I've always wondered why you stuck with the same frame for every iteration of the bike but especially between Winnebiko 2 and BEHEMOTH. I guess I always thought it was just some off the rack recumbent frame not realising it had been custom built for the trip
Ah yes, with tandem roots, this thing was a truck. That big bottom tube, with its crossover drive and eccentric, made it possible to do the third derailleur on behemoth, and also eliminated the long floppy chain typical of lwb recumbents. The rear wheel had triple stays, so could handle much higher load than the usual double stay design, and of course that 48 spoke rear wheel spacing was an inspiration. I didn't fully realize that the time how much is tandem background would pay off in making a heavy duty recumbent chassis... though I did specify the ability to carry more than normal touring loads over a long lifetime.
Couple of times I spoke with Jack about marketing it, but he didn't want to do that. I probably should have looked for funding but starting up a bike fab business would have been all consuming! I remember visiting Dick Ryan a couple of times and seeing how it was more a lifestyle than a business..
I've always wondered why you stuck with the same frame for every iteration of the bike but especially between Winnebiko 2 and BEHEMOTH. I guess I always thought it was just some off the rack recumbent frame not realising it had been custom built for the trip
Ah yes, with tandem roots, this thing was a truck. That big bottom tube, with its crossover drive and eccentric, made it possible to do the third derailleur on behemoth, and also eliminated the long floppy chain typical of lwb recumbents. The rear wheel had triple stays, so could handle much higher load than the usual double stay design, and of course that 48 spoke rear wheel spacing was an inspiration. I didn't fully realize that the time how much is tandem background would pay off in making a heavy duty recumbent chassis... though I did specify the ability to carry more than normal touring loads over a long lifetime.
Couple of times I spoke with Jack about marketing it, but he didn't want to do that. I probably should have looked for funding but starting up a bike fab business would have been all consuming! I remember visiting Dick Ryan a couple of times and seeing how it was more a lifestyle than a business..