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Back from the SPEZI
With a brief photo report - there'll be much more in Issue 14.
The SPEZI is the one and only Special Bike Show - an event all about specialised cycles beyond the diamond frame - whether for racing, touring, family-riding, special needs or more. about 6500 visitors are estimated to have attended this year, which saw the 9th running of the event. Spread over three halls, exhibitors came from many countries - and added to that, visitors brought along plenty more exciting bikes. With weather over the weekend lovely and sunny throughout, the area outside the show was busy with people test-riding and examining bikes or just enjoying the sunshine.
So on to a few of my photos:
First, a new version of the Schmidt hub dynamo, especially for small-wheeled bikes such as the Brompton. The axle length is a mere 74mm (I think - will check) to fit Brompton forks. It's also correspondingly smaller and lighter. They also say they're working on updating their website, which will shortly be up in English and German. Another project on the go (in its early stages) is a SON hub dynamo with a cassette mount on one side, so it can be used in the rear wheel. This will be particularly useful on recumbent trikes...
This detail, on a blue back-to-back tandem parked outside, caught my eye. It's a cable splitter - for a hydraulic disk brake! With traditional cables it's easy enough to add a splitter if you want to dismantle a bike into two sections. But if you're using hydraulics then it's just not really been possible until now. This is a shame, as long cable runs (on tandems for example) often need to be split (when dismanting a frame with S&S; coupling for example) and these are just the ones best-suited to hydraulic operation (for reduced friction losses). Unfortunately nobody was around to ask for more details - does any reader know more? It looks like an industrial item adapted for cycle use...
And so on to the Folding Recumbent Design Competition where I was on the jury panel. A tremendous field of 17 participants took part in the end, with many very ingenious machines. The winner was Hanno Hirsch, with a simple machine which ingeniously converted into a backpack - very practical when carrying bags as well. A preliminary results page is now up.
Full report next issue - meanwhile here's a couple of pictures of the second-placed bike by Heiko Stebbe, whose machine folded up into an astonishingly flat and thin - if heavy - package.
Note the use of an old pair of jeans as the rear luggage carrier!
Heiko Stebbe's bike, all folded up.
Although the competition judging process couldn't (for practical reasons) include riding the bikes, Richard Sadler from the USA kindly let me have a go on his machine afterwards. Picture kindly sent by another US visitor, Mary Arneson.
Now a few of the machines spotted circulating round outside the show:
The Aerorider velomobile from the Netherlands was on the road at last - it's been a long time coming. Relying heavily on electric-assist, this 60kg vehicle was creating a lot of interest. Apparently a 'detuned' version has been ordered by a customer in London - with a 250W motor instead of its usual much-more-powerful one, to ensure it's street-legal without full motorcycle licensing etc.
ICE had a surprise for the SPEZI - a back-to-back version of their tandem trike. Built for a couple who wanted a 'faster' trike for Audax use, the machine looked very mean and lean indeed. Cost in the UK is around £5000. A neat feature is that the seats, front cruciform etc can all slide along the big aluminium main beam, so the machine's length can be minimised to suit its riders.
Stein Trikes had come to the SPEZI with several solo trikes and also their new tandem - the Magnum.
As usual there was a well-organised test-track area at the SPEZI, where most of the exhibitors provided machines for visitors to ride. Here's a couple on a Bernds tandem - but it looks like the rear rider isn't doing much of the work...
German MTB company Bergwerk were showing off this "Tiefflieger" leaning off-road trike - looks like fun! The drive from the cranks runs through the frame, apparently, and the machine uses Cannondale 'Lefty' fork front axles, meaning spare wheels should be available from many MTB shops. Designer Bernd Kautt told me that while the prototype weight is 19.9kg, they're hoping production versions will get down to 17kg.
On the Saturday evening Hase Spezialraeder organised trike races around a challenging short circuit outside the halls. Hase Kettwiesel trikes made up most of the field - here's three at speed.
Rob Hague's Greenspeed SLR racing trike was a real eye-catcher on the stand, with its 'squashed' appearance and minimal ground clearance. Although originally planned as a one-off for Rob to compete in BHPC events in the UK, such was the interest that they may make more. The name stands for "Stupidly Low Racer" I'm told...
I was travelling with Neil Selwood and Chris Parker of ICE (thanks, guys!) and on the way back from the SPEZI we stopped in to visit the HP Velotechnik factory in Kriftel. A fascinating visit, and an impressive operation. Here Chris compares notes with HP Velotechik's Daniel Pulvermueller.
You'll have to wait for VV 14 for a much more thorough report, including reports on the Velomobile Seminar, the new Leiba velomobile, the ingenious Hettlage Drive system, more of the entries in the Folding Recumbent Design Competition, the JoJo recumbent/upright bike - and much more. Not yet subscribed? Don't miss it - go to the online shop now! We send VV to any country in the world...
Many thanks to the wonderful SPEZI organiser Hardy Siebecke and family for hospitality and a most splendid show - seamlessly organised with passion and good humour. The next SPEZI is the tenth anniversary event, and is sure to be really special - pencil it into your diary now! Will confirm dates as soon as I can :-)
Posted on 28 April 2004
Your comments ...| From: Rob ([email protected]) on 27 April 2004 |
Wake up Peter - have another coffee - where is the SPEZI news article???
Rob |
| From: Peter Eland ([email protected]) on 27 April 2004 |
I'll go and put the kettle on. Don't worry Rob - it's on the way, including a pic of you on a silly low trike.
Rob and myself got back to York very late last night after a superb but exhausting SPEZI...
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| From: Peter Eland ([email protected]) on 27 April 2004 |
Above two comments are from when the story was still 'Gone to the SPEZI' before I posted the report, in case anyone's wondering.
Also, I just remembered that someone told me who built that tandem with the hydraulic line splitter. I'll see if I can find my notes and get more details... |
| From: michael ([email protected]) on 28 April 2004 |
| Interesting enough, the guy and the girl on the B2B tandem from ICE, ended up with taking home the Steintrikes MAGNUM. Maybe she prefers to see his back? |
| From: Martin Anderseck ([email protected]) on 28 April 2004 |
About the cable splitter for the hydraulic brake:
The tandem is owned by Martin Exeler (email-adress on his homepage http://www.exeler.de).
So if you're interested in more details about the splitter you can ask him directly.
Martin |
| From: Giles Puckett ([email protected]) on 28 April 2004 |
| Any more SLR pics? I'd like to see under the beast. |
| From: Julius ([email protected]) on 28 April 2004 |
Info for michael : I'm the guy on the picture with the trice B2B tandem . We own a Greenspeed GTT , so what you are writing is false . A friend of us bought the Magnum .
Julius |
| From: jorge ([email protected]) on 28 April 2004 |
julius,
on the b2b trice,
are the drivetrains independent?
or does the stoker have to match the captains pace?
finally a tadpole b2b! |
| From: Ralf Grosser ([email protected]) on 28 April 2004 |
I always have seen the SPEZI more of as a party, then as a real bikefair.
About eighty percent, of what you see as bikes in Germersheim, are built under the Motto:” I don’t know how to build a bike, but Ill build one anyway.”
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| From: Tihamér ([email protected]) on 29 April 2004 |
| is there any link/more information available on the trike from BERGWERK ? There's nothing to be found on their website ! |
| From: Stephen Nurse ([email protected]) on 29 April 2004 |
Hi Tihamér, Peter & all.
re the bergwerk trike, I have 3 pages of german press release in front of me about the trike, the one on the stand was a prototype, with production not due for a few months. Maybe if you email them they'll send you or put up some info about the trike.
I really enjoyed spezi and had a great time participating in the folding recumbent competition. Unfortunately my bike took about 120 times as long to fold as the fastest bike (8 minutes vs. 4s)which stuffed up my points score a bit!
Regards
Steve Nurse |
| From: Rob ([email protected]) on 29 April 2004 |
There will be more Greenspeed SLR photos going up on my site at the weekend - I'm in the negotiating phase with a couple of show attendees! If anyone here has more photos of the SLR in action I'm offering a small prize for any that we use on the site.
http://www.wrhpv.com
Rob |
| From: Tihamér ([email protected]) on 04 May 2004 |
I've sent an e-mail to BERGWERK for more information about their trike yesterday. I'll let you know if they'll contact me about it.
Regards, Tihamér |
| From: Peter Eland ([email protected]) on 04 May 2004 |
Sorry folks, should have commented earlier. I have the Bergwerk press release too and some additional notes from when I spoke to them. They hope to go into production in a few months. The spec sheet details include:
LxWxH (mm): 1984x1000x730
Track: 940mm
Wheelbase: 1300mm
Turning circle: 5m
Max lean: 27 degrees
Weight: 19.9kg
Frame 7020 T6 alu
Tig-welded and triple powder-coated
Seat from carbon fibre, glass fibre or wood (presumably plywood) to customer choice
26" wheels, hydraulic disks front/rear
80mm rear 'LSD-system' suspension travel
Price around 5000 Euros with Shimano LX transmission but Rohloff etc also possible.
Any more specific questions let me know and I'll see if I have the answers. I also have a couple of nice studio pics ready for use in VV 14 :-)
Cheers!
Peter |
| From: Hardy Siebecke ([email protected]) on 12 May 2004 |
I was really surprized to read by Ralf Grosser that the SPEZI is more a bike party than a bike fair. It seems that Mr. Grosser never went to this show. This year there were about 80 professional exhibitors who presented their serie-products; Ian Sims manufacturer of Greenspeed e.g. came this year for the 4th time from Australia to this "party" and there are a lot of small manufacturers who don't go to the IFMA or EUROBIKE but only to that "party" in Germersheim. Crazy party people these recumbent manufacturers?
Cheers Hardy |
| From: David Gardiner ([email protected].) on 14 May 2004 |
| Bernds tandem's extra low frame does have another very useful function (apart from giving your co-pilot an unofficial footrest as in pic above!) Recently found that you can hang a large Lakelands Plastics 33x33x46 cm recyling bag with handles looped under seat but over easy adjusted handlebars. This sits rather neatly just touching crossbar and without touching rear pedals. Course you can't fit another person on in this mode but it's really handy and a nice height for chucking or collecting bulky stuff. Can then fold up bag and go back to multiple occupation! Not a Freight Eight of course but able to carry a medium weight with the load nice and central. |
| From: Thomas Neubauer ([email protected]) on 14 May 2004 |
The Owner of the BtB-Recumbent with the hydraulic cablesplitter is:
Martin Exeler from Braunschweig, Germany
Tel.: +49-(0)5 31-79 50 88
Mail: [email protected]
Ask him for more details!
Hope to help!
Thomas Neubauer |
| From: Ralf Grosser ([email protected]) on 18 May 2004 |
If you use clips and straps, or nowadays clipless binding pedals and appropriate shoes, on a standard bike, this will give you an increase of up to 20% in pedalling power .
This is on a standard diamond frame bike. This is a fact, that no one in his right mind, who knows cycling will challenge.
A recumbent without clips, or clipless binding pedals in my opinion is something quite unfinished.
Why go to the effort, of building a recumbent bike, and then riding it with soft cheap trainers, and rubber block pedals?
Due to a condition of my right leg, I ride all my bikes with clips.
Recumbents and most bikes are unrideable to me without.
|
| From: Antony (at pedalcars dot info) on 19 May 2004 |
A lot of bikes are sold with cheap plastic pedals on the basis that, if you're spending lots of money on a bike, you probably already have your "favourite" pedal type that you'll fit straight away.
When we take pedalcars to public "have a go" shows, we put flat pedals on because people who wander up aren't likely to be wearing Look cleats.
I imagine a lot of bike manufacturers do a similar thing. |
| From: Seamus (etc) on 19 May 2004 |
| That's a thing that surprised somewhat whilst touring the Netherlands past two summers, most recumbents encountered on the road (or fietspad) were fitted with rat-trap or block pedals and no toe-clips. I saw very few fitted with SPDs or other clipless pedals. |
| From: David Gardiner ([email protected].) on 19 May 2004 |
| Goes back to whether cycling is a sport or transport. You do lose efficiency not being clipped in but some riders like just being able to pedal anything without 'right shoes'. Even unclippedyou can get across town faster on any old bike than anything else door to door. With clips you may be faster but on short journeys it maybe doesn't matter as much. |
| From: Ralf Grosser ([email protected]) on 20 May 2004 |
The point I wanted to make is, why build a recumbent for going faster, and then use pedals that make you slower.
I gave up on recumbents after haveing built my own two bikes.
I enjoy rideing an old school raceing bike with Look Pedals. I also have a 26 inch folder, that I often ride barefoot to the pool in the summer. |
| From: David Gardiner (vantagecreative2blueyonder.co) on 20 May 2004 |
| Point taken. I've recently got hold of ex-rental Challenge from dealer in Amsterdam. Not world's lightest bike but a real ligfiet and seems fast to me (thanks Seamus for suggestion). Sure clips would get extra turn of speed out of it but coping with city traffic keeps me busy enough. |
| From: Stephen Nurse ([email protected]) on 01 June 2004 |
Back to the Bergwerk Tieffflieger, I fished around a bit today & found a few pics on their website see:
http://www.bergwerk-bikes.de/2003/03_service/news.php
Regards
Steve Nurse |
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