Recumbent news, views, and interviews webcast live every month. Recumbent bike riding is about people. That's the basis of the Laidback Bike Report.
Our goal is to promote recumbent cycling in all its forms by connecting with people that form the bent riding, building, and reporting community. Bent riders have cool bikes, go to interesting places and have fascinating stories to tell. Sure, we'll talk about bent issues and news. Yes, we'll take a look at hardware and have tips and tricks you can use each month. But our show is built around the
interviews. We will continue to get the personal side from recumbent folks adventure riding around the world. We will delve into the minds of industry leaders, shop owners, and event organizers who are hoping to attract your attention with their wares. We'll ask them to turn their cameras around and show us their surroundings, facilities, or latest prototype. This is how we hope to make our show worthy of an hour of your precious time every month. We do this broadcast live so that we can see your comments and have your questions answered on the spot. This is an interactive endeavor and is not complete without audience participation. Please join us every month as we bring you our very best attempt at the Laidback Bike Report.
I tried to separate these two to keep them out of trouble while here in Ohio. It didn't work😏 It was a real treat to spend some time with Matthew Galat and Honza Galla as they make their way to the Hostel Shoppe for the Pedal Point Rally. Have fun!!
A solar panel above and a small electric motor on the wheel of his AZUB Six bike was all the assistance Jack Butler needed to become this year's Sun Trip Champion. The Englishman battled former champ Frances Jean-Marc Dubouloz who rode a WAW velomobile on a fiercely contested route from Lyon, France to the Sahara Desert in Morocco and back. Jack tells us all about his adventure racing history, the two wheeled bent he now loves and the highlights of this year's nip and tuck race to the finish line.
If you're starting to think about attending the 2024 edition of Cycle-Con this September we've got the guy with all the latest details. Mark Crews is the CEO of WizWheelz who produce this event every year. He joins me with exciting new updates on the exhibitors, venue and new policies for the largest recumbent show in North America.
Larry Seidman has a Sports Report on last month's Waterford, Michigan's HPRA racing event. Larry traveled there from his Colorado home to race and bring us this report.
We're back with you tomorrow Sunday, July 7th at 2 pm ET with another fantastic lineup on the Laidback Bike Report. We recommend you can watch live or anytime there after on YouTube right here:
https://youtube.com/live/0IgI19pjRHY Head over there now and click the "Set Reminder" Button!
Here's what we've been working on this month:
A solar panel above and a small electric motor on the wheel of his AZUB Six bike was all the assistance Jack Butler needed to become this year's Sun Trip Champion. The Englishman battled former champ France's Jean-marc Dubouloz who rode a WAW velomobile on a fiercely contested route from Lyon, France to the Sahara Desert in Morocco and back. Jack tells us all about his adventure racing history, the two wheeled bent he now loves and the highlights of this year's nip and tuck race to the finish line.
If you're starting to think about attending the 2024 edition of Cycle-Con Trade Show & Convention this September we've got the guy with all the latest details. Mark Crews is the CEO of WizWheelz who produce this event every year. He joins me with exciting new updates on the exhibitors, venue and new policies for the largest recumbent show in North America. Larry Seidman has a Sports Report on last month's Waterford, Michigan's HPRA: Human Powered Race America racing event. Larry traveled there from his Colorado home to race and bring us this report.
A solar panel above and a small electric motor on the wheel of his AZUB Six bike was all the assistance Jack Butler needed to become this year's Sun Trip Cha...
Major news from Theo at Velomobile.nl.
https://en.velomobiel.nl/quatrevelo/
This unique four wheeler with striking design, excellent stability and huge luggage space provides confident high speed cornering. Two driven rearwheels provide great traction. It offers the possibility to safely and comfortably bring a child along. Easy access to luggage space.
The Elecy is a futuristic replacement for your current car. It uses sustainable materials with a modular design created to get you and a small passenger around town. This is all the brainchild of an ambitious young aeronautical engineer from the UK who shares the details of her project and her plan to take her company called Amara Automotive to the next level.
Do you ride your bent alone or with a group? Recumbent YouTuber Sylvia Halpern joins me to discuss the advantages of joining or even starting an impromptu riding group.
The World Human Powered Vehicle Championships are returning to the UK this August. Race director Barney Harle joins me to talk about previous year's highlights and provide all the details of participating or spectating in this year's event.
Watch our next live webcast on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/live/oLqtoxhAIfg tomorrow Sunday, June 9th at 2 pm ET.
Here's what's coming up in the show:
The Elecy is a futuristic replacement for your current car. It uses sustainable materials with a modular design created to get you and a small passenger around town. This is all the brainchild of Tamara Ivančová an ambitious young aeronautical engineer from the UK who shares the details of her project and the plan to take her company called Amara Automotive to the next level.
Do you ride your bent alone or with a group? Recumbent YouTuber Sylvia Halpern joins me to talk about some of the notable riding groups around the USA and to discuss the advantages of joining or even starting an impromptu riding group yourself.
The HPV World Championships are returning to the UK this August. Race director Barney Harle joins me to talk about previous year's highlights and provide all the details of participating or spectating in this year's event.
The Elecy is a futuristic replacement for your current car. It uses sustainable materials with a modular design created to get you and a small passenger arou...
All Spezialradmesse SPEZI videos are now edited and uploaded to YouTube! There are 16 booth interviews in alphabetical order plus the fun of fly over intro, test track footage and outtakes all wrapped up in this full coverage upload. A table of contents with links to every segment of the video appears in the description below on YouTube. Our sincere thanks to our Spezi Sponsors for making our coverage possible. Please support these fine bent industry businesses: Alligt, AZUB recumbents, Bambuk, HP Velotechnik International, Mickey at Laid Back Cycles, Larry at Jersey Bents, Mike at Velotilt, Katanga, Steintrikes, and VeMoo.
All our booth interviews in alphabetical order plus intros, actions shots of indoor and outdoor test tracks and outtakes. It's all here in this Spezi 2024 Co...
GCN is out with a couple of videos on the CRUZBIKE V20c. Hank gives us a look at the tech details and components of his bike then does a time trial on a race track. I think it's a great look at this top line recumbent racer but I'm not sure Hank is the right guy to do a valid racing comparison with the upright time trial bikes.
https://youtu.be/gj6n76QXRN4
https://youtu.be/zg7Kl0bQCR0
This bike is rapid! What's making it so fast? Luckily, we have Hank on the ground to check out the Cruzbike! This recumbent superbike is a work of art. Join ...
Join Recumbent News' Honza Galla, Swedish bent shop owner Alve Henricson, our own Tray Bourgoyne and me as we stroll down the virtual aisles of Spezi 2024. We'll talk about everything that we found interesting, unique or shocking at this annual celebration of the world's "Special Bikes".
Our crew has just returned from a fabulous experience at the world's largest recumbent event AKA Spezialradmesse SPEZI 2024. Join Recumbent News' Honza Galla, Swedish bent shop owner Alve Henricson, our own Tray Bourgoyne and me as we stroll down the virtual aisles of the show. We'll talk about everything that we found interesting, unique or shocking at this annual celebration of the world's "Special Bikes".
You can watch live this Sunday, May 19th at 2pm EDT right here: https://youtube.com/live/dLy1zEboFEk Head over there now and click the "Set Reminder" Button!
Join our live chat during the show if you can. If you have questions/comments for our guests and can't watch live please feel free to respond to this post and I'll try to ask for you during the show.
I have also starting posting individual Spezi 2024 booth interviews which you can find on our YouTube channel playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw5zeaLy6vumcx2DSSuxtbB7ptqlHaIU6
Once those are all published I will work on the Spezi 2024 grand collection video which will contain all the interviews, crowd scenes, test track video, outtakes, drone video and much more. Look for that in a couple of weeks.
Join Recumbent News' Honza Galla, Swedish bent shop owner Alve Henricson, our own Tray Bourgoyne and me as we stroll down the virtual aisles of Spezi 2024. W...
Buying a European velomobile in America has been fraught with poor selection/availability, shipping disasters and minimal expert guidance. Ben Parke has worked very hard over the last year to change all that with his new Minnesota dealership called Northland Velo. Ben's close business connection with Romanian based Velomobile World is bringing a wide range of models to his customers at discounted prices. We talk to Ben about the "shipping container load" quantities he is bringing in which he hopes will finally allow for scaling this business to new levels.
The world's largest recumbent show is returning to Germany soon and so is the Laidback Bike Report. We sit down with Franz, Gabriel and Florian (the Spezi producers) for a peek at the planned program and exciting new changes they have planned for this year.
This event only got its start a few years ago but the Pacific Trike Fest is returning to Portland, Oregon in June. Recumbent PDX is the force behind this fun gathering and Mel Birge joins us on the road riding his own Catrike to tell us all the amazing details.
Looking forward to our live webcast on YouTube tomorrow, April 7th at 2 pm EDT which you can watch right here: (Head over there now and click the "Set Reminder" Button!)
https://youtube.com/live/YHNT2z9OdJc
Here's what we've been working on this month for the show:
Buying a European velomobile in America has been fraught with poor selection/availability, shipping disasters and minimal expert guidance. Ben Parke has worked very hard over the last year to change all that with his new Minnesota dealership called Northland Velo. Ben's close business connection with Romanian based VelomobileWorld.com is bringing a wide range of models to his customers at discounted prices. We talk to Ben about the "shipping container load" quantities he is bringing in which he hopes will finally allow for scaling this business to new levels.
The world's largest recumbent show is returning to Germany soon and so is the Laidback Bike Report. We sit down with Franz, Gabriel and Florian (the Spezialradmesse SPEZI producers) for a peek at the planned program and exciting new changes they have planned for this year.
This event only got its start a few years ago but the Pacific TrikeFest is returning to Portland, Oregon in June. Recumbentpdx is the force behind this fun gathering and Mel Birge joins us on the road riding his own Catrike to tell us all the amazing details.
Join our live chat during the show if you can. If you have questions/comments for our guests and can't watch live please feel free to respond to this post and I'll try to ask for you during the show.
Buying a European velomobile in America has been fraught with poor selection/availability, shipping disasters and minimal expert guidance. Ben Parke has work...
Florida in February is not a bad place to visit! When general manager Mark Egeland invited us to tour the factory floor of Catrike in Orlando last fall at Cycle-Con we jumped at the opportunity. Tray and I were given free range to roam the facility and interview anyone we wished. This was during their "Factory Event" so we got to see lots of Catrike owners and hear from their Founder Paulo Camasmie as well. We follow the progress a new trike would take right down the production line from welding to painting to packaging and interview the team at their individual stations along the way. I think you'll find the process fascinating.
The Big Honkin' Trike Rally was becoming an annual pilgrimage for bent riders across the country when the powers that be threw a liability wrench into the organizer's plans this year. Not to be beaten they pivoted to a more open source approach and turned this into an informal BBQ and ride format along the Withlacootchee trail in Inverness, Florida this year. We attended the BBQ, met many of the trikers and interviewed Gay Ormiston Bradford who has been involved from the start.
If you're looking for advice on unraveling the many trike choices available both electric and not-look no further! Andrew and Gary from Trailside Trike in Floral City, Florida show us 10 models they rolled out behind the bike shop right along the trail. You'll get their expert opinion on the pros and cons of various Catrike, Greenspeed, Terratrike, Trident and AZUB units for your consideration.
Tray and I have recently returned from our trip to Florida to cover some cool bent events. We shot lots of video and the results of that make up our next live webcast coming up this Sunday, March 10th at 2 pm ET right here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/TRwPQKsVd3E Head over there now and click the "Set Reminder" Button!
Here's what we've put together for you:
When general manager Mark Egeland invited us to tour the factory floor of Catrike in Orlando last fall at Cycle-Con we jumped at the opportunity. Tray and I were given free range to roam the facility and interview anyone we wished. This was during their "Factory Event" so we got to see lots of Catrike owners and hear from Founder Paulo Camasmie as well. We follow the progress a new trike would take right down the production line from welding to painting to packaging and interview the team at their individual stations along the way. I think you'll find the process fascinating.
The Big Honkin' Trike Rally was becoming an annual pilgrimage for bent riders across the country when the powers that be threw a liability wrench into the organizer's plans this year. Not to be beaten, they pivoted to a more open source approach and turned this into an informal BBQ and ride format along the Withlacootchee trail in Inverness, Florida this year. We attended the BBQ, met many of the trikers and interviewed Gay Ormiston Bradford who has been involved from the start.
If you're looking for advice on unraveling the many trike choices available both electric and not-look no further! Andrew and Gary from Trailside Trikes in Floral City, Florida show us 10 models they rolled out behind the bike shop right along the trail. You'll get their expert opinion on the pros and cons of various Catrike, Greenspeed, TerraTrike, Trident, ICE and AZUB units for your consideration.
Join our live chat during the show if you can. If you have questions/comments for our guests and can't watch live please feel free to respond to this post and I'll try to ask for you during the show. See you on Sunday!!
Florida in February is not a bad place to visit! When general manager Mark Egeland invited us to tour the factory floor of Catrike in Orlando last fall at Cy...
Tray and I look forward to seeing all our Catrike friends next week! Here are the deets:
Make plans to attend the 2024 Catrike Factory Tour on February 17, 2024, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Bring your Catrike and join the Catrike team for rides on the new Grove Park Trail directly behind the factory (Approximately 3 miles). We will have factory tours throughout the day where you can see the production of Catrikes and get a free limited edition factory t-shirt.
Larry Oslund joins us from his Hilton Head headquarters to talk about his recent trip to Romania and his video tour of the Velomobile World factory. He takes us all around the facility then shows us a close up view as his personal Bülk is being built on the floor. Larry is now a Velomobile World dealer and is offering velos along side Cruzbikes for test rides and sales. Another of Larry's passions is ultra racing. We talk about his personal accomplishments and his new forays into resurrecting failed races around the country starting with Sebring and Calvin's Challenge. Last year Larry built a massive addition to his house to make room for the Cruzeum. This large structure over his garage now houses over 30 historical Cruzbikes and Cruzbike paraphernalia. We have a look at this new room as we talk to Cruzbike founders Maria and Jim Parker who join Larry for our final chat segment.
Many thanks to my long time supporter and friend Dennis Wells for creating this amazing piece of woodworking art. Get in touch with him if you are looking for something special for yourself or as a gift.
I hope you'll join us live this Sunday, February 4th at 2 pm ET for the next Laidback Bike Report. You can do so right here: (Head over there now and click the "Set Reminder" Button!)
https://youtube.com/live/kujuU3alzJ4?feature=share
Here's the rundown: Larry Oslund joins us from his Hilton Head headquarters to talk about his recent trip to Romania and his video tour of the VelomobileWorld.com factory. He takes us all around the facility then shows us a close up view as his personal Bülk is being built on the floor. Larry is now a Velomobile World dealer and is offering velos alongside CRUZBIKEs for test rides and sales. Another of Larry's passions is ultra racing. We talk about his personal accomplishments and his new forays into resurrecting failed races around the country starting with Bike Sebring 12/24/Century Ride/RAAM Qualifier and Calvin's Challenge. Last year Larry built a massive addition to his house to make room for the Cruzeum. This large structure over his garage now houses over 30 historical Cruzbikes and Cruzbike paraphernalia. We have a look at this new room as we talk to Cruzbike founders Maria Parker and Jim Parker who join Larry for our final chat segment.
Join our live chat during the show if you can. If you have questions/comments for our guests and can't watch live please feel free to respond to this post and I'll try to ask for you during the show.
Larry Oslund joins us from his Hilton Head headquarters to talk about his recent trip to Romania and his video tour of the Velomobile World factory. He take...
Manufactured in Montreal the VT1 velomobile from Velomtek is in production and is now available to buyers in the USA. CEO Francois Garneau gives us a close up look at this amazing vehicle then shares the details of their process for purchasing via pickup or delivery.
Lars Veibke started Carbontrike in Sweden years ago before entering into a collaboration with Bacchetta in 2018. Fast forward past Bacchetta's sale and split up into bike and trike business, covid complications and visa nightmares and today Lars is back up and running in Florida. He brings us up to date on this exquisite carbon fiber trike and his plan for sales and development in the future.
The Florida Senior Games were held in December and bents were very well represented in the biking category. Our own Larry Seidman brings us his report on the riders and results from the competition in the Sunshine State.
We kick off 2024 with a double dose of interesting bent interviews from North America on our webcast this Sunday, January 7th at 2 pm ET.
You can watch and participate in the live chat on Youtube right here:
https://youtube.com/live/ddR3IvDXwbo Head over there now and click the "Set Reminder" Button!
Here are the details: Manufactured in Montreal the VT1 velomobile from Velomtek is in production and is now available to buyers in the USA. CEO Francois Garneau gives us a close up look at this amazing vehicle then shares the details of their process for purchasing via pickup or delivery.
Lars Veibke started Carbontrike in Sweden years ago before entering into a collaboration with Bacchetta in 2018. Fast forward past Bacchetta's sale and split up into bike and trike business, covid complications and visa nightmares and today Lars is back up and running in Florida. He brings us up to date on this exquisite carbon fiber trike and his plan for sales and development in the future.
The Florida Senior Games were held in December and bents were very well represented in the biking category. Our own Larry Seidman brings us his report on the riders and results from the competition in the Sunshine State.
Join our live chat during the show if you can. If you have questions/comments for our guests and can't watch live please feel free to respond to this post and I'll try to ask for you during the show.
Manufactured in Montreal the VT1 velomobile from Velomtek is in production and is now available to buyers in the USA. CEO Francois Garneau gives us a close u...
My pal Russell Bridge finally gets some well deserved time in the limelight on Global Cycling Network. His latest streamliner is Snoopy and it is another of his amazing speed demon designs.
Recumbent bikes are the fastest type of bicycle due to their low aerodynamic position, but just how fast are they? Hank met up with some recumbent riders and...
Aussie Mark Doble read on BROL that some American velonauts were planning on being the first to cross Australia in a velomobile. This got his competitive and patriotic juices flowing and he thought "Screw you Yanks you'll not be the first to do this in my country!!" So the planning began for an epic crossing of the continent "down under" in the Australian built Rotovelo.
Next, our own Tray Bourgoyne and wife Lisa have been working hard on an in depth review of the just released new trike from HP Velotechnik known as the Delta Tx. You'll see it on the trail, on the road and in Tray's workshop. He details all the features and specs to let us know why this e-assisted trike might be best suited for you.
From my English pal Barney Harle comes this link to Global Cycling Network's latest video on Recumbent vs "everything else on wheels". It's always great to see the wider exposure...
Is aero any match for an engine? Can leg power triumph over petrol power? We’ve got our hands on one of the world’s fastest bicycles and have put it head-to-...
On Sunday's Laidback Bike Report we have the compelling story of Mark Doble aka Rotovelo Across Australia and our own Tray Bourgoyne has an in-depth review on HP Velotechnik International's new Delta Tx trike. You can watch it all and join the live chat tomorrow, December 3rd at 2 pm ET right here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/yiJ8q5pvUEU?si=g5BsAZUb3EvzE4m7 (Head over there now and click the "Set Reminder" Button!)
If you have questions/comments for our guests and can't watch live please feel free to respond to this email and I'll try to ask for you during the show.
Lot's more info and our beautiful LBR hats are always available at www.laidbackbikereport.com.
Aussie Mark Doble read on BROL that some American velonauts were planning on being the first to cross Australia in a velomobile. This got his competitive and...
Tig Cross has been working on the Electrom for almost 8 years. Now in limited production he hopes to one day make his dream of a 2 wheeled light electric recumbent come true. He believes this bike has advantages that will make it a true "car replacement" option in the future.
Our own Larry Seidman participated in two senior games events last month. He was excited to see some other recumbent riders at the Huntsman Games in Utah and the Nevada Senior Games as well. He tells us about the events, venues and the racers involved making it clear that more of us should join in the fun.
Sports Director Denny Voorhees is back with a report on a couple of interesting endurance races including the Natchez Trace 444. Our pal Larry Oslund features prominently in this report along with a few other bent racers.
Moving up production and delivery on the new HP Velotechnik Delta Tx is welcome news! In addition to our interview at Cycle-Con Tray Bourgoyne will have a full review of the trike on our December webcast.
Delta tx: Production starts earlier and with more choice
Good news for all those interested: Originally scheduled to start after the turn of the year, we will now be starting production and delivery our our latest model Delta tx in mid-December! Furthermore, we are responding to a popular request from our dealers and are now offering the Delta tx also in the Special Edition in the attractive color Blue flash in addition to Sparkling iron gray.
If you would like to find out more about the Delta tx, we recommend the video of the Laidback Bike Report's visit to our booth at the Cycle-Con Trade Show & Convention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb99ZW3xPV4
To learn how to separate the Delta tx, check out the related workshop video:
https://youtu.be/Zt5Ogk9jKM8
Of course, we also provide detailed information about our latest model on our website:
https://www.hpvelotechnik.com/en/recumbent-trikes-bikes/delta-tx-comfortable-e-chopper/
Dana Lieberman owns Bent Up Cycles bike shop in L.A. and more recently Bacchetta Bikes. He is a strong advocate for riding 2 wheeled recumbents of all kinds....
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A solar panel above and a small electric motor on the wheel of his AZUB Six bike was all the assistance Jack Butler needed to become this year's Sun Trip Champion. The Englishman battled former champ Frances Jean-Marc Dubouloz who rode a WAW velomobile on a fiercely contested route from Lyon, France to the Sahara Desert in Morocco and back. Jack tells us all about his adventure racing history, the two wheeled bent he now loves and the highlights of this year's nip and tuck race to the finish line. If you're starting to think about attending the 2024 edition of Cycle-Con this September we've got the guy with all the latest details. Mark Crews is the CEO of WizWheelz who produce this event every year. He joins me with exciting new updates on the exhibitors, venue and new policies for the largest recumbent show in North America. Larry Seidman has a Sports Report on last month's Waterford, Michigan's HPRA racing event. Larry traveled there from his Colorado home to race and bring us this report.
The Elecy is a futuristic replacement for your current car. It uses sustainable materials with a modular design created to get you and a small passenger around town. This is all the brainchild of an ambitious young aeronautical engineer from the UK who shares the details of her project and her plan to take her company called Amara Automotive to the next level. Do you ride your bent alone or with a group? Recumbent YouTuber Sylvia Halpern joins me to discuss the advantages of joining or even starting an impromptu riding group. The World Human Powered Vehicle Championships are returning to the UK this August. Race director Barney Harle joins me to talk about previous year's highlights and provide all the details of participating or spectating in this year's event.
Join Recumbent News' Honza Galla, Swedish bent shop owner Alve Henricson, our own Tray Bourgoyne and me as we stroll down the virtual aisles of Spezi 2024. We'll talk about everything that we found interesting, unique or shocking at this annual celebration of the world's "Special Bikes".
Buying a European velomobile in America has been fraught with poor selection/availability, shipping disasters and minimal expert guidance. Ben Parke has worked very hard over the last year to change all that with his new Minnesota dealership called Northland Velo. Ben's close business connection with Romanian based Velomobile World is bringing a wide range of models to his customers at discounted prices. We talk to Ben about the "shipping container load" quantities he is bringing in which he hopes will finally allow for scaling this business to new levels. The world's largest recumbent show is returning to Germany soon and so is the Laidback Bike Report. We sit down with Franz, Gabriel and Florian (the Spezi producers) for a peek at the planned program and exciting new changes they have planned for this year. This event only got its start a few years ago but the Pacific Trike Fest is returning to Portland, Oregon in June. Recumbent PDX is the force behind this fun gathering and Mel Birge joins us on the road riding his own Catrike to tell us all the amazing details.
Florida in February is not a bad place to visit! When general manager Mark Egeland invited us to tour the factory floor of Catrike in Orlando last fall at Cycle-Con we jumped at the opportunity. Tray and I were given free range to roam the facility and interview anyone we wished. This was during their "Factory Event" so we got to see lots of Catrike owners and hear from their Founder Paulo Camasmie as well. We follow the progress a new trike would take right down the production line from welding to painting to packaging and interview the team at their individual stations along the way. I think you'll find the process fascinating. The Big Honkin' Trike Rally was becoming an annual pilgrimage for bent riders across the country when the powers that be threw a liability wrench into the organizer's plans this year. Not to be beaten they pivoted to a more open source approach and turned this into an informal BBQ and ride format along the Withlacootchee trail in Inverness, Florida this year. We attended the BBQ, met many of the trikers and interviewed Gay Ormiston Bradford who has been involved from the start. If you're looking for advice on unraveling the many trike choices available both electric and not-look no further! Andrew and Gary from Trailside Trike in Floral City, Florida show us 10 models they rolled out behind the bike shop right along the trail. You'll get their expert opinion on the pros and cons of various Catrike, Greenspeed, Terratrike, Trident and AZUB units for your consideration.
Larry Oslund joins us from his Hilton Head headquarters to talk about his recent trip to Romania and his video tour of the Velomobile World factory. He takes us all around the facility then shows us a close up view as his personal Bülk is being built on the floor. Larry is now a Velomobile World dealer and is offering velos along side Cruzbikes for test rides and sales. Another of Larry's passions is ultra racing. We talk about his personal accomplishments and his new forays into resurrecting failed races around the country starting with Sebring and Calvin's Challenge. Last year Larry built a massive addition to his house to make room for the Cruzeum. This large structure over his garage now houses over 30 historical Cruzbikes and Cruzbike paraphernalia. We have a look at this new room as we talk to Cruzbike founders Maria and Jim Parker who join Larry for our final chat segment.
Manufactured in Montreal the VT1 velomobile from Velomtek is in production and is now available to buyers in the USA. CEO Francois Garneau gives us a close up look at this amazing vehicle then shares the details of their process for purchasing via pickup or delivery. Lars Veibke started Carbontrike in Sweden years ago before entering into a collaboration with Bacchetta in 2018. Fast forward past Bacchetta's sale and split up into bike and trike business, covid complications and visa nightmares and today Lars is back up and running in Florida. He brings us up to date on this exquisite carbon fiber trike and his plan for sales and development in the future. The Florida Senior Games were held in December and bents were very well represented in the biking category. Our own Larry Seidman brings us his report on the riders and results from the competition in the Sunshine State.
Aussie Mark Doble read on BROL that some American velonauts were planning on being the first to cross Australia in a velomobile. This got his competitive and patriotic juices flowing and he thought "Screw you Yanks you'll not be the first to do this in my country!!" So the planning began for an epic crossing of the continent "down under" in the Australian built Rotovelo. Next, our own Tray Bourgoyne and wife Lisa have been working hard on an in depth review of the just released new trike from HP Velotechnik known as the Delta Tx. You'll see it on the trail, on the road and in Tray's workshop. He details all the features and specs to let us know why this e-assisted trike might be best suited for you.
Tig Cross has been working on the Electrom for almost 8 years. Now in limited production he hopes to one day make his dream of a 2 wheeled light electric recumbent come true. He believes this bike has advantages that will make it a true "car replacement" option in the future. Our own Larry Seidman participated in two senior games events last month. He was excited to see some other recumbent riders at the Huntsman Games in Utah and the Nevada Senior Games as well. He tells us about the events, venues and the racers involved making it clear that more of us should join in the fun. Sports Director Denny Voorhees is back with a report on a couple of interesting endurance races including the Natchez Trace 444. Our pal Larry Oslund features prominently in this report along with a few other bent racers.
Graham Browne's long career in digital design has included work with Jaguar, Dyson and Bentley. In the last few years his thoughts and efforts have turned to more low cost zero emission projects. By 2020 he had formed Northern Light Motors and developed a prototype light electric vehicle which has now gone into production in northern England. His intended market is more aimed at a cool and compelling car replacement than a screamingly fast racing machine. We talk to Graham about his company and ideas and then to our UK correspondent Barney Harle. Barney travelled to NLM headquarters, test rode the velo and regales us with his review. Next up is a look at the German Varitrike. This unusual arm and leg powered front wheel drive trike showed up at Cycle-Con 2023 with owner Dave McHenry. We show you his fun demo in the parking lot followed by a more in depth interview with Varibike CEO Martin Kraiss. Lastly, from our LBR Review Team, Nina Paley had a chance to ride the e-assisted Ti-Fly X 26. She assembled then tested the trike both on and off road around her central Illinois location. You will be entertained as well as educated by this wonderful segment.
Join Sylvia Halpern, Honza Galla, Larry Varney, Tray Bourgoyne and me for a booth by booth discussion of our highlights from the Cycle-Con 2023 event.
Bentrider (formerly known as Bentrider Online) is now new and improved thanks to new owner Kurt Reynolds. Having previous experience on nuclear submarines and now working for Microsoft he just might have what it takes to take this well loved recumbent message board to the next level. Kurt talks to us about buying the website from our old pal Bryan Ball, what he's done to improve the board and gives us a bit of a tutorial so we can all make the most of our experience. Next up is a young German velonaut who overcame a ridiculous number of obstacles to ride and finish this year's TransAm Bike Race from Washington State to Virginia. Fortunately for us he decided to then turn around and head west in his prototype Milan RS to race at Battle Mountain, Nevada. On his way he stopped here in Ohio for a couple of days so I took advantage and did an extended interview with this impressive young rider/builder. Lastly, we present an update on the Mississippi River Tour of our good pal Jon Hodkin aka Innertuba. My wife and I journeyed west to the Illinois/Iowa border and the Quad Cities area to catch up with him. He has been playing and riding his trike/trailer rig all the way up the river from Louisiana since March. We learn about the charitable work he's doing along the way, hear about his concerts and watch him lead a trike entourage over a bridge on the great river itself.
We've reported on the young German velonaut Niklas Bostelmann who recently completed the Trans Am Bike Race. As that was not enough riding for him he is now heading back west in his Milan RS. We are fortunate to have had him spend a couple of days with us here at the worldwide studios of the Laidback Bike Report. He was kind enough to sit down with me for an extensive interview yesterday where we talk all about his ride across America, his velomobile and how it all has affected his life. We'll see excerpts of that conversation our next webcast on August 6th. While here in Ohio he began training my grandson for next year's cross country race as you can see in the video below😁
We are treated to a personal tour of the AZUB Bikes facility in the Czech Republic by Honza Galla followed by an amazing trike tour in the country. Next we have on the scene coverage of the recent human powered vehicle racing event at Waterford, Michigan. This includes lots of racing video, drone shots and interviews with race producers Mike Mowett and Dennis Grelk. We also talk to Lincoln MacDonald from the University of Toronto HPV Design Team, and racers Marshall Randall and John Simon. Marshall returns for an interview about the upcoming Cycle-Con 2023 event coming up in September in Xenia, Ohio.
Our young German velomobile racer Niklas Bostelmann is currently in Kansas on his Trans Am Bike Race. Thanks to our intrepid reporter Larry Seidman for tracking him down yesterday just east of Pueblo Colorado and grabbing this quick video!
We are on the road in Brno, Czech Republic and Prievaly, Slovakia where we tour the Katanga facility and Composite Products in one day. At Katanga we get a look at the CAD designs of their upcoming light electric vehicle called the VM45, building the WAW velomobile and Pony 4 quad in the workshop and a peek at the Velove cargo platform they collaborate on. Hijinks ensue when Tray and I hop on the quads for a test ride. Then it's on to Slovakia where Alan from Composite Products gets us up close and personal to their fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber process all taking place in an old firehouse. HP Velotechnik hinted at a new trike while we were at Spezi this year. Now they've officially announced the Delta TX a real departure from the tadpole trikes they have long been known for. Heiko Truppel their marketing director takes us through the story behind this new product and we take a close look at the trike itself.
We use the new 3D virtual walk through technology of Matterport to take a booth by booth "Best of..." tour with our expert panel of attendees of the real life Spezi 2023. Joining us today are our own Tray Bourgoyne, Recumbent.news' Honza Galla, TerraCycle's Pat Franz, Bent Revolution's Tim Segard and my German velomobile pal Jascha Buettler. They each share their favorite or most interesting items seen as we saunter down each aisle of the show in 3D splendor. Thanks to https://matterport.com/ for this amazing new technology! We finish up with a sports report from Denny as he interviews the amazing Sandy Earl. She is the only recumbent rider scheduled for the upcoming Race Across America 2023.
In celebration of our initial publishing of Spezialradmesse SPEZI coverage videos Heiko Truppel from HP Velotechnik International and I bust out our best moves. I have since been advised to stick to doing interviews🤨 Over the next couple of weeks you will find all our booth interviews on our Spezi 2023 playlist on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw5zeaLy6vunPSl7ej3cvdbP6SFcf_XlE
The guys from recumbent bike maker Wolf and Wolf are now in charge of Spezialradmesse SPEZI, the highly regarded "special bike" event taking place next week in Lauchringen, Germany. They talk about all the changes and what you need to know if you plan to attend this celebration of bikes, trikes, velomobiles and all sorts of innovation on wheels. This video excerpted from our April 2, 2023 live webcast. Link to the Spezi website: https://en.spezialradmesse.de/
Recumbent bicycle engineer/designer Ron Thompson believes a low profile arm power assisted front wheel drive bike can transform human powered racing. His G4 Racer headlines a line of two wheeled bents he intends to bring to market. He shares his insights and aspirations along with many details of these designs in a fascinating presentation. Jon Hodkin is bringing his Innertuba project back to America this spring with an ambitious trike and tuba trailer tour up the entire length of the Mississippi River. He has found a friend in recumbent advocate Nick White who is helping him find gigs with school bands and professional bands all along the way. With logistical help from Pat Franz of TerraCycle and Dave Hendricks from Connecticut Yankee Pedaller this is shaping up to be an epic journey. Jon and Nick join us to share the plan. Spezi is the highly regarded "special bike" event which returns this month after a 3 year Covid pause. It now has a new location and a new producer. We talk with the guys from Wolf and Wolf who are now in charge about all the changes and what you need to know if you plan to attend this celebration of bikes, trikes, velomobiles and all sorts of innovation on wheels.
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Recumbent bike riding is about people. Bent riders have cool bikes, go to interesting places and have fascinating stories to tell. That's the basis of the Laidback Bike Report. Sure, we'll talk about bent issues and news. Yes, we'll take a look at hardware and have tips and tricks you can use each month. But our show is built around the interviews. We will continue to get the personal side from recumbent folks adventure riding around the world. We will delve into the minds of industry leaders, shop owners, and event organizers who are hoping to attract your attention with their wares. We'll ask them to turn their cameras around and show us their surroundings, facilities, or latest prototype. This is how we hope to make our show worthy of an hour of your precious time every month. We do this broadcast live so that we can see your comments and have your questions answered on the spot. This is an interactive endeavor and is not complete without audience participation. Please join us every month as we bring you our very best attempt at the Laidback Bike Report.
