Bents Battle for Sun Trip 2024 Victory-Jack Butler Interview!
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.
Tamara Ivancova-Designing Tomorrow's Transportation!
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.
Spezi 2024 Highlights and Walkthrough
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".
The New Face of European Velomobiles in America-Northland Velo!
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.
Catrike Factory Tour Event 2024-Trikes Made in the USA!
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.
Velomobile World Factory Tour/Cruzbike Museum and More!-Larry Oslund
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.
Velomtek Now in USA and Carbontrike Back in Business!
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.
Rotovelo Across Australia-Mark Doble
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.
Electrom-2 Wheeled Bent Replaces Your Car!
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.
Stunning E-Velo from UK Classic Car Designer
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.
Cycle-Con 2023-Highlights!
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.
Online with Bentrider's New Owner Kurt Reynolds!
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😁
AZUB Tour and Trike Riding!
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!
How Bents are Built in Czechia and Slovakia!
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.
3D Virtual Expert Walkthrough-Spezi 2023
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/
Designing the Next Generation Racing Bent
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.
