 |
| Robert, out of the Adirondacks “blue line,” and into another thunderstorm. |
Have fun and keep your feet dry. Or not.
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
Category: Uncategorized
 |
| Robert Matson (hi), modeling high-viz in high places, at the end of the road to the top of Whiteface Mountain, fifth highest peak in the Adirondacks at 4,867′ at summit. You can see a bit of Lake Placid in the background. On a good day you can see hundreds of miles, but not today. There was no safe place to leave my luggage, so I rode to the top with my Street Machine Gte fully loaded, with my stuff heavy and wet from the rain. In other words, yes, recumbents can “do hills.” And, yes, the Street Machine kicks butt. Photo copyr. 2013 Robert Matson |
I recently got back from a solo, unsupported trip through the Adirondacks in New York state. I took the Metro North from New York City to Poughkeepsie, NY and began riding from there. Over the next few weeks, as time allows, I’ll post photos and notes.
Stats:
750 miles
12 days
1 mountain above 4,600 feet (Whiteface Mountain).
Avg. speed for trip: 10.3 mph
Max speed: 50.4 mph (I hit 50.2 going from Whiteface down into Wilmington, and then hit 50.4 on the road from Lake Placid to Keene. Whiteface into Wilmington was fine, with a good road surface and very few cars. Placid to Keene was a different story, with steep, narrow roads with cracked surfaces and terrible drivers. I was so glad I was riding a Street Machine.)
Total elevation climbed: uncountable.
Started/ended riding in Poughkeepsie, NY. (Rode from Brooklyn to Grand Central Station. Took Metro North to Poughkeepsie.)
Solo trip, fully loaded, unsupported.
Weather? It stunk. Thunderstorms and rain every day but one, with hot humid weather between the storms. Most of the scenic views were obscured by rain, clouds, mist and fog. (Yes, there were moments of whining to myself.) But at least it wasn’t windy.
Zero incidents, zero accidents, zero flat tires, zero mechanical problems, zero animal bites. But don’t ask me about mosquito, black fly, and midge bites.
No. of appearances of the first aid kit? Maybe once or twice. But my feet began to blister on Day 11.
No. of incidents of road rage? One. An SUV (what else) with California plates (where else) on a road…in a campground (WTF?). In general, other than on the road out of Lake Placid, drivers were quite cool.
Number of wrong turns and times I got lost? One. I took a wrong turn on the second to last day in Hudson, NY, but it was quickly corrected. That’s a pretty darn good record, if I may say so myself.
Panniers: Radical Designs
Bike: HP Velotechnik Street Machine Gte (accept no substitutes).
Stop whining about the rain and just ride,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
Dear Robert,
I have an HP Velotechnik Speedmachine, using one Ortlieb Classic Plus. In time it made the rack bend and it touches the rear triangle when the suspension works. Wanted to move to a rack bag- more aero and balanced.
Read your article about the Ortlieb Recumbent Backpack, but the Radical fits me more IF its convenient to fit to the rack. So how is it compare in that area?
Thanks a lot,
Aero and Balanced
 |
| HP Velotechnik Speed Machine |
Dear Aero and Balanced,
Congratulations on your good taste as demonstrated by owning a Speed Machine. Before we talk about bags, I need to say that I’m surprised that the rack of your Speed Machine has become bent on one side to the point that it touches the rear swing arm when the suspension is compressed. Have you overloaded the rack? Have you been carrying cinder blocks in your saddle bags? Or sand? Is your rack broken? Is your bike broken?
The contemporary design of the Speed Machine and its rack are such that it’s hard for me to imagine how they could come into contact. Though, I suppose if you actually bent the rack, and twisted it sideways, and bottomed-out the suspension, you could make the two come into contact (while voiding your warranty).
Keep in mind that racks (and the bikes on which they are mounted) have payloads and intended usage. If you exceed that payload, or use the thing for something other than that for which it is designed, you may break or bend the thing, whether it’s a rack or bike or shock or wheel or whatever. The rear rack of the Speed Machine has a maximum payload of 55 lbs. (not kg, but lbs.). The max. payload of a Speed Machine is 286 lbs. (not kg.), including you and whatever bricks and cinder blocks you’re carrying. Bending of the rack (or whatever) shouldn’t occur as long as you don’t overload (and thereby damage) the rack (or whatever). At least, this is true for HP Velotechnik’s machines. For other manufacturers, this may not necessarily be the case.
[Later.] To satisfy my curiosity — could it be true that the HPV SpM’s rear rack can touch the swing arm? — I went over to the shop’s demo Speed Machine here, which has a rear rack that has been (properly) installed and which rack (and bike) is neither bent nor broken. I sat on the rack, all 165 lbs. (not kg.) of me in order to bottom out the shock and see if the rack can touch the frame or swing arm. It doesn’t. It doesn’t come anywhere close. Nor does it jiggle. Nor does the rack bend when I sit my ass on it. If you have a Speed Machine (or any HP Velotechnik) where the rear rack contacts the frame or swing arm, then you have a damaged machine or rack. Was your bike assembled incorrectly? Was it in an accident? Did your cousin run over it with his car and not tell you?
 |
| Radical Design, Rackbag Extended |
 |
| Ortlieb Recumbent Backpack |
As for the Radical Design Rack Bag versus the Ortlieb Recumbent Backpack, they are both great, durable bags and I’ve used both for hundreds of miles. They are equally easy to mount and un-mount to the rack-top. The RD bag has a nice capacity (30 liters), is lightweight (720 grams), and is water resistant (waterproof fabric, but no waterproof zipper or seams). The Ortlieb is almost half the size (17 liters) and is comparatively heavy due to the excellent waterproofing (980 grams) — it’s so waterproof it’s nearly a dry bag — and the backpack straps are a cool thing; the Ort. also has nice pockets for organizing and a port for the hose from a water/drinking bladder. Both will give you some aerodynamic benefit. The rack on the Speed Machine is short compared to that on touring bikes like the Street Machine or Grasshopper, but my experience has been that both bags fit fine.
In summary, I’d make my decision based on capacity and whether I was riding/living in a wet climate.
All best,
Your Recumbent Bikologist.
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
Categories
Cruzbike Quest seat fitting
A customer wrote me the other day with a fitting issue regarding his Cruzbike Quest. While he pedaled, he had contact between the backs of his thighs and the front edge of the seat pan. Over time this can be uncomfortable. I’ve encountered the same issue, both with customers, when fitting them for test rides, as well as for myself. For me, it seems to only happen on the Quest 20. For this rider it was occurring on his Quest 26.
The source of the problem is that when the front boom of the Quest is extended — to fit long-legged riders — the pedal axle moves lower in comparison to the seat pan. If the front of the seat pan is raised, for example when it is set as far forward as possible, this, combined with the low pedal axle position, may result in contact between the rider’s thigh and the front of the seat pan on the downward pedal stroke.
The solution involves making minute adjustments in several places with the aim of raising the feet in comparison to the front of the seat. Keep in mind that the more you are able to shorten the boom on a Cruzbike, the higher will be the foot position.
Try these changes. I suggest beginning by making small adjustments in each area.
1. Move the seat pan backwards. There are a series of bolt holes in the bottom of the seat which allow the rider to adjust the seat fore and aft. Due to the curves of the seat and frame, when you move the seat to the front, the front of the seat pan becomes higher; move the seat towards the rear of the bike and the front of the seat pan becomes lower. After you’ve done this, you’ll also be able to shorten the boom, which will raise the pedal axle in comparison to the front of the seat.
2. Set the seat back at a lower angle of recline. This will also enable you to shorten the boom (which will raise the pedals). You don’t need to recline the seat very much.
3. Check the location of your feet on the pedals. If you’re wearing cleats, try moving the cleats down — towards your instep — by a few millimeters. This will raise your feet.
4. Make a simple shim out of a thin piece of plastic like from a yogurt container. Use this to increase the thickness of the rear-most rubber pad under the seat.
If you (reader) have any additional suggestions, please send them in!
Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
Categories
Nice video from MirageBikes
MirageBikes sent out this nice video. It does a great job of making the bike look good.
Mr. Tatu Lund, from Mirage, writes:
“This week we launched our new video on our webpages and YouTube. We are driving in sunny city center of Helsinki with our bikes and I am explaining our product and design philosophy. If you have some spare minutes I would be delighted if you could check this.”
Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
To carry luggage on a Cruzbike, I strongly recommend — and personally use — the bags made by Radical Design (“RD”) (sold in the USA by me, at New York City Recumbent Supply). RD bags may be layered for maximum carrying capacity because they’re made of flexible Cordura(R) nylon and you don’t need a rack for many of the bags which saves weight and cost. It’s a very smart product designed by a very smart Dutch guy.
Radical Design panniers on a Quest 26
I only sell bikes and products that I actually use and I can assure you that the RD side panniers in the medium, small and “banana” sizes will all work on a Quest 26, without requiring a rack. The Solo Racer seat back bags work perfectly too.
 |
| Radical Design Solo Racer on the Quest 26 seat back with a Banana Racer below the seat. 35 liters of luggage capacity without the weight of a rack! |
 |
| Banana Racer on a Quest 26. Fits great. |
 |
| View of the rear straps of the Banana Racer on a Quest 26. Fits fine. |
 |
|
|
 |
| Rear view of the Radical Design Solo Racer on a Quest 26. Here shown without a rack, but they fit with either the standard or heavy duty racks in place. |
Radical Design Side Panniers
Radical Design’s large, medium, small and banana side panniers fit your Quest 26 or 20. Get them in the “hard shell” or “universal” width. There are several approaches to making them work, depending on whether you have a rack installed or not, but I’m most fond of not using a rack when I mount side panniers on a Cruzbike, whether it’s a Quest, Silvio or Vendetta.
Q 26 with large panniers.
Here are some great photos of a Cruzbike Quest 26 with Radical Design Side Panniers, size medium.
Thanks to friend/customer, Abram Clark, in San Francisco, for showing how he mounts the RD Medium Side Panniers on a Q 26. He and I put our heads together to figure this out, but he’s the one that made it real. Very cool. It also shows the brilliance of the Radical Design philosophy, that by giving riders a wide range of options, we can attach these high quality bags to a wide range of frame shapes.
 |
| This is how the bags look when mounted. Check out where he can have the center of gravity when he loads them. Yeah. |
 |
| Abram invented a similar solution for his large RD side panniers on his Cruzbike Sofrider, tying them off to the rack. I saw that and hypothesized that something like this, shown here, would work. Then Abram made it happen. I’d experiment with using bungee cord instead of rope, to allow for the suspension of the rear swing arm, but I think rope is the more durable and longer term solution. Also, bungee cord is impossible to tie in the manner shown here so you’d be forced to use those terrible bungee hooks. Rope is probably best. |
 |
| I like how he tied it off to the seat support. |
 |
| Over the seat back. |
 |
| Over the frame and under the seat, to Grandmother’s house we go. |
 |
| Beautiful. |
Size small Side Panniers on the Quest 26. And, will my laptop fit?
A customer writes:
I have a Quest 26 (559) with standard rear rack and need a bag for it.
I plan to transport [my laptop] in a case that measure 14″ x 10″ x 1″. I would also want room for a change of clothes and a lunch and if possible a hydration bladder.
Thanks so much for your help!
R—
Hi R—,
Regarding: Radical Design Side Pannier size small mounted on Quest 26 (559) with standard rear rack.
Attached please find photos showing:
How the side pannier (small) attaches. It lays on top of the seat and on top of Quest rear rack. You can remove it with one hand at the end of your ride. If you prefer, you could put the straps under the seat cushions. You could more firmly attach the rear-most strap to the rear rack with a bungee cord or velcro straps; sometimes this is desirable, but not always necessary.
This is one way to attach the bungee cord from the rear swing arm to the rack. There are many ways to do this. If you don’t feel you need the stretching capability of a bungee cord and you know some knots, thin, lightweight climbing rope could be used instead. An old inner tube could be used also, tied to each side of the swing arm and up and over the rack. The essential requirement is to keep the bag from swinging against the tire.
Photo showing my laptop in the bag.
My laptop measures 9.5″ x 13.5″ x 1.5″. It’s a bit smaller than your case, but fits with a lot of room to spare for your clothes, lunch and water bladder.
In this set up, I’d put the water bladder in a side pannier and use it to counter-balance the weight of the laptop plus lunch. There are also mesh pockets on the panniers for water bottles.
The Solo Aero seat back bag from Rad. Des. is too small for your laptop. A smaller laptop would fit.
Happy to help. I like the Radical Design and Cruzbike products a lot and enjoy seeing people using them.
All best,
Robert
How to attach the Banana Racers on the Quest 26 or 20
The rear strap is attached to the seat brace with a girth hitch. The hitch doesn’t need to be directly in the center, but for those who insist on symmetry, you can remove the seat post and place the straps around the post. I pull the straps connecting the left and right bags tight so as to bring the bags close to the frame.
 |
| The front strap can go either on top of the seat or underneath the seat and on top of the frame. The straps are buckled in the configuration for a “hard shell seat.” |
 |
| The middle strap goes over the seat. Notice I added a horizontal strip of velcro to the bottom of the seat back. This helps secure the seat cushion when hanging the Solo Racer bags because their fabric sling goes between the cushion and the hard seat back. |
Choosing and mounting Radical Design bags for a fully-loaded tour, without any racks
In 2012, I was preparing for a 12-day trip through the Adirondacks and Vermont. I put together this configuration on a Quest 20. This could work for a Sofrider and a Q 26 although I feel the rear wheel of the Q26 comes too close to the bottom of the Solo Aero.
For this solution on the Q 20, I removed the rack. I also removed the water bottle cages; I would use a water reservoir instead. (I would do the same for a Q 26.)
I installed:
– Radical Designs (RD) Solo Aero (wide), behind the seat at the top (where the rack would have been).
– RD Solo Racer (wide), behind the seat in the location where the water bottle cages are.
– RD Banana Racer, underneath the seat.
This provided 47 liters carrying capacity, most of it within the slip stream. That’s enough capacity for a tour if you pack moderately light and would ordinarily ride with two rear panniers.
 |
| In the above photo, a Banana Racer, Solo Aero, and Solo Racer combine to provide 47 liters of carrying capacity, most of it within the slip stream, on a Cruzbike Quest 20 (451 rims). An RD Universal Racer could have been used instead of the Solo Racer. |
How does this compare to traditional panniers? For context, Ortlieb Back Roller Classic rear panniers — the gold standard for touring panniers — provide 40 liters of capacity in the left and right panniers combined. This Radical Design setup will be lighter than a rear bag Ortlieb setup because the RD bags are lighter and don’t require a rear rack AND because the Radical Design panniers do not use heavy waterproof materials For waterproofing your “dry-or-die” gear, put it into plastic bags or dry bags. (For the record I like Ortlieb panniers. I simply can’t find a good way to mount standard Ortliebs on the Quest. Ortlieb’s waterproof “racktop bag/recumbent backpack” mounts fine on a Quest with the heavy duty rack.)
 |
| For those who are staying in hotels or B and Bs, you may prefer going with the 37 liters of capacity provided by the Solo Aero and the Banana Racer, as shown here. |
These are the bags I was using.
 |
|
Solo Aero wide (12 liters capacity).
Requires removal of the Quest 20 or 26’s rack.
|
|
|
Universal Racer (10 liters capacity).
Solo Racer works too (size wide for bottom of seat, size narrow or wide for top of seat)
Fits Quest, Silvio, Vendetta. |
|
|
Banana Racer (25 liters capacity).
Fits Quest, Silvio, Vendetta. |
If you use the Quest rack to help support the panniers, read this.
If you use a rear rack to help support the panniers, there are a few concerns: (1) making sure the sharp rails of the rack do not cut the nylon webbing on the pannier bags. (Put a section of inner tube around the sharp rails.) (2) Ensuring the weight on the rack doesn’t exceed the Quest’s standard rack rating of about 22 lbs. You can do this with Radical Design panniers by carefully organizing your luggage so the heaviest weight falls to the front, hanging off the seat or frame. If you know you’re packing heavy, get the Quest’s optional heavy duty rack which has a payload rating of 50 lbs. (3) Keeping the bags from rubbing against the tire.
If you’re using a rack, keep them from rubbing against the rear wheel by using elastic cord (like bungee cords) or rope between the rack and the rear swing arm. Camping rope, like para-cord will work and so will cheap plastic clothesline. However, I’m comfortable with my knots. Others may not be.
Another solution is to install side pannier rails on your rack, like those from Topeak (not available from NYC Recumbent Supply or Cruzbike) although I’m less fond of this solution because it adds weight and cost.
 |
|
RD “Banana” (Side Pannier) size small on the Q 20 heavy duty rack. Sits very close to the wheel. You can use a bungee cord or rope to keep the bag off the tire. Or, move the bag forward on the bike, so the front straps hang from the frame, beneath the seat.
|
 |
|
RD Banana (Side Pannier) size medium on the Q 20 heavy duty rack. It can touch the wheel but it also hangs outside of the frame, which helps it stay away from the wheel. Still, you’ll want something to keep the bag off the tire. Move the front straps under the seat and the bag will hang entirely between the wheels on the Q26.
|
Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
http://youtu.be/X22x1Wc-Jcw
Have fun and ride fast and far,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
This just in.
Maria Parker’s following van in accident. She and crew are all okay.
At the time of writing they are in meeting and haven’t yet determined their next course.
NO DNF. Rumors of a DNF are unfounded.
The team will continue to work to promote brain cancer research and will continue to raise money towards this end.
According to a crew member with whom I spoke on the phone, Maria’s following vehicle was rear-ended by a motorist who was driving about 65 mph. This motorist claims to have been text messaging and dropped her phone. Presumably, she then took her eyes off the f***ng road while she tried to pick up her phone.
This is why there’s a law against text-messaging while driving in New York with extreme penalties. It should be a federal law with a minimum prison sentence. (Call your congressman.)
Two of M’s Vendettas, which were on the van’s rear-end bike rack, were destroyed. These were her hill-climbing and her back-up bikes. The following van was totaled, but the driver and passengers are all okay!!!
This section of road is particularly hazardous. In past RAAMs, there have been horrific accidents in this stretch.
John Tolhurst of Cruzbike put out an emergency call for replacement Vendettas (which your faithful servant responded when he received it this morning). However, upon calling to offer my shop’s Vendetta, I learned that she and her crew are undecided about their next course of action.
Total production run of the RAAM Vendetta now consists of 23 bikes. Please no more accidents.
Ride fast, ride safely,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
 |
| “Riding a recumbent bicycle 12,000 km solo from Japan to England.” |
Found this great photo today from the writer of this blog: 14 degrees Off The Beaten Track“
Author of photo: Robert Thomson from Christ Church, New Zealand, but currently from Beppu City, Japan.
I can’t help but notice it is an HP Velotechnik Street Machine, the classic — and very possibly the world’s best — touring bike.
Have fun, stay healthy and ride some more,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
Categories
Maria’s Start
All class. Nothing but class.
Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson
You must be logged in to post a comment.