Challenge Ventus

After nine years of recumbent triking, I decided to try a recumbent bike. My reasons were:

Bikes are easier to bring on a train than trikes. This opens up possibilities of train-supported touring.
Bikes are better suited to two-track roads, i.e. roads that have to wheel tracks and a strip of vegetation in the middle. Although I generally try to avoid these, sometimes they are inevitable.
Lack of space on the trike. The trike takes four panniers, two larger and two smaller. This, I have found, gives a somewhat too small packing volume. On my diamond-frame touring bike I had four large panniers, which suited my touring style better. Thanks to the greater height, the recumbent bike I have chosen can handle four large panniers.
Width. Being less wide, a bike is easier to bring past the obstacles road authorities sometimes put on bike paths.
Efficiency. A bike has a lower wind resistance and rolling resistance than a trike.
I actually like leaning into curves.

After having studied the market some time, I decided on the Challenge Ventus. It was delivered after a few weeks of waiting.

My new Challenge Ventus, frame no 5289

Where to attach water bottles?
I wanted to fit water bottle cages, so they would be easily reachable. The two positions on the so-called spine, behind the seat, are too cumbersome to reach, I think. I have to bend my arm awkwardly, and this does not improve balance... I considered several alternatives, and finally came up with the solution illustrated below.

I made a bottle cage mount to enable a bottle to sit under the carrier, as shown here. The spine mounting position is also fitted with a bottle cage.

The mount is made of an aluminium L profile. Mesaures can be estimed by comparing with the ruler. Four holes are drilled, one 6mm and three 5mm ones. The bottle cage is attached to the mount with stainless screws and nuts. The L profile I used for the left hand mount is approximately 20mm x 10mm.

Left hand mount attached to the bike. The mount is fit using the rack attachment screw and a cable tie.

I originally made two mirrored versions of the mount. Alas, when I tried fitting the right hand mount, I found that the bottle cage wouldn't fit because of the chain. So I had to go back to the hardware store and purchase another L profile, this time about 20mm x 20mm. Then I made a new mount, and this time I turned the horizontal part outwards, away from the chain. This, and the added width of the horizontal part, creates sufficient clearance for the chain. Another view of the right hand mount. There is sufficient space between the bottle and the chain.

Some nice details.
The Challenge Ventus is obviously made by a professional bike builder. Several custom-made parts add to the appearance of the bike, some of which I have illustrated here.

The Under-seat steering (USS) centre piece is a beautiful cast part. This kind of detail need a certain size of production to be affordable, and is a witness of the popularity of Challenge bikes. The front end of the USS steering is a machined part.


My new Challenge Ventus, frame no 5289

Where to attach water bottles? I wanted to fit water bottle cages, so they would be easily reachable. The two positions on the so-called spine, behind the seat, are too cumbersome to reach, I think. I have to bend my arm awkwardly, and this does not improve balance... I considered several alternatives, and finally came up with the solution illustrated below.


I made a bottle cage mount to enable a bottle to sit under the carrier, as shown here. The spine mounting position is also fitted with a bottle cage.

The mount is made of an aluminium L profile. Mesaures can be estimed by comparing with the ruler. Four holes are drilled, one 6mm and three 5mm ones.	The bottle cage is attached to the mount with stainless screws and nuts.	The L profile I used for the left hand mount is approximately 20mm x 10mm.

Left hand mount attached to the bike. The mount is fit using the rack attachment screw and a cable tie.

I originally made two mirrored versions of the mount. Alas, when I tried fitting the right hand mount, I found that the bottle cage wouldn't fit because of the chain. So I had to go back to the hardware store and purchase another L profile, this time about 20mm x 20mm. Then I made a new mount, and this time I turned the horizontal part outwards, away from the chain. This, and the added width of the horizontal part, creates sufficient clearance for the chain.	Another view of the right hand mount.	There is sufficient space between the bottle and the chain.

Some nice details. The Challenge Ventus is obviously made by a professional bike builder. Several custom-made parts add to the appearance of the bike, some of which I have illustrated here.


The Under-seat steering (USS) centre piece is a beautiful cast part. This kind of detail need a certain size of production to be affordable, and is a witness of the popularity of Challenge bikes.	The front end of the USS steering is a machined part.