Recumbent News

HP Velotechnik wants to show you what it means to trike offroad with this new promotional video for their upcoming Scorpion fs Enduro.

HP Velotechnik also let us know that the availability of the Enduro has changed to the end of October, 2013, and that the price has dropped to $4790 USD from the original $5290.

As with the Scorpion fs, the Enduro will be offered in a pedelec version for those who are far more into the downhill aspect of mountain triking than the uphill.

PoderosaCycles of Italy has launched their flagship Poderosa HP8 urban recumbent trike.

Technically, it was launched July 5th during La Notte Rosa (The Pink Night) in Riccione, Italy.

Designed by Italo Federico Sciacca, the goal of the Poderosa HP8 is to marry style and functionality in a way "typical of Italian design." From the Poderosa press release:

The shape of the Poderosa HP8 is a successful mix of function and contemporary components, combining a timeless design with quality craftmanship and engineering, while meeting the needs of modern recumbent users and cyclists.

The high seating position (42 cm.) not only is very comfortable, but also makes the trike visible to others when riding in traffic and thus adding a safety factor to the ride.

At first blush, the Poderosa HP8 looks like the stylish Italian cousin of the discontinued Cycle Genius Phoenix (or the elder uncle to the sporty Aiken Recumbent Trike) in its high seat position relative to the bottom bracket, sidewall tires, and clean chainline. But one has to hope that the Poderosa is quite comfortable, because there appears to be very limited seat adjustment.

Among the specifications is the width of the trike at 90cm (35.4"). Customers in the US who are looking to use a Poderosa on trails will want to note that trail barriers are typically set at 36" apart, which means a tight fit for the Poderosa. But then, the Poderosa has an air more suited to the boulevard than to the bike path.

At 45 pounds, the Poderosa won't be sprinting up mountains with its Shimano Nexus 8 hub. This puts it weight-wise between the 42 pounds of a Greenspeed Magnum and the 51 pounds of the aforementioned Phoenix.

But the element of style in the Poderosa sets it apart, and if style is the deciding factor, little else matters. This is contrary to the usual recumbent enthusiast penchant for form following function. Sometimes it really can come down to looks for a buyer.

According to the Poderosa site, each trike is "custom fit to riders individual specifications", further lending to the concept of a machine tailored to its rider. There are certainly expressions of style far in excess of the Poderosa's 2300 Euro ($3047 USD) price tag.

The Poderosa HP8 is available for order now. More information can be found at the Poderosa web site.

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ICE has released this teaser video for their 2014 promotional films and asks, "Can you spot anything new?"

One of our Facebook fans went looking for what's new and came away with the impression that the entire video is just footage re-edited from prior promotional videos. Easy enough to verify thanks to the ICE Trikes YouTube channel. Here's the breakdown:

2014 Promo	Prior Promo	Notes
		No question, these are the exact same shot. The only change for 2014 is the addition of the ICE Adventure logo.
		While not an exact shot match, it seems likely that these two different shots from the 2014 and 2012 promos were taken the same day in the same location.
		Again for the Adventure, we see the same shot used in the 2012 promo.
		This appears to be a different take of the same day/location shoot. The 2014 version has pedestrians in the tunnel, 2012 does not. Angle, lighting, and trike kit are the same.
		The Sprint footage for 2014 appears to be new. I was unable to find this shot in prior Sprint videos.
		Again with new footage for the Sprint.
		This helmet mounted boom shot is definitely new.
		As is the continued Sprint footage.
		We're not going to break all the VTX (née Vortex) footage down shot by shot, but it appears to all be new. 2012 had two Vortex riders much like 2014, but the wardrobe is different and the skies much cloudier in the 2014 reel.

 

Speaking of the VTX, ICE sent along a press release stating that the VTX is the official replacement for the Vortex and will be shown and available for test rides at Eurobike at the end of the month. Details will be released after the show.

With recent glitches there has not been much gossip thrown around the Recumbent Journal lately.

Not that there ever has been, because we deal in the hard facts of comfy, relaxed cycling. So, bit of chat about facts should keep our jaded audience alert. If it helps any, I am writing this topless.

The Race Across America has to be the recumbent event of the year. Dennis Johnson made his triumphant return in the Race Across the West, riding 800 miles across what would soon be the burning hills of Arizona.  Maria Parker amazed anyone who was paying attention by being stopped for a day by an accident and still beating every woman of any age on any bike. What a ride!

I happened to be working at RAAM headquarters when Maria’s team called in for permission to continue the race. There was a stunned silence as people mentally evaluated the level of craziness they were being asked to approve. Then with a shrug, they began negotiating how many signs were needed to make the replacement van a “RAAM” vehicle. Someone suggested that if the Parkers couldn’t find enough original intact signs they could write on the windows with soap. If they were willing to try, RAAM officials were ready to get them on the road.

Maria then just rocketed across the mountain west. We watched her GPS locator move across the map. She slowed and slowed as she climbed over Wolfe Creek Pass in the dark. Then, she stopped. Was she done? Were those legs burnt out? I don’t know but I think she changed out of sweaty climbing clothes into warm gear for the screaming descent into Kansas. I hope she shouted, “Parker SMASH” as she rolled up to the finish line in Annapolis ahead of all competition.

One reason I go into the amazingness (not a real word) of it all is that I rode to RAAM headquarters every day on a recumbent bike. The headquarters director, who has been involved for several years, just flat out said recumbents couldn’t compete in RAAM because they weren’t fast enough. I controlled my retorts. Apparently Tim Woudenberg, John Schlitter, Barbara Buatois, Dennis Johnson, Sara Kay Carrell, Sandy Earl, many team efforts and now Maria Parker have just made no impression on minds that do not wish to learn. I suspect the hidden hand of the dreaded RECUMBENATTI is stifling the breath of change (completely my paranoia).

OH FOO! I say. I’m not sure of the Recumbent Journal’s guidelines on obscenity but I think I’m under the radar with that. What does it take to get recumbents noticed in America? Get out there and ride. Show them the bottoms of your shoes and shame them with the gravel and bubble gum of your aerodynamic comfort.

On a different topic, I now live in Dillon, Montana. It is a small town on the Adventure Cycling bicycle route across America. Give a shout if you are in the neighborhood.

TerraTrike will probably be happy to see that we finally changed our stock graphic to no longer show the WizWheelz flag.

Grand Rapids, MI (August 8, 2013) – TerraTrike announced the early return of it’s annual “Bag and Flag” promotion. From now through September 1st, any customer who purchases a new TerraTrike either directly through the company or from one of their dealers will receive a free TerraTrike seat bag and safety flag: a $70 retail value.

In order to participate in the promotion, customers must send in a copy of their registration card along with a receipt showing where the trike was purchased to the TerraTrike corporate office. Once verified, the accessories be mailed to them free of charge. Customers ordering direct from the company will have their bag and flag included with their trike delivery.

“We have 5 different models that fit any type of riding, the most comfortable fully adjustable seat in the market, a lifetime warranty on the frames with prices starting at $699,” says Director of Marketing Jeff Yonker. 

“We hope this incentive gives customers who may have been on the fence about purchasing a TerraTrike this season because of the weather a reason to do so. There is still a lot of great riding to be had this year” said Yonker.

For additional information on WizWheelz or TerraTrikes, contact Jeff Yonker, Marketing Director, at or visit www.TerraTrike.com.

ABOUT WIZWHEELZ INC. - WizWheelz Inc. is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is one of the largest manufacturers of recumbent trikes in the world. The TerraTrike brand has been manufactured for over 16 years and they maintain one of the industry’s most extensive sales and support systems, with over 120 distributors and dealers in multiple countries. Product and distributor information is available on the TerraTrike website at www.TerraTrike.com, or by calling or .

Catrike has posted a follow-up to their advisory regarding the alloy spindle issue detailing the scope reported so far.

From the Catrike Facebook page:

After announcing our spindle safety warning, to this date we have a total of 5 spindles affected, which represents 0.21% of the total trikes shipped in the period. The issue is at this point very isolated. We will continue to diligently analyze, research and test and prove our designs and will take any further actions if needed. In the meantime we at Catrike will continue to ride and enjoy our trikes and recommend that our customers take the safety warning for what it is, simply a safety warning. Please, make sure to check your spindles periodically before riding and inform your dealer or us if you find any gaps between the spindle and the frame.

The Catrike spindle is truly a work of art and engineering, it is fairly complex and it has a lot more into its design and execution than meets the eyes. We are very proud of it and if needed, we will push it forward to the next level by making them even better at no cost to our customers or dealers. We will continue to innovate and remain humble. As our vision says, we will always work hard so that we will continue to be the inspiration of the market. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience this warning may have caused you and would like to go ahead and thank you for your support and trust as well as patience in working with us on this matter.

Thank you again,

Catrike Team

UPDATE: We've received updated info from Catrike regarding the spindle issue.

We are glad to inform you that we have worked around the clock and evolved our spindle into its new generation. Our testing standards exceeded many times any international standards available. The spindle still looks just as beautiful as before.

We will replace the 5 units affected and start shipping all new trikes next week with the new spindle already on it. On top of it we will update all units shipped in 2013 by replacing all spindles and so provide to our customer a total peace of mind and comfort.

Our dealers are being informed by us of all serial numbers shipped to them and they will contact you to schedule your replacement. Because of the very high volume of parts, we project this product update will take place over the next 12 weeks. We will start from oldest to newest trikes shipped. In the meantime our safety alert is active so please, check your spindles before every ride. There will be no cost for this update for our customer or our dealers.

We would like to thank you for your patience and understanding which will allow us to execute our work to the highest quality. Please, feel free to contact your dealer for any update or contact us directly at , by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

TerraTrike HQ in Grand Rapids, Michigan was featured on local morning talk show 8 West. Check out the video.

Get going on your summer fun with TerraTrike

Billed as an "all weather, self-illuminated, human powered vehicle", the GeoSpace Studio FireFly is a glowing shell with the heart of a TerraTrike Rover.

GeoSpace Studio made a splash nearly a month ago with the introduction of its FireFly illuminated trike shell, a lightweight means of providing weather protection and night visibility in a clamp-on solution.

The FireFly features a covered skeletal shell with a clear dome for 360 degree awareness. Built into the shell is a multicolor LED light system that cycles through several hues, no doubt confusing drivers and inviting comparisons to a particular electrical light parade that occurs on a main theme park thoroughfare in both Anaheim, CA and Orlando, FL.

The entire shell is attached to a flip-up mechanism to ease ingress and egress, thus avoiding the usual awkwardness of properly stepping down into a velomobile, and that custom mechanism, at least in the case of the prototype FireFly, is attached to a TerraTrike Rover tadpole recumbent.

For now, GeoSpace Studio has not made any announcements regarding the availability of the FireFly, so no word on pricing, weight, or suitability for trikes other than the Rover. Until further news is released, you can enjoy the video below of the FireFly in motion and also take a look at GeoSpace Studio's Earth Craft project,  a "migrational dwelling apparatus" that looks to be the HPV equivalent of a VW bus.

Catrike has made their move to a larger facility, effectively doubling their production space.

Previously headquartered in Winter Garden, Florida, the Catrike factory has moved to Orlando to occupy a 15,000 square foot facility.

According to Catrike, record sales, revenues, and productivity contributed to the need for a larger space.

The factory will be opened for tours at the 10th annual Catrike Factory Tour and Rally on March 1st, 2014.

More information and photos available at the Catrike site.