recumbent steering tiller versus linkage

[BAILEY]

I have a Lightfoot Ranger recumbent that I find very hard to handle on slow speed climbs . Would changing to linkage steering( a $300 option ) give me a big improvement ??

[bogiesan]

I have a Lightfoot Ranger recumbent that I find very hard to handle on slow speed climbs . Would changing to linkage steering( a $300 option ) give me a big improvement ??

You mean converting to underseat steering? That's known in the 'bent crowd as USS.
Probably not. The bike's center of gravity and your ability to make microcorrections to the steering that affect slow speed handling on most recumbents. Other factors include the contents of and location of panniers and bags, width of the front tire and forward velocity.

I usually run a bodyskin on my Tour Easy when I'm touring. The springy Lycra provides a huge steering damping effect. But I've 40+thousand miles on her and I really enjoy climbing so I train on hills.

YOu mgiht want to visit the site known as Bent Ride Online There you will find some other Lightfoot owners, plenty of climbing adviace as well as comparisons between USS and ASS.

[BAILEY]

Thank you for the info. but I was not thinking of USS .Lightfoot has an option for linkage steering that eliminates the tiller .See there web for a picture . It's expensive but I will get it if it is a big improvement.

[bent4me]

Lightfoot cycles is not a large mfg and finding someone with the linkage steering will be difficult. You will have better luck posting on Bentrideronline.com. You could ask Rod of Lightfoot. Slow climbing on any 2 wheel recumbent is challenging.  That is one reason so many recumbent trikes are sold. I own a Rans Stratus(like the Ranger) with major tiller steering. I have climbed the Blue Ridge mts 4 times. I once climbed a hill drafting off someone walking.
www.Thejerseypedaler.com

[bogiesan]

Thank you for the info. but I was not thinking of USS .Lightfoot has an option for linkage steering that eliminates the tiller .See there web for a picture . It's expensive but I will get it if it is a big improvement.

Sorry I couldn't address this esoteric option of Lightfoot's. Tiller is as much a misperception of newbie
s inability to handle a 'bent as it is a literal effect of how the geomotery of the handlebars  pivot the fork. Never heard of linkage as an option to counteract tiller and I've ridden a lot of 'bents though never had a chance to sit on a Lightfoot.

If you get it figured out, please ocme back and tell us what you decided.

[MrBent]

I would talk to Rob over at Lightfoot to get his opinion.  I'm not sure the conversion would do a lot of good.  I owned a dual 26" Lightfoot (diff. model) for a while and found that the long wheel base and big front wheel made the rig a real handful on slow, steep climbs, more, ultimately, than I wanted to deal with for the long haul, so I sold the bike, although it was very well made and worked well with the exception of a poorly designed/placed idler.  Bogiesan owns an Easy Racer's bike that has a 20" front wheel, and it's my experience that while that design doesn't handle quite as well as the short wheelbase bikes I favor, the smaller front wheel was a definite improvement.  The Tour Easy was one of the best touring rigs I've owned.  Unfortunately, by butt could not adapt to the lower bottom bracket.  I'm a confirmed high bottom bracket guy at this point.  As Bogiesan says, do lots of hills and the bike will get easier to control.  Practice, practice, practice.

Best of luck with the new bike.

Scott

[mucknort]

I can't help you with your question (I've seen photos of Lightfoots linkage steering and it looks cool), but I can say that I ride and tour on a Stratus XP, which is very similar to the Lightfoot. Much has to do with experience. At first, slow speed steering (especially when climbing) may be twitchy, but after many miles you learn how to overcome that. At least, I have.