Love the new trike it looks great. Love what the firers are to. Really like the double flags too. Thanks for sharing, it is exciting to watch when someone unpacks a new trike, for the first time again. Are you going to change the pedals too.
Check out my video I'm uploading today (Aug 11), about my newest trike, which replaces this one. I have put the double flags on it also (two flags get more attention than one). In today's video (A cool Black Cat just arrived), you will see that I have put my Pedaling Innovations "Catalyst" pedals on it, just like I had on the HP Scorpion. I love these pedals. They make easy work of hills. steve
The HP Velotechnik Scorpion fs26 recumbent trikes are indeed impressive from every angle, sophisticated high-end vehicles for the discerning riders who can afford them (they are pricey, but worth it if the money is available). I just sold this trike on March 27, 2024, still in mint condition, with only 350 miles on it. I have a new recumbent on the way, which I will be sharing here on the channel eventually (not yet in my garage). steve
Hi Coedy, The fenders on my trike are stock HP Velotechnik fenders. They are not aftermarket fenders. The front fenders are especially incredible because the company has designed them so they provide a lot of extra coverage on the insides next to the rider's pants, so in inclement weather, these fenders are superior to all other trike fenders that I have ever seen. Also, on the front fenders, the two metal supports do not go across the tops of the fenders, as we see in all other trike brands. The tops of the fenders are smooth, and can be wiped clean without coming up against two metal supports. HP Velotechnik trikes are pricey (the Scorpion series), but their many extra fine touches make the extra money paid well worth every penny in my opinion! PS: I did a short video about the fenders over a year ago if you are interested: ruclips.net/video/gxG-6jebFWk/видео.html steve
So not a fan of heavy tires, thick tubes, nor liners. I’m using tubeless currently. They are crazy expensive and wear more quickly but oh the ride! I’ve pulled out some thorns roughly the size of your fist and the sealant heals the hole in seconds. When I use tubes I pull the valve core and inject the same sealant into the tubes. One flat in 5K miles had to be repaired with a plug (stan’s “Dart”) which worked until the tire was worn out.
I agree that weight can indeed be a drawback on a human powered trike, a truism that I learned the hard way back in 2009 during my first cross country ride, where I took way too much gear because of my inexperience. However, skimping on tire integrity is one place where I stand firm, because I have been in one situation in particular where a flat could have meant the end of me, literally (sub freezing temperatures in a freak snowstorm in the Cascade Range during the middle of the night - it was so cold that my hands no longer had much dexterity in them, and there was no way I would have been able to repair a tube or change a tire). Over the course of my ensuing long distance tours, I learned how to reduce rolling weight (all weight, including rider, that must be pedaled along), and the result was the shedding of about 100 pounds of unnecessary gear. But I still retained my Schwalbe Marathon PLUS tires, my Earthguards, and my thorn-resistant Q-tubes. On an early tour, I pulled a trailer, which I did not upgrade the tires that came with it, leaving the Kenda tires and tubes in place to save money. My trike however was outfitted with what I showed here in this video. One evening, just as I was about to pitch my tent, I pedaled through thousands of goatheads (Tribulus terrestris plant) unknowingly because they were hidden from my view under several inches of fall leaves on the ground. By the time I had the tent set up, my two trailer tires (the stock Kendas) were flat, which caused me to realize that hundreds of goatheads were piercing each tire. So I checked the tires on the trike. There were also hundreds of these Tribulus terrestris spikes in each tire, but the air pressure held firm. I spent over an hour pulling out as much as I could see in the waning daylight, and pumped up the Kenda tires. By morning, the trailer tires were again flat, but the trike tires were still holding at full pressure. This was a graphic lesson to me. That trike tire setup held firm over the ensuing couple of weeks on the road, but I ended up replacing the tubes in the Kendas. Regarding Stan's no-tubes sealant, I used that setup on both my fat tire mountain bike and my fat tire mountain trike. Yes, you are correct that it works very well, with no flats. There is no doubt about the efficiency of this setup. Of course, the liquid does add weight, and quite possibly ends up being about the same as this tire setup I describe in this video. Personally, I was glad to finally return to a tire size where I could use the Schwalbe Marathon PLUS tires with the liners and tubes because I was no fan of all the work and mess associated with using tire sealants, and having to replenish and re-do the liquids on a regular basis. For me, I just did not wish to deal with it. This tried and true method I described here works perfectly for me, never requiring any messy liquids or replenishing. Like you, I have pulled out thorns, wire, and shards over time that have never resulted in a flat. So yes, both methods work, but I could not give a precise accounting of the weight of one versus the other. Even if the setup I am using is heavier, I will take it for its simplicity and lack of need for maintenance. My bodyweight is only 155 pounds, so these days with my pannier packing dialed in from many miles of road time, my rolling weight is still far less than many guys who are carrying bodyweights of 50-80 pounds more than me. I have found that the biggest reduction many riders can make in rolling weight comes not from their tire and tube choices, but from themselves (of course, changing that for many of us is quite challenging compared to opting for a more convenient weight reduction on the trike itself). The final thing I like about the Schwalbe Marathon PLUS tires is their extreme durability and long wearing aspects, which are another big plus for me besides the fact that I have never had a flat tire with them, even after pulling out an inch-long piece of wire one time after a trip. Most cyclists just accept flats as a fact of life, but between the two choices we are discussing here, that does not have to be the case. Of course, cyclists who are supported in tours or races, with a vehicle carrying spare emergency parts, the lightest fastest tire is a benefit, but for someone like me, who finds himself in the middle of nowhere in very dicey positions at times, I cannot chance having flats or annihilated tires, so I take a tiny weight hit, which my body adapts to quite readily anyway, so it's no big deal. Thanks for your commentary and observations! They are indeed quite accurate. steve
@@EZSteve Good points all. My weight is a constant. tires are a variable. I’m not heavy but at 5’11” is seems like 170 is a set point which I’m pretty comfortable with. I have never done a cross country tour. Kudos to you for being able to do that unsupported. I was hit by a truck about a year ago and think cross country touring on a trike is something I’d just never do. I almost got my ticket punched. True. The sealant is messy. I ruined a pair of pants finding that out. Seating the tubeless tires especially ini 406 size is not for the faint of heart. You could never do it on the road. I come from a world of diamond frame light weight everything, then two wheeled recumbents and was always what some call a “weight weenie”. I hear you about the complete confidence you have with the Marathon Plus. Also the Schwalbe Pro One TLE are $81 each. I have yet to get more than about 1500 miles before they are worn out. Happy trails to you and many safe miles.
Love the new trike it looks great. Love what the firers are to. Really like the double flags too. Thanks for sharing, it is exciting to watch when someone unpacks a new trike, for the first time again. Are you going to change the pedals too.
Check out my video I'm uploading today (Aug 11), about my newest trike, which replaces this one. I have put the double flags on it also (two flags get more attention than one). In today's video (A cool Black Cat just arrived), you will see that I have put my Pedaling Innovations "Catalyst" pedals on it, just like I had on the HP Scorpion. I love these pedals. They make easy work of hills.
steve
What a beauty!
Do you still have it? I haven't seen your most recent videos yet.
The HP Velotechnik Scorpion fs26 recumbent trikes are indeed impressive from every angle, sophisticated high-end vehicles for the discerning riders who can afford them (they are pricey, but worth it if the money is available).
I just sold this trike on March 27, 2024, still in mint condition, with only 350 miles on it. I have a new recumbent on the way, which I will be sharing here on the channel eventually (not yet in my garage).
steve
Nicely detailed video
Thanks! There are some things I missed, which I will attempt to discuss in a later video.
Thanks Steve. Great video. Wondering if you can tell me which fenders you used? Thanks
Hi Coedy,
The fenders on my trike are stock HP Velotechnik fenders. They are not aftermarket fenders. The front fenders are especially incredible because the company has designed them so they provide a lot of extra coverage on the insides next to the rider's pants, so in inclement weather, these fenders are superior to all other trike fenders that I have ever seen. Also, on the front fenders, the two metal supports do not go across the tops of the fenders, as we see in all other trike brands. The tops of the fenders are smooth, and can be wiped clean without coming up against two metal supports. HP Velotechnik trikes are pricey (the Scorpion series), but their many extra fine touches make the extra money paid well worth every penny in my opinion!
PS: I did a short video about the fenders over a year ago if you are interested:
ruclips.net/video/gxG-6jebFWk/видео.html
steve
@@EZSteve Thank you. I really appreciate knowing and will definitely order a set.
So not a fan of heavy tires, thick tubes, nor liners. I’m using tubeless currently. They are crazy expensive and wear more quickly but oh the ride! I’ve pulled out some thorns roughly the size of your fist and the sealant heals the hole in seconds. When I use tubes I pull the valve core and inject the same sealant into the tubes. One flat in 5K miles had to be repaired with a plug (stan’s “Dart”) which worked until the tire was worn out.
I agree that weight can indeed be a drawback on a human powered trike, a truism that I learned the hard way back in 2009 during my first cross country ride, where I took way too much gear because of my inexperience. However, skimping on tire integrity is one place where I stand firm, because I have been in one situation in particular where a flat could have meant the end of me, literally (sub freezing temperatures in a freak snowstorm in the Cascade Range during the middle of the night - it was so cold that my hands no longer had much dexterity in them, and there was no way I would have been able to repair a tube or change a tire). Over the course of my ensuing long distance tours, I learned how to reduce rolling weight (all weight, including rider, that must be pedaled along), and the result was the shedding of about 100 pounds of unnecessary gear. But I still retained my Schwalbe Marathon PLUS tires, my Earthguards, and my thorn-resistant Q-tubes.
On an early tour, I pulled a trailer, which I did not upgrade the tires that came with it, leaving the Kenda tires and tubes in place to save money. My trike however was outfitted with what I showed here in this video. One evening, just as I was about to pitch my tent, I pedaled through thousands of goatheads (Tribulus terrestris plant) unknowingly because they were hidden from my view under several inches of fall leaves on the ground. By the time I had the tent set up, my two trailer tires (the stock Kendas) were flat, which caused me to realize that hundreds of goatheads were piercing each tire. So I checked the tires on the trike. There were also hundreds of these Tribulus terrestris spikes in each tire, but the air pressure held firm. I spent over an hour pulling out as much as I could see in the waning daylight, and pumped up the Kenda tires. By morning, the trailer tires were again flat, but the trike tires were still holding at full pressure. This was a graphic lesson to me. That trike tire setup held firm over the ensuing couple of weeks on the road, but I ended up replacing the tubes in the Kendas.
Regarding Stan's no-tubes sealant, I used that setup on both my fat tire mountain bike and my fat tire mountain trike. Yes, you are correct that it works very well, with no flats. There is no doubt about the efficiency of this setup. Of course, the liquid does add weight, and quite possibly ends up being about the same as this tire setup I describe in this video. Personally, I was glad to finally return to a tire size where I could use the Schwalbe Marathon PLUS tires with the liners and tubes because I was no fan of all the work and mess associated with using tire sealants, and having to replenish and re-do the liquids on a regular basis. For me, I just did not wish to deal with it. This tried and true method I described here works perfectly for me, never requiring any messy liquids or replenishing.
Like you, I have pulled out thorns, wire, and shards over time that have never resulted in a flat. So yes, both methods work, but I could not give a precise accounting of the weight of one versus the other. Even if the setup I am using is heavier, I will take it for its simplicity and lack of need for maintenance. My bodyweight is only 155 pounds, so these days with my pannier packing dialed in from many miles of road time, my rolling weight is still far less than many guys who are carrying bodyweights of 50-80 pounds more than me. I have found that the biggest reduction many riders can make in rolling weight comes not from their tire and tube choices, but from themselves (of course, changing that for many of us is quite challenging compared to opting for a more convenient weight reduction on the trike itself).
The final thing I like about the Schwalbe Marathon PLUS tires is their extreme durability and long wearing aspects, which are another big plus for me besides the fact that I have never had a flat tire with them, even after pulling out an inch-long piece of wire one time after a trip. Most cyclists just accept flats as a fact of life, but between the two choices we are discussing here, that does not have to be the case. Of course, cyclists who are supported in tours or races, with a vehicle carrying spare emergency parts, the lightest fastest tire is a benefit, but for someone like me, who finds himself in the middle of nowhere in very dicey positions at times, I cannot chance having flats or annihilated tires, so I take a tiny weight hit, which my body adapts to quite readily anyway, so it's no big deal.
Thanks for your commentary and observations! They are indeed quite accurate.
steve
@@EZSteve Good points all. My weight is a constant. tires are a variable. I’m not heavy but at 5’11” is seems like 170 is a set point which I’m pretty comfortable with. I have never done a cross country tour. Kudos to you for being able to do that unsupported. I was hit by a truck about a year ago and think cross country touring on a trike is something I’d just never do. I almost got my ticket punched. True. The sealant is messy. I ruined a pair of pants finding that out. Seating the tubeless tires especially ini 406 size is not for the faint of heart. You could never do it on the road. I come from a world of diamond frame light weight everything, then two wheeled recumbents and was always what some call a “weight weenie”. I hear you about the complete confidence you have with the Marathon Plus. Also the Schwalbe Pro One TLE are $81 each. I have yet to get more than about 1500 miles before they are worn out. Happy trails to you and many safe miles.