Following on from my end to end ride in 2015, I’ve been planning to do another long ride.  The current plan is to ride from Nordkapp, Norway to Gibraltar two weeks at a time over the next three years.  It’s 6000 km overall, so 2000 km over two weeks seems an achievable goal.

One thing I learned from the end to end ride is that riding a fully loaded recumbent up a steep hill is not exactly fun.  I fell over several times, and was lucky that each time the only thing hurt was my pride.  Also, turning at ‘t’ junctions can be un-nerving.

So, for the next ride I’ve decided on a recumbent trike.  Three wheels, no balancing concerns.  The trike has two wheels in the front, and one in the back.  I went back to Azub, since their recumbent I used for the end to end was so good, and have purchased their new Ti-Fly trike.

The frame is sandblasted with a lacquer coating over the aluminium.  The trike has a couple of interesting features; it has a Pinion 18 speed gearing system at the crank set, Son dynamo hubs on both front wheels, one for the lighting, the other to power devices, and Azub’s very efficient front suspension which uses titanium plates as ‘springs’.

The trike folds after removing the seat, and once folded, is a very compact package.  I chose a 20″ rear wheel so that it would fold smaller for when I need to get it on a plane.

Like the recumbent, the trike includes Azub’s super adjustable seating system.  The seat and handlebars can be adjusted to suit a wide range of riding positions.  All of the adjustments are locked with red anodised quick release locks.  The rear wheel is suspended using a Fox air shock absorber.

The trike has racks that can carry four panniers and a rack top bag, like the Azub 6. 

I’ve taken a few rides and it’s a real blast to ride.  Cars and lorries give you plenty of space as they pass and try to figure out what you are riding…  The trike handles well, even at speed.  It’s a bit heavy, but so am I.  I’m adding a device charging system with a cache battery, and am working on how best to mount my smart phone/gps, and my Garmin bike computer.