J
John Foltz
Guest
Eugene Cottrell wrote:
> In 2001 I put a little over 8,300 miles on my DF In the first 2 months on the bent, I put about
> 1500 miles on it, but then I gradually rode less and less because it just wasn't any fun and I
> couldn't keep up with the pack. Going ahead when you can and then catching up when you can, is not
> riding with your friends, it's starting and ending with them. I enjoy riding along with the group,
> talking and enjoying the ride. Biking is largely a social affair for me and the bent doesn't allow
> that. Someone said that the Bachetta Strada is a touring bike, I don't think they know what
> they're talking about. The Strada is suppose to be one of the high performance bents, which is why
> I bought it. Every (honest) bent rider I talked to warned me that keeping up with the DFs would be
> difficult on our hilly terrain and suggested that I get a high performance bike.
>
Gene,
I agree about the social thing. There's no doubt that a recumbent has a different 'speed profile'
than an upright. That means it's always hard on the recumbent rider to match pace with uprights. I
could write a book on the tribulations. That's one reason why recumbent riders tend to stick
together. They can all go fast at the right time, and they slow down when they're supposed to. I've
seen the advice before, even though it wasn't written with recumbents in mind: it's best to ride the
same kind of bike that the rest of your group rides. If everyone else followed your lead and got
recumbents too, the problem would be solved! ;-) I guess I'm lucky in that there is a high recumbent
population in my area.
IMHO 1500 miles isn't enough to train the new muscles to the same degree you've achieved over years
of riding in 'the other' position. According to my records, I was almost a mph slower the first full
year (3600 miles) on my V-Rex. It was mid-season in the next year before I achieved parity. And that
was in 'gently rolling' Michigan. Big hills would accentuate the difference. Moral: ya gotta
definitely commit to the platform if you want it to perform.
The Strada is one of the new breed of high recumbents. They're made to attract the DF crowd who want
larger, same-size wheels and relatively light weight. I'd rate it as slightly slower than my V-Rex,
which is also not a racer (but still fairly fast.)
--
John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24/63 --- _\\/\-%)
_________(_)`=()___________________(_)= (_)_____
> In 2001 I put a little over 8,300 miles on my DF In the first 2 months on the bent, I put about
> 1500 miles on it, but then I gradually rode less and less because it just wasn't any fun and I
> couldn't keep up with the pack. Going ahead when you can and then catching up when you can, is not
> riding with your friends, it's starting and ending with them. I enjoy riding along with the group,
> talking and enjoying the ride. Biking is largely a social affair for me and the bent doesn't allow
> that. Someone said that the Bachetta Strada is a touring bike, I don't think they know what
> they're talking about. The Strada is suppose to be one of the high performance bents, which is why
> I bought it. Every (honest) bent rider I talked to warned me that keeping up with the DFs would be
> difficult on our hilly terrain and suggested that I get a high performance bike.
>
Gene,
I agree about the social thing. There's no doubt that a recumbent has a different 'speed profile'
than an upright. That means it's always hard on the recumbent rider to match pace with uprights. I
could write a book on the tribulations. That's one reason why recumbent riders tend to stick
together. They can all go fast at the right time, and they slow down when they're supposed to. I've
seen the advice before, even though it wasn't written with recumbents in mind: it's best to ride the
same kind of bike that the rest of your group rides. If everyone else followed your lead and got
recumbents too, the problem would be solved! ;-) I guess I'm lucky in that there is a high recumbent
population in my area.
IMHO 1500 miles isn't enough to train the new muscles to the same degree you've achieved over years
of riding in 'the other' position. According to my records, I was almost a mph slower the first full
year (3600 miles) on my V-Rex. It was mid-season in the next year before I achieved parity. And that
was in 'gently rolling' Michigan. Big hills would accentuate the difference. Moral: ya gotta
definitely commit to the platform if you want it to perform.
The Strada is one of the new breed of high recumbents. They're made to attract the DF crowd who want
larger, same-size wheels and relatively light weight. I'd rate it as slightly slower than my V-Rex,
which is also not a racer (but still fairly fast.)
--
John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24/63 --- _\\/\-%)
_________(_)`=()___________________(_)= (_)_____