Recumbent - Monkey Island skunkworks

Monkey Island is a place of absolute evil and horror. Just go over to the bentrideronline forums and ask them! Yet these Monkey Island people have produced the NoCom. Yes the NoCom was designed in Chicago no matter what you have heard. I know all the folks involved. And yes there is passion here and frustration at the rest of bentdom because they are so far out there no one else see's the future of unfaired speed bikes.
What I post on my Blog is absolutely cutting edge. And the picture on my Blogsite is already obsolete.
Yet I will go down to Chicago to test ride the NoCom 3. Be afraid. Very afraid.
Monkey Island is an evil place for those who have never been there...

www.thekettlemorainebiker.blogspot.com

Magilla Gorilla

.........oooooookkkkkkkkkk :o

Oh nice lowracer too :)

EDIT: I looked at the "obsolete" pic on ye blog and the first thing I muttered upon looking at the drivechain, with all my heart;
"that is the meaning of efficentcy"

.........oooooookkkkkkkkkk :o

Oh nice lowracer too :)

I heard it's for sale. You could own it!

Nah. Bent bikes arnt the most popular form of bent over here sadly. Im working on a lowracer of my own though. kinda hard to do atm, with all the time spent building and training for team BYR's assault on the worlds biggest bent trike 24hr race (see link). A lowracer will happen eventually though. Im intrigued by their extreme looks and the lowracer culture.... SPEED AT ANY COST! :love:

Nah. Bent bikes arnt the most popular form of bent over here sadly.

Glenn Druery rides a NoCom and a Baron lowracer and he's from down under. Do a Google on him and check out his accomplishments.

I almost bought that nocom, but I really need a bike that's suited for fast centuries and not track only. I'll graduate to the VK2 eventually, but for now I'll just be modding the bejeezus out of the baron!

I almost bought that nocom, but I really need a bike that's suited for fast centuries and not track only. I'll graduate to the VK2 eventually, but for now I'll just be modding the bejeezus out of the baron!

I recently bought a Fujin SL II to go with my Baron. Like you, I had put quite a few dollars in to it getting the weight down. I finally decide to stop before I had replaced everything but the bare frame. :)

I couldn't decide between the VK2 or the SL2. I ended up going with the SL2 because one came up for sale and Dana wasn't going to have any small VK2s for awhile and he wanted money down to reserve one for when they did come in. Also, being more familiar with the aluminum muffler pipe style bike, I felt more comfortable going with the SL2, besides, I saved a couple of grand over the cost of a new VK2 by buying the used SL2. I'm pretty happy; the sucker is light and plenty stiff.

Dennis

Interesting. I'd never given the sl II a glance, really. I'd test pedalled a jester a few months ago, and it felt exactly .like the Baron. The SL II is significantly lighter, but it also seems like you're sitting MUCH higher off the ground, and I'd prefer being low to avoid the constant Texas wind. How do you compare the two - the baron and the fujin?

I still haven't modded the Baron much at all -YET. When I bought it, it had the carbon boom, seat, and tiller, and I've replaced the rear der. and shifters to sram because I hate $himano, but I haven't gotten to the carbon fork, hollowpin chain, light race wheels, and carbon crank yet because I've been trying to decide if it's worth it. What are your thoughts?



I recently bought a Fujin SL II to go with my Baron. Like you, I had put quite a few dollars in to it getting the weight down. I finally decide to stop before I had replaced everything but the bare frame. :)

I couldn't decide between the VK2 or the SL2. I ended up going with the SL2 because one came up for sale and Dana wasn't going to have any small VK2s for awhile and he wanted money down to reserve one for when they did come in. Also, being more familiar with the aluminum muffler pipe style bike, I felt more comfortable going with the SL2, besides, I saved a couple of grand over the cost of a new VK2 by buying the used SL2. I'm pretty happy; the sucker is light and plenty stiff.

Dennis

I still haven't modded the Baron much at all -YET. When I bought it, it had the carbon boom, seat, and tiller, and I've replaced the rear der. and shifters to sram because I hate $himano, but I haven't gotten to the carbon fork, hollowpin chain, light race wheels, and carbon crank yet because I've been trying to decide if it's worth it. What are your thoughts?

I bought my Baron used in stock Discus configuration. I replaced the rear derailleur with an Ultegra, shifters with SRAM Rocket shorties, FSA Carbon Pro cranks, VK2 seat, lightweight seat pad, dropped the chain, Don Smith Terracycle single idler system, removed both Magura discs and replaced rear brake with an Ultegra and the front with an Avid BB7 and SRAM X9 levers, new Velocity front wheel and Velocity 650C rear wheel, and cut about 4" off of the boom (I'm 5'7"). That got the weight down to 26# flat and ready to ride with Frog pedals and seat pad. It also raised the used price up to the same as a new one. :)

So, now came the question: Do I continue and buy a carbon fork, new front wheel and brake, carbon boom and a carbon tiller? I don't remember the exact numbers, but I figured I'd be lucky to get the weight down to 22# and my pocket book would be another $500 or so lighter.

I thought about it for a long time and re-evaluated my goals. Like you, I figured the SL2 was about 3/4-1" higher (which it is) but it's also very light. Though, I'm performance minded, I doubt I would ever start racing again at 55 years of age. Therefore, when an SL2 became available, I snapped it up. I think it's going to be an excellent light sport bike. I averaged 18.2 mph for 56 miles yesterday and was just cruising around not working hard. That's not bad for only being my third time out on it and needing to cut the boom down for my reach.

As far as comparisons go, it is a little harsher ride than the Baron. Boom stiffness seems to be about the same but remember that on both bikes, I need the booms totally sucked in, so they are fully sleeved and supported. The build quality seems a little higher in the Fujin than the Baron with lots of slick little machined parts. I've got the open cockpit which is really nice at stop signs and getting off and on, though I've heard it's slightly heavier than the tiller version. The weight on my bike with a triple, no seat pad, raised chain and extra idlers, and no pedals is 19#. Challenge advertises their top end bike at 17.6# and I don't doubt that it could be done with a double crank and their superlight chainrings, dropped chain, and tiller steering.

I've only got 110 miles on the bike. After I get about 500 or so, I'll post a review on BROL or somewhere.

Dennis

If you decide to change anything, I'll call dibs on that carbon crank :).

I almost bought that nocom, but I really need a bike that's suited for fast centuries and not track only. I'll graduate to the VK2 eventually, but for now I'll just be modding the bejeezus out of the baron!

I did 50 miles really pretty fast one day on this NoCom. It will work as a century bike if this is the one that is up for sale it will be an absolutely killer bicycle and I would consider it if I were you for fast century rides.

MG