About this project
Richard Defay discovered the Sun Trip at a Saturday market in Le Puy, at the start of the Sun Trip Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2019. Five years later he started his first big Sun Trip to the Sahara.

His bike, named Photoniqmomentum, is a two-wheel-drive recumbent: an electric Grin hub motor at the front and the rider’s legs at the rear. A 52 V 20 Ah downtube battery and 48-cell Solbian panels power it, on a support system he calls mecanovation (“meccano for adults”), designed and machined a few kilometres from home. Weight: only 36 kg.

Technical data
| Rider | Richard Defay (France) |
|---|---|
| Bike | 2WD recumbent “Photoniqmomentum” |
| Motor | Grin front hub |
| Battery | 52 V 20 Ah downtube |
| Solar | Solbian, 48 cells |
| Weight | ~36 kg |
| Sun Trip | 2024 Sahara |
Links
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/photoniqmomentum
Sources
Photos and details come from the rider’s profile on The Sun Trip website.
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