Reviews
Below is a selection of quotes taken from reviews of
Tri-Sled’s products by some of the recumbent world’s most
respected commentators.
John Axen from Recumbent & Tandem Rider Magazine reviewed the Tri-Sled Gizmo I in early 2006
If the frame wasn't simple enough, you'll get a real kick out of the carbon fibre,
one-piece seat. I've never seen a simpler modled seat that makes so much sense. ... It's a total departure
from other modled seats I have seen
In the stationary positing this seat is truly the most comfortable I've ever
expeirenced and the headrest rivals just about any recliner chair on the market.
Inititally, I was a bit concerned about the narrow cockit but after a few miles I'm
convinced that it can handle riders even bigger than my Clydesdale stature!
From the very first stroke of the pedals I realized that Gizmo was going to fast. It
accelerates through the gears quite effortlessly but you'll have to resist the temptation to take it to
the limit in order to feel how handles at lower speeds first. ... The Gizmo seems to carve its way
through sharp turns even better than other sport trikes I've tested. ... In the most extreme turns I
simply leaned, just slightly, into the turn and never felt any instability. Goodall must have taken
great care in the design of the steering geometry as this trike is a total blast in a slalom course!
The Gizmo's shifting is smooth and crisp, the result of decent components and
efficient cable routing. The design of its triangulated rear end allows for good acceleration without
sacrificing comfort when the road becomes rough.
It's the smoothest drive-line I have played with in a very long time. In fact, when
you fling the cranks backwards they actually spin a couple of revolutions. That's smooth!
Remember I told you how comfortable the Gizmo carbon fiber seat is while stationary?
On the road it's even more amazing. The combination of varying material thickness' and the thick
breathable foam make for a super shock-absorbing seat. Most headrests transmit road shock to the neck or
base of the skull, but the Gizmo headrest is truly a pleasure to use. Because trikes have three small
diameter wheels to transmit more shock to the body, fatigue on longer rides can be a factor. Over the
five months I rode the Gizmo on a wide range of road surfaces, and up to 80 miles at a time, and never
felt any major fatigure.
Goodall's choice of the Veolcity rims and Schwalbe Marathon Slick tires for the Gizmo
are a good combination. The Velocity Aero Heat rims are strong and attractive and with well over 800
miles of testing they never needed any adjustment. The Schwalbe Marathon Slicks are both fast and
durable.
It's fast, stable, comfortable, and carves it's own path. I would, and have, ridden
the Gizmo in almost all conditions, including time trials with great satisfaction. However, I would not
consider it for long distance loaded touring. That would be like using a throughbred race horse to pull
a plow.
**Tri-Sled offers the Gizmo XLT for touring conditions**
Who should buy a Gizmo of their own? Just about anybody that wants to experience the
sensation of flying reall close to the ground would love the ride. Those who like to compete in time
trials or enter the growing popularity of trike racing wouldn't be disappointed with the Gizmo.
Bryan Ball, Managing Editor of Bent Rider Online, reviewed the Tri-Sled Gizmo I in early 2006.
The full review can be found at:
http://www.bentrideronline.com/
The Gizmo leaps off line and feels even lighter than it actually is (our test trike was almost exactly
30 lbs)... With an aerodynamic 29 degree seat angle and such a narrow track, the Tri-Sled also cruised
along a very good clip for a trike. I would put the Gizmo's speed potential right up there with
anything this side of Greenspeed GLR.
The carbon fiber Tri-Sled seat was also very comfortable. It's cupped just enough to keep you from
rolling out and flexes just enough to keep from really beating the snot out of you on rough roads. Not
only was it well shaped and supportive, the built in headrest was also excellent...Tri-Sled covers
their superseat (headrest included) with a very thick and comfortable layer of open cell foam. The
complete package is one of the best recumbent trike seats I’ve ever sat on.
One very nice frame feature (of the Gizmo) is its ability to break down for shipping and transport.
...Tri-Sled offers a very nice soft-side case for the Gizmo. It leaves plenty of room for racks and
panniers so that you can carry your trike and all the gear for a weekend tour in one collapsible
package.
Once you get the feel for the Gizmo, it can be a very addicting ride. The direct steering leaves you
feeling very 'connected' to the road and gives a very precise feel.
The Gizmo strips the trike riding experience down to its barest essentials. It's a blast to ride and
can be a very fast machine in the right hands.
One close look at any one of Tri-Sled’s products will tell you that Tri-Sled places a high priority on
simplicity above all else... What you will find is sturdy frames, comfortable seating and well-thought
out features.
Sam Whittingham, the ‘fastest man in
the world’, reviews Tri-Sled’s Gizmo.
When I
first walked around the corner and saw my steed waiting for me, I was
first struck by high curb appeal and then by it’s seemingly small
size. Over the years I have seen many bikes and especially trikes that
are cold and over-engineered. The Tri-Sled immediately struck me as a
rider’s trike, something to be ridden. Very inviting.
The general layout had good ergonomics and balance. The
main boom appeared to have lots of adjustability and easily
accommodated my short little legs. I am not aware of the actual weight
but my general impression based on the simple design and later
confirmed upon picking it up is of a very light machine indeed!
The Sunflower yellow paint job was clean
and attractive and balanced nicely with the black Deore components,
Velocity aero rims and carbon seat.
When I test recumbent seats I find they usually fall into
two categories. Either they are built hard for stiffness and
efficiency like a kitchen chair or soft for watching television like a
couch. The seat on the Tri-Sled defies both categories and can best be
described as a lawn chair. It was the most flexible seat I have ever
perched my tush on. On first glance it looks a lot like the monocoque
carbon seats found on most European recumbents but without the
stiffening braces running along the back
I did find it quite comfortable and the
large elastomer bumper joints were a nice touch.
Overall the component specs where excellent and perfectly
matched to the price tag. Nothing overly expensive to inflate the
price nor cheap enough to compromise performance. Shifting of the 9
speed Dura-Ace bar-con shifters and well planned cable routing was
crisp.
The Deore cable disk brakes, located
only on the two front wheels were very smooth and proved more than
adequate.
The 105 triple crankset was nicely
upgraded with 60-52-32 gearing to match the small 20” (406)
wheels. These were nicely adorned with the very popular light and fast
Schwalbe Stelvios. Not bad as a stock item!
I was initially worried that the narrow wheel spacing and short
wheelbase would prove to be dangerously tippy. My apprehension was
completely unfounded however. The handling was indeed quick but
tracked very true and fairly predictably
Right from the first pedal crank, I
found the Tri-Sled easy to master. The cant in the front wheel pivots
went a long way to holding a nice true line at cruising speed. The
short wheel-base made for nice tight u-turns but tended to interfere
with my legs due to the narrow 24” wheel spacing. It did mean I
could squeeze through spots I wouldn’t dare on most other
trikes. My best efforts to get up on two wheels or tip the Tri-Sled
were thwarted at every turn
I had a
blast on the Tri-Sled; climbing short banks, carving through corners bouncing
over the neighbour’s lawn, bombing down steep hills.
Highly attractive, fair workmanship, excellent component specs,
unique flexi seat, affordable and lots of fun!
Bryan J Ball from Bent Rider Online reviews the Cool Cruza I
(Cool Cruza is) an inexpensive and
versatile trike with excellent performance and sporty handling.
Additionally, you can sleep well at night supporting a company like
Tri-Sled. Ben Goodall is very committed to promoting HPV’s as an
alternative to the automobile and his customer service reputation is
excellent. His products are often overlooked by recumbent trike
shoppers, but you are really doing yourself a disservice if you
don’t consider the Cool Cruza.
The final product of this form-follows-function design theory is a very simple
and economical tadpole trike.
Once you stop looking and start riding,
the Cool Cruza becomes much more exciting. It may appear to be a
fairly pedestrian general purpose/touring trike, but the overall feel
is much closer to that of a higher performance sport trike.
Tri-Sled's direct steering geometry
gives the Cool Cruza a very lively feel. The steering is definitely
quicker than that of a Greenspeed or Trice, but it's far from being
unstable. On centre feel and straight line tracking are actually very
good. I guess the overall feel is just more... direct (for lack of a
better term) than some indirect designs.
The Cool Cruza's performance level is
also closer to Sport Trike than touring machine. I found myself
cruising on flat ground at nearly the same speeds that I do on most
conventional two wheelers. The Tri-Sled was noticeably faster than the
Greenspeed GTO that I also had around the house.
The real attraction with the Cool Cruza
is its price. You can have one delivered to your door as we tested it
for right around (US)$2000 depending on the current exchange rate.
That’s not inconsequential, but it is damn cheap for a quality
Aussie tadpole.
|
