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20 inch or 24 inch wheels on Rambler?

Ragtag37Ragtag37
in Rambler
New to recumbent world. But really excited to jump in. Rented a Rover last year, and loved it. Went up to Lanesboro, Minnesota and my wife and I had a blast with them. Been saving money for one ever since. I have pretty much decided on a 2017 Rambler. I think im going with the nuvinchi 380 hub with a Patterson transmission up front. I'm 60 yo. Just want some thoughts and opinions on 20 or 24inch wheels.
In Iowa

Comments

  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Have hills or mostly flat ground?
  • Ragtag37Ragtag37
    Combination of flatland and rolling hills. Live in Central to Northeast Iowa
    In Iowa
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Join https://www.facebook.com/groups/terratrikeowners/ if you have Facebook.
    There's A LOT MORE variety of advice there than here. :)
  • Ragtag37Ragtag37
    Thank you. But I don't do fake book. I'm sure it has its place, but it's not for me.
    In Iowa
  • JamesRJamesR
    lanesboro is the home of one of the bentrider moderators who asserts a trike needs to have a low-gear of 15 gear-inches. this is only available storebought in the rambler all terrain with its 24-inch wheels. the usual gear-inch range [all trikes] is the one size fits all 20-90 g.i. or so along with throw me a rope to climb out of this thing. take a look at versa-bars and ponder.

    if you have dubious knees, 24-inch wheels can make all the difference in ride enjoyment as well as giving you more pedal clearance from the roadway provided it is geared down from the usual. us bigfoots have been known to scrape heels on pavement encountering speedbumps on 20-inchers. you can also encounter pedal-strike if you try to climb a curb. 24-inch rear with 20s on front do not improve the situation. 24-inch front, 20 rear did for me.

    if talking about off the shelf, a nuvinci locks you into 20-inch wheels. for pavement riding and good knees, good choice. hilly places, dirt paths, not so good knees, all-terrain the better choice.

    another option is the new EVO with 20-inch wheels. electric assist when used can overcome the hills better than regearing the trike my humble. it also enables longer cruises than human power alone. no one seems to comment, so far, but this setup results in the same outcome as adding an $800 front crankset and a $1600 rear hub.

    one of the things dealers shy away from is that you can reasonably expect to spend 50% of purchase price in making the one size fits all fit you. browse the online stores and price mirrors, flags, clipless pedals, shoes, helmets, lights, locks, cargo racks, panniers, pump, roadside tools, etc.

    in the end, wheel size is but one of the variables in tuning the trike to your needs. if you havent, browse bentrider - awful lot of what i did and why i did it kinda commentary there. join and you can search years of comments on wheel size benefits.
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/index.php
  • TrikeBirderTrikeBirder
    Personally, I find mountains more information specific to TerraTrikes on this forum than I do trying to wade through all the info and terminology that has less, if any relevance, to my TerraTrike on all the other forums combined IMHO.
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    edited August 2017
    From what I've gathered...

    24 inch wheels
    • Easier to get in & out of trike, 2 inches higher
    • Slightly higher center of gravity
    • Higher gear range that is great for those on flat ground
    • Many trike owners ask about benefits of upgrading

    20 inch wheels
    • Easy to get in & out of pending seat position - Versa Bars help
    • Slightly lower center of gravity
    • Lower gear range for climbing hills and slopes
    • Majority seem content

    YMMV
  • mjrodneymjrodney
    A comment from a 71 year old "road bicycle re-tread" from two decades back.

    After falling in love with everything about my Terratrike Rambler with a 20" rear tire, except the top end speeds I've been able to produce, I too thought about moving to a larger 26" rear tire.

    After all, the gear/tire size calculators said I could go 2+ miles an hour faster, in my chosen gear and cadence, by going with the 26" tire.

    But then I looked down the chart and I saw that I could double my top end speed, with the same cadence, if my "engine" was strong enough to push the big chain ring.

    For me, then, the secret to a faster top end lies below my chubby little arse, in my legs and not back at the rear wheel.

    Now, that being said, should I live long enough, and train hard enough, to be able to push that big ring, then, the bigger rear wheel might be a wise move.

    No, my Rambler does not make my arse look fat.

    Mirrors do.
  • TCEdTCEd
    mjrodney wrote: »
    A comment from a 71 year old "road bicycle re-tread" from two decades back.

    After falling in love with everything about my Terratrike Rambler with a 20" rear tire, except the top end speeds I've been able to produce, I too thought about moving to a larger 26" rear tire.

    After all, the gear/tire size calculators said I could go 2+ miles an hour faster, in my chosen gear and cadence, by going with the 26" tire.

    But then I looked down the chart and I saw that I could double my top end speed, with the same cadence, if my "engine" was strong enough to push the big chain ring.

    For me, then, the secret to a faster top end lies below my chubby little arse, in my legs and not back at the rear wheel.

    Now, that being said, should I live long enough, and train hard enough, to be able to push that big ring, then, the bigger rear wheel might be a wise move.

    No, my Rambler does not make my arse look fat.

    Mirrors do.


    "the secret to a faster top end lies below my chubby little arse, in my legs and not back at the rear wheel."
    that's a fact
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Mirrors, window reflections, and cameras are evil to those of us with larger seats.
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