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| Our Choice of Accessories |
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When we first started, we didn't
have a clue what we were doing! |
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In the beginning we talked
with other riders (in person and on the web) and
learned from them. We tried lots of things,
experimented, and customized our bike to make it
truly ours. This page is our way of "giving
back" and saying thanks for all the help we
received in those early days.
It is our hope that this page will be helpful to
those of you that are searching for input like
we were. As of this writing we have over 8,000 miles on
our bike and are still learning, fine tuning,
and making it even better!
Not all of the items listed below were purchased
right away. Some we started out with, but most
we added as time went by. The more we rode, we
learned what we liked and what we didn't. A big
part of that was our own self discovery;
figuring out what type
of bike riding we enjoyed most. We then looked
at what accessories would improve that
experience. This page contains information
on what items we chose and why. |
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Our best advice: Identify what kind of
riding you really like (not what others may
enjoy) and start pedaling!
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| Pedals |
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We had never tried
them before, but when we got the bike we had them
install clipless pedals. Then of course we got the special
shoes to go with them. We absolutely love them!
From a couple sources, I had heard the recommendation
that they were especially good for the "stoker" (back
seat rider on a tandem). The reason was that if
the "captain" (front rider) needed to stop suddenly, or
hit a bump without warning the stoker, their feet could
slip off the pedals. The other reason for getting
them is that it allows us to pull as well as push and
thus get much more power as we ride (especially nice
on hills). The pedals we chose have a clip for the
shoe on one side, and a regular flat platform on the
other side (Shimano PD-M324, see the picture below). When I ride in a stop and go
situations, like a downtown area, I stay on the platform
side. Once I get out on a longer stretch I clip
in. The stoker stays clipped in the whole time
just as the passenger on a motorcycle keeps their feet
up the entire ride. We did have the same pedals
installed on the back anyway, so when we
give other people rides they could use the platform side
of the pedal. We definitely recommend them!
The shoes we chose look like walking shoes (made by
Specialized). The
clip on the bottom (once installed) is recessed so when
we take a break on one of our rides for lunch or
shopping we can walk around without a problem. |
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| Helmets |
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| We found a particular
bike helmet we really like. It is the
Bell Metropolis. It has a place on the
back to attach a flashing light and is designed
for a rain cover that
just snaps on. The cover is great, not just for
rain but it really helps keep your head warm in
the cooler weather! |
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| Cargo
Space |
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One challenge we
have always faced is just how to carry all
the things with us that we want to take on our
rides (check our "Riding Tips" page for some of the things we
recommend taking along). When we first got
the bike we included the yellow "tailpack" from
the maker of the bike (left). We soon
found that we needed even more space. We found this
black case on the web
made by a company called
Otivia.
It is a lockable hard shell case that only
weighs two pounds. It was originally
designed for use on recumbents so the width is
the same as our seat. It has a surprising
amount of room inside. On the days we rode
to work, I took my laptop computer back
and forth in safety! We are very happy with
it.
I had to do a little bit of modification to get it
bolted on to my particular rack, but not too bad.
It also makes a good place for our web address!
(For a LOT more cargo space... check our
Touring Page) |
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| Tires |
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We were not very happy
with the standard tires that came on the bike.
The original stock tires were 1-1/2 inch wide and ran at
100psi, basically rock hard and the ride felt
like it. It was especially apparent with
the 20" front tire. We considered putting
a suspension front fork on the bike to improve
the ride, but I could only find one on the
market that was rated by the manufacturer for a
tandem (others are used on tandems, but not with
the blessings of their makers). The
initial cost and maintenance requirements of
that fork were both high. I was told
before jumping in that direction to try the 2
inch "Big Apple" tire by
Schwalbe
(top right). It has a maximum rating of 70psi,
so it is still quit hard
with good rolling resistance, but when you do hit a
bump they flex much more than the stock tires. We noticed a
substantial improvement on the very first ride! They
also have Kevlar belts to resist punctures.
Ah yes, the other reason for changing our tire
choices... flats. I got so tired of flats,
especially on the back tire, that I went looking
for other options. I found the "Marathon
Plus" tire also by
Schwalbe
(bottom right). It has a foam layer (the
blue) between the
tread and the tube, just in case anything gets
through the Kevlar belts. An object would
have to be longer than a quarter of an inch to reach the tube.
We chose this tire in a 1-3/4 inch width for the
back tire. It also runs at 70psi, so it
has good rolling resistance. So far, only
one flat in 3,000 miles. We ran over a 3/8
inch nail. We were
so pleased with its performance on the back, we
eventually put one on the front as well.
We lost a little bit of our soft ride going from
the 2 inch Big Apple to the 1-3/4 inch Marathon
Plus, but no flats was worth it. We still
have a much better ride than we did with the
original 1-1/2 inch tire. |

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| Air Pump |
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There are lots of different types and brands
of air pumps to choose from. I guess the
most important thing is just to have one, any
one if you happen to have a flat. My
favorite is the
"Turbo Morph G" by Topeak. We started
out with a different handheld type, but it was
hard to put enough power into your pumping to
get up above 50 psi. This pump is as
compact as any when stowed on the bike (far left
picture). When needed, it unfolds and
becomes much like the full size floor pump that
you may have in your garage. With the foot
peg and downward pumping motion, you have no
problem getting up to any pressure level.
The fold out dial type gage is also very easy to
read. I have seen many similar pumps (even
other models by Topeak) but none that I liked as
well. We purchased ours from our local
recumbent bike shop,
Coventry
Cycle Works (It's their favorite too). |
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| Chainrings |
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We rode with the original factory supplied
chainrings for two years. In most of our
riding there was no
problem. However up steep hills we never
felt like we had a low enough gear. There
were times where we really needed a good "granny
gear." We
would be straining hard and yet unable to keep the RPM
at a decent rate. The standard set of chainrings
(front set of three gears) that comes on the
Screamer are: 55, 44, and 32 teeth. (I
wonder if the fact that the Rans factory is
located on the plains of Kansas has anything to
do with it.) After a particular ride one day with a lot of
climbing, I started looking into changing the
gearing. I discovered that when the
Hostel
Shoppe builds there own version of the
Screamer, they had already figured this out.
For their "Ultimate Screamer" they get the frame from Rans then install their
own list of components. On that bike they use chainrings of 53/38/26 teeth. I copied
that on my bike, and it is fantastic! I
now have the equivalent of about a gear and a half
lower than my old lowest gear. It makes
all the difference on the steep hills. I
wish I would have made this change a long time
ago! |
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| Steering
& Idlers |
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I discovered an awesome resource.
It's a company in Portland who makes top
quality replacement parts for recumbent
bikes. Builders of "high-end"
bikes around the globe have chosen to
use their products. |
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I replaced the flex stem on my bike (circled
in blue to the right) with one made by
TerraCycle.
I hadn't been happy with the amount of slop in
the steering column on my bike. After
talking to several people, someone recommended
checking with TerraCycle. Their product is
amazing. The quality is so far superior to
the stock equipment that comes on most all
recumbents. The first ride after I
installed it made me a believer! I
can definitely endorse it. Because of the
great feedback on this product, some bike
manufactures are now installing them in the
factory. I eventually ended up replacing
the mast and handlebars with TerraCycle
equipment also.
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Other TerraCycle modifications are the chain
idlers. They make replacement idlers for
most recumbents with superior bearings that
improve performance. The best way I can
describe the difference is that the whole drive
train feels much smoother. The two stock
front idlers are replaced with one, located
farther forward on the bike (far left).
The rear pair take the place of the stock set in
the same location. |
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| Fairing |
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We added a Windwrap Fairing
(now made by TerraCycle as well). Since getting the bike I had considered a
fairing. One
of my reasons for hesitating was that wind
tunnel tests show that you don't really gain
much aerodynamic advantage until you are above
20 mph. We don't often exceed that unless
we are going down hill. Well, I wasn't
thinking that the mph is "air-speed" not
"ground-speed." If you are riding at 15mph
into a 15mph headwind, the aerodynamic effect on
the bike is 30mph! Since adding the
fairing, I have noticed three changes: we
accelerate much faster going down hill, it is
much easier riding into the wind, and my legs
stay dryer in the rain. I love it! I
did a custom installation (big surprise).
To add stability, especially on rough roads I
added a diagonal brace to the front of the "T"
holding the fairing. (You can click on the
picture to the left to see a larger version.) |
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| Beverage
Holders |
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One thing we talk about on our
"Riding Tips"
page is making sure you have plenty of water
with you on long rides. Most bikes are not
equipped with a sufficient number of places to
install water bottle cages. I have seen
riders come up with some very creative solutions
on where to mount additional cages. On our
bike we have places for 7 bottles (three on each
side and one in front). Even at that, on our longer rides
we have to stop and refill them! In the
picture to the right, two of the cages use
factory mounts on the back of the seats.
The one toward the back of the bike is mounted
on the rear seat support with hose clamps. |
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We just recently discovered these insulated
water bottles. I don't know if you have
had this same experience. Before you leave
home, you load up your bike with plenty of
bottles so you can stay properly hydrated on a
long ride. The problem is, by the time you
get to bottle number three, it is lukewarm and
you can hardly force yourself to drink it even
though you're thirsty. This product is
called the
Polar Bottle. It is actually two
bottles, one inside the other with an air space
and foil in between the two. Here is the
trick, fill the bottles part way with water and
put them in the freezer the night before.
Top them off with water when you leave in the
morning. Two hours later you will still
have ice cold water. You will have to
experiment, too much ice and it won't have
melted when you want to drink it. The 24
ounce bottle (which we bought) is taller than a
regular bottle so make sure you have space on
your bike. You can get them at most bike
shops (local and online). |
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Okay, I admit this must be a real Northwest
thing, combining bicycle riding and drinking
good coffee! We have always enjoyed
heading to our favorite local coffee shop for a
latte'. Once we started riding the bike on
a regular basis, it meant riding to the coffee
shop and sitting there while we shared a cup.
When we rode the bike to work,
we wanted to find a way to pick up our coffee
and take it with us! I found these at
The Bike
Gallery in Portland (made by
Trek).
They are a stainless steel insulated coffee cup. The really cool thing about these cups are that
they actually fit into a standard water bottle
cage! That's the reason for the unique
shape. |
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| Lights
- "see and be seen" |
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I think we get more comments about our lights
than any other single item on our bike.
We're always looking
for better ways to make ourselves more visible. I added these flashing lights
front and rear. The rear light really is
as bright as a car's tail light! On a
recent "century" ride, a number of the other
riders said it was the brightest rear bike light they
had ever seen. One guy said he saw us from
a mile away. The lights are called
"Foxfire" made by
Marpac. I actually purchased them from
Columbus
Supply, they were a little less expensive
than buying them from the manufacturer. I
did have to fabricate my own
bracket since they are not designed for bicycle
use (lower left pictures). They come with
magnets on the back, which I removed. I
used the existing screws to attach to my
brackets. On Marpac's website, they now
offer one that fits on the seat stem of an
upright bike, but that doesn't help us "bent"
riders. The lights run on 4 AA batteries each (I
use rechargeables).
I also have a stock high
intensity light just below the fairing to help
me see the road at night. |
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| Horn |
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As well as being seen,
we like to be heard also. There are times
when you need to make your presence known.
We actually have three different "noise makers."
We start out with a nice friendly bell. A
nice little "ding-ding" is usually all it takes
to get someone's attention as you approach them
from the rear on the bike trail. If that
doesn't work, we have a bulb type "ah-ooooga"
horn. If that fails, we use our "Airzound"
air horn. It's as loud as a car horn!
You pump it up with your bike pump, and get an
ear piercing blast. We don't need it
often, but it has come in handy. I once
blasted it at a driver who cut us off, and it
was loud enough that they turned around and
looked back to see what it was! It's
available lots of places, I ordered mine online
from the Hostel Shoppe. |
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| Rack |
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One problem we had was
just how to transport a bike this large.
Because of that, in the first year we had the
bike all of our rides had to start from home.
Our motivation to get some kind of rack was a
desire to join in some organized rides.
Naturally we had to be able to get the bike to
the starting point of those rides! There
are some bike racks on the market designed for
tandems, but none that I was happy with when
used with a tandem recumbent.
So I did the only thing I could do, I built my
own! |
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| I designed it so it could be used on a number of
different types of vehicles, so no matter what I may own
over the years, I can use the same rack. It will
work on top of a car, or in the back of a pickup or van.
For construction I used all aluminum and stainless steel
so I wouldn't have to worry about corrosion. The
frame is square tubing with a channel for the tires to
sit in. The bike is held on with flat bars bent in
a "V" with turnbuckles on each end hooked to u-bolts.
To keep from scratching it, I put pieces of rubber
tubing over the bike frame . The white PVC pipe
thing on top is to hold the seat supports steady while
the seats are off during transport. I also remove
the fairing while traveling to prevent damage by
the wind at freeway speeds. Actually, I
no longer have the car in the picture, but I
still use the same rack. I bolt it into
the bed of a small utility trailer that I tow
behind our car. |
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Accessories related to touring are
on the Touring
Equipment page. |
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