In the shop now...Zinc yellow Street Machine Gte

What a pretty bike we've got here.  This is for a rider who is preparing for a cross-continent tour in the USA.  Bike?  Street Machine Gte from HP Velotechnik, what else.  Accept no substitutes for long haul touring.  Color?  Custom zinc yellow.  Options?  Include but not limited to: DT Swiss air shock, MEKS carbon fiber suspension fork with extra hard spring, Avid BB7 disk brakes, Shimano XT drivetrain, Truvativ Elita crankset, SON dynohub, 80 LUX Edelux headlight, B&M tail light, rear rack, Radical Design/Moonbiker panniers, kickstand, Marathon Plus tires, water bottle set....

What a very nice bike.  It'll be completed tomorrow.

A few weeks later, the customer wrote me:

"I wanted to send you a quick update. I'm riding my Street Machine about 4 days a week at this point and finding myself getting faster and stronger as the weeks fly by. I've put on about 300 miles so far and the bike is such a pleasure to ride. I'd be interested in doing an over night trip soon....so if you know of any that I should be considering, let me know. I love the bike and look forward to my x-country trip in May 2015! Thanks for your all you did and do!"

Have fun and stay healthy,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Radical Design bags and panniers for Cruzbike recumbent bikes, no rack required

A Radical Design customer in England shows how he attaches Banana Racers on a Vendetta. (I'd really love to credit this guy or gal.)

To carry luggage on a Cruzbike, I strongly recommend the bags made by Radical Design ("RD") (sold in the USA by New York City Recumbent Supply) because they are lightweight, high quality and many models don't require racks.

RD bags are also an inexpensive solution because the rider needs only buy the pannier bags and not a rack plus bags. That quality also lowers the overall weight of the luggage system (bags alone are lighter than bags plus rack).  RD bags may be layered for maximum carrying capacity because they're made of flexible Cordura(R) nylon and many of the bags don't require racks.

Radical Design bags work well on Cruzbikes but it's not always obvious how to mount them to the bike. I maintain this post as a running entry, updating it when I have new information.  Be sure to check back from time to time.

Also, this blog post has good information about attaching panniers to a Quest. Similar strategies apply for the Silvio and Vendetta.

Cruzbike Quest 20 with Radical Design Banana Racer below seat

and Solo Aero on back of seat, totaling 37 liters of carrying capacity.

Radical Design bags for Cruzbikes

Note: Solo Racer in both wide and narrow sizes fit equally well, though imperfectly, at top of seat on Sofrider, Quests and Silvio. The wide fits outside the seat cushion and may sag a bit. The narrow fits under the seat cushion and rides a bit high. Both work.

Solo Aero

Solo Aero wide (12 liters capacity).  5 colors available.

Requires removal of the Quest 20 or 26's rack.
"Wide" and "narrow" both have 12 liters capacity.

https://www.radicaldesign.nl/en/products/recumbent-bags/rear-bags/solo-aero

Universal Racer

Universal Racer (10 liters capacity). 5 colors available.

Solo Racer works too (size wide for bottom of seat, size narrow for top of seat)."Wide," "narrow" and "universal" all have 10 liters capacity.

https://www.radicaldesign.nl/en/products/recumbent-bags/rear-bags/universal-racer

Banana Racer

Banana Racer (25 liters capacity). 5 colors available.

https://www.radicaldesign.nl/en/products/recumbent-bags/side-panniers/banana-racer

Which bags fit which Cruzbikes

Quest 26
Solo Aero, wide, at top of seat. (Rack needs to be removed and rear wheel comes close depending on seat angle.)
Solo Racer, narrow, at top of seat.
Solo Racer, wide, at top and bottom of seat.
Universal Racer, anywhere on seat.
Banana Racer (25 liter)

Silvio 2.0 and 1.5

Solo Racer, narrow, at top of seat, under seat cushion.

Solo Racer, wide: fits both at top of seat over seat cushion and at base of seat, at the seat pan, as a tiny rack-free under-seat pannier.
Universal Racer
Banana Racer
Notes:
Solo Aero narrow fits at top of seat, but comes very close to the wheel, especially if heavily loaded.

Vendetta
Universal Racer

Banana Racer (25 liter)
Banana Small (40 liter)

Banana Medium (55 liter)

Sofrider (bike out of production)
Solo Aero, wide, at top of seat.

Solo Racer, narrow, at top of seat.
Solo Racer, wide, at top and bottom of seat.
Universal Racer, anywhere on seat.
Banana Racer (25 liter)
Banana Small (40 liter)
Banana Medium (55 liter)

Quest 20 (bike out of production)
Solo Aero, wide, at top of seat. (Rack needs to be removed.)

Solo Racer, narrow, at top of seat.
Solo Racer, wide, at top and bottom of seat.
Universal Racer, anywhere on seat.
Banana Racer (25 liter)

Rider photos

More photos from our friend in England. Additional straps were added and threaded above and below the seat pan on this Vendetta with Banana Racers. Clever. Provides very secure attachment.

RD bags on a Vendetta

Same Vendetta

More Vendetta

Have bags, will travel, will ship,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Headrests for the Cruzbike Quest and Sofrider

A customer recently asked about headrests for the Cruzbike Quest.  Although there are beautiful headrests for the Silvio and Vendetta, at this time Cruzbike does not make a headrest specially for the Quest or Sofrider.  However, with a little drilling and bolt-twisting, riders can install third-party headrests.  Here are some recommendations:

HP Velotechnik's headrest

- HP Velotechnik's carbon fiber adjustable headrest, made for their body link seat.  It attaches with two bolts.  Riders need to drill matching bolt holes in the seat of their Quest or Sofrider.  New York City Recumbent Supply keeps them in stock.

ADEM's headrest.

- ADEM's headrest works on the Quest and Sofrider, for which riders will need the "tall" version.  Again, installation requires drilling a few holes.  Riders can buy these on the ADEM website.



I'll add headrests to this blog post if I hear about them.  So, gentle reader, if you have a favorite Cruzbike headrest, please send me the info.

Have fun and rest your head,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

View of a thunderstorm from a Street Machine Gte.

Robert, out of the Adirondacks "blue line," and into another thunderstorm.

Have fun and keep your feet dry. Or not.
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

Adirondacks tour: 750-miles of hills on a Street Machine Gte

Robert Matson (hi), modeling high-viz in high places, at the end of the road to the top of Whiteface Mountain, fifth highest peak in the Adirondacks at 4,867' at summit. You can see a bit of Lake Placid in the background. On a good day you can see hundreds of miles, but not today.
There was no safe place to leave my luggage, so I rode to the top with my Street Machine Gte fully loaded, with my stuff heavy and wet from the rain. In other words, yes, recumbents can "do hills." And, yes, the Street Machine kicks butt. Photo copyr. 2013 Robert Matson

I recently got back from a solo, unsupported trip through the Adirondacks in New York state.  I took the Metro North from New York City to Poughkeepsie, NY and began riding from there.  Over the next few weeks, as time allows, I'll post photos and notes.

Stats:

750 miles

12 days

1 mountain above 4,600 feet (Whiteface Mountain).

Avg. speed for trip: 10.3 mph

Max speed: 50.4 mph (I hit 50.2 going from Whiteface down into Wilmington, and then hit 50.4 on the road from Lake Placid to Keene. Whiteface into Wilmington was fine, with a good road surface and very few cars. Placid to Keene was a different story, with steep, narrow roads with cracked surfaces and terrible drivers. I was so glad I was riding a Street Machine.)

Total elevation climbed: uncountable.

Started/ended riding in Poughkeepsie, NY. (Rode from Brooklyn to Grand Central Station.  Took Metro North to Poughkeepsie.)

Solo trip, fully loaded, unsupported.

Weather? It stunk. Thunderstorms and rain every day but one, with hot humid weather between the storms. Most of the scenic views were obscured by rain, clouds, mist and fog. (Yes, there were moments of whining to myself.) But at least it wasn't windy.

Zero incidents, zero accidents, zero flat tires, zero mechanical problems, zero animal bites. But don't ask me about mosquito, black fly, and midge bites.

No. of appearances of the first aid kit? Maybe once or twice. But my feet began to blister on Day 11.

No. of incidents of road rage? One. An SUV (what else) with California plates (where else) on a road...in a campground (WTF?). In general, other than on the road out of Lake Placid, drivers were quite cool.

Number of wrong turns and times I got lost? One. I took a wrong turn on the second to last day in Hudson, NY, but it was quickly corrected. That's a pretty darn good record, if I may say so myself.

Panniers: Radical Designs

Bike: HP Velotechnik Street Machine Gte (accept no substitutes).

Stop whining about the rain and just ride,
Robert
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Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson