ReneKMueller.com: Flux S900 Shortrider *

Updates

Fri, October 16, 2015: more photos, more details .

Sun, August 2, 2015: first preliminary page .

Flux S900 OL (overseat steering) with 2x24" wheels, manufactured by Flux in Germany, ordered 2015/07/29 and after 10 weeks picked up from Radium Fahrradspezialitaeten .

The base S900 is quite bare and upgrades are almost a requirement, for me using it for touring extensive ones were required:

Flux S900 OL with upgrades

Flux S900 OL (without upgrades)

front suspension fork (Suntour XCR 24/507)
extended rack for baggage (Rack-4: CrMo-rack)
SRAM hub dual drive (3 x 9 = 27 gears) SRAM DD3-27 (0.73x, 1x, 1.36x), total transition 5.76x

hub dynamo (Shutter Precision SD-8 Silver, 6V/3W)
front/back LED lights (Lumotec-IQ-Cyo-Premium senso+, 80 Lux)
2x Schwalbe Marathon 47-507 (24x1.75) tires (instead of Kojak tires)

seat Ventisit
neck support
fenders

signal flag

Needless to say, recumbents are pricey, but what you get is handmade & locally manufactured quality bicycles.

Side view

Front suspension and disk brake

Dual Drive 3x gear switch & rear mirror

9x gear switch

Seat with neck support

Disc brake

Tail overview

SRAM Dual Drive

Chain support under seat

Front hub dynamo

Single front gear with LED front light

Front view

Very early review after just few kilometer riding (state 2015/10):

Positive:

extremely comfortable sit position (with or without neck support)
full suspension
very good aerodynamics
well balanced (front vs back)

Negative:

complex parts (suspension, gear changing), many points of failure for long tours, not easy to fix by oneself
when turning narrowly feets touch front wheel; solution: keep feet in horizontal position when turning narrrowly

Balance / Weight Distribution
Specialities:

the balance point of the bare bicycle is pretty much in the center of the wheels, yet, with a driver the balance point moves toward the front (exact measures follow), so there is less pressure on the back wheel unlike the ordinary bicycle; so the main brake is the front one and one needs to train oneself to adjust braking procedures. the weight distribution in details:
- without rider: front 11.0kg (56%), back: 8.6kg (44%) = 19.6kg total
- with rider: front ..., back ... (to be measured)

Year: 2015 (October 2015)
Ridden: 450km
Price: € 3200 (base price € 2400)
Weight: 15 kg
Width: 28-59cm (seat vs steering bar)
Length: 180-190cm (depending on pedals)
Height: 102-110cm (back vs front)
Wheel base: 114cm
Seat height: 54-58cm
Wheels: 2x 24" BX24-507 with Marathon 47-507 tires
Disc brakes: AVID BB-7
Gears: 3 (hub) x 9 (cassette) x 1 (front)
- hub: 0.73x, 1x, 1.36x (3x)
- cassette: 11-13-15-17-20-23-26-30-34 (9x)
- front: 36 (1x)
Specialities:
- Seat: Ventisit
- Hubdynamo (Shutter Precision SD-8 Silver, 6V/3W)
- LED front (Lumotec-IQ-Cyo-Premium senso+, 80 Lux)
- ~3x Shimano LX chains combined

Sigma BC 12.12

Computer: Sigmasport BC 12.12 (€ 24), incl. temperature, but only displays speed and one other value, looking for a replacement displaying more values simultaneously (time, speed, temperature, distance).

USB Connector: I have a hub dynamo which powers the light system, but I additionally want a proper USB connector/charger with a stable voltage output, so I can run or charge the smartphone (GPS/Camera) while riding, an example:
- DIY Bicycle Dynamo USB Charger for Smartphones and Battery Packs
- USB2BYK , french only, but via google translate worth reading it
26" Wheels: I was told I can mount 26" wheels but just with 1 1/4" tires, and still mount fenders - have to try this.
Tail Fender: the default tail fender is too short, and needs to be moved so water/earth won't splash to the flag and the baggage due the vacuum in the back, had alike problems with the longrider
Handlebag: the current bag is too close to the pedals & feet - too bad as it's a good bag; moving it 2cm back or shorter bag would be sufficient or leaving the front part of the bag empty which reduces it by apprx. 2cm as well, yet, it obfuscates some of the front view a bit.

Tail fender too short

Frontbag too close to pedals

Baggage Options: Classic vs Recumbent

Baggage Options:
- balance: without baggage there is more weight on the front (I didn't measure), and I would like to keep the baggage near the center of the recumbent, to distribute the weight and shock on the wheels evenly - yet I realized I actually should add more weight in the back than in the center.
- front fork bags: I am not quite sure yet
- handlebag: either at the handle in the center in front, or behind the neck support
- bottles are a main concern, since I camp in the wild all the time, I carry 4-6l with me for the night, or even more at hot days, so max 6x 1.5l bottles is the maximum, and adds 9kg extra in the "worst" case; in the illustration 2x means left and right side
- third wheel is no longer an option, as I have a Dual Drive hub gear which leaves only one side of the tail hub possible to attach a trailer or third wheel, which might not be a good idea, also the moving wheel due the suspension might not endure additional mass of a trailer
- two pre-defined bags: tent (bagged in breathable bag) and sleeping bag (99% watersealed bag), apprx. 3kg together

I had two bicycle bags left, where you could detach the top, one such I mounted beneath the seat, there will be sufficient space below the seat for some bottles.

Two classics bags mounted

Two classics bags with sleeping bag & tent mounted (righthand side)

Two classics bags with sleeping bag & tent mounted (lefthand side)

There is a way to move the 2nd bag in the center, but I have to make a small hole in the bag as there is a screws which fixates the seat to the frame. I gonna test ride this setup for a while to see, otherwise dedicated recumbents bags are required.

Here my notes of maintenances - I started those notes to keep track how long certain parts last.

date km notes
2015/10/14 0 all new parts
2017/04/12 2500 no replacements so far, back wheel a bit roughed up

Switzerland: Swiss train transportion (SBB) plans to stop transporting tandems, longriders and tricycles somewhen in 2016, anything longer or wider than "normal" bicycle - a bad customer service. Fortunately the Flux S900 shortrider still qualifies as "normal" bicycle size-wise, so I'm good with it, whereas the Fateba I will not able to transport anymore.

Flux: S900 , manufacturer web-site

.:.

Flux S900 Shortrider

Photos

My Review

Numbers

Upgrades

Planned Upgrades

Maintenance Book

Size & Transportation

Links