LWB recumbent for long trips.

[BalorNG]

Ок, did some riding around, including very bad roads (forest trails), crankdrive works superbly, great help with acceleration from a stop, with one downside - due to chain angle it extends suspension considerably when activated (also there is some pedal bob).

Now that I think about it, there is some pedal kickback as well. I need to lower the suspension pivot or add an other power idler - something I do not want to. There is an other way of changing chain/pivot relationship - lift jackshaft higher, and/or play with jackshaft cog sizes... I see what I can do about it.

 

[ZeroEm]

My factory trike has squat if I peddle hard.

 

[BalorNG]

My factory trike has squat if I peddle hard.

Yea, it is hard to get rid of it completely sans routing the chain very close to suspension pivot and again, I'm not sure I want an other power idler. I have a few ideas...

 

[BalorNG]

It is getting close to winter, so weather no longer truly 'rideable' and I'm back to more experimenting.

This gearbox seems quite adequate as first step gear reduction for my cranks drive, replacing the huge belt sprocket (that interferes with something else I want to add to my bike).

 

[BalorNG]

It is getting close to winter, so weather no longer truly 'rideable' and I'm back to more experimenting.

This gearbox seems quite adequate as first step gear reduction for my cranks drive, replacing the huge belt sprocket (that interferes with something else I want to add to my bike).

It is a NEMA23 gearbox, 57mm in diameter, weights exactly 2 pounds and twice as heavy and large as the motor Should still provide up to about 800w/50nm of torque at the cranks, which is adequate for my needs (cause I'll have MORE motors ). Will be used intermittently for starting and climbs, cruising will be managed by an other motor and if things turns out well - high-speed assist and regen braking will be managed by yet an other motor.
Praise the Omnissiah!

 

[onitubai]

I can't believe the thread's come this far without mention of Joe! The long, low, and function-over-form experimental design is reminiscent.
http://nwguy.fun/hpv/Joe/index.html

Joe's not everyone's cup of tea, but he's experimented way outside the box, and reported results on recumbent forums. It's ancient history by Internet standards, but it's still around.

 

[Warren]

I can't believe the thread's come this far without mention of Joe!

Oh, yeah! He was one of my heroes...him and Kent Peterson.

http://www.carsstink.org/peterson/bentkent.html

These guys could ride a recumbent for hundreds of miles, faster than I could ride a bike with a motor.

 

[BalorNG]

Yea, I know of him, and I'm a pale shadow in comparison... but maybe, eventually

 

[BalorNG]

Managed to get some nice statistics for this one:

With about 38 kmh cruising speed, 32 kmh average moving speed + healthy pedalling (I estimate that I about equally share the work of the motor and my legs) I'm getting 7.5 wh/km which seems decent.

Much less (about 5wh/km) with lower speeds and hence greater proprtion of my own pedalling, and 10-15% of regen. Not bad, and helps enormously climbing and starting from a stop.

To be frank, my health is not that great and I have more things to worry about than a faired recumbnet, but I still want to try an alternative steering arrangement in a form of virtual pivot steering with huge virtual positive trail, but zero flop and zero side force input. Short trail is quite rideable, but does not seem quite 'relaxingly stable' enough at high-ish (25mph) speeds to my tastes, maybe that will help things.

 

[The Toecutter]

Do everything you can to keep your health. Money won't buy it back, and it will be difficult to impossible to enjoy much of anything without it. Major lifestyle changes might be in order if you're serious about doing so.