Grin Customer Profile, Simon and Rita and their Tandem Solar Bike Expedition
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Published 2024-07-19
They've been riding a unique drive setup that features two Rohloff hubs, one in the the trailer being driven by a Shengyi SX hub motor as a mid-drive, and a second one on the bike for the mechanical pedal transmission. This gives them a redundant identical wheel set if necessary, and a clever dual chain system also allowed them to get regenerative braking (until stresses damaged the motor axle).
Find more details about this lovely couple on their on their unassuming web-blog!
WEB BLOG: greuters.github.io/gwunderwelt/
By the end of summer they should be in Easter Canada looking for hitch a ride back across the Atlantic, and if you have any hookups for that they'd love to know.
Interestingly, just 3 days after they left Grin we had ANOTHER solar bike adventurer from Switzerland show up at our shop. He had just come by container ship from New Zealand and will probably cross paths somewhere in the prairies.
All Comments (16)
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What a fun and interesting couple. Enjoyed the interview very much.
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Just a great interview! Thanks so much!
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That was incredibly delightful and informative too!
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I don't know how they can afford to get all that stuff and then tour for months/years. I can only take a few weeks off from work. I am slowly building out my solar touring setup but this stuff is expensive! This rig is absolutely amazing! Simon and Rita, your ingenuity is inspiring!
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Nazca brand is an excellent choice, as it is one of the few companies that made bikes from CroMo steel. Unfortunately, they no longer produce bikes due to COVID. I discovered their company by accident in the past when I was searching for my recumbent bike, 15k km later and it was the best decision of my life. Thanks for sharing
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These guys got it figured out. Loved it.
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Wonderful and heartwarming!
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Great stuff! I am from Switzerland as well. Recently I acquired a HP Velotechnik Speedmachine recumbent bicycle and consider converting it to electric first and then to solar.
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That is fascinating. I can't wait for the solar e-bike tech to get mature and hopefully lighter and simpler. With regen! I want to follow the sun all day long.
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Beautiful interview! I wondered if there were any issues with wind and stability during their trip so far. Safe travels!
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That's an awesome rig with everything for a road trip on a bike. Saw a You Tube of pro bicycle racer that has a trailer set up for eBiking with solar on the trailer or could have.
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If you cut back into the US, do be sure to go through the lakes country of Minnesota, stop in Minneapolis, and route through the Great Lakes - the inland oceans of North America. Try to visit Mackinac Island - A bicycle-only island in Lake Huron. For getting back across the Atlantic - have you considered a repositioning cruise? They usually happen spring/fall and are reduced rate as they have less/no sightseeing stops. Another unique option, look for ships taking the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway and see if you can be part of another crew.
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Go Minneapolis Sculpture Garden !
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Really cool setup but I have that same motor and have the same problems. The way it is geared it has no torque and hates low speeds and just chokes and dies off the line or on steep hills in a cargo configuration unless you pedal hard to keep minimum speed above 10 KPH. Seems like there is a gap in the market to re-gear these motors to get a heavy bike off the line and give slow speed assistance even if it spins out at a relatively low speed.
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Classic. Swiss traveling a drug smuggling route. With all the DEA shadowing your lucky to get so much gain. 😊
