Nice Recumbent E-bike Conversion.

This is a DIY Recumbent E-bike Conversion. Below Bill talks about doing the conversion and it sounds like this is not the first bike he has done, so there are alot of lessons learned in this clip most of the parts from http://ebike.ca/ in Canada go to there blog http://ebike.ca/fblog there is a lot of great info on setting up an E-bike for commuting. One of the great features about this setup is the motor is on the front wheel and the peddle power is on the rear wheel giving the bike all wheel drive.

This Hase Bike is the commuting King

Hase had always delivered great bikes. However, this time they have taken it to an new level. This bike can easily handle the rain in Portland OR. and the Snow in Salt Lake City, UT. That is because this e-assist bike is all wheel drive. Yes that is correct the back two wheels are powered by the driver and the front is electric and powered by the  500 watt motor on the front wheel.

There are a lot of electric recumbent trikes out there on the market, the problem is they only have one wheel that powers the bike that is the back wheel.  In the rain and snow that is not the best solution. this is the solution that a lot of  Velomobile use and that solution will not work very well in places like Salt Lake City.

This is the first all wheel recumbent trike, and it is the top of the line.  The cockpit on this bike is awesome, there’s only one dial and on the dial is easy to read out of the way. And the minimized rain cover that goes on the front of the bike to protect the rider and cuts through the wind.

On the Video and site this bike is an true car replacement. Oh yes there is room for baggage right behind the back seat.

Now we need to get in in the US because this is an big deal.

SpyBike GPS Tracker for bikes

I have had my Recumbent stolen and it is not fun. In the US about $200 worth of bikes are stolen, some of them locked and some not. A thief is looking for the bike he can get the most money for, that is why your your recumbent may be the one he will steal. That is why the in a Urban setting you will need more than a bike lock.

The SpyBike GPS tracker from Integrated Trackers gives you a second line of defense. You should still lock your bike, but if a thief happens to break it free, you have a means to get it back. The device mounts inside the headset, where it is hidden and unassuming. You use a special wrench to secure the device, so it's not easily removed.


Activate the unit when you leave your bike using the accompanying electronic key ring. If the bike is taken before being deactivated with your key (i.e. stolen), the vibration sensor initiates the tracking system, which sends you an alert SMS message and begins uploading coordinates to the cloud every 20 seconds until the vibration stops. The unit will activate again when the vibration starts up (i.e. the thief is riding or transporting the bicycle), so you can continue keeping up on its whereabouts.
You can keep track of the bike's location via Integrated Trackers' website, and then relay its location to the police. If you forgot to arm the unit before your bike was stolen, you can remotely activate it by sending an SMS message. It checks its messages automatically every six hours, so it will begin tracking when it gets your message.
The tracking service is free, but users do have to equip the unit with a pay-as-you-go SIM card and will be charged for the data used in uploading coordinates. This may seem like an extra cost and work, but combined with the quad-band GSM modem, it allows the unit to work with nearly any mobile network in the world. You can configure it to the carrier that offers the best coverage in your area to ensure that it works when you need it. The unit uses GPRS to upload data, not SMS, and Integrated Trackers says it costs a fraction of a penny to send each update (in the U.K.). The SpyBike starts at US$153.58

C.R.A.B.S. Cruisin' the Cross Seminole 3-11-14

Florida has some awesome bike trails in the below video is some of them. Alot of them connect many of the Parks, and they are flat and fast.


C.R.A.B.S. Cruisin' the Cross Seminole 3-11-14 from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

Electric Trike Rocking it at 50 mph

This is an project that  Milwaukee-based inventors Dustin Herte and Ryan Bass have been working on for five years.  the Odyssey Mk. 5. Fitted with an 80-volt 1.6-kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, one charge will be good for a range of 50 miles (80 km) on power only, which if you are prepared to pedal, can be stretched out to 80 miles (129 km) charge time is 3 hours. For more info check it out at gizmag
check it out

Shaft Drive Recumbents

After riding recumbent bike in Portland Oregon for over 8 years in the rain and mud. I see a real need for a shaft drive on the bike. There are a number of European manufacturer that support this, one of them is a Finnish designer.  Below is a picture of his high racer recumbent. On the  web site he reviews some of the advantages and disadvantages http://www.recumbent-gallery.eu/finnish-recumbent-with-shaft-drive/

There is an new Manufacturer of the start producing shaft drive recumbent.  As you can see from the video this bike is more of a commuter bike and set up so that it is close to ground for easy seating. .  The bike and the above photo is more of a high racer because of laid back sitting position and the larger wheels

Another manufacturer is FlevoBike out of the Netherlands they have been producing the green machine for Number of years.  This bike is also lower the ground because the lower wheels and the seating position is adjustable 

The problem is system of these bikes are available to U.S.  Which is a real shame.  Because I think there is real value in these type of recumbent bikes.

All Wheel Suspension for non Suspension Recumbent.

Because you don’t have your legs to absorb the shock from writing, a recumbent bike can be a rough ride, and during the commute that can bone jarring. These new loop wheel can be retrofitted to your Recumbent and turn your bike into a smooth ride. Here are some great follow up links
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1205277475/loopwheels-for-a-smoother-more-comfortable-bicycle
http://www.velovision.com/showStory.php?storynum=1264

Blue Print for safe Commuting on a Bike.

Portland has many of the issues with commuting by bike like South Florida. However they are developing a blue print for change. Please check out there plan for the today and  future http://btaoregon.org/blueprint/.
below is a shot of the plan downtown this would be get for Miami's and Fort Lauderdale's downtown. This solution is supporting bikers by putting the island on the side not down the middle. making it more safe for everyone bikers and  folks walking.

Also this is a great solution that I have biked on in Portland along rivers or canals like we currently have all through Fort Lauderdale. 

Broward County could learn a lot from this blueprint. 

The new Beach recumbent bike

I know you have seen my Post on a Florida beach recumbent, Well check this out this an Recumbent with a hammock and a surf board attachment.


below is an picture with the surf board.

the best part is you can get on the ground floor of this bike just go to the following site. 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1360891828/the-bananahama-bikes-project

You have to love Cruzbike

You have to love Cruzbike and there willingness to give back to everyone. If you haven't heard buy a Crusbike and they will discount it for a $100 and give $100 for new brain cancer research closer to adoption. That is a win win I think I will need an new bike for that kind of class. Check it out at Cruzbike

Folding Recumbent

I have never had any issue transporting my recumbent however my is a short wheel base recumbent it was easy to get on the bus and on the lite rail. However flying is a different issue. That was make a folding recumbent nice. DownTube has a nice 9 speed out for under $600

 Add the Cruzbike conversion for 395

and for under 1000 you have a folding Recumbent you can take on the Plane or Boat.

the best bike for a Mom or Dad, hey it 2013

this is an awesome family bike, yes it is not an recumbent but it could be, it is flexible enough. Check this out first it's a stroller

Now it's a bike

  Two Kids not a problem

Go Double Dutch, two kids and Groceries with this

How cool is that you need to check these guys out at http://www.tagabikes.com/default.asp?lang=eng

the Other Side of Recumbent

I am not a big fan of this side of the Recumbent family. However this bike has a lot going for it. One thing is it folds, even the wheels. I am very big on the direct drive solution on this bike, I hate chains. Some of the other things I would think is it would climb better than most Recumbent. Please check out the details at http://www.tuvie.com/collapsible-bicycle-concept-by-blair-hasty/

Commuter path

My big issue with South Florida is the lack of commuter paths. If you ever visit Fort Lauderdale you will see there is a lot of space for it but it is not being used. putting a bike path here would be easy.

IKEA bike

Have you ever went to Ikea and bought anything, you know that it comes in a box and you have to put it together. well now there is a Bike like that. check out the video below. This would be a get bike for travel you would just box it up and go.
 

Build a Trail from Plantation to Ft Lauderdale Beach

I have pointed out in my blog is that there is no bike trail that cuts across Plantation to Fort Lauderdale Beach this a plan that does using the Sunrise canal that start from the everglades to the bleach. Using this plan it could be done with funds from the Federal Government and  would a big help to the local businesses.

Pigs on the bike trail

The neat thing about bikes is how quiet they are. This is a great demonstration of this fact. This is how close you can get to nature on a bike.  

Flevobike is a great design

Flevobike is a design from the Netherlands and there are a number of version of this design. It centers around a front wheel drive which pivots. Below is a hauling version  from from Human Powered Machine

there is a standard two wheel version from from Ebay

and only the frame from Ebay

to make thinks more confusing there a bike Manufacturer that doesn't use this designed 

Commuter path

My big issue with South Florida is the lack of commuter paths. If you ever visit Fort Lauderdale you will see there is a lot of canals. Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America. Many of these canals Run west to east and connect the Everglades with the Alantic ocean the problem is there's plenty of bike trails in the parks, but no real bike trails to use as commuting paths. As you can see it would be very easy to put a path along these Canels and make them great commuting paths.

The Perfect Recumbent for South Florida

This is a great Recumbent for South Florida because it is a Recumbent with a Beach chair. The funny thing is that this was developed in the Netherlands. Because the beach in Netherlands is totally different then in South Florida .

Please check out their Web Site at http://www.minq.nl/