Give me 40 acres...Greenspeed GTT (tandem)

Got to take the "limousine of trikes" out for a 2 hour tour today. Most of the way I had the old country & western song "Give me 40 acres (and I'll turn this rig around)" stuck in my head.

First the trike is LONG. I'm guessing at least 10 feet and closer to 12. Tadpole trikes don't normally have a small turning radius but with the extra length, let just say I was looking for that 40 acres at different points.

This test ride was with the Greenspeed GTT. It was set up with the normal gearing & the SRAM internal rear hub. So there was definitely more gears high & low. The captain shifts the rear derailleur and SRAM. The stoker shifts the "front" chain rings (which are actually in the middle). Standard front disc brakes but there is an option for a rear disc brake as well.

The length did have a positive side effect: it smoothed out the ride. Bumps & wooden bridges that are usually a jarring experience on our other trikes were almost smooth on the GTT. In that respect it lived up to the "limousine of trikes" moniker.

Overall we did a 20 mile ride averaging around 10 mph with a maximum speed of 27 mph. A bit slower than our individual trikes but not bad for the first time on the tandem. We found it was definitely important to communicate decisions to shift gears or change cadence. Anything you do is directly transferred to your partner.

There was also another positive/negative issue: your partner is close enough that you can actually talk which is difficult on two single trikes. But then again if you don't want to talk there's no speeding away.

We had an enjoyable ride and nobody had to feel like they were waiting or holding up the other person. So this was a positive experience.

Special thanks to Bikes @ Vienna, www.bikesatvienna.com, for providing the trike. If you are considering a tadpole tandem go see John Brunow <john@bikesatvienna.com>. This is a sweet ride and a clean used trike. The price will definitely be better than a new one at retail!

You can read more about the Greenspeed GTT here: http://www.greenspeed.com.au/gtt.html

Metric Half Century - one year later...

Yesterday, 8/23/09, we completed the Reston Bike Club Metric Half Century. This was the first organized event we rode in last year when we initially bought our trikes. This year my wife joined us for 3 on trikes! We used the Greenspeed GT3, TerraTrike Cruiser & the new addition the Catrike Road.

We stopped at the rest areas and didn't push ourselves too hard. However we managed to average 10.4 mph for the 32 mile ride. If we can get some more time in the saddles we should be able to get our speed up even further.

Sidewinder SportZ

The Sidewinder series from Sidewinder Cycle, www.sidewindercycle.com.

After hearing me promote the tadpole trike design as a great way to get back out on the pedals a friend of mine decided to take a test ride. Unfortunately she has limited strength in one hand due to a medical condition and the standard style tadpoles from TerraTrike, Greenspeed, Catrike, etc. proved too difficult for her to steer with one hand. I did some online research and discovered the Sidewinder series of rear wheel steer tadpoles. Looking a little further I found that a bike shop not too far from me was not only a dealer but had one in stock. So last Saturday I took a ride to Mt. Airy, MD and visited the Mt. Airy Bike shop.

The model they had in stock was the SportZ (manufacturer’s photo here:http://www.sidewindercycle.com/index.php?n=item&p=03).

What initially separates the SportZ from other tadpoles is the steering. Most tadpoles use direct or indirect steering of the front wheels. All Sidewinder series tadpoles steer with the rear wheel. To accomplish this, the steering arms push/pull in opposite directions (think cross country ski pole motion). The tension on the steering can be adjusted so it’s easy or a bit harder to turn the rear wheel. This type of steering takes some mental adjustments after having ridden other tadpoles. But it certainly added another dimension of “fun”.

Other items unique to Sidewinders:

* The drive train goes only from the crank to the front cross member. Which means the distance is closer to that of a traditional bike. There is no need for idlers and chain management found on other tadpoles.

* The seat has more adjustments that any other tadpole that I’ve seen, including the TerraTrike. There are at least 5 forward/back positions for the seat and an adjustable incline. This means multiple people could ride the same set-up without adjusting the boom/chain length.

* It folds for transportation/storage! With no tools the seat comes off and the trike folds at the cross member making transportation & storage even easier.

* The wheelbase is shorter than other tadpoles (OK, I didn’t measure it but it looked & felt shorter).

I enjoyed the limited test ride and indeed think this style may assist my friend in hitting the trails. The steering is indeed easier than a traditional tadpole which is what led me to this style in the first place.

Overall I think the Sidewinder series will definitely appeal to the casual rider and intown commuter who wants a lot of flexibility in a tadpole. I will reserve judgment on handling at 15+ mph speeds until I can take a model on an extended ride. Having seen my son role/flip his TerraTrike Cruiser multiple times I would be leery of fast turns in a Sidewinder, the tests I did in the parking lot put me on two wheels or made me feel like I needed a seat belt multiple times.

If you are in the Northern Virginia area and interested in seeing this model in person visit Mt.Airy Bike at 4540 Old National Pike, Mt. Airy, MD 21771, 301-831-5151 or online atwww.bike123.com. Their staff was attentive & very helpful during my test rides. A big hats off to all of them!