HPvelo Spirit - Bike for partner

[kitchenman]

In an attempt to reduce the gulf in interests between me (cycling/TV) and my partner (knitting/making stuff) my plan to cement our relationship is to buy her a Spirit! Unfortunately she suffers with bad back, bad neck, bad knee, bad wrists and bad shoulder. However, she is game and managed a 2 mile dawdle on a sit up and beg a couple of weeks ago.
The first recumbent I was introduced to was the Spirit which, although not for me, I thought was very easy on the body. If it proves as good as I think then the addition of an electric assist will obviously be part of the plan?
Is this a good plan?
Anyone got a Spirit (or similar) to offer up for a test ride?

 

[kitchenman]

found one, bought one! ..
Took partner to Bikefix to introduce her to her new machine. From the smile you can see that see liked it! ...



The plan is in motion! ...

 

[morphix]

That does look very comfortable to ride. Reminds me of my old Raleigh Chopper back in the day...Unsurpassed for sheer comfort and quality ride

 

[Shroppielass]

The plan is in motion! ...

Is that the wife plan you mentioned in another thread?

 

[kitchenman]

Indeed! Second part of the plan is the assist. Third part is the addition of the various essential gadgets! ...Fourth part is to replace the potting shed with a bike garage but I'm keeping that one really quiet! ..

 

[banbury frank]

Hi

I thought potting sheds where men,s domain where you kept the portable Tv and beer fridge

Mind you I going to the Bike Garage sound better when the lads come around


I see you thought about converting the spirit to Electric we may have a 16 inch and 20 inch front and rear kit soon

We have already fitted a kit to a ICE trike recumbent 20 inch rear wheel



Frank

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Kitchenman,

The recumbent looks nice and a conversion could be eZee with 20" front or rear kit depending on your preference.

Like Frank, I have also converted a recumbent trike, but with a 26" rear wheel, that was eZee too

 

[banbury frank]

Hi Just looked at the spirit bike looks very comfortable nice wide seat

It appears to have rear Derailleur gears so front or rear motor It would be interesting to now the distance between the front forks as some bikes only have 80 mm between forks

I would say by the riding position in the photo above i would say front motor to balance the weight off the motor on front battery in rear

Not a lot off info on the bike on the net

Frank

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Just looked at the spirit bike looks very comfortable nice wide seat

It appears to have rear Derailleur gears so front or rear motor It would be interesting to now the distance between the front forks as some bikes only have 80 mm between forks

I would say by the riding position in the photo above i would say front motor to balance the weight off the motor on front battery in rear

Not a lot off info on the bike on the net

Frank

I agree with Frank, front motor and rear battery, but according to the website, the Spirit has a 16" front wheel, in your photo the wheels both look the same size? If the front is 16", this limits choice somewhat, especially if there is only 80mm between the forks.

 

[kitchenman]

I agree with Frank, front motor and rear battery, but according to the website, the Spirit has a 16" front wheel, in your photo the wheels both look the same size? If the front is 16", this limits choice somewhat, especially if there is only 80mm between the forks.

The bikes are made in Germany by HPVelotechnic and they offer an assist using the Bionx solution. There is a picture in the Ugly Bikes thread where the Bionix battery is mounted upside down! ... The front wheel is 16". Does that mean that the hub motor that is used in the Claud Butlers is not suitable? i.e. No room for the spokes! ... If it has to be a rear hub then it looks like I need consider the gears! this from the veloteck site:

"On the Spirit, we combine the system with an Shimano XT derailleur, 9-speed version. Please note that you can not mount a front derailleur on the Spirit, so we can not offer more than 9 gears with the BionX system on a Spirit recumbent." Ummm ..... seems I need one of those small shimano steps hub motors .. dont think Evans are stocking those just yet! >.. although I may just ask them!

 

[Cyclezee]

An eZee 20" rear motor can be supplied with a 9 speed freewheel just like the BionX only for half the price and with range of different batteries.

 

[kitchenman]

Thanks Aldby. But half the price of the Bionx is still too much for me at this time. Hence my C2W brainwave! ... However, if anything changes and my employer deems to shower me with a big bonus (unlikely since their Japanese!) ... I will consider the eZee.

 

[Cyclezee]

However, if anything changes and my employer deems to shower me with a big bonus (unlikely since their Japanese!) ... I will consider the eZee.

I can think of some very tasteless and politically incorrect comments, but I am not going there.

My father on the otherhand would not hesitate, but then he did spend over 3 years in a Japanese POW camp.

 

[Shroppielass]

Indeed! Second part of the plan is the assist. Third part is the addition of the various essential gadgets! ...Fourth part is to replace the potting shed with a bike garage but I'm keeping that one really quiet! ..

So the "wife plan" involves buttering her up with the bike and all its accoutrements and then knocking her out with the bike garage. Do you not think she might detect an ulterior motive?
As another female who likes making stuff I and who can never have enough space, may I suggest a more altruistic plan would be to replace the potting shed with a studio?

 

[kitchenman]

ok - you got me. And Louise has probably got me already. I don't really do plans. I've always just had the knack of wondering through life looking like I'm on drugs but not actually being on them! ... It can be attractive when young but when its worn out ... well, your done! ... and you start floundering ,,, talking about plans and garages .... Christ my Son even had to pursuade me to finally get a pension! ... (and I still dont know what it is or what its for! ..) if my bike could do more that 20 miles I would ride of into the sunset and keep going until I reach ..... umm ...destiny ... (just outside Oxford)

 

[kitchenman]

And then there were 2!

Welcoming the Spirit into the family.


Spirit in Yellow , Street Machine in Orange

 

[kitchenman]

Louise's first Spirit ride

and the plan is coming together! ..

YouTube - SPIRIT/Louise's first ride

Next post will hopefully be "Louise's first Spirit electric ride" although I'm a little worried about the size of the front wheel .. looks more like 12" as opposed to 16"!