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The Volae Tour makes molehills out of mountains, using just platform pedals, PowerGrips and sneakers.

Volae ‘bents are said to be great climbers.  And I finally got the chance to put a Volae Tour to the test to see if it’s true.

It is.  In short, the climbing ability is no exaggeration.  If anything, it’s an understatement.  Those stiff frames and comfy, aero, rigid seats are fantastic.

Last Sat., on a beautiful but cold New York Jan. day, a Volae Century-riding friend of mine and I did the following route from the archives of the NY Cycle Club.  If you know the route, then you know it was written by a hill climbing diamond frame maniac (in the best sense).  And you know the hills.

http://nycc.org/rl_db/ride.aspx?id=118
58 miles and 3,200 vertical feet.  (We climbed two of the steepest hills twice, making it 62 mi. and about 3,600 vertical feet.)

If you don’t know the route, in summary, it’s a constantly hilly and beautiful route with many steep inclines.  If you look at the route map, which includes elevations, you’ll get a good idea of the climbing involved.  Total distance from our meeting point at the Soldiers/Sailors Monument was 62 miles, plus the additional 22 miles round trip for me to ride to the meeting spot and back home.  So, 84 miles and none of it flat.

And we did it WITHOUT fancy pedals.  For the trip I was using MKS’ inexpensive $40 Touring/Cyclocross platform pedals and $22 powergrips.  And sneakers.  You can buy the pedals and powergrips at Rivendell Bike Works.  Point is, with a good bike, you don’t need expensive pedals to climb steep hills.

The entry-level Volae Tour is a great bike, and not merely good.  Positively great.  More people should ride them.

Best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2010 Robert Matson

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Fender installation, SWB ‘bent

Interested in a few tips on installing fenders on a SWB ‘bents?

(Photo shows the SKS fender on the HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx.  Note that there is a “break away” connector located where the stays attach to the frame, rubber end caps on the stays, and about one inch of slack so fenders may be moved further out, if required.)

A friend writes:

> Got my fenders today and promptly installed them. Go me. 🙂
> The stays are a bit long … would be nice to shorten them a bit. Do you have any ideas or tools for
> shortening them? I looked through my toolbox and couldn’t find anything that would do the trick. hmpf.

Meet your friend, the hacksaw (or bolt trimmer).  A finished bike would ideally have trimmed fender stays with end caps.

That said, some people prefer not to cut the stays if they can get away with it — if they do not get in the way or catch on anything.  This allows one to retain flexibility for alternative set ups.

A little advice that you may already know, but it’s important: be sure to leave a good amount of clearance between the fender and tire.  This is so nothing typical — small stone, bit of sticky trash, leaves with twigs — can easily lodge in there and jam the wheel.  I like to leave about an inch — about a penny’s diameter — between the tire surface and the fender.  For me, fall leaves and stones are the most common catch (see photo. Shown: HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx).

Also, consider how much “slack” to leave at the tips of the stays for future adjustments, in case one day you install fatter tires, for example.  If you decide to do this, you need not leave a lot.  Say you have 1.35″ tires now on a Volae Century.  2″ is the max tire width you’re likely to use on a Century (though a 2″ tire may not be fully covered by the fenders), so an inch — that penny’s diameter again — of slack is good (See photo at top of entry.)

Side note:
The advice here relates to fenders that allow easy length adjustments. There are also common fender designs that use stays in the shape of a “shepherd’s crook” (see drawing).  Other common designs have a fixed length rod and a plastic end piece that screws onto the fender.

These types of designs don’t allow easy adjustment for clearance but do allow for a welcome break-away quality if something large gets stuck between the fender and tire.  At times, Rans has supplied fenders with these types of stays for their bents.

Generally, I recommend riders look for designs that allow as much flexibility as possible since bents vary a lot in their geometry and do-it-your-selfers may need to manipulate off-the-shelf fenders.  At the same time, I also recommend using, at least initially, whatever a manufacturer recommends or supplies, and then make upgrade decisions from there, based on personal experience with the product.

Best,
Robert

————
Robert Matson
copyright 2010 Robert Matson
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Urban commuting recumbents: best models and requirements

I specialize in selling ‘bents for urban commuting and touring. Individual rider requirements may vary outside the NYCity Metro area. These are my notes about the challenges bent riders face here and the models I currently recommend.

NYC urban commuters and tourers tell me they need:

a) Even if heading out of the city, riders need to traverse 5 – 25 miles of city traffic before hitting suburban roads, so good stability in stop, slow and go traffic is important (a low center of gravity helps);

b) many touring trips begin with taking the regional light rail (LIRR, Metro North, NJ Transit, Path, subway, etc.), so bents MUST meet rail restrictions, e.g., must be less than 80 inches in length (no long- or medium- wheelbase), and you must avoid getting grease on fellow passengers;

c) bents need to fit in apartments, around sharp corners, into an elevator, or up the stairwell of a 19th century brownstone (should be narrow, light, short);

d) bikes should be lockable and not too vandalize-able;

e) bike geometry should position your head high enough for drivers to see you in normal traffic (a mere safety flag isn’t good enough);

f) high-racers in a “non-twitchy” geometry can work for riders who are comfortable “hobby horseing” in traffic and are able to get their feet on and off the pedals quickly, though many prefer the lower bottom bracket and lower center of gravity of 26x20s and 20x20s;

g) a tight turning radius is vital to negotiate corners at low speed (so the stretch LWB bents aren’t great);

h) chain tubes or other chain protection is a plus, not only to keep your clothes clean but to avoid getting grease on fellow train riders;

i) easy to mount accessories like lights, racks, fenders and mirrors;

j) fat tires should fit fine.

Some cities’ buses have bike racks which can’t handle ‘bents. NYC buses don’t have bike racks, so it doesn’t affect us.

City commuters seem to generally prefer these bents:

HP Velotechnik Street Machine Gte

HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx

– HP Velotechniks (Street Machine Gte and Grasshopper fx) lead the pack for replacing a car and for riding to work. I like the GHfx because it folds and is designed to take on planes, trains and buses, but prefer a SMGte for long trips. While plenty high in traffic, the GHfx’s head height is about 4″ lower than a SMGte and slightly more aerodynamic.

Since both the GHfx and the SMGte were specifically designed to handle urban commuting and touring, they do it well. What’s great: chain tubes; chain ring covers; fat tires and studded winter tires fit fine; full suspension; high quality racks/fenders/kickstands; mesh and body link seats are cable-locked; easy to install dynamo lighting systems; excellent fairing options.  And best of all, stylish design and a full choice of colors.  And that is important in NYC.

Cons: expense, so a bit painful to lock on the street; some vandalize-able parts. Basically, the HPVs are perfect urban commuting bikes, esp. with secure bike parking.

– Rans’ V-Rex and Rocket are nearly perfect with the Rocket better than the V-Rex because a) it is smaller, b) studded winter tires fit along with fenders and c) the Flip-It with Ahead makes the front fork and wheel lockable.  It’s too bad that the Rocket is out of production (at the time of writing).  Any that remain in stores should be a good deal since they’ll be used and/or amortized.

Rans has always been superb in its design and support for loaded touring, so it’s natural for their ‘bents to work well for commuting. The V-Rex and Rocket easily take racks and fenders and both frames with mesh seats are easy to lock. Points for being steel and strong. Studded tires won’t fit with fenders on rear wheel of V-Rex. Neither bike is terribly expensive, so there’s less heartache in locking it up on the street. Some but not all vandalizable parts can be secured (e.g., sprint braces, seats).  The Flip-it build is nice and narrow, making it easier to manage the bike inside buildings.

On the down side, wheel upgrades are needed to handle potholes, cobblestones, old rail lines, etc. at normal speed. V-Rex fork/stem not lockable. New riders may find the Rocket relatively unstable at crawling speed. Current design for V-Rex makes for a wide, real-estate-hog of a bike.

– Volae’s Tour takes first prize for bang for the buck, but for a few hundred more, the Century is the better bike. Both are superb frames with excellent stock components and chic and stylish designs.

Being stick frames, they’re a bit hard to lock, so we designed and imported a high quality locking solution so carbon seat, wheels, stem and fork can be secured. If one prefers the mesh seat, it’s easily cable lockable (and rather comfortable). Rack solutions are good: we’ve figured out how to fit the excellent Tubus racks onto Volaes, but riders can also use a standard Old Man Mountain rack. TerraCycle makes a good under seat rack. Standard fenders fit fine. We custom-specced an Urban Century(tm) specifically for urban use (with strong wheels, puncture-“proof” tires, and a travel frame for easier storage and travel.

Truly, I love Volaes because they’re high quality and a pleasure to ride and behold. I only wish for more wheel space in the frame so we could safely install studded tires along with fenders for riding in snow. They’re particularly apt for city streets for several reasons: elegant but not flashy, safe and high quality components, light and thin and easy to carry up stairs, good head height on streets, perfect rear-view mirror mounting. Due to the numerous size variations, riders get a bike that fits like a glove. Good TerraCycle fairings are available. In sum, they’re darn nice bikes.

The only downsides might be:
Not many skilled dealers besides New York City Recumbent Supply and fairly extensive dealer training is required to provide proper fitting.
Generally designed for a lighter payload. Rider plus luggage has to be less than 250 pounds.

Cruzbike Sofrider.
I’ve been positively impressed by the models from Cruzbike. The Sofrider, in particular, is a good city bike due to its low cost, good speed, tight turn radius, full suspension, room for fat tires, and easy lockability. For a rack, use the Old Man Mountain Sherpa. See my blog entry about how to install it. Ordinary Planet Bike fenders work, but they provide incomplete coverage; for total coverage, use two rear fenders. It’s good to have a city bike that looks unimpressive, and the Sofrider fits that bill.  In fact, I get more questions about whether I made the bike myself and fewer awkward questions about how much the bike costs. I’ve heard rumors of on-line complaints that the front tire slips when powering up steep inclines on a wet road. I live in a hilly area of Brooklyn, and I ride in the rain, and don’t experience terrible slipping. I’ve solved this, in part, by installing a fat front tire, learning to ride with steady constant pressure, moving my body weight towards the front when starting on a hill. When none of those work, you can walk the bike up the hill but I think I’ve only had to do this once. (No commuter will be disqualified for touching the ground with his or her feet.)

Any of these bikes will pay for themselves within a year, when used for daily commuting, based on daily savings plus resale value.

Ranking:
1. HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx
2. HP Velotechnik Street Machine Gte
3. Cruzbike Sofrider
4. Cruzbike Quest
5. Volae Tour

“Best City ‘Bent for the Buck” is probably the Cruzbike Sofrider.

If a person has $3,000 – 5,000 to invest in a ‘bent to replace their car, an HP Velotechnik is the way to go.  Looking to spend less?  Go with a Cruzbike.

Best,
Robert

————
Robert Matson
copyright 2009 Robert Matson
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Volae bikes and trailers: two-wheels better than one.

A quick note. Was talking with folks at Volae about trailers.

Volae is discouraging Volae owners from touring with BOB single wheel trailers.  Now, I own and love my BOB, but apparently, at high speeds — e.g., downhill — a heavy BOB can cause steering problems on a Volae.  This might be due to the fact that Volaes are designed with about 60% of rider weight towards the rear wheel.  Instead, Volae recommends two-wheel trailers, e.g. the Burley or Croozer, or loading the bike with panniers.

The Croozer Cargo Trailer (manufacturer’s information):

The Burley Flat Bed (manufacturer’s information):

The Burley Nomad (manuf.’s information):
I personally own both a BOB and a 2-wheel Burley flatbed. I’ve used the Burley trailer regularly for hauling things to storage, back from the grocery, and once with a heavy load for a video shoot in car-free Prospect Park. It’s been a reliable design for me, so far, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Moreover, it should be easier to adapt to most SWB ‘bents, given that you need not use the special quick release skewer as one must with a BOB. Even better, you don’t have to sacrifice your Pitlock skewers to use it.
The “Croozer” brand also looks good. I’ve seen it in person and spoke with an owner but haven’t ridden with it as of my writing this today.

Best,
Robert

————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2009 Robert Matson

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The first Volae Urban Century has arrived – wow

Today, the first of the Volae NYC Centuries arrived. All I can say is “wow.” And that’s my reaction merely to the paint job and the ES coupling. Once again, I’m left speechless by Volae’s design and Waterford’s framework. What Volae calls a “silver metallic” for the ES frame is what artists would call a cold deep metallic gray — a deep blue gray. I could almost lose myself in this color. The ES joint looks and feels tight and solid, as if it’s a permanent seam.

I’ll post photos first chance.

It’s likely this bike will go on display at New York Naturals over the winter.

All best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
NYC Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
www.NYCRecumbentSupply.com

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A recent Screamer TR customer

In an e-mail entitled “in case you are wondering…!”, a friend and customer wrote that he and his wife have been having a great time on the Screamer TR they bought from NYC Recumbent Supply(TM) about a month and a half ago.

Since mid-August, they’ve already ridden about 250 miles, some of it on some pretty long and hilly rides. What’s particularly remarkable and pleasing for me, personally, is that his wife hadn’t ridden a bike for some 15 years due to a back injury. Now, they’re out riding 75- and 65-mile days together!

His note also reminded me that customers wonder if it’s truly as easy as I say to take the bike apart with the SS Couplings and reassemble it. Indeed it is, as “A” (name and initial changed) writes me:

>> We have also mastered taking it apart and putting it together in a few

>> minutes. This has been a great savior. Otherwise I have no clue where

>> and how we could have stored the bike. The two parts also easily fit

>> in the back of our car and we had no need for a rack.

>> We are very happy with the investment and have had a great time riding

>> it.

Most people who consider buying either Rans’ Screamer or Seavo (especially in the more expensive but practical TR (travel) versions that I prefer to sell) think long and hard about the investment. Since I spend a lot of time with each customer, I believe I experience nearly as much “sticker vertigo” as they do. Though I feel confident about the product and thoroughly enjoy tandem riding myself, I can never be entirely sure how a couple will adapt to tandem riding. Will they discover, as my wife and I have, that it’s a wonderful investment in a relationship?

I thought readers might appreciate seeing my note to him, below, after he told me how well it’s been going.

————–

Thank you so much for the update! I really appreciate it. This is wonderful news — that you’ve been able to get in so many miles, have mastered the SS Couplings, everything. Perhaps I’ll get that bungee cord sometime in the spring, no rush on that for me.

The Montauk ride — 75 miles isn’t shabby at all given it seems you’ve barely begun to ride together. I have to assume it’s working out fine for “S”‘s back [name changed] (I sincerely hope I’ve remembered your wife’s name correctly) and I’m so pleased about that. And the 65 mile Escape with hills is a real accomplishment. I heard about the rain and slippery conditions on the Montauk ride and it sounds like a sane decision, to call it quits while you were ahead.

A note to remember, on a wet road, if you let some air out of the tires, you will give yourself a larger footprint, and a better grip, on the road. No flats this time, may I presume? 🙂

If you ever get a photo of the two of you that I can use on my site, please do share. I’d love to have it. Your note makes a great testimonial (again). May I use it???

I’ve been wondering if you switched in the new Captain’s sprint brace?? And, if so, how has this affected the handling and hill climbing?

On that hill climbing, this is a common challenge on recumbents. A few brief thoughts here (besides of course that it’ll get easier as you gain experience):

a) The Marathons are made for sturdiness and puncture protection rather than for speed. Marathon “Racers” are still sturdy and puncture resistant, but have lower rolling resistance and a softer ride. Schwalbe also makes a Marathon Supreme that has yet lower resistance and excellent puncture protection (for a price). That may make some of the hills easier. Marathon Pluses are “bullet proof” but have a lot of resistance. I recommend these folks for recumbent accessories: www.hostelshoppe.com .

b) When I was at Interbike this past week (the annual USA bike market in Las Vegas), I met with the manufacturer of Bionix. (http://www.bionx.ca/) This is a high-quality electric assist motor that only adds power in relation to the speed at which you pedal (no pedal, no power). But it can also recapture energy when braking and going downhill. It may be something to consider as an assist on the hardest hills. I am considering stocking them beginning next spring, but of course would do so earlier if you were interested.

c) Of course a larger chain ring or a cassette with granny gear could help, but then you have the low-speed balance issues to address.

I probably don’t need to remind you to resist the temptation to mash the pedals going uphill, since this can lead to knee strain. Also avoid the temptation to pull up too hard on the cranks when using clipless pedals, which can stress the tendons in the direction opposite that for which they’re designed. This seems to be a more common problem for ‘bent riders than diamond frame riders.

At Interbike, I had some great meetings, both with Rans and HP Velotechnik as well as with the manufacturers of components, like Velocity (who made your wheels). My Velocity meeting was rather interesting and although I’ve always liked their wheels, it gave me a new appreciation for their quality controls.

I also had a good meeting with the President/Lead Designer of Rans (Randy Schlitter). He has a rather nice new single short wheelbase ‘bent that I got to test.

At Interbike, I bought two ‘bents (singles) from HP Velotechnik, one a 20″x20″ (wheels) that folds (Grasshopper fx) and their StreetMachine Gte (26″x20″). These both have underseat steering and are everything you’d expect from German engineers. I also got to ride one of their tadpole trikes, which is pretty much a human powered BMW — a lot of fun. With the trikes, their unique design puts the rider high enough that your head is at about eye level with cars but is still stable. I’d like to bring in one or two models next spring, if economics allow.

And two of the new Volae’s arrived the other week. They are superb. Good components, good wheels, frames made by Waterford Precision Cycles in Wisconsin and a company managed by a “demanding but fair” president. They may be the best deal in high quality singles right now. One of the bikes has a travel frame that separates, not too unlike the Screamer TR; it arrives next week. If HP Velotechnik is like BMW, then Volae is like Toyota.

I met with a Waterford executive at the bike show to learn about the Volae manufacturing process and left thoroughly pleased. The bikes demand a lot from me in terms of customization but I couldn’t be more pleased to be working with this manufacturer.

A friend of mine told me to start writing a blog and e-newsletter instead of long notes to my customers :-).

Oh, last thing, I’m helping to coordinate some (free, casual) group recumbent rides starting next spring along with a ‘bent rally. I’ll post the info on my site (NYCRecumbentSupply.com), but I’ll also announce them to the “NYCBentriders” Yahoo group, if you wish to take part. Rides will be apx. 50 miles, more or less flat, with a picnic of some sort in the middle. Just a fun casual ride. (BTW, we’re using the NYCC ride library to choose routes, if you have any suggestions or requests from there. http://nycc.org/rl_db/home.aspx)

Good to hear from you, A. Very, very glad you two are enjoying the bike.

All best,

Robert

————

Robert Matson

NYC Recumbent Supply (TM)

The Innovation Works, Inc.

http://www.NYCRecumbentSupply.com