After a lot of thinking and trying out, we finally decided to buy recumbent touring bicycles in the spring of 2015. We thus had about a year to try them out on day and weekend trips and do some improvements before leaving for our bigger trip through Europe and South America. After travelling for one year, we conclude that these are great bicycles for touring and that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
And by the way, it’s even possible to learn how to ride a recumbent bicycle hands-free (although it’s certainly not recommended!).
Because of personal preferences, we each chose a different brand: the Streetmachine Gte from HP Velotechnik for Eva, and the Azub Six for Miguel. Scroll down to see the intial configuration we chose for our recumbents, and what we improved and repaired before and during the trip.
Eva’s HP Velotechnik Streetmachine Gte
Initial configuration
This is the configuration that Eva chose for her recumbent, in the order of the options in HP Velotechnik’s online configurator (official HP Velotechnik Streetmachine page).
| Colour | Silver gray |
| Frame | Without derailleur tube |
| Front boom | Aluminium |
| Front boom quickadjust | without |
| Front suspension | Spinner Grind 2, up to 100 kg |
| Rear shock | DNM DV22 spring, black, 100-130 kg [i.e. 550 lbs/inch] |
| Seat and seat cushion | BodyLink seat with airflow cushion |
| Headrest | With headrest for BodyLink seat |
| Seat extension | without |
| Handlebar | Under seat steering handlebars 60 cm, straight ends |
| Drivetrain and gear shifter | Rohloff hub 14 speed [comes with 16t sprocket] and Rohloff long gear shifter |
| Crankset | Crankset single [i.e. 46t chain ring] |
| Crank length | Short cranks 155 mm |
| Pedals | Shimano PD A-530 clipless pedals |
| Chain wheel protection | Chainwheel disc integrated |
| Brakes | Avid V-Brakes |
| Tires | Schwalbe Marathon Plus |
| Light system | SRAM D7 Dynamo hub with B&M IQ-fly lights |
| Luggage racks | Rear rack and lowrider |
| Mudguards | SKS black |
| Mirror | Mirrycle left |
| Kickstand | Kickstand Pletscher for lowrider rack |
| Other accessories | With rain cover for HP seats and moonbiker flag. |
Improved before the trip
- exchanged the standard 46t chain ring to a 38t Stronglight chain ring (more adapted for touring)
- exchanged the Avid brake pads with Shimano cartridges + removable pads
- exchanged the bell (included in the bike) with a better one (it broke the first time I boarded a train with the bike)
- added a bottle holder (Mounty Special Power Cage for Sigg bottles) behind the seat (with cable binders).
Improvements and repairs during the trip
- Rohloff oil change (Portugal, 2’200km) – a bit more than one year after buying the bike, and about 3200km total ride
- added a rear kickstand Ergotec Direct (Lisbon, 4’200km) – still not strong enough to hold the loaded bike, but used with the lowrider kickstand it got quite stable
- fixed the front breaks which would not return well to their resting position (Lisbon, 4’200km) – there was corrosion inside
- changed front and back break pads (Lisbon, 4’200km)
- removed the headrest (Lisbon, 4’200km) – I didn’t find it useful
- added a self-made strap instead of the headrest (Lisbon, 4’200km) – to hold the water pouch
- added a second bottle holder (Mounty Special Power Cage) below the seat, screwed to the frame, for our MSR fuel bottle (Lisbon, 4’200km)
- shortened the chain by one link (Montevideo, 5’200km)
- exchanged the Ergotec kickstand with a Pletscher Comp Zoom rear kickstand (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- replaced the chain (KMC Z8 RB) (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- exchanged the 16t sprocket with Miguel’s 18t sprocket (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- replaced the back tire with a new Schwalbe Marathon Plus (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- Rohloff oil change (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- replaced back and front brake pads for Koolstop brake pads (Lisbon, 10’000km).
Miguel’s Azub Six
Initial configuration
This is how Miguel bought his recumbent, in the order of the items on the Azub price list 2016 (official Azub Six page).
| Frame set | Rohloff (silver), with 16t sprocket |
| Seat and seat pad | Size M standard (composite) seat with Ventisit pad |
| Colour | light blue |
| Steering | Under seat steering |
| Front fork | Suspension fork Meks carbon |
| Rear shock | DNM DV-22 [i.e. with 750 lbs/inch spring] |
| Crankset | 39t Shimano Alfine with integrated axle |
| Brakes | V-brake Tektro |
| Tires | Schwalbe Marathon Plus (front) and Schwalbe Marathon Mondial (back) |
| Rims | Remerx Country Ring |
| Pedals | Alu pedals |
| Front hub | Dynamo hub SONdelux |
| Additional gearing | without |
| Mudguards | SKS mudguards |
| Luggage carrier | Bike expedition carrier |
| Holders | Cyclocomputer holder |
| Head rest | without |
| Mirror | Mirrycle [on the left barend] |
| Lighting set | Installed light wires (without lights) |
| Other accessories | With Pletscher comp zoom kickstand and security flag |
Improved before the trip
- exchanged standard pedals with the Shimano SPD pedals of my Koga Signature
- added B&M IQ Cyo front and Toplight Line plus rear lights
- added Sigma 14.12 ALTI bike computer
- improved the chain tube attachment so it wouldn’t touch the fork when turning
- added a bell.
Improvements and repairs during the trip
- replaced the bike computer cable (Agen, 900km)
- Rohloff oil change (Lisbon, 3’000km)
- fixed the front breaks, which didn’t move well and were difficult to remove (Lisbon, 4’200km) – there was corrosion inside
- exchanged the 16t sprocket for a 18t (Lisbon, 4’200km)
- improved (again) the chain tube attachment, which was touching the fork (Fray Bentos, 5’800km)
- replaced the break pads with Koolstop cartridges + removable pads (Puerto Aysén, 8’500km)
- replaced the chain (KMC Z8 RB) (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- exchanged the 18t sprocket for a 19t (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- Rohloff oil change (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- replaced the tube on the rear wheel (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- replaced the Rohloff cables (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- replaced the brake cables (Lisbon, 10’000km)
- removed rust from the handlebar and repainted (Lisbon, 10’000km).