.



I got tired of reconfiguring the T-Bone every time I wanted to go touring, so I set it up as a dedicated touring bike, and got another bike just for going fast.

That was the Cobrabike Royale.



But neither of these bikes are ridable if the roads are icy. And Max has arrived, and neither of these bikes are well-suited for pulling a baby trailer.

So now I have a the Trice S.



I bought it used off the classifieds on the BentRiderOnline message board. This thing will never be as fast as the T-Bone or the Royale (10+ lbs heavier, fat tires, three wheels). But it wont be falling over on an ice patch, and it will be perfect for hauling the baby trailer.

It also may be really good for touring. It came with a Rohloff!



I put it together this evening and took it out for a little spin. It's a lot different than a recumbent bike. On the bike, you are pretty much glued to the seat. On this, you are bouncing around on the seat and the bike is like a sled. Not having the seat lean with you is weird.

j

3 comments:

oknups said...

Is it a foldable trike? Can I stop by and take a spin on it?

Anonymous said...

That trike is awesome (so are your bikes). I have two recumbents but ride a DF hybrid when pulling my daughter. Now she rides on a tagalong instead of a trailer and really enjoys it. A trike would be perfect.

Did you see the video on Bentrider of the man who owns Bent Up Cycles riding his trike with his daughter? I don't think it was a trailer but rather a custom seat right behind his. That might be something to think about. It was posted on bentrider a few months back.

Drew Roth said...

I did just see a trike tagalong somewhere, I forget where, but it was pretty cool although it weighed 26 lbs. I figure I have a few years before I have to deal with that. I'm not sure where I would fit a seat on the Trice. Maybe if you make it an extension you insert between the front and back halves of the frame... That might be kind of slick. I'll have to root around on bentrider.

I was intrigued with the idea of a Surly Pugsley as a trailer-towing, winter bike alternative to the trike. There's still room in the shed...

Drew.