Recumbent - TerraTrike Tandem purchase

My wife and I are about to buy a TerraTrike Tandem with a large number of upgrades. Here is a list of them: IPS crank system, crank shortners for her, 26 tooth crank granny gear, rear rack, arkel tailrider pack, fenders, tech assist strobe rear light, cateye strada computer, big apple tires (2 "), bebop stainless pedals with lake sandles, terracycle terratrike tandem idlers, teflon coated stainless cables, cyclestar 901/3 mirrors for captain and stoker, fastback 2.0 hydration pack with 100oz resevior and a 7ft locking cable.

We are interested in your comments on the TerraTrike Tandem and/or the upgrades. We thoroughly enjoyed riding the TerraTrike single trikes, but were not able to ride a tandem.

Looks like you got all the things you need to make a nice touring machine. I might offer you the same invite I just offered in another post. This forum is completely dedicated to recumbents and have a lot of WizWheelz owners http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/index.php

We are interested in your comments on the TerraTrike Tandem and/or the upgrades. We thoroughly enjoyed riding the TerraTrike single trikes, but were not able to ride a tandem.
The 26 T granny gear sounds pretty small. Do you have hills or flats? Lots of hills, you might consider a Schlumph Mountain Drive for the Captain. That will give you an even lower low gear and still maintain a tall high gear.

As for "driving" a tandem tadpole trike, it's a schoolbus!!! (compared to a single tadpole)
They make wiiiiide turns, and it's easy to get stuck or hung-up in tight places.
Backing up can be a PITA! Worse with a trailer.

Welcome to the wonderful world of tandem recumbent tadpole trikes! :D

Be prepared to "make new friends" at almost every intersecction. ;)

DFP!!!! dont forget pix

My wife and I are about to buy a TerraTrike Tandem with a large number of upgrades. Here is a list of them: IPS crank system, crank shortners for her, 26 tooth crank granny gear, rear rack, arkel tailrider pack, fenders, tech assist strobe rear light, cateye strada computer, big apple tires (2 "), bebop stainless pedals with lake sandles, terracycle terratrike tandem idlers, teflon coated stainless cables, cyclestar 901/3 mirrors for captain and stoker, fastback 2.0 hydration pack with 100oz resevior and a 7ft locking cable.

We are interested in your comments on the TerraTrike Tandem and/or the upgrades. We thoroughly enjoyed riding the TerraTrike single trikes, but were not able to ride a tandem.

Welcome to the Tandem World. You will find it's quite different than riding your single. There are a lot of things you will have to contend with as people have mentioned. The biggest thing for me to get used to was the back seat driver in my ear, but with you IPS you may not have as big a problem.:)
The new Terra Trike is a great trike, and the last trike I saw had the S&S couplers and I'm assuming that yours does because that was the other problem I had was Transporting the thing. I used to haul ours in a Chevy Avalanche which was a trip but since then I use a pickup.
You'll be in a different world with your TTT and you will make the adjustments needed and you'll have more fun on it than anything you have ever owned. If I can help in anyway just drop me a line.

Thanks for the very positive replies. After reading some other postings, I expected more critical comments on the TerraTrike.

I am a little concerned with the wide turning radius. Is it a problem making right hand turns on streets with bike lanes?

I am also interested in comments on the steering geometry which does not have the crossed tierods like the Greenspeed. Are there advantages to them crossing or not crossing?

Finally, thank you for the link to the Recumbent bike forum. I like having the category of Tandem Recumbents, since I always wonder if it is a Tandem first or a Recumbent first.

Richard

Thanks for the very positive replies. After reading some other postings, I expected more critical comments on the TerraTrike.

I am a little concerned with the wide turning radius. Is it a problem making right hand turns on streets with bike lanes?

I am also interested in comments on the steering geometry which does not have the crossed tierods like the Greenspeed. Are there advantages to them crossing or not crossing?

Finally, thank you for the link to the Recumbent bike forum. I like having the category of Tandem Recumbents, since I always wonder if it is a Tandem first or a Recumbent first.

Richard

Richard,
I don't think that there is anything critical to say, the WizWheel TT is a real good piece of equipment. I've had the GTT for four years and have never encountered any problems in cornering or making turns on the streets or bike lanes. The wife and I have enjoyed it greatly.

Comments on the steering geometry Ackermann vs Direct, They both make claims to be the best. So I think is a personal preference thing.
I have both types and I believe the Ackermann on the GTT is a smoother steering and it resembles that of a large luxury car and the direct is like the steering of a sports car. The only problem I have encountered with the Ackermann is that front end Alignment is a little more difficult to set up, more time consuming, but you shouldn't have any problems with either.
Hope you and the wife enjoy your tandem as much as we have enjoyed ours.

Thanks for the very positive replies. After reading some other postings, I expected more critical comments on the TerraTrike.

I am also interested in comments on the steering geometry which does not have the crossed tierods like the Greenspeed. Are there advantages to them crossing or not crossing?

Richard
Whether the tie rods cross or not has nothing to do with steering geometry. GS no longer crosses the tie rods on most of their trikes.

Chip

We've been riding tandem for 32+ years; however never had the desire/need, so far, to go bent nor 3-wheels.
The obvious differences between upright/bent singles are obvious. However, with a bent tandem you are looking at an ultra l-o-n-g wheelbase which can be problematic and lots of weight; however eventually you'll adapt. Super granny gears will be needed if you do hills/mountains and/or fully loaded touring.
Pedal on TWOgether!
RUdy and Kay/zonatandem

Whether the tie rods cross or not has nothing to do with steering geometry. GS no longer crosses the tie rods on most of their trikes.

Chip

Chip,
When you say GS I' m assuming you mean Greenspeed and if so you had better visit the GS site and take a look because there isn't a GS that doesn't incorporate the Centre point Ackermann with inclined handle bars. They do not use direct steering.

Chip,
When you say GS I' m assuming you mean Greenspeed and if so you had better visit the GS site and take a look because there isn't a GS that doesn't incorporate the Centre point Ackermann with inclined handle bars. They do not use direct steering.

Yes, Greenspeed and I did to confirm which trikes still cross the tie rods. I didn't say anything about about direct or indirect steering nor was the original question related to direct or indirect. Whether the tie rods cross, as they do on my LoGo and did on earlier GS and the current tandem, or not, as is the current design of GS singles, ICE, etc. has NOTHING to do with steering geometry. It is merely the choice of whether to hook up the tie rod ends to the front wheels in front of (and crossing) or behind the wheel (not crossing). Further, whether Ackerrman geometry (it involves the caster and camber of the kingpins relative to the road contact points of the wheels) is employed has nothing to do with direct or indirect steering--those being merely the method of actuating the steering process. [I much prefer indirect, by the way.]

Chip
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