I thought about it for a long time, and have decided not to ride to Spezi this year. I've been there 3 times now and I'd like to spend my vacation(budget) somewhere else for a change. 2 of such valuable weeks should be spend as good as possible!
Spezi is a wonderful event, but I must dare to change a habit every know and then. This years vacation will be a ride around Denmark, on my Fuego. When that'll happen depends on the vacation schedule at work.
There are new parts orderded to make my precious white 'bent more of a tourer. The close ration 1x9 will be exchanged for a 2x10, 39/52-32/12, SRAM shifted setup. The stock shock will be replaced by a more reliable Fox Float. I expect that one to keep it's pressure longer than one week. And for racing, the lock-out function will be a nice addition.
With the experience of last years vacation, this trip will have better planned routes. The Fuego is much faster, but does ask for a better road quality. Another step forward will be the better positioned Radical Banana bags, to reduce aerodynamic drag. With improvements such as these, riding 150km per day should be quite easy.
4 Apr 2013
9 Feb 2013
A Thijs 222 Revolver
I've been riding recumbents for about 12 years now. And for 7-8 years now, that's been good for about 14.000km per year. That had a noticeable effect on my legs and stamina. My arms however....
Through all those years I knew about Thijs Rowingbikes. They always intrigued me. I had the luck of getting to try 2 of them. The 1st time was Harry's 222 CVT, and 3 years ago I rode for 2 hours or so on Jos' Revolver. The main difference between those 2 is the shifting system. Those rides sparked my enthusiasm.
A little more than a week ago, 4 Revolvers where offered for sale on ligfiets.net. All for a fair price, and 2 of them in my region. Of course, I tried to resist. And I sought support on Twitter. Most response I got was from row addicts. Buying one bike would mean having to sell something else. This to control the number of bikes around the house. But I found a solution for that, namely that I will sell a bike, realy. That was the 1st hurdle to cross. Than there was the argument to save money. But Marloes said to me that money doesn't make you happy and a rowingbike does. Right after I read that, I made a phone call and send an e-mail. Something to nominate for 'best decision of 2013'.
Last Sunday I walked to the train station, travelled to Wolvega, and walked another 6km to the right address. The wind was fierce and cold and made me hide under my blue jacket's hood and behind my Buff. The purchase went quickly, between the doors of a van.
The bike sure is worth the effort. Within little time I was back at the train station. Though to make the weather a bit worse, it had started to rain. Thankfully, the train offered warmth and space for me and my 2.25 metre long bike.
And since than, I row. That same evening I rowed to work. The ride back home wasn't 4km, but 9. And it was almost 2am....
The 40km I rowed on Monday was a bit too much. But the weather was much better than expected. On Tuesday, that ride around Zijen was just what was needed to loosen up the muscles after the lunacy of the day before.
Apart from replacing a brake cable and adjusting a clutch cable, the 222 didn't need much work. I did tidy things up a bit, naturally. Conclusion was, that for a 2nd hand bike, this was a good one. It was money well spend. Apart from the pedals, those where awful. So worn out that their only right place was the bin. A pair of trimmed down (cut of cages) A520's do hold my feet in position. Now nearly a week later, I am fine tuning and improving small things. Frame number 508 began live as a CVT, and was converted, at some point in time, to Revolver and Dyneema cable.
The high number of muscles involved, combined with the joy of riding a bike make these Thijs bikes highly addictive. Even with the tiny bit of experience that I have, and the poor rowing technique I must obviously have, taking the short way home is difficult. The odometer now reads 125km.
I didn't have to think for a name. Naming her Saga, after Saga Noren, was almost plain logic to me.
More info about rowingbikes can be found on this website.
Through all those years I knew about Thijs Rowingbikes. They always intrigued me. I had the luck of getting to try 2 of them. The 1st time was Harry's 222 CVT, and 3 years ago I rode for 2 hours or so on Jos' Revolver. The main difference between those 2 is the shifting system. Those rides sparked my enthusiasm.
A little more than a week ago, 4 Revolvers where offered for sale on ligfiets.net. All for a fair price, and 2 of them in my region. Of course, I tried to resist. And I sought support on Twitter. Most response I got was from row addicts. Buying one bike would mean having to sell something else. This to control the number of bikes around the house. But I found a solution for that, namely that I will sell a bike, realy. That was the 1st hurdle to cross. Than there was the argument to save money. But Marloes said to me that money doesn't make you happy and a rowingbike does. Right after I read that, I made a phone call and send an e-mail. Something to nominate for 'best decision of 2013'.
Last Sunday I walked to the train station, travelled to Wolvega, and walked another 6km to the right address. The wind was fierce and cold and made me hide under my blue jacket's hood and behind my Buff. The purchase went quickly, between the doors of a van.
The bike sure is worth the effort. Within little time I was back at the train station. Though to make the weather a bit worse, it had started to rain. Thankfully, the train offered warmth and space for me and my 2.25 metre long bike.
And since than, I row. That same evening I rowed to work. The ride back home wasn't 4km, but 9. And it was almost 2am....The 40km I rowed on Monday was a bit too much. But the weather was much better than expected. On Tuesday, that ride around Zijen was just what was needed to loosen up the muscles after the lunacy of the day before.
Apart from replacing a brake cable and adjusting a clutch cable, the 222 didn't need much work. I did tidy things up a bit, naturally. Conclusion was, that for a 2nd hand bike, this was a good one. It was money well spend. Apart from the pedals, those where awful. So worn out that their only right place was the bin. A pair of trimmed down (cut of cages) A520's do hold my feet in position. Now nearly a week later, I am fine tuning and improving small things. Frame number 508 began live as a CVT, and was converted, at some point in time, to Revolver and Dyneema cable.
The high number of muscles involved, combined with the joy of riding a bike make these Thijs bikes highly addictive. Even with the tiny bit of experience that I have, and the poor rowing technique I must obviously have, taking the short way home is difficult. The odometer now reads 125km.
I didn't have to think for a name. Naming her Saga, after Saga Noren, was almost plain logic to me.
More info about rowingbikes can be found on this website.
21 Jan 2013
My Fuego
In my blog post about my Pioneer I mentioned it is almost stock. My Fuego is the opposite of that. I like tinkering, and probably have voided any possible warranty.
For a start, the seat angle is lower than designed. For most riders it'll be too low. And the rear mud guard is within reach of the seat. But I know how to use it and appreciate the better ergonomics (a more open body position) and smaller frontal area. The seat is also mounted more forward. This is to stop the cranks from hitting the front wheel. That became a problem after I started riding with less stretched legs. I'm talking about a 3cm reduction.
Another thing I choose to do was remove the rear rack. I couldn't get rid of the strong feeling that the rack bag was a serious wind catcher. So instead of that I use Radical Solo Racer panniers, that hang behind my shoulders. It also saves carrying the weight of the rack.
The 25cm narrow handlebars come from a Velomobiel.nl Quest. They weigh little and offer enough space for all controls. To save space, and to keep the brake cables out of my line of sight, the brake levers have their thumb operated position. The narrower handlebars are, the more twitchy a bike becomes at low speeds. But low speeds is not my area.
That's also why there's only 1 chain ring at the front. Though when I replace the drive train later this year, I'll make it a double. That combined with the upgrade to a 10 speed 12-32 cassette will make it more suitable for vacations. And it's an opportunity to buy new a new SRAM derailer and shifter.
The wheels are special too. The hubs are from a unknown brand. Combined they weigh just over 400 grams. That light yes, and I won't say they the right choice for a big guy in the mountains.... 64 Sapim Laser spokes, those save weight and cause less air resistance, connect them to the rims. The rear rim is nothing special. It came of another bike. The front rim is from Gingko Spezialradteile and is very light, 249 gram. It's narrow though and has a tire width limit of 28mm. My prefered front tire measures 29mm, a Minit Light. That, with a light Schwalbe tube, rolls nicely and is terrific over brick roads. There's a Durano at the back now. I'm thinking about replacing that by a NOS Stelvio, or an Ultremo ZX.
The shock is the stock air/oil unit from Kind Shock. Close to that is a TC idler. I like those and use them on all my bikes. They last very, very long and just work better in my experience.
I carry lights, always, just like mud guards, that come from M5. Under daylight, the lights blink in a distinctive pattern.
The result is a Fuego that 'officially' weighs 13.3kg, including the mud guards. The ready to ride weight is around 14kg. That nice weight combined with the seat angle of 20 or 22 degrees make it faster and fun. And let's not forget that it's a Nazca, so the handling is superb anyway.
I've not done any experiments to find out how much faster it is since I got her in the summer of 2009, but close to 10 percent is not overweening. Most of that improvement is in the aerodynamic package. The weight reduction helps some too, but mostly adds to the liveliness of the bike.
In comparison I can say, without any doubt, that, under anything but typical velomobile conditions, I'm as fast with my Fuego as I was with my Mango. That partly because I'm rather small and light for most velomobiles, and partly because the Fuego and me go together so well. It's a 2+2=5 situation.
Let's take last Saturday evening as an example. It was -5 degrees C, with a 4Bft wind. Any cyclist will recognize that as 'unfast conditions'. My cruising speed was 33-35kph over 2 times 15km, without really trying, because I can't push hard when it's cold. Can you imagine how much I'd like to go on a spring vacation with this bike?
For a start, the seat angle is lower than designed. For most riders it'll be too low. And the rear mud guard is within reach of the seat. But I know how to use it and appreciate the better ergonomics (a more open body position) and smaller frontal area. The seat is also mounted more forward. This is to stop the cranks from hitting the front wheel. That became a problem after I started riding with less stretched legs. I'm talking about a 3cm reduction.
Another thing I choose to do was remove the rear rack. I couldn't get rid of the strong feeling that the rack bag was a serious wind catcher. So instead of that I use Radical Solo Racer panniers, that hang behind my shoulders. It also saves carrying the weight of the rack. The 25cm narrow handlebars come from a Velomobiel.nl Quest. They weigh little and offer enough space for all controls. To save space, and to keep the brake cables out of my line of sight, the brake levers have their thumb operated position. The narrower handlebars are, the more twitchy a bike becomes at low speeds. But low speeds is not my area.
That's also why there's only 1 chain ring at the front. Though when I replace the drive train later this year, I'll make it a double. That combined with the upgrade to a 10 speed 12-32 cassette will make it more suitable for vacations. And it's an opportunity to buy new a new SRAM derailer and shifter.
The wheels are special too. The hubs are from a unknown brand. Combined they weigh just over 400 grams. That light yes, and I won't say they the right choice for a big guy in the mountains.... 64 Sapim Laser spokes, those save weight and cause less air resistance, connect them to the rims. The rear rim is nothing special. It came of another bike. The front rim is from Gingko Spezialradteile and is very light, 249 gram. It's narrow though and has a tire width limit of 28mm. My prefered front tire measures 29mm, a Minit Light. That, with a light Schwalbe tube, rolls nicely and is terrific over brick roads. There's a Durano at the back now. I'm thinking about replacing that by a NOS Stelvio, or an Ultremo ZX.
The shock is the stock air/oil unit from Kind Shock. Close to that is a TC idler. I like those and use them on all my bikes. They last very, very long and just work better in my experience.
I carry lights, always, just like mud guards, that come from M5. Under daylight, the lights blink in a distinctive pattern.
The result is a Fuego that 'officially' weighs 13.3kg, including the mud guards. The ready to ride weight is around 14kg. That nice weight combined with the seat angle of 20 or 22 degrees make it faster and fun. And let's not forget that it's a Nazca, so the handling is superb anyway.
I've not done any experiments to find out how much faster it is since I got her in the summer of 2009, but close to 10 percent is not overweening. Most of that improvement is in the aerodynamic package. The weight reduction helps some too, but mostly adds to the liveliness of the bike.
In comparison I can say, without any doubt, that, under anything but typical velomobile conditions, I'm as fast with my Fuego as I was with my Mango. That partly because I'm rather small and light for most velomobiles, and partly because the Fuego and me go together so well. It's a 2+2=5 situation.
Let's take last Saturday evening as an example. It was -5 degrees C, with a 4Bft wind. Any cyclist will recognize that as 'unfast conditions'. My cruising speed was 33-35kph over 2 times 15km, without really trying, because I can't push hard when it's cold. Can you imagine how much I'd like to go on a spring vacation with this bike?
2 Jan 2013
2012, a list
I rode a tiny bit less than in 2011, 14506km
Longest day trip was 230km, from Valkenburg to Arnhem, a part of my Spezi vacation.
I bought the Winter 'Bent and sold the Oké-ja. There's one bike nominated to be offered for sale. I also bought and re-built a Brompton.
I learned to be captain on a tandem, the Quetzal.
The Velomobil Seminar, combined with the stay in the chalet, was very memorable.
At the annual swimming event that raises money for something good, I swam 3km.
Problems with a wisdom tooth cost me about 10 days this year.
'The Bridge' is the best TV serie I've seen since 1984. Saga is special.
My favourite TV moment was the gold winning act on high bar by Epke Zonderland, also because of the commentary. And next to that, pretty much everything of olympic gymnastic tournament I could see. A couple of Formula 1 GP's also where great to watch.
I became an uncle.
Since April I volunteer for my swim club, a most excellent thing to do.
My best race was the 3 hour of Cycle Vision. My worst race was Groningen. The track is ruined by tree roots, and an Evo K does not like such bumps.
The Fuego was put on a diet. I'll soon write about how I got her down to 13.25kg, including mud guards.
I played a board game with friends 'till 1am, outside, on the 2nd day of Christmas.
I've cycled trough France.
I found out I'm not 1.74, but 1.77m tall.
- Evo K: 6646
- Pioneer: 4181
- Fuego: 1654
- The rest: 2025
Longest day trip was 230km, from Valkenburg to Arnhem, a part of my Spezi vacation.
I bought the Winter 'Bent and sold the Oké-ja. There's one bike nominated to be offered for sale. I also bought and re-built a Brompton.
I learned to be captain on a tandem, the Quetzal.
The Velomobil Seminar, combined with the stay in the chalet, was very memorable.
At the annual swimming event that raises money for something good, I swam 3km.
Problems with a wisdom tooth cost me about 10 days this year.
'The Bridge' is the best TV serie I've seen since 1984. Saga is special.
My favourite TV moment was the gold winning act on high bar by Epke Zonderland, also because of the commentary. And next to that, pretty much everything of olympic gymnastic tournament I could see. A couple of Formula 1 GP's also where great to watch.
I became an uncle.
Since April I volunteer for my swim club, a most excellent thing to do.
My best race was the 3 hour of Cycle Vision. My worst race was Groningen. The track is ruined by tree roots, and an Evo K does not like such bumps.
The Fuego was put on a diet. I'll soon write about how I got her down to 13.25kg, including mud guards.I played a board game with friends 'till 1am, outside, on the 2nd day of Christmas.
I've cycled trough France.
I found out I'm not 1.74, but 1.77m tall.
13 Dec 2012
My Pioneer
I don't write about him often. And there you have it. My Pioneer is my only bike that has no female name. The name 'Lobbes' just came to me when I was on my way to collect it from it previous owner. Lobbes. A big and friendly pal, like a large dog.
Three years after I'd rebuilt it from a horrible state, the odometer reads 10.450km. A 'bent with two big wheels had been on my list for quite some time. Just as an extra bike, I thought. To wander about on small paths.
I removed rust and gave it 6 layers of quality paint, with a brush. Most components where replaced too. Years of abuse and neglect had taken their toll. The frame however still was intact. I poured alcohol in the frame and set fire to that. That cleaned it up very well. The blue flame also made a cool sound.
The first 2000km or so I used a Nexus 8 hub. When I replaced that with an AW3, I gained 10% in cruising speed. Not much later I mounted a very common 3x8 derailler system. Now it was ready for some serious distances. That was 20 months ago. Since than I rode close to 7000km. (and more on my other 'bents of course)
More than just local rides without a destination is what we ride together. To work, to a wedding, 2 vacations, at night, alone, with a group. Werther I was stressed, happy, tired, confident, in doubt, slow, fast, weak or strong, for nearly every occasion and for every mood, Lobbes is ready. There are only 2 things that are not in my Pio's abilities. That are racing and snow riding. For the latter, spiked tires help. For racing, he's just not fast enough.
On the photo, that I took today: it's current set-up, pretty much exactly as it should be.
Though a Pioneer can be quite fast. When the city is asleep, and the roads are empty, you can ram a Pioneer forward at, relative, scary speeds. Why? Handling and stability. It doesn't care about how the road it. And despite mine being of an older, heavier generation, it corners brilliantly. It's like dancing. After some corners I wonder how I took them.
My cruising speed is about 28kph. Up a hill, 8. Down a hill, 76. Flat, no wind, 52. Flat with wind, 62.
So what is he now? Mostly a stock Pioneer, like one could have been bought nearly 11 years ago. I've placed the seat under a lower angle, narrowed down the handlebars, and mounted a Fuego rack, to replace to large steel one. I might even change that rack again, back to stock. It's tyres are common too. 40mm Marathons. Mud guards, a large bell, a very bright home made head light are key ingredients to the success too.
There are only 2 'sexy' components on it. A Shutter Precision dynamo and a TC Sports idler. Both are more smooth and efficient than the competition.
Now my 10k is peanuts. Pioneers are quite often used by true Globetrotters. Except for Antarctica, every continent has been visited several times. A friend of mine used his for the same things as I do, only more. That odo approaches 70k.
Yes my K is much, much faster. And my Fuego is just faster and more exciting. But without my Pioneer, I'd be nowhere.
More photos
Three years after I'd rebuilt it from a horrible state, the odometer reads 10.450km. A 'bent with two big wheels had been on my list for quite some time. Just as an extra bike, I thought. To wander about on small paths.
I removed rust and gave it 6 layers of quality paint, with a brush. Most components where replaced too. Years of abuse and neglect had taken their toll. The frame however still was intact. I poured alcohol in the frame and set fire to that. That cleaned it up very well. The blue flame also made a cool sound.
The first 2000km or so I used a Nexus 8 hub. When I replaced that with an AW3, I gained 10% in cruising speed. Not much later I mounted a very common 3x8 derailler system. Now it was ready for some serious distances. That was 20 months ago. Since than I rode close to 7000km. (and more on my other 'bents of course)
More than just local rides without a destination is what we ride together. To work, to a wedding, 2 vacations, at night, alone, with a group. Werther I was stressed, happy, tired, confident, in doubt, slow, fast, weak or strong, for nearly every occasion and for every mood, Lobbes is ready. There are only 2 things that are not in my Pio's abilities. That are racing and snow riding. For the latter, spiked tires help. For racing, he's just not fast enough.
On the photo, that I took today: it's current set-up, pretty much exactly as it should be.
Though a Pioneer can be quite fast. When the city is asleep, and the roads are empty, you can ram a Pioneer forward at, relative, scary speeds. Why? Handling and stability. It doesn't care about how the road it. And despite mine being of an older, heavier generation, it corners brilliantly. It's like dancing. After some corners I wonder how I took them.
My cruising speed is about 28kph. Up a hill, 8. Down a hill, 76. Flat, no wind, 52. Flat with wind, 62.
So what is he now? Mostly a stock Pioneer, like one could have been bought nearly 11 years ago. I've placed the seat under a lower angle, narrowed down the handlebars, and mounted a Fuego rack, to replace to large steel one. I might even change that rack again, back to stock. It's tyres are common too. 40mm Marathons. Mud guards, a large bell, a very bright home made head light are key ingredients to the success too.
There are only 2 'sexy' components on it. A Shutter Precision dynamo and a TC Sports idler. Both are more smooth and efficient than the competition.
Now my 10k is peanuts. Pioneers are quite often used by true Globetrotters. Except for Antarctica, every continent has been visited several times. A friend of mine used his for the same things as I do, only more. That odo approaches 70k.
Yes my K is much, much faster. And my Fuego is just faster and more exciting. But without my Pioneer, I'd be nowhere.
More photos
8 Dec 2012
Winter 'bent
Snow and ice on the roads are things a lot of recumbentriders have a problem with. Spike tires provide the necessary grip, and with a trike it can even become fun. I have a spike tire and also a velomobile. (not combined) But the Evo-K is a bit overdone for most short rides. And it's to precious too.... I do use the K in the snow, but for touring and commuting only.
A bike that good for 99.8% of the rides, my Pioneer, comes with a bruise guarantee in low/no grip conditions. Is that just me or not? Is that a problem? Not really. Snow is quite rare where I live. And the true winters only is a few weeks per year.
During the past 2 winters I came to the conclusion that a compact long wheelbase recumbent does work when winter has really arrived. My Oké-ja could keep me going at moderate pace. I also used it do deliver mail back then. And because of the heavy load, the spike tire was an excellent addition to it's rear wheel. What made it so good? It can only be the combination of low feet and up-right seat. And in case you would loose balance? No worries, it's still a recumbent. The Oké-ja had one flaw, it's 305 size front wheel. That sometimes had difficulty with deep snow.
Last summer I saw one lot of old rental bikes for sale. They looked like a far relative of the Oké-ja, but could take a 406 front wheel. And it would give me the chance to build up a 'bent in a classic style. So, I bought one of those, a bargain, and sold the Oké-ja. To Germany of course.
It was stripped and painted mat black. I gave it some old mudguards and a bottle dynamo. The hubs, shifter and headlight came from my dad's old post bike. These Sturmey Archer hubs have drumbrakes, 3 gears and are about 30 years old. Those got the same color as my Pioneer. That meant I could use the same good quality paint and save money. From my Mango time, I had a pair of 40mm Marathons with 6600km experience left over. So that became it's new tires. And some years ago, Anton had given me rim he didn't use anymore.
The few new parts I needed, grips, cables, tail light, dynamo bracket and rear rack are from Dutch Bike Bits.
Building it up again was an easy job. Except for the wheels. Those short spokes and old large diameter hubs made for a good lesson in truing them. So I got everything working and rolling but, the cranks tounched the front wheels. Aha! So that's why it had such a funny small 305mm front wheel. Luckily 140mm cranks are available on-line too. That solved the problem.
After some rides in the summer, I put this black bike away in the shed. Until last Friday. It had snowed! Now I could see if I'd made the right decision. Thankfully I had. It's not fast, no. Easy to ride it is. Perhaps even better than the Oké-ja. Where others slowly crawled to their destination, I hit a whopping 20kph, even on the slippery patches. The seat is hard, it needs a cushion, I'll figure something out for that. At least I can keep on riding to do my errands and to go swimming.
Why not an MTB you say? Don you know high those are? Way to dangerous. The only useful upright for me is a Brompton.
A bike that good for 99.8% of the rides, my Pioneer, comes with a bruise guarantee in low/no grip conditions. Is that just me or not? Is that a problem? Not really. Snow is quite rare where I live. And the true winters only is a few weeks per year.
During the past 2 winters I came to the conclusion that a compact long wheelbase recumbent does work when winter has really arrived. My Oké-ja could keep me going at moderate pace. I also used it do deliver mail back then. And because of the heavy load, the spike tire was an excellent addition to it's rear wheel. What made it so good? It can only be the combination of low feet and up-right seat. And in case you would loose balance? No worries, it's still a recumbent. The Oké-ja had one flaw, it's 305 size front wheel. That sometimes had difficulty with deep snow.
Last summer I saw one lot of old rental bikes for sale. They looked like a far relative of the Oké-ja, but could take a 406 front wheel. And it would give me the chance to build up a 'bent in a classic style. So, I bought one of those, a bargain, and sold the Oké-ja. To Germany of course.
It was stripped and painted mat black. I gave it some old mudguards and a bottle dynamo. The hubs, shifter and headlight came from my dad's old post bike. These Sturmey Archer hubs have drumbrakes, 3 gears and are about 30 years old. Those got the same color as my Pioneer. That meant I could use the same good quality paint and save money. From my Mango time, I had a pair of 40mm Marathons with 6600km experience left over. So that became it's new tires. And some years ago, Anton had given me rim he didn't use anymore.
The few new parts I needed, grips, cables, tail light, dynamo bracket and rear rack are from Dutch Bike Bits.
Building it up again was an easy job. Except for the wheels. Those short spokes and old large diameter hubs made for a good lesson in truing them. So I got everything working and rolling but, the cranks tounched the front wheels. Aha! So that's why it had such a funny small 305mm front wheel. Luckily 140mm cranks are available on-line too. That solved the problem.
After some rides in the summer, I put this black bike away in the shed. Until last Friday. It had snowed! Now I could see if I'd made the right decision. Thankfully I had. It's not fast, no. Easy to ride it is. Perhaps even better than the Oké-ja. Where others slowly crawled to their destination, I hit a whopping 20kph, even on the slippery patches. The seat is hard, it needs a cushion, I'll figure something out for that. At least I can keep on riding to do my errands and to go swimming.
26 Nov 2012
1 year of Evo K
7700km of joy and refining. In a years time I've:
All these small modifications have hugely improved the joy of riding and did not interfere with the astonishing speed potential of the K. Apart from the home made rain cover, the K now is practical and comfortable.
My 1st ride was the longest, 260km. And it won't be long before I improve that record. Flat land no wind speed record is 72kph, without the head fairing. My typical cruising speed is around 40kph. That is what my local infrastructure, condition and save riding style permit. I reckon that on a good track, with proper preparation, 60kph for an hour is possible for me. And I can carry all my camping gear to the event with that same K.
I think that the answers to most possible questions I can think of can be found using the search function on this blog. If not, post a comment!
Added 12-11-28:
- mounted softer springs, big improvement for feather weight me.
- added chain tube, less noice and no oil on luggage
- added lights
- added some foam, way less noise
- more small, easy and cheap things
All these small modifications have hugely improved the joy of riding and did not interfere with the astonishing speed potential of the K. Apart from the home made rain cover, the K now is practical and comfortable.
My 1st ride was the longest, 260km. And it won't be long before I improve that record. Flat land no wind speed record is 72kph, without the head fairing. My typical cruising speed is around 40kph. That is what my local infrastructure, condition and save riding style permit. I reckon that on a good track, with proper preparation, 60kph for an hour is possible for me. And I can carry all my camping gear to the event with that same K.
I think that the answers to most possible questions I can think of can be found using the search function on this blog. If not, post a comment!
Added 12-11-28:
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