questions about getting bent

I've been thinking about a recumbent bicycle since my shoulder started dying...but I don't know anybody with one and I had a question..or two
1)can you hook a burley up to it or some other kid carrying/pulling thingy to it?
2)I tried riding one of those bike machinge in the seated position..and my butt keeps falling asleep, is there a difference in the seating?
3) I'm 5"3' and 122lbs. it seems like any bike i would get would be small and I have never seen one....any sites?

thanks

"a possible convert"

__________________
..old age and trickery,beats youth and speed. (ode to a turtle)

"recumbent butt" happens when the seat is too steep for you. You will need to find a recumbent with more of a laid back seat than your exercise bike if your butt is getting numb. The more laid back it is, the more your weight is distributed over a larger surface area of your body, including your back. There are many recumbents with adjustable seats and many which are very laid back.

There are plenty of small size recumbents. I don't have one yet, but I have been doing a lot of research on the web on these. I would suggest using google and the words "recumbent" and "small". Since tastes and needs are so different, and recumbents are so much different from one another, I think you better do a lot of looking before you buy. Also, you probably want to go to your local bike shops and test ride several bents. This will give you a better idea of what you like. Then you can refine your search. I, myself, am going to build my own because I want a very lightweight one, and I'm not willing to fork out $5000 for an 18 pounder. The heavier ones are a lot cheaper, but I want the light one. So I am going to build it.

As for the trailer, I don't know the answer to that one for sure, but I vaguely remember seeing a few pictures of kids trailing behind recumbents in a trailer.

Good Luck!

Welcome to the world of at least 'exploring' recumbents! Where are you located? You'll want to find a local bike shop (LBS) or three that carry recumbents and go and try them out. For a beginner you want to check them all out, find one that fits and appeals to you and then go ride it around. There are bents specifically designed to fit shorter riders so fear not!

Most (though not all) LBS's that carry recumbents are very accomodating and will help instruct you on how to ride and teach you about what different options you have available too you. I'd recommend you try a few of each major brand, give it a little while and then go back again to reconfirm your experience and feelings before you buy. The first bent I rode I fell in love with and would have bought it on the spot had the price not kept me from doing so, and then rode more and more models until I got a better understanding of what I was really looking for, what I could afford, what was important and what was hipe.

Go to www.bentrideronline.com, at the top (or bottom) click the Buyer's Guide button and read the "Choosing the Right Recumbent". See what seems to fit your bill.

My recommendation for the novice is a CLWB or LWB (Compact Long Wheel Base), overseat steering bent. The Rans Tailwind, Stratus and up to Velocity Squared are really nice, and go up in price. Burley Jet Creek and Koosah are new and have gotten some good reviews thus far, Easy Racer/Sun have a bunch and a few new models to check out (I'm not a huge fan but they're popular).

If you've ridden bikes for years and are more performance oriented and comfortable on bents as soon as you get on them, you might want to look at SWB (short wheel base) models. If that's the case, you've opened up a whole can of worms as there are tons to choose from. Price is really a key driver here, the more you spend the better components you get, etc, etc; but do you really need all that?

You can look and compare models on Hostel Shoppe's website, great people to deal with and very knowledgable:

http://www.hostelshoppe.com/recumbent_catalog.php

Sign up for a free catalog from them and when it arrives, read up and dream about your ideal bent!

There are a lot of used bents out there available which run about 50-75% of original price, but buying at your LBS after doing a bunch of test rides might very well be the way to go. Ebay always ongoing auctions, and Bentrideronline, hostelshoppe and the link below always advertise used bents; the trick is you have to know what you're looking for first. That's why an LBS usually works.

http://www.recumbents.com/home.asp

Finally you can try to find other bent riders in your area. Ask your LBS when the bentheads usually gather and be there, ask questions of the riders and most will offer to let you try out their bents.

Once you go bent, you're not likely to go back. Since this is such a smaller niche market, it's difficult to get good info and find those that are familiar. Check out your LBS's first, and if you have no luck there, post notes on bentrideronline asking for help in your area for recommendations. The bent community is pretty tight and a helpful bunch, we're looking for more to become 'converts' to carry the message of riding nirvana to the infidels on their DF's (diamond frames)!!!

Good luck and post more if you have additional questions!

Drew816

I just road my first bent yesterday and the day before. It was a LWB Vision recumbent with a 16 inch/12 inch wheel arrangement. I was surprised how much speed I lose on the hills, even the small ones. I doubt that lighter recumbent weight would help much because it seems to be a function of positioning, mostly. Maybe you could elaborate on this. You seem to have been doing this for a while. I'm a newbie who's done a whole lot of web research.

HPM has a version of their Trick SWB specifically for children/short people:

members.efn.org/~cat/html/trick.htm

I've seen a 7 year olds on a BikeE, so the seat does go far enough forward if need be.

Under seat steering might be a consideration with your shoulder.

I’ve heard some bents don’t handle trailers well, not sure which ones but would speculate rear suspended swb bents would have the most problem. I suspect any trike or lwb would be stable enough to pull trailers.

Since Burley and Cambie make trailers as well as bents, they probably are the experts on this issue.

Cambie even makes their Trail-a-Bent which is a recumbent child trailer that one trails behind a recumbent.

http://www.cambiecycles.com/custom.html

Where’s a couple of recumbent trailer sites:

http://www.ihpva.org/people/tstrike...ing/trailer.htm

http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/community...qldhpv/trlr.htm

To Drew and gntlmn....

I'm stuck in germany for the next couple of yrs, while they are big on bikes..u can get from one side of the country to the other if u want.....I've only seen 1 bent rider. Unfortunately cause my Dueche is limited I couldn't ask him where he got it. The LBS doesn't carry any, again the language barrier. I've checked online but I really think I'd rather wait til' I got back to the states before I fork over 800 or so. That and a job....my DH would have a cow.!!! If it came out of his pocket....

Still there are so many to choose from...any personal favorites or recommendations?

The cambies looked cool!

__________________
..old age and trickery,beats youth and speed. (ode to a turtle)

If the frame geometry doesn't match the standard hitch, Burley has an "alternate" hitch that replaces the skewer on your rear wheel.

I'm a newbie and just got a bent. I chose a Rans Tailwind (CLWB). I'm small, about 5'4" and weigh 136lbs. It fit nicely. I still have about 3"- 4" of forward travel on the seat mount yet. At 200 miles I'm getting stronger. I'm not sure what the problem is with your shoulder and I've heard USS bents are getting harder to come by. Love the bike. I wish I would have bought one sooner!

'bent Brian

Bents come in many different renditions, some of which will climb better than others. A high racer, with dual large (26", 650 or 700) wheels will probably climb the best. it may not match some uprights, but will generally hold it's own.

Ed Stolkner

HELLO ARMY WIFE,, THERE ARE MANY TO CHOOSE FROM. Maybe it would be better to wait til you get back,, because,,there are so many options now,,that new ones will no doubt be available by the time you get here i n a couple years. This market changes a little with small manu s going in and out of biz. Since you are small,, be sure to try lwb bikes,, you need to be able to put both feet down easily and quickly to be safe. It kind of depends up on your budget,,what to buy,, but the eight hundred mentioned would get you a used rans if you shop carefully,,,,,but it would be seriously used at that price. There may be toureasys used in that price from time to time,,but they rarely are seen at that level. Usually peops with bikes in that range,,like them so much,,,they wouldnt consider being rid of them. You may also want to consider one of ad carsons bikes,,rebuilt from other frames,, that sell for less than that usually and they are all long wheel base bikes. Others,,new that come to mind,, are the EZ line of bikes,,they vary in quality and price quite a bit,,and many dealers stock them now. For best support,,and in your price range,,new,,,the EZ s may be about the only choice. Do your best to shop around though,,and get a great local dealer,,if you go with new. All the best.

Armywife, check out this site. I don't know whether the shop is anywhere near you, but Sergio Gomez, the owner, carries a number of German-made recumbent brands including one manufactured specifically for him - the Zox. When I e-mailed him a few months ago he was very helpful. The HP Velo bikes he carries are popular here in the States, as well as all over Europe. A few of the Zox bikes have also been imported - I hope to have one some day. Also: Holland, the recumbent capitol of the world, is next door to you. Brands like Challenge, M5 and Optima are all made in Holland. Dutch bikes tend to be a little heavier and less suited to hill-climbing than many USA bikes, but they also tend to be sleek, sturdy and very fast on flat to rolling terrain. As far as I know, you can buy locally without paying duty and the Army will ship it home with you, right? Time to go shopping!

Seriously, ride everything you can - the experience will be worthwhile, even if you don't buy while you're there. You'll have that much more knowledge of what you do and don't like, and you'll have great fun and meet wonderful people in the process.

John