I am intrigued my the recumbent tadpole such as WindCheeta and Greenspeed, etc. All who ride them call it a blast!


However, there may be an easier way to achieve some of the advantages of 3 wheels without quite going that far. Have you ever seen a fixed or lowerable 'landing gear' added onto a 2 wheeler? I see in my mind, roller blade wheels that are near or aft of the rear wheel of a 30 or 45 degree recumbant. Advantages, low and zero speed stability and hill climbing.


What do you think?

Any recumbant riders in my area?

BoyntonStu

You're going to have to say what area you are in if you want to know if there is anyone around the same vicinity.

Hi,

By stating my name as BoyntonStu I have told folks within 50 miles of Boynton Beach, Florida where I am located.


Sorry if I didn't make it clearer.

BoyntonStu

If I'm following correctly, aren't these called "training wheels"? We recumbent riders have to deal with a lot of looks from people, but training wheels are definitely beyond my personal limit.

Gotta back Lost Marble up on that one (great nick btw). Landing Gear by any other name still sounds like training wheels. While they may indeed prevent me from falling down, I don't think that I could stretch my pride so far as to hang a set off my bent.

Training wheels!

Training wheels, NOT!

I'm talking about a 12-14" width RETRACTABLE (very lightweight) wheels that are in use for under walking speed and at rest. They would be also useful as a kickstand.

Feet on the pedals, light changes, off you go and raise 'em.

Training wheels?


Any bent builders or riders willing to experiment in my area?


BoyntonStu

Yo

I know what your talkin about bro
https://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisi...andinggear.htm
I found some pics of some fully faired recumbent racers that have retractable landing gear. Its a good Idea, and it works

Pep

Pep.

Thanks, you the man!

My initial design has 2 wheels and is designed as a 'bridge' between a trike and a recumbant. I feel that 2 landing gear wheels are beter for going uphill but I may be wrong.

Do you have any other information about landing gears or people who may be interested in experimenting/talking about them?

Where are you?

BoyntonStu

I dont know if i would deploy ths things while going uphill....but I could see you using them at a stop light. lol A freind of mine asked me about 6 mounths ago to draw up some ideas for some landing gear for a fully enclosed streamliner, he wanted it to work like one of those knives that the blade pops straight out then when you hit the switch again the blade goes back in...lol wr still working on that.....its kind of heavy....

Heavy is nevvy!

Light is might!

I am thinking this way:

2 lightweight struts with roller blade wheels.

The struts hinge down to the ground.

The trick is to make them stay down.


My idea is to introduce a 'stop' when you want them down, and let them harmlessly 'wave' when you are underway. Or, you could also raise them up with lever #2.

Wanna talk?

BoyntonStu

If you leave them hanging you will get picked on by all the other bent riders and you wont be alowed to play any reindeer games. You have to make it look clean & and factory finish. Anyone can tape a stick on a bike.

Do it with Excellenc and nobody can mock yu bro!

These "Barracuda Landing Gear" link above

look brilliant. Did anyone ever make them available? Any pointers to followups?
(SF Bay Area, hilly neighborhood, I'd get these made, if anyone knows a builder)

I don't even see the need for rollers; skids would suffice for getting going uphill.

Hmmmm....no, trailer, yes.

Thirteen years is about the longest-dead-asleep Zombie Thread that I can remember seeing!

Getting started uphill was difficult for me the first few months after getting my first 'bent bike. Gets easier with practice.

Damn zombies...

I've gotten started on 15% slopes while carrying a full touring load. It's tricky, but possible with a low enough gear.

If you want to see another successful landing-gear equipped bike, take a look at Steve Roberts' BEHEMOTH.

I find you don't want too low a gear as you can't get enough momentum off of a single stroke. (My low gear is under 17”).

When I stop going up a steep hill, I have to get off the bike and move it to a slightly higher gear if I want to start on a really steep hill.

Lightning has a product for those of you who have no balance but don't want a trike.

Something of similar configuration just went across the block at Barrett-Jackson:
1960 PININFARINA X SEDAN - Barrett-Jackson Auction Company - World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions

Did you look up what the Barracuda looks like? Needs landing gear not because the rider is lazy and can't be bothered to learn low-speed handling, but because it's physically impossible to put a foot down.

I've seen 'training Wheels' for Harley Davidson Riders so the old dears can still go on their Easy Rider, With their friends.

[QUOTE=BlazingPedals;17484609] the rider is lazy and can't be bothered to learn low-speed handling[/QUOTE

I'm sure you've judged me appropriately.
Thanks.

If you can't balance a bike at low speeds, ride a trike. This isn't just me being a purist. You never know when you will have to slow to walking speed on a bike - traffic, pedestrian, other bikes, road hazard - and you won't have time to deploy training wheels. Granted, falling over on a recumbent isn't particularly awful. But doing so in traffic could be.

Uhh... i have a duplicate of the Barracuda, which has a one-sided landing gear. The last time I rode it, I was just getting started and trying to get it upright when I wobbled, slammed it back down on the landing gear side, and dropped the whole shebang on its side. This drove my elbow into my ribs... and it was a month before I could laugh again. The bike's in the process of being rebuilt with two-sided landing gear.

There are a couple of two-wheel full fairing recumbents that have retractable landing gear, but it's usually a home-built ride. You'll be hard pressed to find something in regular production.