Recumbent Bike: Challenge 'Fujin'
Tjoan talks about his dutch designed & built recumbent bicycle
Preparing for this Adventure I bought this recumbent Bicycle so I would have a similar type of bike as Menno would be riding and also to make this tour of the USA somewhat different from the one I made here in the early Eighties. Then I explored The States on a conventional Touring Bicycle for two and a half years.
While it is a type of Recumbent bicycle, the Fujin I ride is quite different from the bike Menno has. On his Optima Condor he sits above the wheels while I sit more or less between the wheels and as such am a lot lower overall. This has pros and cons. More notably on the upside is the even smaller frontal area of bike plus rider especially pleasant when encountering headwinds and lower centre of gravity for smooth responsive handling. On the downside is the reduced visibility because of the lower profile and my eye height is much lower making looking side to side more prone to a more limited perimeter vision. (Therefore an even more defensive and alert riding style has to be adopted when choosing this type of recumbent! Be aware, others may not have seen you and you have less overall view of the traffic situation!). Fewer possibilities to carry bags on this bike is also a downside of my choice.
Nevertheless, I chose this model because it is so low. My overall length and particularly leg length is such that most recumbent's are too big for me.
I cannot reach the pedals and/or the ground or the pedal´s circular path interferes with the front wheel in a dangerous conflicting way once the bike has been adjusted to fit me. Lucky for me Challenge makes the Fujin also with a shortened frame version for the shorter rider like myself and this proved to be just the bike for me!
Drawing of Tjoan's fully packed bicycle (Illustration: Johannes Daalmans)
So with pride, I present to you: my Full time Road Companion:
My bike is a Dutch designed and build Recumbent Bicycle made by Challenge in Apeldoorn in The Netherlands. It is a Low racer model called Fujin, named after a type of wind like some other models Challenge makes which are named Taifun, Hurricane, Mistral and Seiran.
The all aluminium frame Fujin has two differently sized wheels and I sit between them quite low above the road's surface experiencing a real sense of speed as I turn the pedals ahead of me. The wheelbase is hardly, if any, longer then an average road bike but the 'bottom-bracket' tube sticking out ahead is what makes its overall length more. In a very comfortable, well supported and adjustable, reclined position I suffer non of the discomforts I did, on occasion, experience having spent long hours on a ordinary bicycle seat. Saddle soar is a thing of the Past!
With Challenge's own special steel spring suspension front fork and rear fork air cylinder suspension the enjoyment of riding this type of bicycle is greatly enhanced. Any bump in the road is smoothly absorbed. The rear one can, if desired, easily be locked for frame stiffness on an ascent.
Shimano Deore Hydraulic Disk Brakes provide superb stopping power at my fingertips.
The adjustable folding tiller handlebars steering tube makes getting on and out of the seat quite easy. Simply pushing it up and forward to get out and toward you and down when getting in the seat. Adding a rear rack bolted to, and special side racks mounted on both sides of, the seat let me convert this racer into a Roadworthy Touring Bike by providing opportunity to add bags.
Suspending Banana Bike Bags on either side of the seat and a set of small panniers on the rear rack and it is ready for loading up. A sleeping bag or tent can find a place on top of the rear rack.
With everything on board I can now hit the road in style. The low centre of gravity of most of the added weight is of no consequence to the handling of the bike. Extra benefit of the side bags is; I can now rest my elbows on them and loosely hold the handlebars to even more avoid fatigue.
27 gear combinations to choose from should, most likely, enable me to find the right one for every ascent and descent I will encounter during this trip. Up front I have 3 chain rings sized 30, 42, 52 teeth and in the rear a nine speed freewheel ranging from 11 to 32 teeth. A long cage derailleur handles the actual shifting over this considerable range in the rear. The front gear-changer is capable of smoothly lifting the chain from one ring onto the other. The Index Gripshift handlebar grips make changing gear easy,
the distinct clickstops make selecting the desired combination fast and sure.
In Mirrors mounted at both handlebar ends I can see what's coming up behind me, they are a very important, must have, safety feature. Lying down on a seat I cannot turn my shoulders, not even briefly, to increase the angle of my field of vision behind me the way one can riding in a conventional upright way. Scanning in the mirrors and using my ears are the only means to assess the traffic situation behind me.
A multifunction speedometer will keep track of info like current and average speed, daily and total distance that I've done. Also it can monitor pedal cadence an important feature because efficient use of energy and slowing down the onset of fatigue is best served by riding with a smooth and constant frequency of pedal revolutions. Whether going on flat ground, up or downhill you select the gear combination to maintain the same rate. A Sonn Hub generator provides the power for the light system that will enhance visibility in the dark and during rainy days. The light system I chose is a Busch and Müller DIWA set.
DIWA is a distance warning system. It means the front light constantly monitors the hub dynamo output. When it registers a sudden reduction it instantly sends a signal to the rear light which in turn brightly flares up briefly thus acting as a brake light, warning anyone behind me of my sudden deceleration. Front and rear light also automatically switch on when ambient light conditions fall below a certain value, for instance when entering a tunnel from bright daylight. Also, each store energy to remain lit for several minutes after I have come to a complete stop. A fluttering bright flag also helps to alert other road users to my presence.
Most technical specifications of my Fujin can be found clicking here: Download Technical specifications of Tjoan's Fujin (pdf-file)
My Challenge Fujin Recumbent
To recap all above: this is my Travel buddy and I am going to spend a lot of time on it and enjoy: The State of Riding!
Links
For those who want to know all about my bike and bags... Specs on my Fujin Bicycle can be found at the Challengebikes website:
www.challengebikes.com
Specs on my Bike bags can be found at the following websites:
www.ortliebusa.com, www.lowa.nl and www.radicaldesign.nl
On www.elan.cc you'll find a recumbent bicycle shop in Nijmegen.
RECUMBENT BIKE
