Take It To A Nude Bike Ride

I now have a redbubble store.

I was wrong. There, I said it. I didn't want a Trisled Gizmo afterall, I wanted a Greenspeed GT20. You know, that "annoying" thing where, even before the bike shop have met you, they know what you actually want and they'll gently steer you to what's better suited to you? It's not even price or fit, it's not their brand, but another they carry. It's the machine-of-best-fit. Not in size fit, but fit for purpose. I'm buying a Greenspeed.

Yesterday, I jumped on the VLine train to Morwell, in Victoria's Gippsland Basin, a sizable town in a lush (by Australian standards) pastoral paradise, busy with agribusiness and farming. It's also home to what is the home of Australia's next best known recumbent, Trisled, who also sell Greenspeed since Ian Sims passed and his family sold the business overseas, as well as the Terra Trike range.

I set up a time with them to visit and test ride and, while Trisled's machines are built to order, they organised a loan of a Gizmo from a regular customer for me to compare, but the "Greenie" was floor stock. Both were a bit small for me, but at the bike shop, one size has to fit all and it's still a useful comparison.

The Gizmo, a rather roadworn early generation relic was amazing! It really was the trike I wanted when I first discovered such a thing existed, back in the 90s. Fast, fun, bonkers handling, a turning circle to warp space and the wheels so close to the rider you'll develop callouses on your thighs and lose fingers. Well, not really, but man! That 650mm, aka 2 feet 2 inches, geometry is fun in a scary, MTB downhill way. Yeah, me in the 90s, all mouth, trousers and enthusiasm, no skill. After five minutes of having to remind myself to watch my fingers and legs, yet face aching from a mile wide grin, I realised this machine was for 30 year old me, and it hadn't even been "born" yet, back then. The Gizmo, and this was a late first generation, the newer ones are more refined, is a great trike, very stable, very fast, very low, but...

Picture old-fart me as Jeremy Clarkson climbing out of a Lotus Elan(?) circa 2005. Right, now I'm laughing cruelly at Jeremy... and myself. If you're still in the crazy, "why-would-you-do-that-you-idiot?!" stage of your life... Gizmo! The most fun you can have with your clothes on. No really, THE MOST! (Now I want to take one to a Nude Bikeride.) I really want one! But it really isn't the trike for 60 year old me. I'm not chickening out, I need a practical ride, one where I don't have to wear chaps and safety gloves.

So, a GT20 it is, then.

The GT20, oh my! All the fun of Gizmo, not quite the turning circle but close enough for anybody (I had to think about it to even notice), planted, fast and easy as a Frankston first date. That's all there is to say. It's the "hot hatch" of the bike world, like an original Renault Clio, fast, fun, practical for "the groceries." Baby's got back. Except it's way more stylish than any car!

What are the surprising things? First up, unlike an upright bike, it's less about spin and more about push. For me, with reduced ejection heart failure, this is good, I need to do more strength work. I find riding an upright "properly" takes my wind almost instantly, I was cranking higher gears on both the trikes but, because I could literally put my back into it, but I wasn't feeling it like I would on an upright. I kinda feel this is the first and most obvious efficiency. Will my knees go, ask me in a year, but I didn't feel any knee strain. The second, and most talked about efficiency, no energy spent on running the "inner gyroscope" to stay upright. You don't feel this at first, but boy, do you really feel this once you notice how much less you're breathing for a given workrate. I wish I could afford to add a hand crank for this! Strength pedalling plus strength hand-cranking equals getting more ticker back and speed like Cadel, well, Cadel 11 years later... almost... yeah, nah.

You get these efficiencies on both the Trisled and the Greenspeed, this is an inherent trait of all recumbents, it's why they're so popular int he weirdbeard set, and why you never see them in the Grand Tours. A recumbent rider can "murder" an upright rider. Especially with the aerodynamics of the low, seated posture. If you're thinking about an expensive e-assist euro urban bike, the boosts feel close to what a 250w, 35NM e-bike offers on mid boost. (I've been riding electric for a year at roughly that spec.) If you're looking at dropping multiple thousands on an e-bike, stretch a little further and get an e-trike, or try an "un-e-trike," it might actually be what you're looking for without the motor. And yeah, if you have to commute in traffic, it might not be for you, but if you have veloways and backstreets, you'll be fine.

On the biggest problem people raise about recumbents, that "you can't be seen," dunno. Granted, I've been riding a bicycle in traffic, as a commuter for a solid 40 years. I've had my hairy moments. For a few years, after retirement, I ran a small, local car wash from my bicycle, with a trailer, over a 10km radius from home. Saw a LOT of traffic doing that. If you're a casual cyclist, you might feel differently to me, but I was test riding this trike in a semi-industrial suburb, adjacent to a busy residential through road. Yes, there was a bike lane, but the trucks, SUVs and cars were close. I didn't feel anymore exposed than riding my bicycle. I didn't feel anymore towered over.

That said, St Kilda Road or High St Preston might be a bit, um... hairier, but there are always alternative routes. Always, even in smaller cities like Morwell. I really don't think you're any less safe, I think you actually stand out more. My test rider didn't have a flag and I felt like motorists could see me. Wide berths as they passed, even where they didn't need to wide berth me.

My last word. Maybe a trike is not for you, but try one. Seriously, suck it and see. The last word of my last word, is the video below. Look at that gap toothed grin! I haven't smiled like that since Linda and I got married! Listen to the childlike joy in my voice. I'm a bit of an autistic mumbler, but words flow like I'm writing! This is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Take one to a nude bike ride, seriously!