kmay
2013 Unity MB
Hello folks,
After a brief search, I noted there has not been a thread started to list potential bicycles and or how one can transport bicycles. Hopefully this post can be a start and others will join the discussion.
As a cycling enthusiast, I would freely admit I bought a RV to support bicycling.
So, you have a bike and want to add that to your Unity experience but how to take it with you? Exterior hitch racks or ladder racks are certainly an option. Frame or tray type? I think a tray type rack is the easiest as you don't have to lift but one end of a bike or lift very high.
Having tried hitch racks in the past, I find the collection of road grime unacceptable. Secondly, too many friends have lost bikes to theft. I have and will use a hitch rack if I am not going far, no rain is expected and I will be with the vehicle or the bike for the whole trip.
Given the existing storage lockers onboard various RV models, folding or knock-down bikes may fit these spaces. Some of the diamond frame (traditional bike) brands you may be familiar with are Dahon, Brompton and Moulton. One can find many imitations of the Dahon and Brompton including some that are outright piracy, fakes. Bike Friday makes a very compact folder that fits in a suitcase. Can anyone report on how these bikes fit in their Unity?
I have a Melon folding bike (Dahon look-a-like) and while the performance is surprising, it is still a compromise. Barely good enough for a short spin around the park or run to the store. I would have to remove the wheels to get this bike in a locker. Everything is a tool free quick release so the job would be brief.
Then there are folding or knock-down recumbent bikes. Volae, Trident TWIG, Performer and TW-Bents are some examples. I have a TW-Bents Cobra. If I removed the wheels, seat and folded the frame, it would fit in the outside lockers but would require tools and time for dis- and re-assembly. I love riding this bike, it is my jet fighter simulator. If I had to, it would be worth it to knock it apart.
We also have a great bike that easily folds tool-free and fits in the tall locker:
http://www.linearrecumbent.com/
We have the Linear Limo. The Linear Roadster would also be a great choice and it will fit on public bus racks without folding. Plus, a pair of Roadsters would ride in our large horizontal locker.
While I have not done so, I guesstimate two Limo bikes would fit in the lockers.
I like many things about our Linear Limo. While it may look strange to you, it is one of the easiest recumbent bikes to master I have ridden. As comfortable on your tush as your recliner plus hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and neck are all in a neutral, pain-free position. A leisurely five minutes to assemble or disassemble. Best part? There is absolutely no compromise of bike performance on this folder and the execution of the design is brilliant. Further, weight limits are generous and one could equip the bike with a different rear wheel if total weight capacity was an issue.
Several manufacturers offer recumbent trikes that fold. ICE, Greenspeed, Catrike, Azub, HP Velotechnik, Trident and Terratrike all offer folding models. I know I may have missed some models. Trikes offer all the benefits of a recumbent bike plus you will not fall over. With go kart like handling, I have never seen an adult not smile after trying one.
Trike transport? Well you can use a hitch or ladder rack as previously mentioned. Some riders simply fold the trike and haul inside their RV living space. I don't think our MB would work well long term, but we have hauled a folded trike in the rear corner by the vanity. A hitch mounted storage box works well.
http://www.bentrideronline.com/index.php is a useful site dedicated to all things recumbent. One can find links to most of the manufacturers mentioned or search posts on the message board for additional info.
Disclaimer: Other than as a consumer, I do not have any financial relationship or business activities with any manufacturer. I donated a very small amount of money to Bentrideronline.
After a brief search, I noted there has not been a thread started to list potential bicycles and or how one can transport bicycles. Hopefully this post can be a start and others will join the discussion.
As a cycling enthusiast, I would freely admit I bought a RV to support bicycling.
So, you have a bike and want to add that to your Unity experience but how to take it with you? Exterior hitch racks or ladder racks are certainly an option. Frame or tray type? I think a tray type rack is the easiest as you don't have to lift but one end of a bike or lift very high.
Having tried hitch racks in the past, I find the collection of road grime unacceptable. Secondly, too many friends have lost bikes to theft. I have and will use a hitch rack if I am not going far, no rain is expected and I will be with the vehicle or the bike for the whole trip.
Given the existing storage lockers onboard various RV models, folding or knock-down bikes may fit these spaces. Some of the diamond frame (traditional bike) brands you may be familiar with are Dahon, Brompton and Moulton. One can find many imitations of the Dahon and Brompton including some that are outright piracy, fakes. Bike Friday makes a very compact folder that fits in a suitcase. Can anyone report on how these bikes fit in their Unity?
I have a Melon folding bike (Dahon look-a-like) and while the performance is surprising, it is still a compromise. Barely good enough for a short spin around the park or run to the store. I would have to remove the wheels to get this bike in a locker. Everything is a tool free quick release so the job would be brief.
Then there are folding or knock-down recumbent bikes. Volae, Trident TWIG, Performer and TW-Bents are some examples. I have a TW-Bents Cobra. If I removed the wheels, seat and folded the frame, it would fit in the outside lockers but would require tools and time for dis- and re-assembly. I love riding this bike, it is my jet fighter simulator. If I had to, it would be worth it to knock it apart.
We also have a great bike that easily folds tool-free and fits in the tall locker:
http://www.linearrecumbent.com/
We have the Linear Limo. The Linear Roadster would also be a great choice and it will fit on public bus racks without folding. Plus, a pair of Roadsters would ride in our large horizontal locker.
While I have not done so, I guesstimate two Limo bikes would fit in the lockers.
I like many things about our Linear Limo. While it may look strange to you, it is one of the easiest recumbent bikes to master I have ridden. As comfortable on your tush as your recliner plus hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and neck are all in a neutral, pain-free position. A leisurely five minutes to assemble or disassemble. Best part? There is absolutely no compromise of bike performance on this folder and the execution of the design is brilliant. Further, weight limits are generous and one could equip the bike with a different rear wheel if total weight capacity was an issue.
Several manufacturers offer recumbent trikes that fold. ICE, Greenspeed, Catrike, Azub, HP Velotechnik, Trident and Terratrike all offer folding models. I know I may have missed some models. Trikes offer all the benefits of a recumbent bike plus you will not fall over. With go kart like handling, I have never seen an adult not smile after trying one.
Trike transport? Well you can use a hitch or ladder rack as previously mentioned. Some riders simply fold the trike and haul inside their RV living space. I don't think our MB would work well long term, but we have hauled a folded trike in the rear corner by the vanity. A hitch mounted storage box works well.
http://www.bentrideronline.com/index.php is a useful site dedicated to all things recumbent. One can find links to most of the manufacturers mentioned or search posts on the message board for additional info.
Disclaimer: Other than as a consumer, I do not have any financial relationship or business activities with any manufacturer. I donated a very small amount of money to Bentrideronline.