Bike gadgets

Any or all of these items may well be available at or through your LBS, and if we don't support them they may disappear. I mention sources such as Nashbar and REI as alternatives.

Gone but not forgotten LBS:
Columbia Cycle, North Monroe
Midway Cyclery, Sprague at Pines
Bike Works, West Second and Sprague at Adams

Components

CygoLite (Santa Ana CA) http://www.cygolite.com/: Cygo-Lite's energy-efficient LED headlights are great. Lots of models, including a bunch with brighter LEDs described as third generation and claimed light output up to 600 lumens.
Cateye (Boulder CO; Japan) http://www.cateye.com/: Nice selection of LED taillights, see table on my outfitting page.
Delta Airzound http://www.deltacycle.com/Airzound-Bike-Horn: A super loud 115db horn you can mount on a bike. The question is, will it just make them notice you, or make them mad enough to run you over on purpose?
Zzip Designs (Davenport CA) http://www.zzipper.com/: Industry leader in GE Lexan® polycarbonate road fairings. At speed, most of any cyclist's energy is expended overcoming air resistance. A fairing can also help you extend your cycling season on both ends, by cutting the wind-chill.
Mueller Human Power Fairings (Eureka CA) http://www.mueller-hp.com/: Another maker of clear polycarbonate fairings. I've seen them described as thicker and stiffer than the Zzipper fairings.
Wilderness Trail Bikes (Mill Valley CA) http://www.wtb.com/: Lube-inject hubs, bottom brackets, headsets, even pedals; simplify your bike maintenance and extend the life of your bearings.
Nashbar (Youngstown OH) http://www.nashbar.com/: The REI of bike parts? Value pricing by mail-order.
Performance Bicycle (Crab Orchard WV) http://www.performancebike.com/: Another discount bike parts catalog; also offer an LED tailight with CPSC reflector feature, as do Trek and others.
Kneesavers (Whittier CA) http://www.bikescor.com/product/knee.htm: Hardened steel pedal adapters extend your pedals 0.787 inch each (20mm). Helps eliminate knee pain for cyclists with a toe-out condition (me, for one) $45/pair plus $2 shipping & handling. As I discovered after a charity ride in 1999, there are some other relevant factors; see my comfort factors on recumbents page.
Odyssey A-brake (Cerritos CA) http://www.odysseybmx.com/: A strong brake that can be cabled from the left side of a recumbent, away from the chain and idlers.
HED Cycling Products (White Bear Lake MN) http://hedcycling.com/: Aero wheels which fair the spokes next to the rim only; looks like a good compromise between aerodynamics and lateral "sail area" for safety. (Full spoke covers plus a sudden crosswind can put you in front of a truck.) Site uses splash screens and image maps.
Rivendell Bicycle Works (Walnut Creek CA) http://www.rivbike.com/: Great resource: retro bike parts supply and magazine. (When I first added this link, I didn't remember where I'd seen the name "Rivendell.")
Power Grips (Grand Junction CO) http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/: An alternative to clipless pedals and cycling shoes for foot retention on recumbents, featured in RCN #47: a stiff adjustable diagonal strap. See the Power Grips section on my page on outfitting a recumbent, for discussion of using them on recumbents.
Lightning Cycle Dynamics heel slings & pedals http://www.lightningbikes.com/: Another foot-retention alternative: slings of something like brake cable and rubber tubing, attached to Tioga rubber pedals via a small steel block and setscrews. They don't seem to have a separate Web page. Not widely used, but they worked fine for me on my Vision R40, before I sold it. (My local bike mechanic took one look and said "We could make those here.")
Coroplast™ (corporate Web site) http://www.coroplast.com/: People make tail boxes and other fairings for recumbents from Coroplast, a light and strong corrugated polyethylene (PE) material commonly used for Republican campaign signs. Coroplast typically can't be bonded or painted easily; many people use solid-color sheets from hobby outlets, at least for the outside, and stitch tailboxes together with cable ties. This site used to have technical bulletins on tapes and adhesives, but no longer does.
Bonding Coroplast™ http://www.recumbents.com/mars/pages/proj/misc/coroglue.html: This page courtesy of the NYC Metro Area Recumbent Society discusses bonding Coroplast with special 3M VHB foam tapes used by sign shops (#4905 clear, #4929 black, #4950 white). Also described is a trickier technique involving "flashing" the polyethylene with a torch first to change the surface energy, then using cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA, "superglue"). They also mention that freshly manufactured Coroplast for signage is already corona-treated so it can be bonded, and describe a water-droplet test to check if the corona treatment of the surface has worn off, which it does in 6-12 months.

The fundamental problem with Coroplast™ relative to adhesives and paints is that polyethylene plastic by its nature is very inert chemically and has a low electrostatic surface energy, meaning nothing much wants to stick to it or otherwise interact with it. This very property makes it hold up well out in the environment, which is great for signage and many other applications, including your tailbox once you get it built.

top

Bike computers

If you can't find these at your Local Bike Shop, you can try Nashbar and REI.

Avocet (Palo Alto CA) http://www.avocet.com/
Blackburn (Rantoul IL) http://www.blackburndesign.com/
Cateye (Boulder CO; Japan) http://www.cateye.com/: I had an old-style square Cateye Mity3 on my Vision R40. They have bracket kits with longer sensor wires your bike shop can order, listed by part number on the Web site. (They're identified as being for rear-wheel sensor mounting, but they work great for recumbents.)
Nashbar (Youngstown OH) http://www.nashbar.com/: Nashbar-brand value model cyclocomputers.
Planet Bike (Madison WI) http://www.planetbike.com/: Protegé bike computers have a larger four-line LCD display that gives you more information without changing modes, simple square welded (plastic) cases, and heavy-duty wiring harness, available in three lengths, for rear wheel mounting, tandems, recumbents, and a version for 31mm handlebars. I have a Protegé 9 on my TerraTrike.
Shimano Flight Deck (Japan) http://www.shimano.com/: If you have Shimano gear-train and shifters, Flight Deck is a computer system that integrates with the shifters and knows which gear you're in. Some models can display cadence without a crank sensor. Not cheap; order through your local Shimano dealers.
Sigma Sport (Germany) http://www.sigmasport.com/

NOTES
• Cadence refers to crank RPM; cyclocomputers usually need an extra crank sensor to display it. Keeping a high enough cadence while climbing is important for healthy knees.
• If you'll be mounting your sensor at a 20-inch or smaller wheel, you might want to check if your computer model's calibration settings include the smaller wheel sizes; some don't.
• If your computer model doesn't offer a long wiring harness, you may be able to order a second harness and splice the two cable runs together. No guarantees from me this will work electronically.
• I'm told wireless cyclocomputers have their own issues. Apparently some seem to generate just enough signal strength to get from the fork to the bars on a wedgie road bike, and if you try to mount them farther apart the computer can't hear the transmitter.

top

Accessories

Platypus polyethylene hydration bladders (Seattle WA) http://cascadedesigns.com/Platypus: Sling one of these behind the seat of your 'bent, and clip the sip tube to your jersey; the Big Zip 3 holds 100 oz/3 liters. You can buy just the bladder and tube assembly for about $25 and make your own bag. The beverage-grade polyethylene won't impart a plastic taste to your water. The "Big Zip" fill opening is a super-heavy zip-lock that opens the whole end of the bag, which makes it easy to dry out after use. Your local REI store stocks Platypus products. (After I bought a Big Zip 3, I discovered that I tend to stop often enough that I have no problem staying adequately hydrated with just a couple of large bike bottles.)
Camelbak polyurethane hydration bladders (Weatherford TX) http://www.camelbak.com/: Another line of bite-valve/bladder hydration systems; you can see these at REI too. Camelbak bladders have a wide-mouth screw cap fill opening. Polyurethane and polyethylene are about the two toughest flexible plastics I can think of.
CycleAware (San Jose CA) http://www.cycleaware.com/: Reflex™ adjustable helmet mirror. It's harder to turn and look behind you on a recumbent than on an upright bike. You need a good way to determine if a motor vehicle is about to punt you into the ditch, hopefully in time to dodge.
SportCrafters (Granger IN) http://www.sportcrafters.com/: Mini-rollers with a fan resistance unit. For two-wheel bikes they come with a fork stand your forks clamp to; for a tadpole trike you can buy just the mini-rollers and resistance unit. Rollers don't stress your rear hub the way conventional trainers do, and this mini-roller version doesn't require you to balance as on full-size rollers.
Calhoun Cycle (Minneapolis MN) http://www.calhouncycle.com/: These nice folks offer recumbent-specific bike clothing, including jerseys without the zippered pockets in back, and bike shorts and thermal tights without chamois pads; you can check stock on their Web site.
Ex Officio Amphi Shorts (Seattle WA) http://www.exofficio.com/: If you're having trouble finding shorts to use on your recumbent from traditional sources, you might want to try these; I like them. They're designed for adventure travel, and they've been available from REI (about $60). Even if REI quits carrying them, you should be able to order them direct from Ex Officio online. They're quick-drying nylon with a Teflon® surface treatment that makes them soft and comfy, a built-in mesh brief like swim trunks, strap-and-buckle leg closures, and several kinds of pockets. I think it's "amphi" as in amphibious, meaning you can ford a stream and they'll dry on you quickly. I have two pair that I think I bought in 1999; I usually line-dry them when I wash them.
When you unhitch a single-wheel trailer, it falls over; an unhitched Burley trailer has a nice three-point stance on its two wheels and the hitch arm.
Burley Nomad touring trailer (Eugene OR) http://www.burley.com/: Burley has been noted for years for reliable two-wheel trailers for towing small children. Their Nomad cargo/touring trailer is 8500 cubic inches, 14 pounds empty, 100 pounds capacity, 32 inches wide overall, and folds to 32×25×9 inches.
B.O.B. Trailers (San Luis Obispo CA) http://www.bobgear.com/: Single-wheel bike trailers, which will probably slide through any gap you can get your bike through. The Yak model is the original B.O.B. ("Beast Of Burden"); the Ibex model adds suspension. Both have a capacity of 5700 cu in, 70 pounds.
Planet Bike Escape Pod http://ecom1.planetbike.com/4020.html: A weatherproof recycled-plastic cargo pod designed to mount on a rear rack; lockable, 892 cubic inches.
Campmor (Saddle River NJ) http://www.campmor.com/: This is a little discount camping catalog on newsprint, that you may already be getting. You may not realize they have some bike stuff, as well as great deals on camp gear for touring. This includes prices that will make you blink on closeouts and discontinued items in top-shelf name-brand outdoor gear of all sorts.
Crateworks http://www.crateworks.com/: Reusable impact-resistant bike shipping/travel crates, including recumbent-specific models.
BionX http://www.bionx.ca/: Sophisticated rechargeable electric assist units for recumbent and upright bikes and trikes, including regenerative braking. This can serve as a commute solution for a lot of people, and a hill-flattener for recreational riders.
top
Dimension Edge http://www.bikemotor.com/: Ten-pound gasoline-motor assist units. Obviously this is not as appealing as the BionX, but at least it's going to use a lot less fuel than if you drove your car.

site feedback