Recumbent - What's the fastest descent you've ever made on a 'bent Trike?

For example, my wife dropped a hill on her EZ-3 (A Delta Design) at 42 mph. Must have been interesting as twitchy as the steering is on that trike ;)

I'm just curious just how fast the tadpoles are, on a long descent, for example.

Not a trike, but I got my Rans Rocket going 48 mph for a while down a long, steep, mountain.

Thought 1: Man, this is like a space shuttle re-entry.
Thought 2: Did I tighten all the nuts and bolts on this thing today??
Thought 3: The wind is so loud, I cannot hear anything.
Thought 4: This is the first ride since the bike shop worked my rear wheel.
Thought 5: Did THEY tighten up the nuts and bolts back there?!?
Thought 6: If this thing comes apart, I'm gonna lay skin for a mile and a half.
Thought 7: Man, this is like a space shuttle re-entry.

Sorry I can't have a trike but so far I have done 88K's on my low racer..

I'm just curious just how fast the tadpoles are, on a log descent, for example.

32 feet per second per second? As in falling off the log? . . . . ;)

Sorry, couldn't help that one. :p

Top speeds are;
GTX: 42 riding solo
GTT: 48 Capt & stoker. 46 with 5 onboard.*

*The descent on hiway 9 from Felton to Santa Cruz, CA. This picture is at the start of the ride.

With my Micro I've reached 50mph down hwy 101 near Tillimook Oregon - nice long descent

Only hit the upper 30's on my Actionbent Tadpole. That certainly wasn't about not trying, just haven't found the right hill yet. Hitting 50 on tads is quite common.

42 on an EZ3? Brave woman you got there!

Not a trike, but I got my Rans Rocket going 48 mph for a while down a long, steep, mountain.

Thought 1: Man, this is like a space shuttle re-entry.
Thought 2: Did I tighten all the nuts and bolts on this thing today??
Thought 3: The wind is so loud, I cannot hear anything.
Thought 4: This is the first ride since the bike shop worked my rear wheel.
Thought 5: Did THEY tighten up the nuts and bolts back there?!?
Thought 6: If this thing comes apart, I'm gonna lay skin for a mile and a half.
Thought 7: Man, this is like a space shuttle re-entry.

I also don't have a trike but have got my RANS Rocket up to 45 mph down a hill while fully loaded on tour.:eek:

My thought process was:
Thought 1: Wee! this is fun!
Thought 2: I hope that the wind isn't gusty down the hill.
Thought 3: Will the traffic doing 62 mph try to pass me?
Thought 4: The wind is so loud, I cannot hear anything.
Thought 5: I hope i don't hit a decent size bump at this speed.
Thought 6: maybe I should use the brakes a bit.
Thought 7: I hope I don't have to try and stop for anything.
Thought 8: Wee! This is so much fun! I'll just let it roll.

I haven't gone faster because our roads tend to not be nice and smooth and bumps, high speed and small wheels don't go well together. Oh and I'm a wimp.

Thought #9...


I hope that dollar bill holds at this speed! :eek:

(had to keep it under 30 lookin like that) ;)

20 miles into a 30 mile ride, nearing the top of the BIG climb, ready for a shuttle re-entry flight down the other side and.....

BANG!!

The tire casing had separated from the wire bead! :p

So the 3 mile descent was done at 30 or less. :cry:

But that $1 bill held fine the whole way!

Here in Florida, (Sugerloaf Mt.)

Top speeds are;
Catrike Speed: 47 riding solo
GTT2s: 58 Capt & Stoker.

Thought #9...


I hope that dollar bill holds at this speed! :eek:



Let me guess - a Continental? That's not a normal failure mode for Stelvios.

Fixed, thanks. ;) I guess I need to type a little more carefully ;)
32 feet per second per second? As in falling off the log? . . . . ;)

Sorry, couldn't help that one. :p

Top speeds are;
GTX: 42 riding solo
GTT: 48 Capt & stoker. 46 with 5 onboard.*

*The descent on hiway 9 from Felton to Santa Cruz, CA. This picture is at the start of the ride.

70-ish km/h before I ran out of gears...

I've done 43.8 mph on a short steep hill on my Catrike Road. The long ones around here are usually high traffic roads and a lot of traffic at that speed would make me nervous. Even at that speed I felt very stable, although I think the braking stopping distance would have be quite large.

Not a trike but......

48mph on my Corsa last week. A fun descent, made more so by the fact that I'd climbed that canyon to earn it.

Let me guess - a Continental? That's not a normal failure mode for Stelvios.

Actually it was a Schwalbe Marathon. Z. Kaplan said I'm likely due a warranty replacement. :D

we'll see...:p

I reached 70 MPH in a fully faired tadpole going East on the I-70 frontage road into Denver when I tried hitting the brakes. Very inadequate brakes. Ended having to push one shoe onto a front wheel and counter-steering to keep from flipping into the air like a hydroplane.

44 mph on a downhill that my DF can't top 35. Probably could go faster except there are too many cross streets and driveways to safely let it all hang out.