Hello all, making my first post here. I am very interested in the T50, for a number of reasons. I have a bad lower back (degenerative disc disorder) and now issues with my knees (slight osteoarthritis) and one of my doctors recommended a recumbent bike. I am currently a very keen and active cyclist, but the upright position of my touring bike isn't helping my back and now I realize why my knees were hurting after heavy climbs. The T50, with the ability to use freely available parts, looks to offer a good solution to many of my current issues.
I have a few questions, though, and would be grateful for any input.
1. Will the clamp for the front boom, allowing you to use a front derailleur, come standard with the frameset?
2. Will the T50 be able to take freely available fenders and racks? Namely, I would be looking to use SKS Blumels 26" fenders with a Topeak Uni Super Tourist DX rear rack. Obviously there are a wide range of options for fenders and racks, but off the shelf components are usually cheaper and more accessible.
3. With the movable bottom bracket (MBB), how would you go about fitting an Alfine or Rohloff internally geared hub (IGH)? I like to have options, even if I mention a front derailleur above. I assume that you would fit the cranks to the rider, shorten a chain to match that crank position and then tension the chain with the movement of the front boom. Am I missing anything?
3B. Are there any known issues with using an IGH on a front wheel drive (FWD) recumbent? I have wanted to try an Alfine 8 for a while now, but I would be concerned about hills. Is anyone planning to use an Alfine 11 or Alfine 8 hub on their T50? Also, is anyone planning to use a hub dynamo on the rear wheel to power lights and a USB charger?
Thank you in advance for any input or comments you might have.