Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
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Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:15 pm
http://www.performer.com.tw/2010/user/p ... &sno=00068
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Poiter » Thu Apr 01, 2010 2:22 pm
A new seller Natural Engine Speed Shop (NESS) in Canberra has wide range and actually knows about recumbents.
I've ridden one and helped with some modifications but after the cleat rebuff, I say nuthink.
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:09 pm
If you've ridden one please would you give your opinion, I'm planning to get one and have already placed a non committal order for the 451 version.
Is the owner happy with it??
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:30 am
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby nessbike » Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:57 pm
As an aside I'm also riding a Reach folder which is fitted with 451s and a capreo hub and it does seem to provide that bit extra in the gearing on the road for what its worth.
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:44 pm
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby nessbike » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:56 am
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:11 pm
"I am afraid our carbon seat was out of stock."
Damn that $#!+s me. I have no carbon anythings and was looking forward to my first peice.
I asked Andy if the large chain ring can be replaced with a 56-58T as I would probably need to go larger later.
"The extra price for 58/46 crank is usd 80. We got two crank leg length 170 and 172.5. Which one do you prefer."
Since then I've found
From the Sheldon Brown small wheels Capreo page...
"If you have 406 mm (20") wheels, you would need to install an 69 tooth chainring to be equivalent to a 52 tooth with common 622 mm wheels."
Now I'm thinking if I'm going to pay the 80US for the larger ring should I try for a 60T+?? I also didn't want to change the small 39T to 46T as even Alex has installed a tripple to utilise a small ring when climbing.
Also there is no comment of the crank brand changing from the Truativ Elita to something else so I assume theyre staying.
Should I just stick with the 36/52 and find a 60T when the bike arrives? Will I have problems changing gears from a small 36T to a 60T??
Finding a cheaper 60T doesn't seem easy either, I've done a few searches and most are well above $80 anyway, got any sources??
Alex can you tell what the Truativ Elitas BCD is?(do you have the same cranks?)
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:05 pm
Red would match the hubs!!
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MOWA-FOLDING-BIK ... 2eab9be650
36T-60T??
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby nessbike » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:04 pm
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:19 pm
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby nessbike » Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:52 pm
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Kalgrm » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:31 pm
Storm,
Your posts to sell stuff have been removed. Please use the market place if you want to sell things.
Graeme
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Music was better when ugly people were allowed to make it ....
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby cycliste » Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:05 pm
For the price, you can still afford to spend a couple of hundred on optimising the bike and STILL have a cheap bent. I think most riders will want to increase the gearing but that's all you need to do to get the potential from the low profile design.
You can't fit a bigger chainwheel than 60 because of the length of the derailleur post.
As Poit and Alex have advised, the best solution (but most expensive) to getting equivalent DF gearing is a Capreo hub. It has to be a disc hub and ICE can supply it. That will require a wheel rebuild. For the time being I'm running a 57 that I have and I've changed the cassette small cog from 12 to 11. I've had to change the der. to a long arm to take up the slack in the 11/39 combination.
I think you could fit a Schlumpf high speed drive if you don't mind hub friction and noise!
I've had an 'issue' or two with the return idler chain guide when it tended to derail when back pedalling (which you need to do when starting, to get a pedal at top.) I tossed it out and made a simple right angle chain keeper. NESS modified the idler to stop the bearing falling out and Terracycle are always an option.
The Canberra team suggested reversing the cable entry to the 'rear' derailleur. It gives a shorter, more straight cable and a cleaner look.
Front Wheel Drive is something you'll either love or hate I think. You can't be indifferent to it. The thing about the PFWD is that slacken two bolts and remove one and you have a very easy to pack recumbent. You can't do that with RWD even with S&S couplers; you have to split chains and mess around. To get the 'Voyager' option on a P-38 costs nearly as much for the extra as a whole Performer (well maybe not quite....but still...!)
This is a fabulous 20x20 low racer with a small frontal area. It's competitive with bikes like the Baron and I think it climbs better. It has less flex in the crank tube than a Baron, Seiran SL, RANS Rocket or Lynx.
Roll down testing put it a shade faster 'bare' than the P-38 with deep rim wheels and a tailbox. Put a small tailbox on it and watch the roadies weep. (Yeah yeah... you can't expect a 13 kg recumbent to climb like an 8 kg DF even if they were both ridden by overweight oldfarts!)
I have absolutely no regrets about buying this bike. It's the prettiest, fastest and CHEAPEST recumbent that I've bought. It's not my only ride and I love 'em all, but for sure the PFWD is a keeper.
Performer as a company have been as good or better to deal with than other major manufacturers that I've bought from (thanks Ann.)
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:37 am
"For the time being I'm running a 57 that I have and I've changed the cassette small cog from 12 to 11. I've had to change the der. to a long arm to take up the slack in the 11/39 combination."
That is the problem with small wheels, what RD did you replace with?
Also what is the part number for the rubber seat mounts you used?
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Poiter » Fri Apr 09, 2010 4:04 pm
OK, so I spins out a little over 50kmh but that's OK for me. There is no inefficiency in the little 9 tooth cog and drivetrain last as long as any.
Now if you could easily convert a Capreo hub to take a disk?
But that would probably end up costing as musch as the ICE Capreo hub anyway.
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Fri Apr 09, 2010 6:03 pm
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:14 pm
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby william » Sun Apr 18, 2010 9:32 pm
I'm not totally sure about this whole 9/10 speed suitability thing. I have a KMC 10 speed chain and a KMC X9 9 speed chain. Both measure2.2 mm between the inner plates. Width is where it changes. 9 speed-6.6mm and 10 speed-6.0mm.
Where the real differences will occur is with chain ring and cluster sprocket spacing. 9 Speed will not fit between the sprockets of a ten speed cluster.
william
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Mon Apr 19, 2010 12:28 am
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby nessbike » Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:31 pm
Ramps aid smoothness of shifting with index gearing. Given the size of chainring you are looking at and the spread of gears you will have you will probably experience some shifting issues as you will be working at extremes of chainring spacing and its unlikely that ramped chainrings would necessarily aid your shift. That said I tend to use a lot of aftermarket rings (vuleta/blackspire etc) and can't say I notice significant decline in shifting ability.
Another reason why Capreo hubs were developed for small wheels I would guess. gets around the oversize chainring issues.
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby nessbike » Sat May 22, 2010 7:01 pm
taken delivery of your 451 FWD yet? Any initial comments? Rolled out 25o km on the 406 model last weekend - seems to be running nicely. Cheers Alex
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby Storm » Sat May 29, 2010 1:37 am
Performer have been notified and replacements are being sent.
Let me tell you that the bike came well packed in a sturdy box with no signs of physical damage and inside that continued with a good quallity well packaged product emerging.
After installing the various components I took her for a spin (39t/12T only), and immediatly noted the FWDs RH twitch every on stroke, I found that if I hold the bars tighter the motion was avoided but relax and PLR tugs to the right, definantly not a no hander bike!
Did I make the right decision?
Well I've taken her out for a few spins now with one ~16km ride, I don't feel her twitch as bad at higher speeds, also I think I'm getting used to it
I do like the PLR and it's a very nice bike other wise, the ride is very good and solid, the boom is fat, was it worth the upgrades? $220= BB7, SL6600 RD, R770 FD, 7900 ends, Schwalbe Duranos. I would have liked to have kept the 9 speeds extra range 11/34 cassette rather than 12/27, I don't think there's much of a difference between 451 vs 406?, I had intended to cut the bars width but the tube ends have been reamed to accept the shifters so I'll prolly switch to rapid fire.
When I get it the cables on and a few more rides in I'll be in a better position to judge
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Re: Performer FWD Lowracer in Aus
Postby }SkOrPn--7 » Sat May 29, 2010 4:02 pm
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