|
|
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.
Search website story archive: Search full text of all magazine issues via the digital edition: Try the digital edition! 
Digital subscriptions are also available for institutions. -----------
Copyright © 2000-2009 |
Trikes, trailers and touringThe trike that's also a tandem, a convertible trailer, Colombia by cycle, all you'll ever need to know about touring and the art of streamlining. Sue Archer writes: It's a trike, no, it's a tandem... If you long for a tandem recumbent trike, and who doesn't, but you want a single trike too for everyday use, then the Chameleon from a new US manufacturer Trident Trikes is the answer. The trike converts from tandem to single in under half an hour. Inspired by the Greenspeed GTT the Trident trike uses in-house designed couplings instead of the ubiquitous S and S brand, and of course has the advantage of converting to a single trike when a tandem is not required. The tandem trike will retail at US$5494 plus shipping. The next step, perhaps, is to design two independent single tadpole trikes that can convert to a tandem or more, a bit like the Hase KettWiesel delta trike does... 
It's a trailer, no, it's a wheelbarrow... There was a certain amount of amusement in the Velo Vision office when we read the Maya Cycle trailer's tagline "transforms into a wheelbarrow"... 
But the more you look at it, the more it makes sense. The one drawback of a single wheel trailer is perhaps manoeuvring it when not attached to the bike, but the swivelling handlebars on the Maya Cycle solve that problem neatly, and help to retain bulky loads when towing. The double legged kickstand is also a great idea, to help stabilise the whole set-up while loading. Thanks to Michael Asberry of Wandertec for the link. A hidden jewel in South America For too long, Colombia has been associated with guerilla warfare and kidnapping, but journalist John Otis recently organised a cycle tour there for some friends and discovered the joys of an area gradually being 'pacified'. You can read a short account of his trip in this Global Post article. With Colombia sitting at the northern end of the Andes, a fair bit of climbing was involved, but climbs were rewarded by swooping descents. And the high altitude training benefits Colombian racing cyclists, with the country producing more world class riders than any other South American country. You can read a little about their exploits in another article from the same source here. All you ever wanted to know about touring... I found the cycletourer.co.uk site so engrossing, I had to tear myself away to write about it. The author and his wife have compiled a comprehensive guide to cycle touring, based on their own experiences. There are very useful lists of what to take and how to pack it, individual comments on some specific items of kit, tips on every aspect of camping and even a few handy campfood recipes. And then there are accounts of 14 different tours the authors have undertaken, and information on touring in the 11 countries they have visited. All this, in a well laid out, clear website. If you fancy cycle touring, this is the place to start your planning, and if you aren't planning a trip, you probably will be by the time you've had a look! The art of streamlining From Popular Mechanics Magazine, 1933, this article via Google Books extols the virtues of streamlining for bicyles. While the hood will have had undoubted speed and effort benefits, visibility through that 'conning tower' is perhaps a little restricted... Thanks to Martin Bassani for the link! Posted on 21 August 2009
Your comments ...
Add a comment ... To add a comment you will need to supply your forum login and password. If you do not have a forum login, you can register here |
![[Facebook]](/Images/sb_facebook.gif)
![[del.icio.us]](/Images/sb_delicious.gif)
![[digg]](/Images/sb_digg.gif)
![[digg]](/Images/sb_reddit.gif)
![[stumbleupon]](/Images/sb_stumbleupon.gif)