I don't have NEARLY the miles any of you guys have under your
belts and I ride a fairly low-end bent (Sun EZ-Sport), I only notice
rough pavement once in a while. Usually I know when to avoid it and do
so. When I can't, I just push on the pedals a bit and raise my butt up
off the seat enough to soak them up. My biggest peeve (at least with
this bike) is that the wheelbase almost exactly coincides with the
standard spacing of the grooves in sidewalk (about 6' around here).
Both tires hitting those grooves simultaneously really delivers an
annoying ride. I don't ride on sidewalks as a rule, but some of my
commuter routes have them as unavoidable sections along suburban
freeways and highways.
I my case, I believe that the seating position on this bike as a
bit too far back over the tire (though others are worse) and allows
the shock to be transmitted more directly up through the seat. I
haven't ridden a Tour-Easy, but there is a locally-built LWB
(Vancouver, BC) called the Recumboni which has a similarly-situated
seat position and, in test rides I've done on it, is much more cushy.
It doesn't have any suspension and the tires are 100psi, like mine, so
I'd say the frame soaks it up. Seat is similar in feel as well, though
I think it's more of the Rans design than Easy-Racers.
I've gone and test-ridden about a dozen different designs now
(tadpoles, LWB, SWB, MWB) from different manufacturers. I liked the
HPVelotechnik (sp?) SWB designs with full suspension as well as most
of the LWB's I've tried. Each person is very different when it comes
to choosing a 'bent, though, so try as many as you can. First choose a
wheelbase style, then narrow it down to individual designs.
If it's any help, I've been reading these HPV groups for a number
of years now and my overall impression is that, if you're going to
have any problems, they're likely to be either numb or cold hands or
feet and/or knee pain. Numbness doesn't affect me, but from what I've
read, you're more likely to encounter it with bottom brackets that are
high (especially higher than your hips), and with handlebars that are
high as well. Hand position seems to have varying ability to do away
with some of it in some sufferers.
Knee pain seems to be mostly caused by incorrect technique. I got
a bad knee and later read that you shouldn't mash the pedals. Gotta
spin those babies.
Good luck,
Keith
