Greenspeed Magnum may be the perfect do everything trike.
Many
people have said that is not possible to build a trike which is suitable
for road as well as off road. Others have said, you must have suspension
to give a smooth ride. However, this increases the weight, adds
complication, and cost. Well, the Greenspeed Magnum breaks the mould in
trike design! No longer is it necessary to agonize between the choice of
a high seat trike for off road, or a low seat trike for on road,
suspension or non-suspension, disc brakes or drum brakes, or a heavy,
low performance trike to take your weight.
The Magnum is the 1st
recumbent
trike to have a seat which is adjustable for height. Plus it is
adjustable for angle as well. The seat height is adjustable from 12" to
17" and both adjustments are with Quick Release levers. Thus the rider can choose
the seat height to suit ease of entry and exit, the riding conditions,
and personal preference – low for speed and high for visibility in
traffic. Some riders may find they need the seat high at first to help
get them on and off the trike. Later as they become fitter and loose
weight, they might find they can lower the seat and take advantage of
the lower centre of gravity. This gives better cornering and road
holding. Wind tunnel tests show that the lower seat is 2 mph faster at
25 mph.
While the seat may look simple, it is actually the most
comfortable on the market. First of all, the seat cover is completely
open weave. This allows cooling to the back, and does not hold water if
it rains. Then the curves were designed by a chiropractor to give proper
support to both the lumbar and the shoulders. Secondly the shock cord
lacing provides a good fit to your back, plus it provides suspension for
insulation from road shock. Suspension is also provided by the Schwalbe
"Big Apple" balloon tyres which give both a low rolling resistance and a
comfortable ride. The third secret in the Greenspeed ride is the frame.
Normally aluminum frames give a hard ride. However, each tube on the
Magnum was carefully selected to give the same good ride characteristics
as the Cro Mo frames. Thus by just adjusting the tire pressures, the
trike is equally at home on rough roads and smooth roads.
Now for off road use, you need a high ground clearance,
and low gears, yet for road use you need high gears, and good road
holding. The Magnum has a massive 5" of ground clearance, yet with the seat low, and the cambered wheels it has
outstanding road holding. Plus the
11-32
cassette combined with the 52/42/30 triple crank-set gives a wide range
of gears, from 19" in bottom to
91"
in top gear – a range of
479%!
So you can easily go fast or slow.
Disc brakes normally have superior stopping power to
drums brakes, but disc brakes make it harder to take the wheels off and
on. They are difficult to adjust, the pads wear faster, and they cause
more drag. So the Magnum is the 1st
trike to use the new, larger 90 mm Sturmey Archer (S.A.)
drum brakes. Plus they are used with the matching S.A. brake levers,
which are longer, and have more leverage. Thus the performance is as
good as the disc brakes without all the disadvantages. Then as a bonus,
they come with a press button quick release. So if you need to make the
trike smaller, to place it in your car, taking the wheels off is
effortless!
So
with the central frame hinge, and the quick release
wheels, the Magnum will pack down in to
a box
(33 x 29 x 18")
not much larger than its smaller brother, the
Greenspeed GT1.
The smaller 16 inch wheeled GT trikes have been limited
to a rider weight of 265 lbs. Whereas the Magnum, with its larger
diameter frame tubes, has rider weight limit of a whopping 400 lbs! Yet
thanks to the high strength 7005 aluminum tubing, the weight of the
whole trike is only 2 lbs more than the GT1, at 42 lbs. So you can be
sure that the trike will be strong enough to cope with all your
adventures.