Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Trikes

Trikes are more popular in non-urban regions of the country than they seem to be in New York/DC/Boston/Philly, but they certainly do have their following.  It's been cool to see more trike customers visiting, in addition to the 2-wheel crowd.

I have a HP Velotechnik Gekko fx demo model in stock.  I received and built it several weeks ago, but only got to ride it myself for the first time last weekend.  OK...OK...once again, HP Velotechnik blows off the lid.  It's a great machine.  Every time I receive a new HP Velo, I just want to retire and spend all my time touring on whatever they just sent me.  While the Gekko fx lacks the exceptionally fine handling of the Scorpion fs, it's no slouch, with a tight turning radius, a high seating position -- seat height is 13" -- so you don't feel invisible on the roads, and the usual HP Velo stability.  And of course it goes as fast as you want to peddle.  To make up for the lack of full suspension, we built this one up with Schwalbe Marathon Big Apple tires and they really give a great ride -- both that air cushioning and the amazing grip.  SRAM/Avid have improved their disc brakes as well, so the BB5's aren't bad.  Don't overlook them.

A second Gekko fx will arrive at the end of April.  Otherwise, new German-built machines are taking about 8 weeks to arrive in New York due to demand and manufacturing backlog.  As for the Scorpion line-up, they are being built much more quickly, with delivery in as little as three weeks (though that can change).  The USA Gekko fx's, with the slightly lower spec, are slated to be offered in June, but no exact date has been set.

All this to say, if you want your trike sooner rather than later, consider buying a Scorpion.  They aren't that much more expensive than the Gekkos and, like all HP Velotechniks, they're worth every penny.  Better yet, for day-riders, tourers and commuters, they use the traditional HPV rack designs.  However, if you need the tight, fast fold (and what city-dweller does not), the Gekko fx remains your machine; you'll simply need to wait for it.

Best,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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