Category: components

ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR TRIKE

Our trikes come pretty much bare bone from the manufacturer so we need to start adding accessories to them. And there are lots of them one can add. Here is a video telling of the accessories one trike rider added to his trike.

Yes, lights, horns, mirrors. safety flags, neck rests, wrist rests,  foot retention, cameras, hydration, canopies, assist bars, storage bags, tools, spare parts, and more … all things we can add to our trikes.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

CATRIKE HANDLEBARS

Did you know that not all Catrike handlebars are the same? When they came out with the 559 model they changed the handlebars making them longer (higher, taller). As far as I know the 559 is the only model that comes with taller handlebars. I have a Catrike Trail which, of course, had the original handlebars on it. I never liked them because my hands were too close to the front wheels. The handlebars just were not tall enough. I used it this way for several years. Then along came the 559 model and taller handlebars. Guess what … my Catrike Trail now has taller handlebars and I no longer deal with my hands being too close to the tires.

When I bought my taller handlebars I had to order handlebars for the 559 as that is how they were listed then on their website. But now they show them as long handlebars vs standard handlebars making it easier.

I just looked at their website and noticed what I consider a rather strange thing. They show the left side as “in stock” and the right side as “in stock”, but they show the pair as “out of stock”. I would think that a left and a right that they have in stock would make a pair. But what do I know. Maybe things have changed since I went to school.

 

 

Anyway, if you feel your hands are too close to the tires and there is not enough room to wear winter gloves or mittens without them making contact with your tires this could resolve the matter. You can’t buy a pair of these handlebars at this time, but you can buy a left and a right. Who knows … that may even work. It did when I went to school.

BTW, making this change to an older Catrike results in also getting the mounts for wrist rests. I added wrist rests  since I had a place to mount them. I really like having the wrist rests.

 

Having taller handlebars means that reaching down to the locking pin on the brake levers is easier than it used to be. Before I had to reach down into a small crowded area.

Lastly here is an alternate way to accomplish the same thing and for far less money …

Cutting the tubing and using a wooden dowel inside to lengthen them is one way to accomplish it. One could use epoxy to fill in the gap in the tubing to make it look better.

Having taller handlebars just may help you to …

ENJOY THE RIDE!

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

HAVING TROUBLE FINDING SPOKES?

The picture above is of my rear wheel with a hub motor. As you can see the spokes are quite short … only 2  7/8 inches long. That in itself makes them special, but they are also 12 gauge meaning they are heavier duty than standard spokes. I have checked the local bike shops and none of them can help me. I searched online and came up empty handed … nothing. I contacted the Ebay seller I bought the wheel from hoping I could get some spare spokes. I failed to mention that I have one broken spoke in the rear wheel. I removed it but have not been able to replace it yet. Anyway, I never heard anything back from the Ebay seller so I am unable to replace the broken spoke. I would think the wheel would come with a few extra spokes but it didn’t. Since I have not been able to locate a source for these spokes I have had no choice but to ride my trike ‘as is’ missing the spoke. That is not a problem, however, I would like to get it replaced. Two or three months have passed by when I learned of a bike shop in Chicago that specializes in spokes. I contacted them and inquired into it. No problem … they have them and I had my choice of black or silver. I ordered a dozen along with the nipples and now I have spokes.

I am telling you this just in case there are others who are or will be facing the same situation. The Chicago bike shop is Yojimbo’s Garage at 1310 North Clybourn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60670. It appears to be somewhat of a specialty shop. The phone number is 312-587-0878 and the email address is: marcus@yojimbosgarage.com

I got quick reliable service when I contacted them. I was so thankful to finally get the spare spokes I needed. I was quite surprised to discover that these 12 gauge spokes are hard to find. 13 and 14 gauge are commonplace but not 12 gauge. Even so I did not expect to discover that they are hard to find. I assumed most any LBS (local bike shop) could supply them,  but they all said no, they can’t help.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

CURRENTLY SOLD OUT/OUT OF STOCK

I have heard it said that the whole world is on hold and back order. Definitely something has changed and it is not for the better. So many things I look up only to find words like “Currently Out of Stock” and usually followed by “we don’t know when this item will be ‘back in stock’/available”. Buying tires has really become challenging. Not only are things not available online but we often find the same thing to be true in our local stores.

This did not just simply happen. It was purposely caused. We can thank  President Trump that the situation is not much worse than it is as he took action to lessen what the DEEP STATE did to bring this about. So many people stubbornly refuse to accept and believe all the evil that is going on. It should not be that hard to accept it if one just pays attention and has an open mind to it. These people have come right out and told us what they are up to.

The Georgia Guidestones spelled it all out. What was found inscribed on the stones is the same thing the Illuminati  has disclosed at various times and places. The so called ** Vice President of the United States, Kamila Harris, recently said that we need to reduce the population. A slip of the tongue? Not what she was trying to say? No, what she said is the truth (for a change). Her and Biden seldom speak the truth. They are both just like their father, the devil, who is a liar.

** She is no more the V.P. than Joe Biden is the President since the 2020 election was stolen by the Deep State.  You don’t really think that a person who could not even get 50 people to attend his rallies actually won the election, do you? As far as I am concerned Donald Trump is still the President … the legitimate President.

Back to the Georgia Guidestones … From Wikipedia: “A message consisting of a set of ten guidelines or principles was engraved on the Georgia Guidestones. The inscriptions dealt with four main themes: “governance and the establishment of a world government, population and reproduction control, the environment and humankind’s relationship to nature, and spirituality.”[2]

The very first inscription read:

  1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000.

They consider that to be a manageable number to control. To get the world’s population to 500,000,000 means eliminating 90 % of the present population … by death. That is why Covid 19 was released upon mankind … followed by the so called vaccine commonly referred by those who know what is going on as “the death jab“. They are working hard on bringing about a “one world government” otherwise known and referred to as “the new world order”. It even appears on the $! bill in Latin.

President Trump really messed up their plans and schedule setting them back several years from the progress they had made and had hoped to continue to make. That is why they had to steal the election and regain power. They are trying hard to stop Trump from regaining power as they know he will reverse everything they have managed to put into place and really mess them up again. All the charges they are accusing Trump of and trying to go after him for he is innocent of, but they themselves are very guilty of all of it. For those who find it too hard to believe that all of this is really going on be aware that this one world government is all part of end time bible prophecy.

You know the bottom line to all of this is simply … there is a God Who loves you and died for you to prove it. And there is a devil who hates you and is out to deceive you and keep you from the TRUTH. If you don’t believe there is a devil (Satan) then I say to you that he has already accomplished his work in your life. Jesus said of Himself … “I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father unless he comes thru Me”.  (John 14:6)  Jesus, the One Who created you, truly loves you and wants to save you from the fate you and I deserve. (I am talking about hell.) Everyone of us has eternal life. It is our choice where we spend it. A FREE GIFT really does await you, but  like any gift offered you must reach out (respond to the one who is offering it) in order to receive it.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

SOME THINGS JUST DON’T HOLD UP

As some of you know I got a new (to me) tadpole trike recently. It is a Greenspeed Magnum SD and has a 750 watt Bafang crankdrive motor on it which was installed at the dealership where it was sold. They did a neat professional job installing it. Among the things they did was to run the wires down the left handlebar and put a foam handlebar grip over the wires. I never have liked foam grips but they are what came on it.

The foam grips have a seam in them which is glued  or heat sealed together. The dealership positioned the foam grips so that the wires are right on the seam. With the extra stress right on the seam the seam has started to open up from the top and continues to open up further with daily use. Something had to be done as it would have split completely open and fallen off of the handlebar. So I wrapped some white plastic tape around it which is functional but not very nice looking. With one black hand grip and one white one it really stands out. I suppose I could have replaced the hand grip but it would have been quite involved to do so and I didn’t want to mess with it. I suppose I could take the tape back off and try using some super glue on it although I don’t know if I could be successful in getting the foam rubber pulled back together so it could be glued together. It did not pull back together when I wrapped the plastic tape around it.

Anyway, I have had these foam grips before and found that they just don’t hold up so I never replaced them with more of the same. In fact, I don’t care for any type of foam grip. I have had them on motorcycles and found them disappointing. Some things just don’t hold up!

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

A LOOK AT THE BAFANG DIGITAL DISPLAY CONSOLES

I am about to get a Bafang crankdrive e-motor so I am looking at them online trying to learn some things about them before I actually get it. I have had a Tonsheng e-motor so I have experience with it. Of course, all e-motor systems are similiar and I have had several different ones in the past. One of the e-motors I had, an eZee, showed the battery power level in voltage which I really liked at it was far more accurate than the typical graphs most e-motors come with. They are  very inaccurate but the voltage display is very accurate. The Bafang has the option to display the battery power level in percentage or voltage. I like that.

Never having a Bafang e-motor system before I know next to nothing about them at this point in time. I see that they have more than one digital display consoles. I have no idea which one is on the trike I am getting. Looking at the variety of digital displays Bafang has is like looking at a list of Sears Craftsman lawnmower models. The question that comes to my mind is … “WHY?” Why do they have so many? It is ridiculous!

I have no idea if I have covered all of their different digital display consoles. Anyway, this is a good start. I think I have some idea what to do when I get the trike. Of course, the first thing I need to do is get a battery mounted. Without a battery I won’t get anywhere with the digital display console. Here is a picture showing  the Bafang controls on my new trike …

I am sure looking forward to my first ride on it. I sure hope this nasty air from the Canadian wildfires is gone by then. Yesterday was the first time we have experienced it here in northern Indiana. Just a walk outside from the house and it is immediately noticeable. Yesterday we were at 198 on the air quality index. Milwaukee was 268. Right now (Wed. 6-28) it is 203 here in Fort Wayne.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

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“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

YA CAN’T WIN FOR LOSING (ABOUT INNER TUBES)

I don’t think any normal person likes getting flats. I know I sure don’t. For years I used Schwabe Marathon Plus tires and never had a flat while using them.

A few years ago I switched to Schwalbe Big Ben Plus as I wanted to go with a balloon tire. I like the ride and handlling of the Big Ben Plus but they don’t offer the wear mileage nor as much flat protection as the Marathon Plus. I have always used standard inner tubes (shown as normal in the photo above). When I switched to the Big Ben Plus tires I decided to use the heavy duty thorn resistant inner tubes as the tires are plenty roomy inside to accommadate them.. My thinking was “since the BB+ don’t offer as much flat protection as the M+ tires do adding the HD inner tubes would increase the flat protection”. And they do, but there is a trade off. With the much thicker wall inner tube comes stiffness. With these inner tubes the sidewalls of the tires can’t yield like they can when a standard inner tube is used. Oh BTW, the cost for the HD inner tubes is about doulble what the standard inner tubes cost.

What I am saying is using the HD inner tubes means the soft ride balloon tires are capable of providing is sacrificed. It is a tradeoff. I am tempted to go back to using standard inner tubes just to experience the difference it would make in the ride.

I just had a thought worth mentioning here. Whatever a person does don’t mix up inner tubes, especially on the two front wheels. Don’t have a HD inner tube in one side and a standard inner tube in the  tire on the other side. That could seriously effect the handling of the trike and result in a wreck.

Well, that is my story and for now I am stuck with it. Besides, I just restocked my supply of HD inner tubes. My plan is to …

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

TRIKE TECH WEBSITE

triketech.com has a lot to offer so I recommend it as a resource. It covers pretty much everything concerning tadpole trikes. Just take a look-see at their index page:

Rider Specifications covers physical aspects of the rider and how to provision, fit and adjust all aspects of a Recumbent Trike to the rider

Trike Stuff discusses technical elements of Recumbent Trikes along with some long term Trike Reviews

Drivetrain provides both technical and rider benefits for popular Internal Gear Hubs, Derailleurs, Chains, Idlers & Brakes

Power Assist covers both basics and details on selecting the best Electric Assist system for your needs and budget

Rolling Stuff explains bearings, hubs, rims & tires with some comprehensive Tire Reviews

  • Bearings – ABEC, Sizing, Lubrication, Steel & Ceramic benefits
  • Wheel Dynamics – Sizes, Weights, Performance Impacts
  • Tires – Sizes, Robustness, Performance Impacts

Accessories will help you get the most bang-for-the-buck on all those must have little gizmos & gadgets for your Recumbent Trike

  • Lights – How to see & be seen without breaking the bank
  • Flags – Visibility, Illumination & Drag
  • Cargo – Racks, Bags, Hydration Systems
  • Mounts – Phone Mounts, Bottle Mounts, Computer Mounts, etc.
  • Computers – Features, Wired, Wireless, Illumination & Mounting
  • GPS Phone Apps

Places to Ride offers an informal review of some rides worth taking a vacation to try

Links to the most valuable resources on the internet for Recumbent Trikes

  • Trike Centric Forums
  • OEM’s
  • Rides
  • Using Google Maps

I did notice that the website is not fully functional. Unfortunately many LINKS don’t function and many things have no links. This greatly takes away from the website. I don’t have a clue why it is this way. Hopelly it will get fixed.

After composing this I discovered that I already posted about triketech.com back in Jan. 2016. Click HERE to see it.

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERNT FOLKS

I can remember as a kid growing up some families had Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Imperials, etc. while others had Ramblers or similar bottom of the line offerings. And it is not always about what they can afford. Some people just went with the “entry level” offerings even though they could afford something more. It is the same with buying a tadpole trike. I have a friend who bought  a TerraTrike Rambler. For only $300 more he could have bought a Catrike Villager and had a much better trike. He realizes that now and regrets that he didn’t. Oh well, what has been done has been done and can’t be changed.

There are just so many people who end up with buyer’s remorse after buying a trike that lacks quality and good engineering design. They end up buying a better quality trike and wasting good money going thru this process. Of course, some folks are satisfied with a Nash Rambler.

I had a Rambler once. It broke down little by little. First both shocks on the rear quit working at the same time and the back of the car would bounce up and down like crazy. I was in the navy at the time. I had orders to go out to Mare Island, California from Norfolk, VA … a drive from the east coast to the west coast over two ranges of mountains. The night before I left the overdrive went out on it resulting in the inability to get the gas mileage I had been getting. While driving out there the engine developed a leak in the headgasket resulting in engine coolant water mixing into the engine oil and the engine overheating. Steam came out of the exhasust. I had to carry lots of water with me to keep filling the radiator up. I started sleeping in the day time and driving at night time when it was cooler. This coolant leaking was a common problem on Rambler’s aluminum 6 cylinder engine. My dad had it happen on his Rambler. Upon getting out to California the shocks on the front end quit working and the entire car would bounce like crazy while driving down the road. Needless to say,  I never bought another one. It pays to buy quality.

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AFFORDABLE VS CHEAP TRIKES

There are both affordable trikes and cheap trikes. My advice is to buy the best you can afford even if you have to delay to save up. There are also dealers who offer financing enabling customers to buy a better trike paying for it over time. I definitely caution people not to by a cheap trike as you get what you pay for. Fortunately there are not very many “cheap trikes” being manufactured. I personally would suggest a Catrike or an ICE or HP Velotechnik or an Azub. I think you would be happier with your purchase as the quality is so much better.

You might be wondering why I did not include TerraTrike or Trident. Well, defintely they are more affordable, but I personally don’t think they offer the quality found in these others I have listed. I think you would be more content with one of the other brands I mentioned even though they cost more. Certainly there are a lot of testimonies to back this up. It is true that both trike manufacturers offer good customer service but that does not equate to product quality.

I left out Chinese trikes. The trikes themselves may be alright but customer service can be a major concern. If components parts fail and you can’t get them it would probably mean you would have to replace them with brand name parts which cost a lot more. Over time you will probably spend more than what you saved and deal with down time where you can’t ride.

Definitely avoid Mobo and Kent.  In my opinion a reputable dealer who cares about their customers won’t sell these cheap trikes.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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BROKEN BATTERY MOUNT

My T-Cycle battery mount broke off yesterday spilling my battery onto the road. Fortunately the battery came to rest right on the painted line of the center turn lane and the traffic was stopped at a traffic light so I was able to retrieve the battery without it or myself getting ran over. It destroyed my plug that plugs into the battery. I tried for a long time to repair it but had no luck. That meant that I had a long ride home pedaling under my own power. And that means granny gear at 2 mph as that is all my body is capable of doing anymore as I have aged. I had to stop numerous times to rest. And the worst of it was I knew rain was coming and there was no way I was going to get home before that happened. So, by the time I did get home I was soaked to the bone as the light rain we had been having turned to a heavier rain. At least my phone stayed dry as I placed a plastic bag over it. This morning I went to work on my trike getting the electrical problems fixed so I can ride again using my motor. I just finished that. I am going to take a picture of the broken battery mount and send it to T-Cycle to see if they will cover it under warranty. If not I can weld it and continue to use it but I am leaning on making the pieces out of steel so it will be stronger. Since I installed the T-Cycle battery mount I have used rubber bungee cords on it to help take weight off of it and reduce metal fatigue hoping to prevent this. That is a lot of weight hanging out there to work at fatiguing that soft aluminum piece full of holes. Everything on the trike gets bounced around a lot and suffers serious jolts.
I am not an engineer, but I was a very experienced metal fabricator with over 60 years of experience. I have learned some things about metal and know about metal fatigue. Repair welding was my specialty. I have repaired tons of broken metal pieces … most of which failed due to being underbuilt. The T-Cycle battery mount is poorly engineered as it is weak where they have all the holes drilled and tapped. That is right where it broke, of course.  Most T-Cycle products are well made but I can’t say that about this one. If I remember correctly it is rated for 15 pounds. My battery weighs 14 pounds. I see on T-Cycle’s website that they have improved this battery mount for Catrike so maybe they have improved upon this weak point. I have written about T-Cycle’s battery mounts before. Click HERE to view it. And I have written an article on their other many fine products. Click HERE to view it. I have several of their products on my trike and with the exception of the battery mount I am well satisfied with their design and quality.
T-Cycle, if you are reading this my trike is a 2013 Catrike Trail.

 

 

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WHY GET AN ELECTIC ASSIST ON A TRIKE?

This video states that 70 % of tadpole trikes are being sold with electric motors. All it takes is a ride on one to understand why this is so.

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INADAQUATE FENDER DESIGN

I just arrived back home from a trike ride. It is misting out so the streets, sidewalks and trails are all wet. I have always had fenders on my trike. I would not care to ride without them. I get plenty wet with them. I would be totally soaked riding without them. Even with them I get pretty wet as water still is flung off of the tires and the fenders do very little to stop it. The outside of my upper leg and my hip area get wet as do my arms. The water goes thru 3 or 4 layers of clothing and my arms are constantly wet., especially my left arm

Above is a picture of my sweatshirt sleeve. You can see the wet area and some stains from muddy water which got splashed up on me.

The problem is very obvious … poor fender design. Most manufacturers just don’t care that their fenders are inadequate.. They just don’t care that their fenders don’t do the job. There is one exception that I know of and that is HP Velotechnik. The fenders for their Scorpion are excellent and are the way all fenders should be designed. So trike manufactuers … if you are paying attention … please care enough about your product to improve upon the  design. Your customers will appreciate it. I love my Catrike but I would surely enjoy it a lot more if I could ride it without getting all wet.

I ride a Catrike.Trail. I ordered it with fenders and at that time Catrike used the cheap plastic Planet Bike fenders. They would flop around like a chicken with its head cut off.

They were poor quqlity and the mounting system used was lousy. Finally Catrike came out with aluminum alloy fenders and fender mounts similar to what ICE trikes have.

This is a vast improvement over their previous mounts. So I ordered a set and installed them when they arrived. They are much better but I still get wet. I would love to see Catrike and other trike manufactuers offer fenders like the HP Velotechnik fenders I mentioned. Then I could ride on wet surfaces and not get wet. A fender set is not an inexpensive purchase and I don’t want to spend more money for another set of fenders, but I would if they were available. I thought of buying the HP Velotechnik front fenders but I don’ know if I could mount them on my Catrike or not.

Using wider tires such as Big Apple or Big Ben adds to the problems as the fenders are not made wide enough to accommodate them. But just being wider in and of itself would still not solve the problem. They need to come down on the inside like these examples. Then the water being flung off of the tires could not land on the trike rider.

If I were much younger I  might try fabricating my own or at least an add on piece which would provide this “wall on the inside”. Maybe I could make them and sell them. But alas I am an old man now and my fabrication days are far behind me. I no longer have my welding shop and all the equipment I had in it. Oh, I could still do the work, but my eyesight is quite poor making it very hard if not impossible for me to do a lot of things I used to do.

Here is a trike with homemade fenders which are unusually large to accommodate wide tires.

So unless Catrike and other manufacturers wake up and produce and sell fenders that actually work I guess I will just go on getting wet. It is bad enough when it is warm outside but getting wet in cold weather just is not all that pleasant and enjoyable.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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I LIKE SAVING MONEY. HOW ABOUT YOU?

I don’t know about you but I like saving money whenever I can. Of course, I want quality for my money. A good price is not a good price or deal if it lacks quality. I have mostly bought Avid brand brake pads since I bought my trike. They are not inexpensive …. like$22 a set. A few years ago I came across some inexpensive brake pads made in China. What isn’t any more? And, yes, those $22 Avid brake pads are made in China. Anyway, I decided to try the inexpensive brake pads. I ordered several sets of them. It cost me about $2.50 per set. That is a huge savings … $22 vs $2.50. And the good news is they have been excellent quality … every bit as good as the Avid brand. I have been very well pleased with them. I just replaced the brake pads on my trike recently. I could have waited longer but I was pretty sure the right side was getting rather worn and I didn’t want to procrastinate and end up with  a metal to metal situation. Anyway I got 16,775 miles out of this last set so I got my money’s worth out of them. And I just ordered  8 more sets for $2.50 each. And that includes the shipping.

So what is the difference between Avid brand brake pads and  these inexpensive ones you ask? The best answer I could give to that is … $19.50 … that is the difference.

One thing I have learned is when shopping online for them not to jump on what appears to be the best price as if I wait and keep looking I always find them cheaper. I have had problems trying to order them from Aliexpress. I have been buying them on Ebay. Sometimes the price looks good but then I discover the shipping is considerable.

For what it is worth, I would not be at all surprised if many of these various brands of brake pads are made in the same factory. Years ago that was very commonplace in China.

Speaking of saving money, I like buying my tires for half of what most people pay for them. It can be done. I have done it for years.

Anyway, hey, I like saving money. How about you?

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PEDAL CONFIGURATION & FOOT PLACEMENT

Well known triker, Matt Galat, talks about his experience with pedals and foot position including dealing with foot pain and a few other problems.

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TIRES FOR LESS

One thing is for sure. Tires are a consumable. They wear out and need to be replaced. I am constantly coming across people who pay “full price” or nearly so for their tires. And some people don’t believe me when I tell them what I pay for my tires … often less than half of what they pay. I am no one special. I don’t get any better deal than what anybody else can get. It just takes a little bit of time and effort to find sources offering great prices. One person recently said that they buy their tires on Amazon as if that ensures they get the lowest prices. Actually I have never seen good prices for tires on Amazon or Ebay. And rarely do I see any good prices for tires on any source here in the United States. I have consistently found them from sources in Europe, especially Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Right now with the world economy such as it is with high inflation going on the tire prices are not quite as good as they were. However, one can still find some good deals. At this time the best I have found is Bikeinn in Spain. Some other sources I have used in the past are: BikeDiscount in Germany Bike24 in Germany Merlin Cyclery in United Kingdom. One more comes mind although they don’t always have as good of a price as these others. I am referring to BikeTiresDirect.com in the U.S.  Right now their price is $34.99 with free shipping.

Yes, there is oftentimes shipping charges to pay, but even with those charges figured in the price per tire is still a bargain compared to what one usually finds elsewhere. I have had people boast to me about the price they just paid for some tires. It was ten dollars or more higher per tire than what I have been paying right along. As an example … in the past for 20 by 1.75 Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (47-406) I have typically paid $24 to $28 per tire including shipping. BTW, in the past at least one source offered free shipping on orders over $75. I always buy 3 or 4 tires at a time. Sometimes I order for a friend and save him a lot of money. You can easily see that if a certain tire costs $24 and there is a $22 shipping charge it is cheaper per tire to order 3 or 4 at a time. Otherwise one tire costs $46. Three tires would be $31.33 per tire. Four tires would be $29.50 per tire. I can’t say how many tires you can order for their stated shipping charge. The most I have ever ordered at one time was 4. I am sure if you went over a certain weight the shipping cost would increase. And speaking of shipping charges increasing … like everything else nowadays, yes, they are higher now. And as we know all over the world we are dealing with shortages and delays. Usually the sources I use have had the tires in stock but nowadays sometimes they are out of stock. Of course, at their low prices they sell a lot. Bike24 has a really good price on Marathon Plus tires right now ($22.70), but they are out of stock. That does not include shipping but since they are out of stock I can’t find out what the shipping is. The MSRP on the Marathon Plus tires is about $47, I think. Seems like it used to be about $54. It is hard to believe that they lowered it. Anyway, you can order them from Amazon for $47.54 saving 10% they say … or … you can wise up and stop paying full price or nearly so by doing what I do.

I do ask one thing … please don’t accuse me of lying to people about the prices I pay for tires. That more less happened recently and I didn’t appreciate it.

BTW, anyone who is interested in trying Vee tires Bikeinn has them really cheap … $4 to $8 per tire plus shipping costs. I could not believe my eyes as I looked thru their tires and saw those prices.

Oh yes, one last thing … service as in customer service. I have always been pleased with the service I have received from each of these companies I have dealt with. They usually send out the tires the same day or next day after ordering them. Occasionally they get held up in U.S. Customs longer than should be necessary. And, of course, right now shipping is delayed some all over the world. But hey, that’s life!

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TWO WAYS TO DESTROY A PERFECTLY GOOD REAR DERAILLEUR

In the picture above the chain is too short and the rear derailleur is stretched out too far with no more available movement left. In this scenario the rear derailleur can be damaged … bent from not having any more movement available. This is one of two ways that come to mind when it comes to damaging the rear derailleur.

The other way is to try to pedal  without first down shifting into a low enough gear. Applying brute force on a pedal trying to move when in too high of a gear can result in making a pretzel out of your rear derailleur. One needs to be very careful not to “force” the rear derailleur as they just are not designed to take such abuse. Sometimes a rear deraileur can be bent back straightening it out to where it will work. However, sometimes one can work and work on it and never get it to shift properly again. Sometimes ya just got to bite the bullet and toss it in the scrap pile and install a new one. I had that happen to me once with a very expensive rear deraileur which was almost brand new. I had picked up a small tree limb about 5/8 of an inch in diameter. It went right into my rear derailleur and spokes doing a lot of damage. I straightened it out the best I could but it never worked right after that and I was forced to replace it. The main problem was the hangar had gotten bent and stretched out. I staraighted it but because it had stretched it would not go back to the right position and alignment. It required replacement. Needless to say, it didn’t make my day.

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A FREE GIFT awaits you!

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FREE WHEEL AIN’T FREE WHEELIN’

When I bought my current hub motor I had to buy a free wheel sprocket assembly to use with it. I have put a lot of miles on it over the passing years. The teeth on the sprockets are still in fine shape, but the bearings and races are screaming at me to be replaced. It slips, grabs, locks up and sounds like a threshing machine when it acts up. It is worn out and badly in need or replacement. The problem is my 9 speed unit is no longer easy to find. I have been getting by continuing to use it thanks to taking it apart and oiling it well. But it really needs to be replaced. Finally I found one and ordered it. I am just hoping my current one won’t leave me stranded somewhere as I am continuing to take my daily rides.  My new unit is suppose to arrive about the middle of next week. I wish I could use a newer unit … a cassette instead of a free wheel, but alas it is not to be. And 9 speed is old tech and getting harder to find. And beggars can’t be chooses when it comes to selection. I would like to get an 11-36 tooth unit, but all that was available is an 11-32 which is what I have now. I had changed to an 11-36  rear cassette on my Catrike wheel to help with hill climbing but when I bought my e-motor all that was available was an 11-32. As time goes by it is getting bleaker. I am just glad I was able to find an 11-32. Hopefully it will last me quite some time helping me to …

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I don’t know what I would be up against if it needs to be replaced again.

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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UPDATE — I got the new free wheel installed today (12-17-21) and wow … what a difference. The brand new free wheel is like brand new!

 

UTAH TRIKES … PREPARING A CUSTOMER ORDER

Many of us are familiar with Utah Trikes. Here is an opportunity to get more familiar with them. This video takes you thru the process of receiving a customer order and all that is involved in preparing it … building the trike to sell it to the customer. I found it interesting. Hopefully you will too.

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A FREE GIFT awaits you!

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