ChiliDog

What are you riding? Where do you ride? Any special set up for your bike/trike?

Stupid

I just had a friend ask me tonight if I planned on riding my new AB Tadpole on dirt trails.... I told him that due to its lack of suspension and narrow tires, I didn't think it sounded like a very good idea.

It would be interesting to know if people do it, though.

geebee

I ride a GT3 on light MTB trails, the stability is great for a relaxed ride but if you let the speed build on rough downhills the ride can get a tad violent but it is real fun on smoother fire trails at speed.
I run slick Primo Comets and rear traction most of the time is not a problem and you can help with the front wheels if required, never had any trouble with front traction.
With something like the action bent (ie. 26" tyres), fitting a more suitable tyre for off road would help a lot even if just for the rear and lower your tyre pressure. The off road tyre selection for the GT3 is limited.
Having said the above I just recently bought a MTB and armour for some of the more challenging tracks ie. ultra steep big loose rock surfaces with washouts, drops etc. I think it would destroy my precious trike.
Give it a go, just start on the smoother tracks and work your way up.

jeff-o

You mean, with one of these?

ChiliDog

They're nice, but my Wizwheelz will do the job just as well, if not better, due to it's being so high off the ground. I'm running low pressure, 40ps, 1.75" tires on it now and am thinking of putting on some Big Apples. Riding this off road has been more fun than I've ever had on a bent. Now I'm looking around for an off-road 2 wheeler and am eyeing the Sun EZ Rider with suspension as a next purchase.

This off road is getting pretty addicting...more so than pavement riding! I just wondered if others were enjoying it as much as I am. I also ride a MTB df, but I have not really used it off-road as much as I am starting to do.

I think I'm entering a different phase of riding after road riding for the past 5 years. I'm liking short, intense, woodland work outs more and more. It's nice to be "lost" out in nature for a few hours.

jeff-o

Chilidog, do you ride on trails (like, mulch or gravel fill) or do you just cut in between trees on tiny MTB dirt paths?

If you're just trail riding then yeah, pretty much any bike can handle that, with the right tires.

bentcruiser

I think one of these would be better:

Stupid

I used to have a road bike that I fitted with "Cross Training" tires, but it had the more common 26" wheels (like the rear of the ABT). How easy is it to find knobby(er) tires for the 20" fronts?

jeff-o

Search for BMX tires.

jeff-o

What is that trike, bentcruiser? It looks a little familiar...

BlazingPedals

That's an Optima Rider. The 406 version of 20", which just about all bents now use, is a standard BMX wheel. You can get knobbies for it at any dept store, catalog, and at most bike shops.

Bianchiriderlon

I'd probably have a hard time with my Evox. It has a pretty long wheelbase and it would be tight on some trrails. I'd need a rear shock as the bike is a bit hard-assed on rough roads and would be pretty harsh on trails. I can't imagine any way to add a rear shock short of butchering the frame.

bentcruiser

Exactly!

Optima has another one too called the Rhino that is full suspension:


And. . .

HP Velotechnik is coming out with one this year:




I'll tell you though. . .for all the things my BikeE CT was not, it was super easy to handle and manuever offroads.

jeff-o

Ah, check, it's an Optima.

I suggested the KMX trike because it's specifically designed for hard off-roading, which is different from pretty much any other trike out there. For trail riding it's probably overkill, but if you intend to ride where only full suspension mountain bikes dare go, then the KMX should be able to handle it.

Stupid

Maybe someday when I get hooked on trikes I'll pick one up with full suspension, but right now I'll have to make due with an ABT

Question: What seat pad is that on the yellow trike? Is that simply a piece of open-cell foam strapped to the seat frame?
I've heard/read that that's a good way to reduce sweat build-up if you don't have a mesh seat.

jeff-o

Yup, it looks like a giant spong -er- piece of foam.

bentcruiser

Yeah is is your basic open cell pad. I sweat so much that I do not think the hard shell seats are for me. Considering they seem to demand such a recline angle, I would not think they would be good for offroading.

ChiliDog

I test rode a few KMX trikes at the BROL rally. I'm sure they're fine machines. I will have to tell you that the one I rode could not roll through a patch of loose gravel at the campground. It's bottem rubbed and it's wheels could not plow through. The WW plowed right through it and I took it on some pretty rocky and rutted trails during that same time. Since it sits higher up, it rolls through stuff easily. Suspension might have eased the bumps, but so did fat, lower pressure tires and the sling type seat.

ChiliDog

Dirt trails (singletrack) with leaves, stones, and roots. Some slight uphills/slopes/inclines. I found big gravel particularly tricky to plow through with 20" wheels.

geebee

A KMX would not have a prayer of going where a true MTB goes, it maybe tough but it has no ground clearance or any capability of maintaining traction on a steep incline, it is more a kin to a BMX ie. it can be thrown around on relativley smooth surfaces and take jumps, do tricks etc.
If you don't believe me check out some of the MTB sites.
I suspect for off road most higher trike would be superior ie. Gt3,ww, etc.

bentcruiser

I would think that a HP Velotechnik Streetmachine GTe or a Grasshopper would do the job nicely.

jeff-o

Well, and the ActionBent Tadpole Trike. It has a 26" rear wheel, and lots of clearance.

bentcruiser

But would a trike do well on true singletrack? I would be hesitant that one side would be off the trail causing more friction.

jwa

I bet Mooky's ReBike works great, too!

jeff-o

Some trikes are wider than a standard doorway. I don't think they'd do too well on a singletrack.