CR#10
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In 1995, Trek had their now-defunct 9000 series dual
suspension bikes. The shop that I worked at had a couple frame warranty problems. When we
got the replacement frames, the bikes came with the swing arms attached, which meant I was
able to salvage the old swing arm and shock unit from the broken frames. After doing some
sketches, I built my first dual suspension recumbent.
The main frame was built from 2" diameter mild steel and 1 1/2" mild
steel tubing for the cantilevered seat support tube. The bike was originally concieved as
an USS bike, which it had for about 2 months. It was outfitted with OSS bars made up of
two stem risers and a MTB stem. The original crank was a compact-style crankset with a 20
tooth granny. With this extremely low gear (20/28) I could pogo the swing arm when I was
climbing, so I 'hopped up' the low gear to a 30 tooth granny ring on a road style triple
crank.
This bike was a real hoot to ride, I was ramping it over speed bumps, flying off
curbs, like a regular MTB. I even rode some singletrack on it. The thing that ended its
career was the pivot point kept coming loose, but was fun while it lasted. It was also the
first time I noticed a marked difference in speed over an USS style bike. It was also the
first bike to be outfitted with 'V' brakes, which drastically increased the braking
performance. The original cantilevers barely did the job.
Specs:
Wheels: 20"/26"
Wheel base: 42"
Head angle: 70 degrees
BB height: 26"
Seat height: 24"
Seat angle: ~50 degrees
Weight: 40lb.s
Completed: Fall 1995
Fate: Given to Pat Northley, spring 1998
