Size and height

[Ralph]

Can somebody tell me the size and height of the warrior? With height I mean the height of the seat.

Aren't you sitting very low? Does that give problems in traffic?
Is it simulare like the german scorpion? http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/scorpion/index_e.html

Thanks

[Odd Man Out]

Can somebody tell me the size and height of the warrior? With height I mean the height of the seat.

Aren't you sitting very low? Does that give problems in traffic?
Is it simulare like the german scorpion? http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/scorpion/index_e.html

Thanks

Don't understand what you mean by "size" -- my answer to that would be "normal" for a tadpole trike...
The great thing about building it yourself is the freedom to modify the design to fit you perfectly.

The seat hieght is very low -- your head is about at bumper height so you need to keep your head on a swivel while riding and be alert at all times. The thing about trikes is that they are so unique. Not alot are out there so they attract attention. While drivers may skim by a regular bicyclist, a person on a trike screams out for attention.

Of course with that being said it should be noted that drivers plow into other cars daily when they are just not noticed so no matter what type of HPV you use on the road -- you are taking your chances...

The warrior is at least as low as the Scorpion but it is not similar -- it is better. It will be faster due to the larger rear wheel than that of the 20 inch rear on the Scorpion.

[trikeman]

The warrior is at least as low as the Scorpion but it is not similar -- it is better. It will be faster due to the larger rear wheel than that of the 20 inch rear on the Scorpion.

Whether it is faster, or not, depends on more than the larger rear wheel. Larger rear wheels give you more gear inches in high gear, but if you can't push the higher gears, you may not be any faster. In addition, small wheels have slightly larger rolling resistance, but also have less air resistance. The question of which is the fastest size wheel on a trike is one of endless debate on catrike forums.

As far as seat height goes, the seat height of the Warrior is around 6"-8" in the rear and somewhere near 8"-10" in the front, depending on the cushion you use and how you build it.

[Odd Man Out]

[QUOTE=trikeman;31605]Whether it is faster, or not, depends on more than the larger rear wheel. Quite True

Larger rear wheels give you more gear inches in high gear, but if you can't push the higher gears, you may not be any faster. Also true if you only have one leg... but then why have the larger gearing?

In addition, small wheels have slightly larger rolling resistance, but also have less air resistance. Moot point being that it is a drive wheel and as such is shielded by the rider so this leaves the higher rolling resistance...

The question of which is the fastest size wheel on a trike is one of endless debate on catrike forums. Okay -- the only advantage I can see in having three 20 inch wheels is the fact of needing only one size of tire/tube to repair when needed. Otherwise the 700c wins. :punk:
QUOTE]

Finally let me ask you this: would you want to replace the rear wheels on your DW with 20 inchers? If so why?

Okay okay one more -- since your DW is one of the first to be built, how many miles do you have on it and how well is it holding up??? This is just my personal interest creeping in.:rockon:

[SirJoey]

Larger rear wheels give you more gear inches in high gear, but if you can't push the higher gears, you may not be any faster.That's exactly right, TM, which is why I build everything (as much as possible) with 24" wheels.
26s are just too tall a gear for me. I can actually make better top end with 24s!

Of everything I've built to date, only 2 of 'em have 26s,
& that's cuz 26s were all I had to work with at the time.


http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/7131/sirjoeysigmedij1.gif

[SirJoey]

Finally let me ask you this: would you want to replace the rear wheels on your DW with 20 inchers? If so why?

Okay okay one more -- since your DW is one of the first to be built, how many miles do you have on it and how well is it holding up??? This is just my personal interest creeping in.:rockon: Hey OMO, mind if I get in on this Q&A session?

1st question, no. 20s are a bit too small for drive wheels (for ME), but I DID build it with 24s, which are just right. (Again, just right for ME.) :)

2nd question, not sure about the mileage, as she's one of the few without a computer, but more miles than anything else I own, homebuilt or otherwise.

3rd question, she's holding up great, & she's STILL my all-time favorite homebuilt! :punk:


http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/7131/sirjoeysigmedij1.gif

[fultondp]

The question of which is the fastest size wheel on a trike is one of endless debate on catrike forums. Okay -- the only advantage I can see in having three 20 inch wheels is the fact of needing only one size of tire/tube to repair when needed. Otherwise the 700c wins. :punk:


The one other advantage to a smaller wheel is lower side loading in the turns. The bigger wheel puts more torque on the frame and wheel in a turn. So wheel failure or twisting the rear frame triangle can happen. (You see rear frame twisting more with the tadpoles. large skinny wheels in the front will simply fail before the frame will twist) Using a wider hub and/or more spokes can strengthen the wheel, and beefier rear stays or making the frame triangulation wider can strengthen the frame (Cattrike does both), but these factors must be taken into account if you are going to use a taller wheel.

If you have a tadpole at home, try it sometime, go up and push the top and pull the bottom of the rear wheel sideways at the same time. You might be surprised how much twist you can impart on the frame. I'm not Hulk Hogan, but I did this once at a LBS that sold WizWheels and Cattrike to illustrate to the owner why I like Cattrikes frame design better. The store owners eyes about bugged out of his head when he saw me twisting up his $3500 WizWheels trike by hand. :eek:

Darren

(Light, Strong, or Cheap, pick 2 out of 3)

[trikeman]

[QUOTE=trikeman;31605]Whether it is faster, or not, depends on more than the larger rear wheel. Quite True

Larger rear wheels give you more gear inches in high gear, but if you can't push the higher gears, you may not be any faster. Also true if you only have one leg... but then why have the larger gearing?


In addition, small wheels have slightly larger rolling resistance, but also have less air resistance. Moot point being that it is a drive wheel and as such is shielded by the rider so this leaves the higher rolling resistance...

The question of which is the fastest size wheel on a trike is one of endless debate on catrike forums. Okay -- the only advantage I can see in having three 20 inch wheels is the fact of needing only one size of tire/tube to repair when needed. Otherwise the 700c wins. :punk:
QUOTE]

Finally let me ask you this: would you want to replace the rear wheels on your DW with 20 inchers? If so why?

Okay okay one more -- since your DW is one of the first to be built, how many miles do you have on it and how well is it holding up??? This is just my personal interest creeping in.:rockon:

We put larger wheels on bikes because some people can push them, they have slightly less rolling resistance, and they allow us to get higher gear inches with normal sized chain rings. On a heavy bike with lots of drag many people can't pedal them any faster. I just don't want people to think that all they have to do to go faster is drop on a larger wheel. Other than weight and aerodynamics its all about gear inches and cadence. Why not put 50" wheels on your DW?

A 700cc wheel on the rear of a trike is not necessarily faster than than a 20. I have read several posters who have said they aren't any faster on a catrike 700 than they are with the smaller rear wheel catrikes (They use different size chain rings of course). Not a trike example, but real world. I have a RANS Wave with a 20" rear wheel. With the large chain rings I have up front I can't spin it out on the flats. I seriously doubt that putting a 26" on the back would make me much faster, since all it would do is give me slightly less rolling resistance, although it would look a lot cooler (and it is my todo list).

I would not replace the 27" wheels on my DW with 20s because they 27s look cool. Its too slow to worry much about speed (with me pedaling it anyway). I was seduced by its fast looks :jester:

As far as how many miles I have on my DW, probably less than 200. To be honest its just too heavy and slow for my taste. I like to go as fast as I can, and soon after I built it I realized that trikes were probably too slow to make me happy. I did enjoy building it and learned a lot. So.. its holding up really well (except for the rust) because I almost never ride it. I have several times thought about chopping it up and using the parts on a 2 wheeler, and using the pillow blocks for a bench grinder or something. I did buy the plans for the Warrior just because I like the way it looks, have a set of trike wheels ready to go, and because the plans are a way to support the site.

[trikeman]

Just a bit more about gear-inches and what we can push. I never really thought much about this until I got my Wave. A 20" rear wheel, a large front chain ring (60T), and a distaste for being passed by 20 year olds on DFs makes you think about such things. I soon settled on the test (rightly or wrongly) for when I should either add a bigger front chain ring, or a larger rear tire. The test is whether I can spin it out on level ground with the existing setup. I don't have a lot of hills or I would probably use whether I could spin it out on the downhills. If I can't spin it out, my conclusion is that I won't be much (if any) faster with either a larger chain ring, or a larger wheel. You can easily see this effect for youself the next time some roadie is kicking your butt and you are spinning as high a gear as you can, but have a few higher ones left. You don't go to the higher gear, because you know you can't spin it fast enough to gain speed. Other opinions always welcome.

[Locutus]

Adding electric assist changes the equation quite a bit, too. On my Street Fox, which sports an eZee hub motor on a 26" rear wheel, I have an 11-34 rear freewheel and a single 44T chainring in front. Most of the time I don't even shift, staying in either the highest gear or the next highest, depending on my desired cruising speed. The only time I downshift into a low gear is on a big steep uphill.

[Odd Man Out]

[QUOTE=Odd Man Out;31610]

Why not put 50" wheels on your DW?



Do you have a source??????????????????????????? That would be soooo kewl -- and FAST!


Seriously -- excellent points made.:punk:

[Ralph]

You guys don't make it easier for me to decide.
I just want something that goes fast and which can be handled through a door :) I have to put the bike inside. Otherwise he WILL be stolen.

[trikeman]

Ralph - if you want to go fastest, easily fit through doorways, and be easily seen in traffic, the best bike for you is the HighRoller IMO. It is also easier to build than a trike. Trikes are nice when you want to ride along enjoying the scenery and not have to worry about putting your feet down when you stop.

[Odd Man Out]

Or the Meridian --