Just one tiny snag though. With a rear motor and seated right above the rear wheel, opening the throttle and pedalling could only have one result:Incredible! I'd never thought of it before but, yes the Chopper would make an excellent candidate for an electric! Nice big space to put the battery (under the seat), almost recumbent seating position.
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Hi Keith,--------------------------------------------------------------------------
this is only my own personal view which no doubt i will get thrashed for and all the inovative things about your bikes will be mentioned that i have missed....first glance i thought it was something from that programme "scrapheap challenge".............second thoughts was it looked like it was just for sunday leisurely riding as the sat back design made me remember them pedelo boats at the sea side i used to go on as a kid, 5 minutes into that and my legs where finished, thirdly the one i looked at appeared on first glance to just have a black innertube at the rear, ok totally wrong but it was my first impression,forthly the price stopped me even going for a fifthly......i must again mention its only my opinion so nothing personal...just my instant thoughts as im browseing looking for an affordable e-bike...
I have absolutely no intention of trying to perfect the bicycle, as different styles work for different people and /or at different times in their lives.It's not always automatically scepticism Andrew, often just observations resulting from the knowledge built up from over 150 years of effort by tens of thousands of people in perfecting the bicycle.
Hence why the MonVal has a motor and a very powerful one at that (still UK road legal). It will go up a hill just as fast as a conventionally styled E-bike - this I am more than happy to prove if anyone would like to take me on with their UK road legal specced bike. Remember, my bike was tested in hilly areas carrying a 16 stone (at the time) guy (me) + luggage - so if it couldn't climb, it would also not be able to haul a load - so then there would be no point to it!!!I'm also very familiar with the advantages of recumbents and other feet forward designs, but also with the well established fact that rider for rider, they perform less well in hill climbing. Individual subjective observations don't in any way alter that. That's one reason why recumbents have never really enjoyed popular success despite the 80 odd years of their existence.
Flecc, I am not at all sceptical about you having an open mind. The major benefits that this frame design has over the 'perfected diamond frame concept' is that it is easier to mount, alot more ergonomic and comfortable, thereby alleviating alot of the discomforts of the diamond frame especially over long rides. It also has a much greater carrying capacity, these attributes overrides the overall benefit of the conventional design.You'd probably be sceptical about my having an open mind, but I do have, and immediately saw the advantages of your design when it first appeared in Velovision, but also the disadvantages. As with every departure from the perfected diamond frame concept, it has narrower applications, so can only be of benefit when one or more of those benefits overrides the overall benefit of the conventional design. For most cyclists that won't be the case, but that doesn't make your design wrong, just one of narrower appeal and application like the 8-freight and recumbents.
Accepted and not a problem, as I have stated before, because we were aware of the scepticism that we would be greeted with, we have arranged for various businesses and organisations to independantly trial and review the bike so as to validify our claims and dismiss any speculation of manufacturer hype.Where reviewing is concerned, I made one exception with the Kalkhoff Agattu since that was the first viable replacement for the Giant Lafree Twist series for which I'd long run a support site. Otherwise I do not do bike reviews and have refused various offers from other manufacturers since I am retired and have neither the spare time nor the facilities to give an equitable service to all.
I happily accept that for an adequately powered bike Andrew, the disadvantage that feet forward designs have in hill climbing is only related to rider physiology and not inherent to the bike which is mechanically as good as any other, whatever the terrain. There's some common ground in the Giant Revive Spirit and your bike, though the Spirit is let down by inadequate power.It will go up a hill just as fast as a conventionally styled E-bike - this I am more than happy to prove if anyone would like to take me on with their UK road legal specced bike.
I'm with some of that too, though the comfort aspect isn't universal since some find the semi-reclined position and seat back more uncomfortable over time, and I'm one of them. Also when I say diamond frame I include the conventional step through since it's geometry is the same. Therefore I don't accept that your design's advantages override the benefits of a conventional design for the majority of riders. If they did, many of the close predecessors would have been far more successful.The major benefits that this frame design has over the 'perfected diamond frame concept' is that it is easier to mount, alot more ergonomic and comfortable, thereby alleviating alot of the discomforts of the diamond frame especially over long rides. It also has a much greater carrying capacity, these attributes overrides the overall benefit of the conventional design.
Absolutely, it's the Holy Grail of cycle design and I wish you every success in that popularisation. I'm always in favour of the maximum choice.ALL CYCLING, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO IT, IS GOOD as far as I'm concerned. All I am doing is offering an alternative that can accommodate a wider range of people who wish to cycle
Here's a picture. I think his has a few more rough edges and workarounds, but the riding position appears similar. In his description he says that he arrived at this design to provide a comfortable posture and load carrying capacityMy first thought was that it reminded me of the semi-recumbent that Justin L-E rode across Canada on in the summer, which he said was comfortable, and, given his length of journey, I was happy to believe him!
Me too Miles , In fact, that is how the MonVal came into existence. You see, when I was originally looking for a comfortable alternative to the diamond frame design, it was the Long wheel base semi-recumbents like the EZ that stood out. Had they been more practical for my needs, I would have done something similar to the 'Scooterbike' or the 'HP Velotechnic Spirit' and simply added a decent motor kit and sold the combo as a package.Anyway, given that the illustration is an interpretation of a sketch, by someone who has a strong interest in long wheelbase recumbents......