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CHALLENGE TRIKE,
CONCEPT XT
Upon arriving at Challenge in
October 2006, it was apparent within a few seconds of stepping
out of the van that there was huge excitement about their new
tadpole style trike.
There are so many tadpole trikes
in the market now, I really wondered what Challenge could bring
to the table that had not existed already outside of the usual
striking aesthetics that always get noticed on the Challenge
recumbent bikes.
Over the next few days with the
orange Trike I came to find a host of new unexpected ideas in
design, and ultimately, after a few neighborhood rides near the
Challenge facility, had a 30km ride to bring everything together
that I will wrap this piece up with.
DESIGN.
As with
other Challenge designs, the Trike gets your attention with its
shape. Heat-treated 7020 T6 aluminum frame material with the
trademark arch at the rear with the split tube stays. The front
crossmembers you quickly start calling wings because they look
like airfoil airplane wings, but angled forward and down.
Paul Voerman wanted the look to
not be cradle like, so when you see the Challenge, you observe
you’re sitting in a virtual plane on wheels.
Virtues
of the wings are when entering the Trike you don’t have to “fall
in.” The rearward angle of the wings means you step further
into the trike, toward the seat, and then simply sit down. You
will also note the steering tie rods run parallel to the wings
to complete the concept. No “stuff” in the way. Then, the
wings wide fore/aft dimension make for bump steer free tracking,
and the shorter vertical wing dimension delivers a passive
suspension effect.
Seating is a fiberglass shell
design (carbon fiber optional), its hourglass form is 5cm wider
than the typical shell seat at the butt and shoulder zones, with
a nice concave internal shape. A good fit all around, and I
experienced no pressure points.
Wheel format is 26/20 with some
positive camber on the front wheels. The kingpin system has 3
sealed bearings per side hidden inside the steering/handlebar
interface module. The “stems” indexed in a very solid interface
at the top of the kingpin unit. There are built in disc caliper
and mudguard mounts integrated into the design. The carbon fiber
tie rods have fixed ends, and in the center, under the frame,
there is an adjustment fitting that adjusts your front end
geometry with a single allen bolt.
The Challenge Trike in the Concept
XT option has a direct steer system that in past products has
not been my favorite thing, until the Challenge. Pim, the main
development engineer on the project, found other direct steer
designs did not actually have pure Ackermann geometry, which the
Challenge Trike has, as one of the prime reasons this trike
stands out. The Trike has very good self-stabilizing manners. I
was able to ride it “no hands” at will, its natural desire
wanting to pull to center as a default. The handlebars
telescopically adjust to preference, and when you do want to
turn, response is very “all of a piece”, you definitely feel the
Trike as an extension of yourself.
Those preferring a
more traditional system can order the default "central
steering."
Wheels. The 20” front rims are
laced into some very interesting Challenge hubs, a design in
Paul’s computer for a number of years, has come out to play on
the Trike. A clean tapered design, it creates a blind disc
flange, is strong under side load, and has some cool looking
windows in the center where you can see the inner axle sleeve
turn. A little fun without sacrificing strength.
You may look at the photos and
think this was a “photo only” machine because of absence of
visible cables. Look closer on the Concept model and you will
see the brake system uses standard brakes, but the brake lever
looks different. It is a custom Challenge made lever that fits
ergonomically perfect to your hand, and the lever body is
mounted horizontal along the handlebar. Your cables run along
the bar to the brake without the usual down under the trike
arrangement. Internally routed gear cables complete the clean
look with no cables hanging under the cycle. Best in class
ground clearance to clear the obstacles.
Chain run is tubeless with a
Challenge idler under the seat. Quiet.
THE 30 KM RIDE
On Thursday, a guy named Hayco
showed up with a special black Trike. Paul told me that Hayco
was involved in final testing because he has a reputation for
destroying bikes and componentry, (also his Velomobiel Quest
with the help of an automobile) So, getting the Trike “Hayco
proof” is the final development frontier, sort of like getting
the Good Housekeeping seal of approval in cycling products.
Hayco’s black Trike’s surprise is
that it incorporates SL technology in the “SL Blend” frame, and
wings. Look for an SL version to appear down the road a ways
after the E series is on the market.
If you were expecting Godzilla on
a trike by now, you would be wrong. Hayco is very good-natured
guy, who loves cycling. I get invited on a 30km ride, and
instantly accept. Holland is a flat place; cycling
infrastructure is everywhere you look. So a route is picked
from a bike route map, and we’re on our way.
As we make our way through
Apeldoorn on a paved cycle path, we eventually pass a castle
where Dutch royalty has lived in the past, and then we’re headed
out of town. I am following Hayco, and this gives me a world of
insight. 1st, Hayco is the definition of “chunky”
riding style as he rolls over every curb, constantly putting the
Trike sideways, and generally finding any imaginative way to
bring abuse to the Challenge. 2nd, I get to watch the
Trike from the rear as all this is going on, and also see some
straight line cranking out on the trail looking for, and not
seeing any torsional flex from the rear end of the frame.
My from the cockpit impressions
confirm the very fine steering manners from before, the seat
fits like a glove, the frame has no discernable flex under my
butt, and the ride quality is very forgiving, while being stiff
in the right ways for power delivery.
A third of the way into the ride,
we are in what I would call the National Forest (Colorado speak)
in beautiful fall colors. We make a right turn and spend the
next third of the ride on double track hard packed dirt. You
have a choice of 2 wheels in the rough, the rear wheel on the
smooth, or the rear wheel in the rough, the 2 front wheels on
the smooth. I tried both ways, and found straight-line
stability to continue to be excellent, and the ride quality was
not suspension plush, but very composed, and did not rattle my
vision.
As we passed by piles of
excrement, Hayco points out these are from Wild Boar, black
hairy types, the males with 2 small horns, who live in the
forest, and don’t have a sociable with people reputation. We
don’t actually meet any, and by reputation, I figure that’s OK.
The last third of the ride we’re
back on pavement and return into Apeldoorn. Every street has
bike path, it is a natural part of the culture to cycle, and be
cyclist aware, which makes for a very peaceful state of mind
while making your way around the city. After a day of jet lag,
this was the perfect way to break out of it refreshed.
Kelvin
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