In the past I experimented with bungees attached to the handlebar ends (see previous posts) and liked the slight affect on the handling. Obviously they were not very practical so I have tried something else.
I have bent some thicker 4mm wire to make a stiffer front mudguard stay and stretched an inner tube between this and the bridge in front of the rear wheel. A thin racing tube seems best. The slight movement that this induced in the front stay caused it to rub on the already very tight-fitting Schwalbe Marathon Racer tyre (nominal width 40mm) so it was replaced with a Schwalbe Kojak (nominal width 35mm) for silent running.
This setup is not noticeable during normal riding but does improve the feel of the bike during hands-free pedaling because the inner tube pulls against the pedal-induced movement at the front. This is a good thing for me as my favourite times on the bike are had not racing along but when coasting or pedaling hands-free. In fact the moving-bottom-bracket design is absolutely the best bicycle configuration for this enthusiasm as the front wheel is held firmly by the feet and is not easily upset by an obstacle, unlike a hands-free standard bike. I don’t think a standard recumbent can be ridden hands-free at all.
As my front wheel is now held loosely pointing forwards there is no danger of being caught out by the vigorous front wheel flop when I am wheeling it about. I can park it against a wall with only the handlebar tip touching.
A few days gentle pedaling around Norfolk on the Quest with an old friend was recently enjoyed. A favourite section was along several miles of sea defences at Hunstanton where I enjoyed prolonged hands-free pedaling in the bracing air. Here is a shot taken on the move.
And a recommendation for a trip where you might want a closer look at a distant skyline, a bird in a tree or the vaulting in an old church roof, is to take the tiny, sharp monocular made by ‘Docter’. It only weighs 80g.
I have bent some thicker 4mm wire to make a stiffer front mudguard stay and stretched an inner tube between this and the bridge in front of the rear wheel. A thin racing tube seems best. The slight movement that this induced in the front stay caused it to rub on the already very tight-fitting Schwalbe Marathon Racer tyre (nominal width 40mm) so it was replaced with a Schwalbe Kojak (nominal width 35mm) for silent running.
This setup is not noticeable during normal riding but does improve the feel of the bike during hands-free pedaling because the inner tube pulls against the pedal-induced movement at the front. This is a good thing for me as my favourite times on the bike are had not racing along but when coasting or pedaling hands-free. In fact the moving-bottom-bracket design is absolutely the best bicycle configuration for this enthusiasm as the front wheel is held firmly by the feet and is not easily upset by an obstacle, unlike a hands-free standard bike. I don’t think a standard recumbent can be ridden hands-free at all.
As my front wheel is now held loosely pointing forwards there is no danger of being caught out by the vigorous front wheel flop when I am wheeling it about. I can park it against a wall with only the handlebar tip touching.
A few days gentle pedaling around Norfolk on the Quest with an old friend was recently enjoyed. A favourite section was along several miles of sea defences at Hunstanton where I enjoyed prolonged hands-free pedaling in the bracing air. Here is a shot taken on the move.
And a recommendation for a trip where you might want a closer look at a distant skyline, a bird in a tree or the vaulting in an old church roof, is to take the tiny, sharp monocular made by ‘Docter’. It only weighs 80g.
