@afwen I have no idea.. i'm going to have to pull up the install manuals, but you're on point about that being a concern

@afwen said in ant's HP Velotechnik FS26 Scorpion pedelec: First ride report, from opening the box to my first 6 miles.: Great write-up, and I love the photos! I've heard good things about Hostel Shoppe. How long was your ride, and what was your average speed? Do you know the practical range of your battery? I went out for about an hour. At the halfway mark I found a small parking lot and took some time to adjust the seat/headrest and boom length. I looked at the computer a few times and it was mostly at 12mph and sometimes 20mph on the flats. I had the motor set mostly to "eco" mode but did try "boost" a few times. I forgot exactly what the charged battery read in terms of range, but I vaguely remember somewhere between 30 and 60 miles depending on the mode. I don't exactly know how it estimates this, given that it obviously has no clue I have a fairing nor my weight! This was the estimated range at standstill from startup so my guess it's just programmed with something.

I'm wrong, it will be in Dayton, OH this year: https://www.recumbentcyclecon.com/

@afwen Great tips! I’ll check out the website, thank you!

@ant lol I didn’t know this is ponytail compatible?! Sweet!

@ant Looks nice!

I think point 2 has a big impact on stability. On a DF (Diamond Frame, I had to look this up) ride, you have so many degrees of freedom to use your body english to adjust to your stability. On a recumbent, it seems like you have much less you can do, and I wonder if instinctively what you might do could actually make things worse! For example, you might try to put your foot down or something because you feel like you're going down, and that will shift your balance even more. That said, I think with more miles you will gain more comfort and confidence in your abilities.

According to this Massachusetts government guidance on bike lanes, https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/10/25/SeparatedBikeLaneChapter3_GeneralDesign_0.pdf, I think I see a minimum recommended bike lane width of 5 ft. A typical recumbent trike of tadpole design looks to come in at around 30 inches wide. So it would appear that at least for newer cycling lane construction, you're going to have almost a foot of space on either wide of you. I think the important consideration here is comparing the width to a DF or recumbent rider whose greatest width is often the handlebars or the rider itself. Assuming a person is about 20 inches wide at the shoulder, then you're looking at 10 inches or 5 inches on both sides. It doesn't sound like much of a difference! One thing I would think about is that perhaps on a trike, you worry less about stability, and you just focus on going straight, where as on a two wheeler, you might be swerving more to avoid things. So perhaps the "effective width" of the rider is not as different!

Is your husband the type that is interested in trying new things and going outside the norm? If so, recumbent trikes are definitely worth considering. I don't think that I've ever seen one in the Boston area outside of at a local bike store. Do they have problems with balance or do they worry about falling over / stability? With three wheels, the main risk in falling over when riding a recumbent trike is probably from approaching turns too aggressively, besides bad roads. Upright bicycles do require good balance and motion as well to stay upright. A recumbent trike can slow to a stop and remain stable. Recumbent trikes are a great "platform" to tinker with. If they are DIY kind of person, it might be a great choice because there's a lot of room for customization. Upright bikes can be customized too but I think with a recumbent trike there is a more room for imagination. Have they tried a recumbent trike yet? Sometimes the experience of just trying something new is the most compelling. If you see that it gives them joy because it's a new and different experience, maybe that is good enough reason to get one!