Having suffered serious leg suck injury (medial ligaments, syndesmosis rupture, fractured fibula) when attempting to learn to ride a Cruz-bike a couple of years back, I am very wary of ever getting on a recumbent bicycle of any sort ever again. However I like the semi-recumbent position and riding height of the Tourmaster; I ride a conventional bike for long-distance touring and I would love to be able to ride for long periods (hours) without the sore backside which is the inevitable consequence of conventional bikes. I once owned a RANS semi-recumbent bike with 20 inch wheels. It was a nightmare to keep stable at low speed which made climbing steeper grades impossible. I used to live in a very hilly place (3 really steep pinches between me and a hot dinner when riding home from work) and the ony way I could make this bike work was to put an electric motor on it.
Before embarking on a build of the Tourmaster, I would therefore be grateful to hear of the experience of anyone who rides a LWB semi-recumbent like the Tourmaster in relation to this issue and any other issues which come to mind. Would this be suitable to load up with 20kg of luggage (front and back panniers) for a self-supported tour? What are these bikes like to ride over unsealed surfaces and rough tracks in terms of balance - I can stay in control on these surfaces at between 2-3km/hr fully loaded on a conventional bike?
Cheers
Alex
Before embarking on a build of the Tourmaster, I would therefore be grateful to hear of the experience of anyone who rides a LWB semi-recumbent like the Tourmaster in relation to this issue and any other issues which come to mind. Would this be suitable to load up with 20kg of luggage (front and back panniers) for a self-supported tour? What are these bikes like to ride over unsealed surfaces and rough tracks in terms of balance - I can stay in control on these surfaces at between 2-3km/hr fully loaded on a conventional bike?
Cheers
Alex