[Oneway]

Good suggestion. I've not. I wonder if I'd find the small front tire. I was admiring a cross bike with them.

If my Buick bought the carbides but paid the price of steel.....they'd...be...a steal and car buy ed.

You lose 1.5mph compared to plain knobby tires? Same conditions? I ride about 2 mph slower just wearing winter clothes, messy roads and probably the effects of snow lined narrower roads. Maybe higher densioty air has more resistance?

[London]

Originally Posted by Oneway

Good suggestion. I've not. I wonder if I'd find the small front tire. I was admiring a cross bike with them.

If my Buick bought the carbides but paid the price of steel.....they'd...be...a steal and car buy ed.

You lose 1.5mph compared to plain knobby tires? Same conditions? I ride about 2 mph slower just wearing winter clothes, messy roads and probably the effects of snow lined narrower roads. Maybe higher densioty air has more resistance?

I love to keep records of speed trials and equipment. You might find the following interesting. All speeds are average effort, not race effort. Wanted to see what different tires could do at normal riding speed. Bike is a Kona MTB hardtail.

Aggressive knobbies (26x2.25) as came with the bike I averaged 11.3 mph on dry pavement.

Kenda semi-slicks (26x1.95) average 14.1 mph. (these I ride for the most part)

Carbide studded (26x1.95) with 106 studs per tire. 12.6 mph on dry pavement. Lots of chattering noise. Much quieter on ice and snow. For the life of me, I can't think of this tire's brand name. I'm too lazy to go out in the garage. It's a European name. Sorry, having a stupid day.

The studded snow tires are actually faster on pavement than the knobbies. Carbide studs do no wear to any real degree on pavement during the winter when the snow is gone. I would not run them year round (of course) but you do not have to keep switching tires when we have a period of no snow in January. There is always black ice and studs are at their best on pure ice.

Find a studded tire website. I'm sure they make them in odd sizes for your bent. (I hope)

[London]

Oneway: We all slow down in winter. I do about one-third the mileage in winter. I ride to stay in bike shape. If you get good and fit during summer, it only takes a little to keep you in some form of "ready to go" in the spring. I do a bit of XC skiing also. Plus jogging. It's not hard to stay in shape if you can get out of bed in the first place. I happen to hate winter and find the dark tough to take. Exercise helps a good deal.

Making biking an adventure by getting studs is fun. It has helped motivate me and it keeps you up off the pavement too!

[Oneway]

Up off the pavement is good.
Thanks for your thoughtful message. I'm beginning to suspect typing in this forum isn't as effective as XC skiing or wearing down snow tires.

I really like winter. I really like winter. I really like winter. I really li I really I l win I ter
Rats.

[digitalmouse]

As far back as the early 30's, recumbents have repeatedly broken speed records. The reclined position gives you something to push against for more power, and being lower and reclined improves aerodynamics a bit.

Steep hills are still a problem for recumbent bikes, but the advent of super light weight recumbent bikes using carbon fiber and titanium materials solve this issue as well. Put a strong rider on a 'bent and he will lead a pro-cycle peleton up-hill easily.

I'd put good money that if you put Lance Armstrong on a recumbent 20 years after he retires from Tour-de-France style racing, he's still kick butt going up-hill. or on the flats.

I'm not particularly fit (too much time spent in front of the computer in my formative years), but I can still cruise at 25 kph through the city. My top speed on the flats is 43 kph and downhill was 65kph.

[BlazingPedals]

A few years ago, I did a 106-mile open-road event in 4:31. Almost entirely solo. I now have two recumbents that are noticeably faster than the one I did that on, but I've never done longer distances on either of them. I've turned in 24 mph averages on all three for a flattish 35 mile route. I don't think that's to bad for a 50+ who puts his bikes away for the winter and uses his trainers for bike racks.

Prior to recumbents, I never averaged better than 18 mph for a century, even with prodigious drafting. So, in my experience, recumbents can be faster - by a lot. But then I don't have 'average' recumbents. Most recumbents aren't designed with speed as the primary goal.

[Oneway]

Blaze,
What models?
Enclosed, windshield?

[Engyo]

Originally Posted by altozwei

Here is an opportunity to learn about recumbents first hand. Easy Street Recumbents in Austin, Texas will be hosting their annual Bent Event on April 18th, 2010. It will be preceded by the Heart of Texas Catrike Rally April 16th-18th. Group rides, test rides and the chance to see many different kinds of recumbent bikes and trikes.

I'll be riding into Austin on the 18th, but probably too tired to take in much of the festivities (2nd day of the MS-150).

[BlazingPedals]

Originally Posted by Oneway

Blaze,
What models?
Enclosed, windshield?

I have a Baron, a Nocom, and an M5 Carbon Highracer, in addition to a more mainstream V-Rex and an upright for occasional short rides in winter ice and snow. I sold my road bike long ago after it had languished in the basement for several years. I have pics in the recumbent gallery.

[Oneway]

Blaze ped,
Central Michigan is one of the best kept secrets for bicycle touring. I rode (diamond frame with panniers, tent, etc.) from Mackinac Island through Traverse City to Ludington and angled over to Freemont, Ionia, Jackson and swung wide of Toledo crossed into Ohio at Metamora (shout out to Pizza Pro) Bowling Green and on up to Cleveland. Gosh what great towns, villages, small cities and fantastic backroads.

Now, kiddo, really? 18 to 24? Really? Pretty flat to rolling but gosh. Back outside Boston hills are plentiful, shorter, steeper, roads twist and shout, a fair of intersections and other obstacles to getting into one of those 30 mile groves where you hum and crank.

So, back in Boston, in the aaallll mooooost snow rain, fear of being hit due to end-of-summer windshield wipers, cell phones and the pure evil of shuttling kids, shopping and the freaking economy*, I managed 18 mph recumbent compared to 16.5-18.1 (average 16.9) over 67.3 mile loop. Guestimating rain ( - ) and fear (+ ) I figure by bent is 1 mph faster over a route 50% moderate hills, 50% river flood plain flat.

I gotta learn how to be blackberry brief or politician campaign sound bit succinct.

*pretty sure no one driving today spent 2 hours sitting at a Parisian cafe sipping expresso, eating a fresh crousant with jam and contemplating the sunlight here in Saint Michel or across the bridge in Isle de la cite; pretty sure.