That load looks SOO HEAVY!!! I've bike toured and lived off bikes on and off for a few years, and it's hard to cover miles when your pedal powered with all your stuff in tow...
Uncle Tim (I'm probably older than you lol) why didn't (back then) you just replace the single wheel with a wheel that has a hub motor built in (they sell those kits all over the place) and put your solar panel on your over the head thing for shade (or over the trailer) and use a bunch of lithium batteries (scooter batteries or tool batteries are allover ebay) and make it easier for your health and more fun exercise?
"Gatorade not only quenches your thirst better, it tastes better too." I recently got an old Catrike 700 that I'm retrofitting to be electric. I guess that's enough for the algorithm to send me to your channel. Glad to see your perspective on road choices. Thanks for not taking those risks with traffic. I'm an East Coast man so where as you have fewer roads, high speed, and lots of sun, I'll be navigating a Spring season with many a routes, all crowded during specific times of the day, and lots of trees. Hopefully my route planning is good enough to make it an enjoyable trip with my 12yr old tiny dog. Good content. Maybe shorten the clips a little for UA-cam and keep the long format for yourself. I noticed some roadkill and I think that's the first time I've seen footage of it from a recumbent perspective... not something they tell you when buying lol. Bicycle has me far enough away that I can pretend I didn't see it. Looks like you could have picked it up off the road and tossed it to the side. Yuck.
As a regular cyclist and bike tourer, I am intrigued by trikes. I think they are cool. And they do look comfortable. Like biking in a comfy chair. But I am not totally sold yet. I am still researching.
The biggest drawback I found for long-distance touring is that you sit lower and are less visible, and you have a wider footprint that on some narrow shoulders forces you out on the road.
Crazy Uncle Tim yeah, thats what i was thinking too. I follow Matt from his Jayoe youtube trike channel, and he got hit by a truck in Asia on his trike. Totaled his trike & he needed surgery. Scary stuff. But he ended up buying a new trike and continued his world tour. There is a HP velotechnik Scorpion plus trike where you sit higher up that looks interesting.
@@CrazyUncleTim That being less visible, I had car and truckdrivers overlooking me in a full fluo safety gear, driving a full size motorscooter. I'm no small guy. Recently I started triking. (Azub Tricon 26) Yes, the lower vantage point does rob a bit of the view. But, technology can be a big aid. Currently researching a way to use camera's or sensor - on Veltop height- to give me warnings of approaching vehicles. I do have to admit, I do drive a comfortable reclining seat , 5 days 2*15 miles commuting. And didn't have to refuel my motorscooter once... (with the gas-price here, a big plus.)
@@maddox0110 My twin has the HP Velotechnik Scorpion fitted with Garmin radar/brake light and matching device that lights up showing you how close a vehicle is. Indicators on the rear. Trikes are great to ride. Down side is hills on stock gears. I can't spin in first it's a hard push. If you have a really low granny gear you can spin and tackle any hill. I take our cavalier king charles in a trailer. It's a bit harder on hills but flats i can roll at least 200m without a pedal. A tall flag is must with cars.
@@ecp4500 Granny gear? I started with a 44T in front, went to 40T, and yesterday I went even further down to 36. Doing 40mph in 9th and "cadans 95 rpm" is tad much. I aim for 30mph in 11th. Faster is suicide on the Belgian roads around Brussels.
cool I jsut discovered your trip from this video. I am in the Orange County area of southern CA ... not sure if you are past my area already. but good luck on your trike trip!
Motels are meant for overnight stays while road tripping. You typically park in front of the room. A hotel typically has indoor hallways with rooms on the interior. You park in a shared parking lot.
If your still on it hauling a trailer with your dogs how long was it that they complained. I'll be doing my ride 350+ miles starting this may with my puppy I will have carrier basket on the trike and tha dog carrier on the trailer Was just asking how long did they complain?? Thank you
Ha ha ha, @5:22 funny shot : there is the Safeway sign up on the left, while you face heavy high speed trafic... You've got a terrible sense of humour!
I'm looking at this as a lifestyle after losing everything in the West coast fires...what's your opinion of this trike as compared to something like a Utah/TrikExplor quad or a bakfiets with trailer? How safe do you feel leaving your stuff when you go into a grocery store? Do you ever have issues with stray dogs, bears, bad actors or authorities?
I don't know much about the other trikes, but mine was awesome. The suspension made the ride much more comfortable. My dogs kept most people away from my gear. I tried shopping mostly at small stores and didn't spend a lot of time inside. I did have a few dogs follow me, only saw one bear in Washington (I carried bear spray), and only had a few people upset with me on the road. Cops didn't bother me much.
Bro, this is my idea right, try to understand the concept of a solid & workable bare structure of a trike that can be attached to addons for upgrades. It's not hard at all to have a solid foundation light weight electric trike that has the ability to add solar roof slanted back ward, and you can add a sails and drill 2 holes to attach big floater on the sides, where you can sail on water, or take off floaters and sail on land with wheels if you dont want to use your engine. Also, the same frame can be use for a flying trike if you attach wings and motor. It doesn't stop there, also can be used on a train track, can be used for skiing in snows with those huskies pulling the shed, can be hooked on an elevator system while with you inside to get up buildings or mountains too, ALL SAME FRAME!
+ACE420 - Thank you! When I turned 50 I decided to get serious about it. I've already met a few people on the road riding their bikes across the country.
It is an HP Velotechnik Scorpion fx. Other than the Sugino 155 mm crankset option, everything about this trike is stock. It has the standard 24-speed drivetrain with single 46 tooth chainring, SRAM Dual Drive 3 hub and SRAM 11-32 8-speed cassette shifted by a SRAM Dual Drive medium cage rear derailer and SRAM Grip Shifts. The brakes are Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes with Promax locking brake levers to keep the trike from rolling when parked.
Tim, was wondering how much weight in total you had, aside from yourself ? I'm intrigued. My older brother lives in Sun City West and bikes every day. I retired two years ago, and have been biking for years. No trips, just 20-60 mile one day /Rails to Trails and such. He's in a cycling club, and he mentioned that one or two of the guys have tadpoles. I'm considering one myself. I live in Atlanta have been thinking about a winter desert bike trip, with my brother who's also thought along the same lines..... a tadpole that is. I'm definitely sold on the Catrike Expedition. I test rode one, and thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed position and being pretty low drag. What brand and model is yours, and are you satisfied with it ? Did you or do you own any other tadpole trikes ? Or did you research and test ride other brands before settling on the one you have ? Thanks BTW. I'm enjoying your vids.....
Sorry for the late reply. The only trike I have experience with is the HP Velotechnik. I had no problems with it. Being able to fold it up made it easier to fit through some hotel doors. I would also suggest joining some recumbent trike groups on Facebook for more info.
Depends on the budget. HP Velotechnik is not the cheapest of the Tadpoles, and with some options the pricetag can soar. But it's German precision enginering. I myself drive Grey Ghost, an Azub Tricon 26 with an Alfine 11 hub. (geared for 30mph max) . If budget is realy tight is to build one yourself. Just Google Atomic Zombie.
@@Simonbove Back wheel hub drive can't use the gearing of the bike, meaning the motor has to have all the torque build in. And torque means amperes. Adding to the issue is that you can't use any kind of hub gearing (For those with money to burn, Rolhoff or Evolo cvt). Front wheel drive on a tadpole. No front motor has a shaft sturdy enough for the single sided mounting. Mid motor is just the better option. I'm very happy with my Bafang kit.
Grin technologies makes a hub motor with single side mounting and it works well. I agree with your mid drive preference even though it requires more maintenance than a direct drive hub.
Sorry for not replying sooner... I've been on the road and away from the internet. Best moments were seeing so much of the western U.S. and meeting many interesting people. Weirdest was when people would pull over on the road just to take photos of me as I rode by. Scariest was when cars would come within inches of me on the highway... some intentionally. Inspiring was to see so many people out there bike touring... some for good causes or personal goals.
I like your style of touring. You bring everything that you need with the mindset of being on the road for a long time. Subscribed ;
wow boss... i cannot believe you ride with that load... you definitely have JaYoe Spirit!
Wow! I was thinking that too.
Suffice it to say how inspiring your trip is. You bring answers to so many questions! Thx a lot!
Good luck. Have fun. Keep your self heathy and strong being the engine and driver.
Well I really enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. God bless. Chris. Australia.
Glad you enjoyed it
Arizona where the cars and trucks fly. Love your video keep making them and be safe 🙏
“I bet it’s a lot more going down” Funner? Now there’s one for the books!
May I ask, which dialect does "Funner" stem?
Simply amazing.
Good luck Tim, and safe journey!
This I will follow. :)
+mectechman1 - Thank you! I will try to make update videos as often as possible.
I enjoy watching
Well its been 8 years ago, but i think ill watch more of your lap of america ride.
That load looks SOO HEAVY!!! I've bike toured and lived off bikes on and off for a few years, and it's hard to cover miles when your pedal powered with all your stuff in tow...
First thing that caught my eye too !! I went around Australia...where towns are up to 1 275km apart with a quater of that load
You the man! Thanks for sharing!
Uncle Tim (I'm probably older than you lol) why didn't (back then) you just replace the single wheel with a wheel that has a hub motor built in (they sell those kits all over the place) and put your solar panel on your over the head thing for shade (or over the trailer) and use a bunch of lithium batteries (scooter batteries or tool batteries are allover ebay) and make it easier for your health and more fun exercise?
Way to go! , ill be starting my 4 border run across the US with my home built electric/ solar recharge bike starting in march 2022. (Hopefully)
Love the adventure, can't wait to watch your series
thinking of this kind of setup...thank you for sharing. Love to know your experiences with bad actors, police and securing bike while shopping.
Hi brother I see this video 7 years later thank you
8 years now.. back then ebikes were just getting started .. amazing
C'est formidable j ai beaucoup apprécié à bientôt merci beaucoup vous êtres courageux les images sont magnifiques merci beaucoup
😅Hey Mr Uncle you have Best Recumber bike ❤❤❤❤❤
"Gatorade not only quenches your thirst better, it tastes better too." I recently got an old Catrike 700 that I'm retrofitting to be electric. I guess that's enough for the algorithm to send me to your channel.
Glad to see your perspective on road choices. Thanks for not taking those risks with traffic. I'm an East Coast man so where as you have fewer roads, high speed, and lots of sun, I'll be navigating a Spring season with many a routes, all crowded during specific times of the day, and lots of trees. Hopefully my route planning is good enough to make it an enjoyable trip with my 12yr old tiny dog. Good content. Maybe shorten the clips a little for UA-cam and keep the long format for yourself. I noticed some roadkill and I think that's the first time I've seen footage of it from a recumbent perspective... not something they tell you when buying lol. Bicycle has me far enough away that I can pretend I didn't see it. Looks like you could have picked it up off the road and tossed it to the side. Yuck.
He's flying with all that load!
He has no calf muscles but is going true long distance. I admire him and his choice to bring a dog trailer and two dogs.
Looking to take a trip in August from Cali to Texas to OK back to Cali with my Chihuahuas
Thank you brother for video this me incentive to go to road I am to go to Akaska next year by trike I live in Brazil good luck
wow so nice.
Hi brother I love you videos I like travels by cicle I want to go to Alasca by cicle in april good luck brother
As a regular cyclist and bike tourer, I am intrigued by trikes. I think they are cool. And they do look comfortable. Like biking in a comfy chair. But I am not totally sold yet. I am still researching.
The biggest drawback I found for long-distance touring is that you sit lower and are less visible, and you have a wider footprint that on some narrow shoulders forces you out on the road.
Crazy Uncle Tim yeah, thats what i was thinking too. I follow Matt from his Jayoe youtube trike channel, and he got hit by a truck in Asia on his trike. Totaled his trike & he needed surgery. Scary stuff. But he ended up buying a new trike and continued his world tour. There is a HP velotechnik Scorpion plus trike where you sit higher up that looks interesting.
@@CrazyUncleTim That being less visible, I had car and truckdrivers overlooking me in a full fluo safety gear, driving a full size motorscooter. I'm no small guy. Recently I started triking. (Azub Tricon 26) Yes, the lower vantage point does rob a bit of the view. But, technology can be a big aid. Currently researching a way to use camera's or sensor - on Veltop height- to give me warnings of approaching vehicles.
I do have to admit, I do drive a comfortable reclining seat , 5 days 2*15 miles commuting. And didn't have to refuel my motorscooter once... (with the gas-price here, a big plus.)
@@maddox0110 My twin has the HP Velotechnik Scorpion fitted with Garmin radar/brake light and matching device that lights up showing you how close a vehicle is. Indicators on the rear. Trikes are great to ride. Down side is hills on stock gears. I can't spin in first it's a hard push. If you have a really low granny gear you can spin and tackle any hill. I take our cavalier king charles in a trailer. It's a bit harder on hills but flats i can roll at least 200m without a pedal. A tall flag is must with cars.
@@ecp4500 Granny gear? I started with a 44T in front, went to 40T, and yesterday I went even further down to 36. Doing 40mph in 9th and "cadans 95 rpm" is tad much. I aim for 30mph in 11th. Faster is suicide on the Belgian roads around Brussels.
Love the FIDO shirt.
To bring your pup with you on a trike tour! 😍
Good luck. I predict that you will lighten your load before completing your trip.
Tour: Great! Recumbent? Good! bicycle trailer? alright. Dogs in the trailer? WHAT THE!?!?!?
Riding with a parasol! Awesome!
cool I jsut discovered your trip from this video. I am in the Orange County area of southern CA ... not sure if you are past my area already. but good luck on your trike trip!
I just got back from a 2500 mile trip and most of the semi trucks spent more time on the shoulder than the highway…
Awesome...
Good very good ❤
Are you still riding . I haven’t seen anymore videos from you.
Cool
have you considered adding a sail?
Motels are meant for overnight stays while road tripping. You typically park in front of the room. A hotel typically has indoor hallways with rooms on the interior. You park in a shared parking lot.
What are you talking about????
@@The-GreenHornet the difference between a hotel and motel
If your still on it hauling a trailer with your dogs how long was it that they complained. I'll be doing my ride 350+ miles starting this may with my puppy I will have carrier basket on the trike and tha dog carrier on the trailer Was just asking how long did they complain?? Thank you
Ha ha ha, @5:22 funny shot : there is the Safeway sign up on the left, while you face heavy high speed trafic... You've got a terrible sense of humour!
When doing this, do you use a solar panel to restore any battery loss?
I'm looking at this as a lifestyle after losing everything in the West coast fires...what's your opinion of this trike as compared to something like a Utah/TrikExplor quad or a bakfiets with trailer? How safe do you feel leaving your stuff when you go into a grocery store? Do you ever have issues with stray dogs, bears, bad actors or authorities?
I don't know much about the other trikes, but mine was awesome. The suspension made the ride much more comfortable. My dogs kept most people away from my gear. I tried shopping mostly at small stores and didn't spend a lot of time inside. I did have a few dogs follow me, only saw one bear in Washington (I carried bear spray), and only had a few people upset with me on the road. Cops didn't bother me much.
Bro, this is my idea right, try to understand the concept of a solid & workable bare structure of a trike that can be attached to addons for upgrades. It's not hard at all to have a solid foundation light weight electric trike that has the ability to add solar roof slanted back ward, and you can add a sails and drill 2 holes to attach big floater on the sides, where you can sail on water, or take off floaters and sail on land with wheels if you dont want to use your engine. Also, the same frame can be use for a flying trike if you attach wings and motor. It doesn't stop there, also can be used on a train track, can be used for skiing in snows with those huskies pulling the shed, can be hooked on an elevator system while with you inside to get up buildings or mountains too, ALL SAME FRAME!
Something i have ways wanted to do. Wish you the best of luck and stay safe.
+ACE420 - Thank you! When I turned 50 I decided to get serious about it. I've already met a few people on the road riding their bikes across the country.
Love the video dude earned a new sub btw what trike do you have and what gears?
It is an HP Velotechnik Scorpion fx.
Other than the Sugino 155 mm crankset option, everything about this trike is stock. It has the standard 24-speed drivetrain with single 46 tooth chainring, SRAM Dual Drive 3 hub and SRAM 11-32 8-speed cassette shifted by a SRAM Dual Drive medium cage rear derailer and SRAM Grip Shifts. The brakes are Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes with Promax locking brake levers to keep the trike from rolling when parked.
Hi brother I'de like to adventure Iam Brazilian and I have 78 year old but I go to Alaska by trike in november the 2024 good luck brother
29:37 They sell propane but do they also sell propane accessories?
I hate to ask but is there a gps for back roads.
Tim, was wondering how much weight in total you had, aside from yourself ? I'm intrigued. My older brother lives in Sun City West and bikes every day. I retired two years ago, and have been biking for years. No trips, just 20-60 mile one day /Rails to Trails and such. He's in a cycling club, and he mentioned that one or two of the guys have tadpoles. I'm considering one myself. I live in Atlanta have been thinking about a winter desert bike trip, with my brother who's also thought along the same lines..... a tadpole that is. I'm definitely sold on the Catrike Expedition. I test rode one, and thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed position and being pretty low drag. What brand and model is yours, and are you satisfied with it ? Did you or do you own any other tadpole trikes ? Or did you research and test ride other brands before settling on the one you have ? Thanks BTW. I'm enjoying your vids.....
Mine is the HP Velotecknic from Germany. I wanted the full suspension. I probably had about 175 pounds but got rid of a lot of stuff along the way.
Congrats your on the road and wish you all a safe trip. What is the weight of the bike, cart and all your gear..
+Bob Outdoorz - I don't know the exact weight, but I'm guessing about 200 pounds.
Just discovered your videos. I don’t know if you are still on the road as some videos are two years old but safe trip if you are.
I am not currently on the road but hope to be back soon. I am finally editing video from the rest of the ride.
Cool.
Can you tell me who made you canape? Something like that would be great for sun protection in the desert and rain to boot. Thanks.
It is made by a company called Veltop. It is good for the sun and rain, and when it is too windy it easily comes apart and takes up little space.
@@CrazyUncleTim Thank you, Tim.
Hey I was thinking about planning a cross country tour on a recumbent... any tips for where and what bikes i should look at?
Sorry for the late reply. The only trike I have experience with is the HP Velotechnik. I had no problems with it. Being able to fold it up made it easier to fit through some hotel doors. I would also suggest joining some recumbent trike groups on Facebook for more info.
I bought my trike on the Recumbent Classifieds Facebook group.
Depends on the budget. HP Velotechnik is not the cheapest of the Tadpoles, and with some options the pricetag can soar. But it's German precision enginering. I myself drive Grey Ghost, an Azub Tricon 26 with an Alfine 11 hub. (geared for 30mph max) . If budget is realy tight is to build one yourself. Just Google Atomic Zombie.
What brand trike is that?
Idk if I like missed it or something 😂
HP Velotecknic
Just wondering what kind of cart that is??
I built it from a DIY kit sold by a company called WIKE. They also sell carts that are ready to go.
I live in Brazil
Getting passed by a dune buggy! Funny...
This is a prime example why you would go with a mid-drive and not a hub drive.
Why?
@@Simonbove Back wheel hub drive can't use the gearing of the bike, meaning the motor has to have all the torque build in. And torque means amperes. Adding to the issue is that you can't use any kind of hub gearing (For those with money to burn, Rolhoff or Evolo cvt). Front wheel drive on a tadpole. No front motor has a shaft sturdy enough for the single sided mounting. Mid motor is just the better option. I'm very happy with my Bafang kit.
Grin technologies makes a hub motor with single side mounting and it works well. I agree with your mid drive preference even though it requires more maintenance than a direct drive hub.
What were some of the best moments of your trip? Weirdest? Scariest? Inspiring?
Sorry for not replying sooner... I've been on the road and away from the internet. Best moments were seeing so much of the western U.S. and meeting many interesting people. Weirdest was when people would pull over on the road just to take photos of me as I rode by. Scariest was when cars would come within inches of me on the highway... some intentionally. Inspiring was to see so many people out there bike touring... some for good causes or personal goals.
I would try to minimize drag. He's wearing long floppy pants.
⚔️💪😎🏴🇬🇧(stroke)
DOOD!
I don't have in support 😢
Too bad Ameirca is so crap for cycling