Windcheetah

It's here and will be on the road by Saturday. I can't wait to give a full report.
Pictures will be forthcoming.

 

Is this it?

 

Yep, without the front fairing. I have the tail box but it won't fit in my Element
With it mounted.

 

Wow! That is a very sleek, beautiful and looking trike. I am not sure which I need to drool over first...the trike itself or the man riding it. Mmm...very nice. Definitely need to have pictures once you have ready.

 

First ride impressions

Just back my inaugural ride. Amazing! The most amazing part was the climbing. But let me back up a second. The steering took me a few minutes, maybe an hour to start relaxing, my elbows hurt from staying way too tense. Twitchy or just quick, I'm not sure. Way different than the indirect USS on the Venom. More stable on smooth straight downhills but the Venom feels better hammering down hills...at least for right now.

Comfort...WOW so much better. The carbon fiber leaf springs under the seat go about their job with no fuss, just smoothing out the bumps. I'm going to have to adjust the padding a bit but you know thats typical of any new bent.

Fast off the line with great power transfer. With the long boom I thought I might see some movement, and I did! About 4mm maybe. On the Venom, I have the boom all the way out and I can move it 2" when I'm hammering up a hill. Speaking of hills, I climbed a short 8% grade at 9.6 mph and my fastest on the Carbent was 12.1. I think I can break 10. Loosing 10 LBS from the Venom and the stiffer boom makes a tremendous difference, dusted a DF rider on a Cervelo on one hill.

I'm not a fan yet of the drum brakes. They don't modulate as well as the disc brakes I have had and just seem stiffer. Have a slight pull to the left that I have to adjust out.

The biggest bummer is I had to move the seat in about 1/2 inch and it's just enough that the tailbox doesn't want to fit.

 

Ward,

I am just glad you are back to riding!!!

 

I'm not a fan yet of the drum brakes

"I'm not a fan yet of the drum brakes"


My favorite trouble free brake. I like 'em real well. Only brake
never to give me a problem.

Nice machine there Ward. How about seat belt and roll-bar?

 

I hope you are right about the trouble free part. Funny you should mention a seat belt, my LBS guy thinks I need one as well.

Jon, I have been riding all along, just not on a bent. My steel 29er SS has turned out to be a lot of fun, thou I stay out of the saddle most of the time.

 

Cool bike!

I like drum brakes in the rain, as their braking surfaces tend
to stay dry.

All my fave. ol' motorcycles had rear drum brakes!

 

On the road again...

Yeah, good to hear you are enjoying it...besides, I can't wait to hear some new stories.

 

Can't wait for the pictures.
Ah serenity wipe your mouth you got a little um er you know. lol

 

Hey, I have my napkin handy thank you very much. As a lady, I do have good table manners. Its just that when I see a nice bent I get a little silly. However, I have to be careful its when I actually get my hands on a bent that I get sort of get crazy and feel like riding of with it. :

 

Know whatcha mean! i have met a couple i had a hard time keeping my hands off as well.
Hmmm,where did i pout those pictures?

 

In this picture you can see the differences. The 700 has the lowest seat with the most recline and interestingly enough the Windcheetah is the most upright. What you can't see in the picture is how narrow the WC is. On the Venom and the 700 I can feel the trike fighting the wind, not on the WC.

 

Ward, looks like you have quite a stable of trikes going on there. Have you decided which purpose each one will be used for?