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Welcome to Velo Vision, the practical cycling magazine.Print edition: Subscribe and/or order sample copies, back issues, PDFs, T-shirts etc...here! Digital edition: details or subscribe! The current issue is Issue 38. The next issue is out in late Sept 2010.
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Technical and review round-upIdlers comprehensively compared, a trio of trikes and a Trek, bottom bracket gears go up to three, drumbrake upgrades for velomobiles, a sneak preview of the latest Burrows design and pedalling the Atlantic in the Torpedalo. Sue Archer writes: Idlers investigated Chain idlers are a vital part of any recumbent, helping to manage the long chain. There are a number of aftermarket varieties available to upgrade with, and the lastest is from ReBike Engineering. If you're wondering if such a product would improve your recumbent, have a look at this Recumbent Journal article, which compares the new ReBike offering with that from Terracycle Elite and the standard Bachetta model. A trio of trikes and a Trek Spotted on the Recumbent blog is this upright Truck Trike, built by Bill Stites. With front wheel drive, and twin electric assist, the payload is over 350 kilos and the flat bed makes loading easy. You can see more of this and other creations on Stites Design.com. Another trike capable of some load carrying is the Trimtab, seen on Bicycle Design. This lean-steer, 3-wheel-drive, electric-assisted trike has made it off the Computer Aided Design screen and into prototype reality, and will also feature an acrylic canopy/fairing and seasonal seat covers - breathable fabric for summer, and Therm-a-rest inflatable style for winter. It'll be interesting to see the finished product. Load carrying on two wheels now, with Trek's entry into the longtail market, as seen on Eco Velo. The Transport and Transport Plus are aluminium, 16 speed bikes with disc and V-brakes, with the characteristic longtail built-in extended rear rack and an integrated front rack too. The Plus also has electric assist. Bottom bracket gears, plus one For years, the bottom bracket gear market has ben domintated by the Schlumpf Drive which allows the rider to swap between two sets of ratios, for higher speed or easier climbing depending on the model. Now there's a new option in the offing, as spotted by Bent Rider Online. The Trident Trikes planetary drive will have three ratios of 0.66:1, 1:1 and 1.5:1, and be operated with any three speed shifter, replacing a triple derailleur set up. The drive will initally only be available on Trident trikes and with crank lengths of between 155 and 175mm. Drumroll please... Many Velomobiles come fitted with Sturmey Archer drum brakes, which are more impervious to water and dirt than rim or disc brakes, but a couple of Dutch velomobile enthusiasts were concerned that they weren't getting the stopping power they needed. So Wim Schermer and Wilfred van Norel conducted a series of braking tests and if you read Dutch you can read their conclusions on Ligfiets.net. For those who can't read Dutch, the gist is that you should, with optimum braking, be able to stop within 8 or 9 metres. If you can't, they recommend fitting Jagwire cables, cleaning and checking the drums and brake shoes, and if necessary, upgrading to the larger size of Sturmey Archer drum brake. A sneak Burrows preview Also on Ligfiets.net, a sneak preview of Mike Burrows' latest creation. Again, the words are Dutch, but roughly translated it says: "Master builder and designer Mike Burrows is very busy with a new bicycle. We have the first photos to give a hint of construction and details. It is so new, it has no name yet. It seems to be a lowracer steered by a frame attached to the front wheel, which is braked with a drum brake. Both wheels are mounted single sided." Pedalling the Atlantic For most people a pedalo is something you play with on a lake, or close to shore. But for Mark Byass and Mike Sayer, it's something you try and cross an ocean in. The Torpedalo project aims to cross the Atlantic in 38 days - a new world record. The crossing is 3000 miles, and due to take place in December 2011 and they hope to raise £250,000 for charity. The 9m long boat will be entirely self-sufficient in electricity and fresh water production, and is expected to have an avarage speed of 3 knots. Posted on 15 July 2010
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