My life with Python trikes Mk1 , Mk1.5 , Mk2 ?
- Thread starter stormbird
- Start date
DannyC
0
DannyC said: Who? Me?
For want of a tension gauge a wheel was lost,
for want of a wheel a trike went un-rode,
for want of a trike a rider never got through,
for want of a rider a message never arrived,
for want of a message an army was never sent,
for want of an army a battle was lost,
for want of a battle a war was lost,
for want of a war a kingdom fell,
and all for want of a tension gauge.
DannyC
0
Corrected that for you
DannyC
0
I know, but I thought you would be impressed.
DannyC
0
That's what I thought, the one or both hands independent hand-drive was clever and offered good options for hand-operation.
Time to dig the Mk1.5 out of the bike shed.
Well why has it been languishing in the bike shed with only one sortie out since the first UK lock down in March ?
I became very despondent with the cancellation of 3 UK cycling events and a 2 week trip to Holland i could not bring myself to ride it....
However winter is upon us [ well the temperate European version ] and I now face icy/frosty pavements in a morning for my 3 times a week rides to my parents.
So the barest of services ? pump up the tyres and oil the chain as I had been caught napping [ again ! ] , knocked a rear light off whilst getting out of it's cage did not endure the cage to me a big lump of a unginly monster just to store an extra trike.
However rode it Friday and all seems to be well.
So nice to be able to look at my phone , blow my nose , fiddle with the gloves etc whilst still steering with my feet , try that on a tadpole !
Need to acquire the deft touch again with the brakes, however there is no drama if I lock a back wheel up , unlike when both the brakes were on the front wheel.
So onward into the abyss I say ...
As ever your servant Paul
Well why has it been languishing in the bike shed with only one sortie out since the first UK lock down in March ?
I became very despondent with the cancellation of 3 UK cycling events and a 2 week trip to Holland i could not bring myself to ride it....
However winter is upon us [ well the temperate European version ] and I now face icy/frosty pavements in a morning for my 3 times a week rides to my parents.
So the barest of services ? pump up the tyres and oil the chain as I had been caught napping [ again ! ] , knocked a rear light off whilst getting out of it's cage did not endure the cage to me
a big lump of a unginly monster just to store an extra trike.
However rode it Friday and all seems to be well.
So nice to be able to look at my phone , blow my nose , fiddle with the gloves etc whilst still steering with my feet , try that on a tadpole !
Need to acquire the deft touch again with the brakes, however there is no drama if I lock a back wheel up , unlike when both the brakes were on the front wheel.
So onward into the abyss I say ...
As ever your servant Paul
DannyC
0
happens?
DannyC
0
Yes, a different counter to visit at the border.
Our Money will still be welcome though, and so will we.
Biggest change will be the requirement to have Covid-19 passports too
Don't worry, you are always welcome. It will take a bit longer with getting in and out the country, but that's all.
Well I had to try ?
Had between 2" & 4" [ 50mm - 100mm ] snow over last few days and crunchy from overnight frost.
This is mothers drive about 8 miles away , usual journey takes 1 hour due to hills ?
Today slightly shortened journey 2 hours ! maybe the Python was not the best choice of transport.
However I needed to find out what the problems might be and how ' do able ' it was ?
The front end bore the brunt of the onslaught however I came out of it mostly unaffected by the snow.
The tyres pick it up and the mudguards do not curve around the tyre width and so snow gets dumped on the pivot and also the brake arms for the handbrake.
It also collected around the disc [ currently not used ] and lay on the frame members.
Some of the route was ridden with the front wheel in the tracks of someone on a 2 wheeler with those 4" tyres , it helped me a little except WHO thought it reasonable to ride a 2 wheeler in this ?
The problems amounted to [ in no particular order ]
No traction front - no room for a MTB tyre so a road Marathon - fwd - to little weight over drive wheel.
No traction rear - no grip from tyres when attempting to ' wheel chair ' it to help front end - could have fitted mtb tyres
Had to tow the trike up 4 hills for some of their distance
braking not bad a little fishtailing however it did not feel dangerous.
ice clogging cleats made it very hard to clip in after walking any distance in it.
huge amount of drag when it could move under it's own steam , effectively 3 wheels ploughing their own furrows [ a 2 wheel only has one ploughing wheel and one following ]
Picked shorter better route home and a little road work [ dangerous as very foggy at times ] got home in 1,5 hours.
A odd effect noticed ?
As front wheel ' leans ' when turning it's track is not in the centre of the rear wheels tracks ?
Mad probably ?
had an adventure definitely
learnt a lot YES
Paul
Had between 2" & 4" [ 50mm - 100mm ] snow over last few days and crunchy from overnight frost.
This is mothers drive about 8 miles away , usual journey takes 1 hour due to hills ?
Today slightly shortened journey 2 hours ! maybe the Python was not the best choice of transport.
However I needed to find out what the problems might be and how ' do able ' it was ?
The front end bore the brunt of the onslaught however I came out of it mostly unaffected by the snow.
The tyres pick it up and the mudguards do not curve around the tyre width and so snow gets dumped on the pivot and also the brake arms for the handbrake.
It also collected around the disc [ currently not used ] and lay on the frame members.
Some of the route was ridden with the front wheel in the tracks of someone on a 2 wheeler with those 4" tyres , it helped me a little except WHO thought it reasonable to ride a 2 wheeler in this ?
The problems amounted to [ in no particular order ]
No traction front - no room for a MTB tyre so a road Marathon - fwd - to little weight over drive wheel.
No traction rear - no grip from tyres when attempting to ' wheel chair ' it to help front end - could have fitted mtb tyres
Had to tow the trike up 4 hills for some of their distance
braking not bad a little fishtailing however it did not feel dangerous.
ice clogging cleats made it very hard to clip in after walking any distance in it.
huge amount of drag when it could move under it's own steam , effectively 3 wheels ploughing their own furrows [ a 2 wheel only has one ploughing wheel and one following ]
Picked shorter better route home and a little road work [ dangerous as very foggy at times ] got home in 1,5 hours.
A odd effect noticed ?
As front wheel ' leans ' when turning it's track is not in the centre of the rear wheels tracks ?
Mad probably ?
had an adventure definitely
learnt a lot YES
Paul