TrailBear takes the Rover X-5 on some check rides
12-15-10, 10:33 PM
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TrailBear takes the Rover X-5 on some check rides
ROVER X-5 – The Check Rides
Don’t you just hate it?
While the NorthWet is flooding everywhere you look and arctic cold and snow blast most of the country, the TrailBear is out on the Irvine, CA. trails in bike shorts, polo shirt and Class III safety vest (which he soon removed – too warm.) It was sunny and 79 out here Sunday. The trails are not snowed in.
This is the second weekend of commissioning the Rover X-5 from Utah Trike’s custom shop (a souvenir of their Black Friday sale) and it was time for some check rides. Time to see how it handled various grades on the trails vs. my Specialized FSR xc Expert mountain bike.
Bonita Canyon – the climbing loop…
The first check ride was up the Bonita Canyon Trail. There are paved trails on both sides of lower Bonita Creek and they climb. Not too bad at first, then a steeper pitch to the dam and a similar pitch to the top of the trail at Bison Ave. The whole up leg is about a mile long and I have been doing loops for training on the mountain bike.
The trail starts out fine and I am in 1x7. It gets steeper and steeper. On the mountain bike I am usually in the middle of my 1x gear range at the dam. However, there is that glorious downhill on the other side of the creek, over the bridge and back up for another climb.
The bike’s bottom gear is 17.9 gear inches. The Rover X-5’s bottom gear is 24 gear inches. The Rover did the climb in comfort. It is true that on a trike, if you have the gear range, you can just sit on your backside and spin. I spun up the climb, starting in 1x7, winding up in 1x2 at the dam, and then went up the final pitch (steeper) in my bottom combination, 1x1.
It was comfortable and I did not have to jam it. This is good, because jammin’ does bad things to the bad knee that result in weeks on the sidelines. On the mountain bike, if I can’t spin, I hop off and hike the bike up the pitch. This is not that easy on a trike. You need enough bottom range on a Trike to avoid towing it. That will lose you Style Points.
Check ride two – the Irvine trails…
Sunday morning was for a bit of distance over a variety of Irvine trails – the Tush Trials. On the mountain bike I find that seat squirm starts at 10 miles, by 15 miles out the seat morphs into a 2x4 and by 20 miles I am really ready for the ride to be over. This does limit the range of out & back rides. Hence the investment in a trike. After saddle #5, it was time for a paradigm shift.
Head up the San Diego Creek Trail. Here is a succession of underpasses with climbs of various pitches, which is very common on SoCal “river” trails. I am experimenting with different approaches. Stat in 1x 7 or 8, power down to the bottom and then rapidly downshift on the up slope? Coast down while downshifting, wait for the pedals to bite on the up slope, and then grind out? So far there have been no ramps that exceeded the gear range, but I am down in 1x2 or thereabouts by the top.
Head onto the Walnut Trail. It runs alongside a live railroad, but it is not a rail trail with a consistent grade. It has some quite steep pitches at the road overpasses. Don’t be caught with too much gear on. (Don't ask.)
Onto the bike lane and head for the Jeffrey Trail, then up the long grade to the bike bridge over the freeway, down the other side (Hey, new signage and landscaping!), then up the long grade on University and into the barranca. Take the University Trail back to the San Diego Creek Trail, and head home. Distance – about 19 miles and I am feeling fine. No SeatSquirm. No thinking about the seat. The trike just might work out.
Check ride conclusions…
There is enough low range gearing on the X 5 to handle these trails, but there is no reserve margin and I know of steeper pitches on other trails. The trike would probably be in trouble in south Orange County where it is all hills. I will not take it on the Salt Creek Trail. I think it could do the Aliso Creek Trail. It should be OK on the big LA trails – the LARIO and the San Gabriel.
Gentlemen, be seated…
Do you have a knee problem or are thinking of getting one? Try the Rover. It works. Getting into the seat was a snap. You just back in and sit down. You can get right close to the seat edge.
It really is like a folding chair. On the low trikes the seats seem to be way down there and way to the rear of your legs. You sit, then you sit some more and finally you hit bottom. The concern with that is that enough low seating drills and you get a knee job.
The trike seat worked. It was comfy. That “Sitting on a 2x4 Feeling” was absent. I did not hope for the ride to be over. I was doing fine. My rump was not sending “Maydays.” This means that I can do longer rides in comfort. Irvine has 45 miles of Class I trails and I live 200 yards from a connector trail, so TrailBear has some spinnin’ to do.
Gear range…
The main concern I have with the Rover X-5 version is that the 26” stern wheel has shifted the gear range upward. This gives you more top end speed but subtracts on the bottom. I feel I need lower gearing for my riding style (lame Geezer) and I am looking into ways to get it.
For comparison…
The Specialized FSR xc Expert mountain bike: 17.9 gear inches in the bottom gear combo - 1x1.
The Cruiser: 18-90 GI. This is workable.
The Rover X-5: 24-72 GI. Need more granny. I want 18 GI on the bottom.
The Rover X-5, but on a 20” stern wheel: 14.1 GI at the bottom. This might almost be enough to spin up a brick wall.
The Rover X-5 with a 22T chainring: 16.8 GI at the bottom.
This approach might work. Utah Trikes and I are chatting about options. They say that it will cause cross chain issues and 28t is the smallest that will work with the current set of 30/42/52t. I think 28t is not enough of a downward shift. We will see what they recommend in chainrings if 22T is the bottom one. May just swap the lot.
While we discuss, it's back to adding Bike Bling and riding that loop after work. Full lights as I wind up coming back in deep twilight.
Can you see me now?
Flag and a new headlight are on order. I have a light waiting for the flag pole. A rear light mast has a white flasher, a Sette knockoff of the Planet Bike Superflash (3 for one and they work fine) and a 32 point white lifejacket strobe for a traffic locator. GPS, white flasher and MagicShine headlight are on the mast stuck in the derailleur tube.
If there is traffic or night or traffic and night, I have a Princeton LED headlight on the helmet and a Sette flasher mounted on the back. When I look at a driver with the headlight on flash, I do attract their attention.
The two tone siren is on the port steering handle and the Obnoxious Squeak Toy horn is on the starboard handle. I find that the $4 squeak toy attracts the most attention at a distance. People do turn around: "What the @#$% was that!" I got the siren when a roadie cut over into my lane on a blind trail junction. We were both jerking to and fro and avoided a pile up. Now I blow that bend like a steam boat.
Don’t you just hate it?
While the NorthWet is flooding everywhere you look and arctic cold and snow blast most of the country, the TrailBear is out on the Irvine, CA. trails in bike shorts, polo shirt and Class III safety vest (which he soon removed – too warm.) It was sunny and 79 out here Sunday. The trails are not snowed in.
This is the second weekend of commissioning the Rover X-5 from Utah Trike’s custom shop (a souvenir of their Black Friday sale) and it was time for some check rides. Time to see how it handled various grades on the trails vs. my Specialized FSR xc Expert mountain bike.
Bonita Canyon – the climbing loop…
The first check ride was up the Bonita Canyon Trail. There are paved trails on both sides of lower Bonita Creek and they climb. Not too bad at first, then a steeper pitch to the dam and a similar pitch to the top of the trail at Bison Ave. The whole up leg is about a mile long and I have been doing loops for training on the mountain bike.
The trail starts out fine and I am in 1x7. It gets steeper and steeper. On the mountain bike I am usually in the middle of my 1x gear range at the dam. However, there is that glorious downhill on the other side of the creek, over the bridge and back up for another climb.
The bike’s bottom gear is 17.9 gear inches. The Rover X-5’s bottom gear is 24 gear inches. The Rover did the climb in comfort. It is true that on a trike, if you have the gear range, you can just sit on your backside and spin. I spun up the climb, starting in 1x7, winding up in 1x2 at the dam, and then went up the final pitch (steeper) in my bottom combination, 1x1.
It was comfortable and I did not have to jam it. This is good, because jammin’ does bad things to the bad knee that result in weeks on the sidelines. On the mountain bike, if I can’t spin, I hop off and hike the bike up the pitch. This is not that easy on a trike. You need enough bottom range on a Trike to avoid towing it. That will lose you Style Points.
Check ride two – the Irvine trails…
Sunday morning was for a bit of distance over a variety of Irvine trails – the Tush Trials. On the mountain bike I find that seat squirm starts at 10 miles, by 15 miles out the seat morphs into a 2x4 and by 20 miles I am really ready for the ride to be over. This does limit the range of out & back rides. Hence the investment in a trike. After saddle #5, it was time for a paradigm shift.
Head up the San Diego Creek Trail. Here is a succession of underpasses with climbs of various pitches, which is very common on SoCal “river” trails. I am experimenting with different approaches. Stat in 1x 7 or 8, power down to the bottom and then rapidly downshift on the up slope? Coast down while downshifting, wait for the pedals to bite on the up slope, and then grind out? So far there have been no ramps that exceeded the gear range, but I am down in 1x2 or thereabouts by the top.
Head onto the Walnut Trail. It runs alongside a live railroad, but it is not a rail trail with a consistent grade. It has some quite steep pitches at the road overpasses. Don’t be caught with too much gear on. (Don't ask.)
Onto the bike lane and head for the Jeffrey Trail, then up the long grade to the bike bridge over the freeway, down the other side (Hey, new signage and landscaping!), then up the long grade on University and into the barranca. Take the University Trail back to the San Diego Creek Trail, and head home. Distance – about 19 miles and I am feeling fine. No SeatSquirm. No thinking about the seat. The trike just might work out.
Check ride conclusions…
There is enough low range gearing on the X 5 to handle these trails, but there is no reserve margin and I know of steeper pitches on other trails. The trike would probably be in trouble in south Orange County where it is all hills. I will not take it on the Salt Creek Trail. I think it could do the Aliso Creek Trail. It should be OK on the big LA trails – the LARIO and the San Gabriel.
Gentlemen, be seated…
Do you have a knee problem or are thinking of getting one? Try the Rover. It works. Getting into the seat was a snap. You just back in and sit down. You can get right close to the seat edge.
It really is like a folding chair. On the low trikes the seats seem to be way down there and way to the rear of your legs. You sit, then you sit some more and finally you hit bottom. The concern with that is that enough low seating drills and you get a knee job.
The trike seat worked. It was comfy. That “Sitting on a 2x4 Feeling” was absent. I did not hope for the ride to be over. I was doing fine. My rump was not sending “Maydays.” This means that I can do longer rides in comfort. Irvine has 45 miles of Class I trails and I live 200 yards from a connector trail, so TrailBear has some spinnin’ to do.
Gear range…
The main concern I have with the Rover X-5 version is that the 26” stern wheel has shifted the gear range upward. This gives you more top end speed but subtracts on the bottom. I feel I need lower gearing for my riding style (lame Geezer) and I am looking into ways to get it.
For comparison…
The Specialized FSR xc Expert mountain bike: 17.9 gear inches in the bottom gear combo - 1x1.
The Cruiser: 18-90 GI. This is workable.
The Rover X-5: 24-72 GI. Need more granny. I want 18 GI on the bottom.
The Rover X-5, but on a 20” stern wheel: 14.1 GI at the bottom. This might almost be enough to spin up a brick wall.
The Rover X-5 with a 22T chainring: 16.8 GI at the bottom.
This approach might work. Utah Trikes and I are chatting about options. They say that it will cause cross chain issues and 28t is the smallest that will work with the current set of 30/42/52t. I think 28t is not enough of a downward shift. We will see what they recommend in chainrings if 22T is the bottom one. May just swap the lot.
While we discuss, it's back to adding Bike Bling and riding that loop after work. Full lights as I wind up coming back in deep twilight.
Can you see me now?
Flag and a new headlight are on order. I have a light waiting for the flag pole. A rear light mast has a white flasher, a Sette knockoff of the Planet Bike Superflash (3 for one and they work fine) and a 32 point white lifejacket strobe for a traffic locator. GPS, white flasher and MagicShine headlight are on the mast stuck in the derailleur tube.
If there is traffic or night or traffic and night, I have a Princeton LED headlight on the helmet and a Sette flasher mounted on the back. When I look at a driver with the headlight on flash, I do attract their attention.
The two tone siren is on the port steering handle and the Obnoxious Squeak Toy horn is on the starboard handle. I find that the $4 squeak toy attracts the most attention at a distance. People do turn around: "What the @#$% was that!" I got the siren when a roadie cut over into my lane on a blind trail junction. We were both jerking to and fro and avoided a pile up. Now I blow that bend like a steam boat.
12-16-10, 03:21 AM
#2
I am the Snail~!
Thanks for the write-up, and yes, it is both snowing and cold here~!
I got the plain Rover-8 and am hoping it will work well for me - of course, once I got it, it started snowing here...
Have you gone off the pavement yet at all? We have limestone towpaths here that I am hoping to ride comfortably on...
I got the plain Rover-8 and am hoping it will work well for me - of course, once I got it, it started snowing here...
Have you gone off the pavement yet at all? We have limestone towpaths here that I am hoping to ride comfortably on...
12-16-10, 11:08 AM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2010
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Would you be willing to grant permission to Recumbent Journal to reprint your Rover X-5 ride report? We haven't seen too many people publicly talking about the Utah Trikes mod, and I especially like that you compared it with an upright.
12-17-10, 10:08 PM
#4
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Juan Islands of WA & Newport Beach, CA
Posts: 469
Bikes: HP Velotechnik Scorpion FS trike, Specialized FSRxc Expert, Swissbike LX folding hardtail, Dahon Speed 7 folder
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Thanks for the write-up, and yes, it is both snowing and cold here~!
I got the plain Rover-8 and am hoping it will work well for me - of course, once I got it, it started snowing here...
Have you gone off the pavement yet at all? We have limestone towpaths here that I am hoping to ride comfortably on...
I got the plain Rover-8 and am hoping it will work well for me - of course, once I got it, it started snowing here...
Have you gone off the pavement yet at all? We have limestone towpaths here that I am hoping to ride comfortably on...
Peter the Uber Clyde... I've been reading your posts with interest. You do know how to bring winter. Was that recent blizzard extending to Florida the result of getting your Rover delivered?
I have not been off pavement yet. However the bottom of the local trail where they asphalted over a causeway around a marshy bend in the back bay would seem to simulate it. I can barely keep my paws on the pedals (no bike shoes).
Had me thinking of a Velotechnik Scorpion FS - which is rated for unpaved roads. Alas, they are a tad bit spendy for an entry level trike. Like to run one over that bit and see how good the suspension is.
I think you are OK on any hard surface. I would not take it on the Slickrock Trail (Moab).
I've watched that video of the guy mountain biking on his ___ and it seemed to be the wrong tool for the job. I have a FS bike for that. TrailLink shows a lot of good looking trails in Ohio. Better than we find out here in CA. When the snow melts, you should have some options. Meanwhile, CPT Bob is up on blocks in his living room. pedaling to the video.
12-17-10, 10:55 PM
#5
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Sure, go ahead. That's TrailBear with a T <g>.
The Rover is an interesting machine. TerraTrike has identified a potential market not normally served by the trike builders. You think trike, you think low slung sports car trikes pedaled by 140# ectomorphs.
We would all love one and we would all love to be 140# again, but entropy happens. I want a Velotechnik Scorpion FS, but I don't have that amount of mad-money cash sitting about. Certainly not for an entry level proof-of-concept trike. Next one . . . we'll see.
Into the world of the sports trikes, TT has introduced an entry level pickup trike that appeals on a number of fronts. It rather evokes Henry Ford - basic trike transportation. It's not as fancy. It costs less. It can carry more cargo - the weight limit is up into the UberClyde range. The seating is higher. You can just back in and sit down and pedal away.
No seating contortions - and that is a factor. I tested the Cruiser, which I like. However, the seat is way down there and way back and I have a feeling that with a Cruiser I will find myself at Bellevue Bone and Joint talking to Doc E. sooner rather than later about that knee job.
TerraTrike is a company that supports their customers. I don't think you can find another builder with the depth of support - how-to videos, articles, a forum, pro-active customer service. It gives you confidence to buy into their product line. They will probably be around to sell you the next move-up trike.
I got the X5 from Utah Trikes on the Good Friday sale. They are a great firm to deal with. Very supportive. I think next season I will migrate down to CA for the winter via Payson and ride everything they have on the floor, all the better to plan ahead.
I think that the Utah Trike X5 conversion with a 20" stern wheel might be the thing if you need lower gearing. I (and Sheldon Brown) calculate you get 16.5 - 88.3 GI. That is similar to the Cruiser and better than the 26" X5 conversion and the stock Rover 8 speed.
UT has suggested that the Lasco 152mm short triple crank set might meet my needs (22/32/44t) and I think they are right. It calcs at 16.8 - 104, which puts the bottom combination at my mountain bike bottom and well beyond the upper range of the X5, which would seem to cover both high and low end. The shorter cranks might prevent me from over-stressing the knee. The only concern is that it is marketed at the small rider vs. a large bear. After the holidays I plan to pursue this option.
