questions and recommendation - Page 2

[QUOTE=overbyte]After surveying the recumbent spectrum, I decided that the Easy Racers style of bikes is for me because of the more upright riding position. I like sitting up, looking out at the world as I ride, without craning my head forward from a more extreme reclined torso position. The Bachetta Giro has a high crank position with more reclined seat, causing the rider to tilt the head forward on the spine to compensate for the reclined torso. That doesn't look like the natural head position that humans have evolved. If your motivation is speed, then sure, get a more reclined style of bike for its streamlining. But if you want comfort, the more upright seating seems better to me.[ENDOFQUOTE]

Every person has a different body. I know, it's a radical thought but what can I say? I have a VKII PRO. It's pretty laid back. A low racer, carbon frame, tiller steering, headrest. It was easy for me to adjust my helmet and headrest so that riding is like sitting in an easy chair. I'm supported very well from the bottom of my glutes all the way to my head. NO CRANING at all. If you ARE craning your head/neck, then you've simply adjusted your bike incorrectly. My bike is definitely a racer and I find it to be MUCH more comfortable than an Easy Racer. I, unlike some folks, won't knock the competition. Everyone has preferences. There are many, many different body types. I watched a 350 pound guy plop down on a tryke the other day and go tearing down the street. He came back, pulled a U turn at pretty high speed, then stop the thing on a dime. There's a good fit for just about anyone.

Here's the hard part. In the case of my VKII, it took me several days before I felt comfortable enough on it to get out on the street, and about 300 miles later I'm finally feeling as confident on it as I did a DF bike. Apparently you can find some good deals on used bents. I'd suggest finding a style you think you might like, picking one up, (MUCH easier said than done unfortunately) and get out there and put some miles on it.

I don't know how much of my situation was luck. I had never ridden a recumbent except to test ride an Easy Racer. I ended up buying the VKII because I loved the way it looked and felt when I sat on it at the dealer. I did have some buyer's remorse at first. Here I spent over six thousand dollars including clothes, accesories, carbon tail box, etc. and all I could do well was fall off of the damn thing. I stuck with it though (What choice did I have?) and now I am it's biggest fan.

I will never go back to a DF except to maybe get a mountain bike for camping. I can ride for hours without any leftover pains or strains. I could not say that for a diamond frame.

It comes down to this. You've just got to take the plunge. If you buy the wrong bike sell it and get another one. You probably won't have to though. If you feel pretty comfortable sitting on it then you can probably get it adjusted well for riding long periods.

I wouldn't take any bike out of the running though. Each kind has it's strengths and weaknesses. Just like any other facet of your life. I finally had to stop hemming and hawing and just go for it. I am so happy that I did.

P.S. I know this makes people mad but so what. In my not humble opinion, most of the trouble folks have with getting a good fit is due to their excessive weight. I know alot of folks are attracted to bents because they think that their weight won't be such an issue. I think there's a lot of truth in that statement. But if you're even fifty pounds overweight (I see people looking at bents more like One hundred and fifty pounds over) then you have an incredible handicap. Don't write back angrily to tell me how fast you are even though you're fat. I know there are fat folks that can wail. But just imagine how fast that guy would be if he lost over One Hundred pounds of DEAD weight. I pesonally still need to lose about thirty pounds. I know for a fact it's effecting me negatively. For most of my life I was at a very low body fat percentage and it does make a HUGE difference in every aspect of how you feel and perform.[SIZE=5][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][SIZE=6]