Has anybody else tried a recumbent?



In article <[email protected]>, Andrew
Price ([email protected]) wrote:
>
> Jim wrote -
>
> > Recumbents are more comfy. Faster on level ground and down hills. Up
> > hills it is all up to the rider. You are still lifting X amount of
> > weight up a vertical distance Y.

>
> Will they let you ride Paris-Brest-Paris on a 'bent?


Anything goes in PBP. First recumbent home last time was Theo Homan's
Thys rowing bike in 62:29; first "conventional" recumbent Ben Sherratt's
Challenge Jester in 65:25.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Intending to be there with a Trice XXL next year.
 
On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 06:41:50 -0500, "Ken C. M."
<[email protected]> wrote:

>The opinion about looking like a dork is just that an opinion, many
>non-bikees' look at all cyclist as dorks. Climbing isn't that bad, urban
>traffic can be learned.


Lou lives in .nl. 'Non-bikees' practically don't exist, aside from recent
immigrants.

Although admittedly anyone riding around in spandex tends to get branded a
dork.


Jasper
 
On 30 Mar 2006 12:07:27 -0800, "oilfreeandhappy"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I will load it in my backpack and cycle over :) I wear mine when I
>cycle to provoke thought. One can shoot bullets at just about every
>saying out there. I'll bet at times those who advocate that "I Love
>NYC", don't feel that way. "Pesticide Free" isn't always true. For
>example, winds blow pesticides from one farm to another, and irrigation
>water carries pesticides. Is somebody "car-free" if they don't own a
>car? How about if they're constantly mooching rides from friends?


Out of curiosity, what's on your bike's bearings and chain?


Jasper (just teasing, of course..)
 
Andrew Price wrote:
> Jim wrote -
>
> > Recumbents are more comfy. Faster on level ground and down hills. Up
> > hills it is all up to the rider. You are still lifting X amount of
> > weight up a vertical distance Y.

>
> Will they let you ride Paris-Brest-Paris on a 'bent?


As already mentioned, recumbents and trikes are allowed in PBP. They
start with the tandems at 9:45 PM Monday. The other 90 hour riders
start at 10 PM Monday. In groups actually.

>
> Only guy I know who has completed PBP says he saw a few riders with their
> head supported up by straps towards the end of the ride - it seems to me a
> 'bent may have a real advantage in such an event.


As already mentioned the fastest recumbents were in the mid 60 hour
range. The winners of PBP on diamond frames were in the upper 40 hour
range. 16 hour difference. I ride every week with a man who did PBP
in less than 57 hours on a Trek OCLV. For one reason or another, the
speedy people do not choose the recumbent bike.

Not every long distance rider develops Shermer neck. A recumbent would
help to prevent this problem for those susceptible.

>
> best, Andrew
 
I would think that recumbents would be better for avoiding seat
numbness. Supposedly, this problem is only evident if one rides
without a proper saddle. But, at times, I've noticed it on my MTB.
Usually I'll shift my weight or stand up, and it goes away. This
numbness shouldn't be taken lightly, because if persistent, it can
cause Erectile Disfunction.
 
Andrew Price wrote:
> Jim wrote -
>
> > Recumbents are more comfy. Faster on level ground and down hills. Up
> > hills it is all up to the rider. You are still lifting X amount of
> > weight up a vertical distance Y.

>
> Will they let you ride Paris-Brest-Paris on a 'bent?
>
> Only guy I know who has completed PBP says he saw a few riders with their
> head supported up by straps towards the end of the ride - it seems to me a
> 'bent may have a real advantage in such an event.
>
> best, Andrew


Heck, they'll even let recumbent trike riders in P-B-P:
http://www.audax.demon.co.uk/low/pbp99.html

Jeff
 
oilfreeandhappy wrote:
> I would think that recumbents would be better for avoiding seat
> numbness. Supposedly, this problem is only evident if one rides
> without a proper saddle. But, at times, I've noticed it on my MTB.
> Usually I'll shift my weight or stand up, and it goes away. This
> numbness shouldn't be taken lightly, because if persistent, it can
> cause Erectile Disfunction.


Horse hocky. You should get your bike professionally fitted so that it
doesn't cause numbnuts in the first place. I managed 80 on/off road
miles on my FS mountain bike. No numbness, just sore shoulders.

Jeff
 
oilfreeandhappy wrote:
> Wow! 60 MPH. I work with a recumbent rider, and he mentioned that the
> world bicycle speed record was on a recumbent. I thought he mentioned
> 65 MPH, and he said the bike is in the Smithsonian.
>
> Do you have a ferole (spelling?)? Does that help with the wind
> resistance? The BENT Shop Burley model on consignment had one of
> these, but since he was going to drop $150 off the price without it, I
> was going to opt against it. Should I get the ferole?
> Jim Gagnepain
> http://home.comcast.net/~oil_free_and_happy/
>
> >Most of my riding has been on conventional roads, at speeds from knee-buster to 60+ mph. I never had

> any particular bike-design-related issues.


Well... 60+ mph *down hill*. I ain't *that* powerful of a rider.

IMO, a basic "fairing" is worth the cost in dollars and weight. You
still have to haul it uphill.

A while back the Science Channel had a segment about the HPV races at
Battle Mountain, Nevada. I managed to capture that on video, but it's
now available online, thanks to their Canadian division. Go to:
http://www.exn.ca/dailyplanet/view.asp?date=3/28/2006
scroll to the bottom of the list, and click on the video for "Pedal
Power". A fast connection is recommended.

Jeff
 
oilfreeandhappy wrote:
> I would think that recumbents would be better for avoiding seat
> numbness. Supposedly, this problem is only evident if one rides
> without a proper saddle. But, at times, I've noticed it on my MTB.
> Usually I'll shift my weight or stand up, and it goes away. This
> numbness shouldn't be taken lightly, because if persistent, it can
> cause Erectile Disfunction.


Not the proper saddle but the proper fit. Think sitting on the top rail
of a fence, straddling it(wrong) or both legs on one side(proper).
Sleepy winkie is not automatic with an upright, something else 'bent
riders will tell you that is BS...
 
On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:50:41 GMT, Jasper Janssen <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Although admittedly anyone riding around in spandex tends to get branded a
>dork.


Finally, a country with sense!
 
On 31 Mar 2006 18:02:12 -0800, "JeffWills" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>oilfreeandhappy wrote:

<snip>
>This
>> numbness shouldn't be taken lightly, because if persistent, it can
>> cause Erectile Disfunction.


You just need a hotter girlfriend.

:)
 
On 1 Apr 2006 07:29:48 -0800, "Qui si parla Campagnolo"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Not the proper saddle but the proper fit. Think sitting on the top rail
>of a fence, straddling it(wrong) or both legs on one side(proper).
>Sleepy winkie is not automatic with an upright, something else 'bent
>riders will tell you that is BS...


Wouldn't 'bent riders tend to have lower back issues on longer rides -
like sitting in a chair in one position for a long time ? Perhaps numb
cheeks instead of numb johnsons ?
 
Lou Holtman wrote:
> "oilfreeandhappy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I test rode a recumbent the other day, and I loved it. I'm hoping to
> > make it my next toy. Is there anybody out there who has test-ridden
> > one of these, and actually not liked it?
> > Jim Gagnepain
> > http://home.comcast.net/~oil_free_and_happy/
> >

>
> Yes I have and it sucked. Your position is to static, dangerous in (heavy)
> urban traffic, uphill is a PIA...and you look like a dork ;-)


Presenting your posterior to the world like a baboon in heat (i.e. road
bike rider on the drops) is not dorky?

--
Tom Sherman
 
Qui si parla Campagnolo aka Peter Chisholm wrote:
>
> I have ridden 'bents and did not particularly like any of them. They
> didn't do anything that my upright didn't do. Solved no problem,
> answered no question I had. They did add things to the mix I didn't
> like. Tough to see from(particularly behind), tough to be seen on(low),
> unique tires,


What the heck are you talking about Peter? Of the most common sizes of
(road) tires used on recumbents, ISO 559-mm, 571-mm and 622-mm are all
commonly used on uprights, ISO 406-mm and 451-mm are used for BMX
freestyle and upright folders, and ISO 305-mm, 349-mm, and 355-mm are
used on upright folders. I am not aware of any size of tire used on
commercially available recumbents that was not used first on upright
bicycles.

For the most common recumbent sizes, ISO 406-mm and 559-mm, one can get
"emergency" replacement tires and tubes at almost every hardware and
discount store in the world - while not the best quality in many cases,
they will keep a rider going until a better replacement can be had
(e.g. during unsupported touring).

> poor climber, tough to ride one handed,...


Really? I have no problems riding my recumbents one-handed, and I am at
the low end of the normal range of coordination (e.g. I find such
"normal" upright cycling practices as riding no-handed, bunny hopping,
track standing to be too difficult to perform on a regular basis).

> no ability to
> keep anything in a jersey pocket and actually get at it,...


Gee, I can do this too.

One wonders if Mr. Chisholm's difficulties with recumbents stem from
his attitude - or maybe riding a recumbent takes more talent and skill
than being a naval aviator?

--
Tom Sherman
 
[email protected] wrote:
> ...
> I tried a Lightning P-38 a few years ago. I am glad the shop had a
> bike path/wide sidewalk near it. That thing was very twitchy. No
> striaght line riding for me in that 3 mile test ride. Maybe after a
> few hundred or thousand miles on non car bike paths I could ride it
> straight enough to ride it in traffic. Long time for training though.


With less than 2 miles of riding experience on a Lightning P-38, I set
off on a metric century on one and had no problems including during low
speed climbing and fast descents. This was on a borrowed bike that was
too big, so I had to use a small Therm-a-Rest pad against the seat back
to reach the pedals.

I am generally a clumsy oaf who is terrible at "stick and ball" games
and learned to ride a bicycle about 5 years later than most children.
The learning curve for a properly designed recumbent is not really
different from an upright. The only normally coordinated people who
have problems are upright cyclists who insist on trying to ride a
recumbent like it is an upright (the amount of steering control force
required is much lower on the recumbent).

> And of course there is the fact recumbents cost about twice what an
> equivalent diamond frame bike costs. The marketers know recumbent
> riders will pay anything, and they make sure to get everything out of
> their wallets they can.


More ignorance. Recumbents are more expensive than uprights primarily
due to economies of scale. Upright bicycles would be much more
expensive if handlebars, stems, seat posts, saddles and tube sets were
not "off the shelf" items. Recumbent seats are also much more labor
intensive than upright saddles.

If recumbent manufacturers are gouging their customers, how come so
many are going out of business? As for recumbent marketing, other than
showing up at some trade shows and advertising in low circulation
recumbent specific publications, it is practically non-existent.

(There is one recumbent manufacturer that is an exception to the above,
in that its bikes are very expensive compared to the competition, and
it markets to "The Sharper Image" crowd. However, this company stands
out and has received much criticism for these reasons within the
recumbent community).

--
Tom Sherman
 
Qui si parla Campagnolo aka Peter Chisholm wrote:
> oilfreeandhappy wrote:
> > I would think that recumbents would be better for avoiding seat
> > numbness. Supposedly, this problem is only evident if one rides
> > without a proper saddle. But, at times, I've noticed it on my MTB.
> > Usually I'll shift my weight or stand up, and it goes away. This
> > numbness shouldn't be taken lightly, because if persistent, it can
> > cause Erectile Disfunction.

>
> Not the proper saddle but the proper fit. Think sitting on the top rail
> of a fence, straddling it(wrong) or both legs on one side(proper).
> Sleepy winkie is not automatic with an upright, something else 'bent
> riders will tell you that is BS...


Now non-recumbent rider Peter Chisholm is speaking for recumbent riders
and what they say? Should we follow his example and project the sayings
of a few onto the whole group?

On invitational rides I have attended, I have received unsolicited
negative comments about my recumbents from a few upright riders
(estimated at less than 1% of the total upright population). Should I
follow Mr. Chisholm's example and say the other 99+% upright riders are
jerks based on the behavior of less than 1%?

--
Tom Sherman
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote:

snip
> >
> > Yes I have and it sucked. Your position is to static, dangerous in (heavy)
> > urban traffic, uphill is a PIA...and you look like a dork ;-)

>
> Presenting your posterior to the world like a baboon in heat (i.e. road
> bike rider on the drops) is not dorky?


The above riding position is OK as long as you are not riding with a
bunch of randy baboons....:)

...or the rider happens to be a drop dead gorgeous 6 ft tall blonde who
gave "MIAMI" a whole new meaning....

Ride Safe
....whatever you ride
 
Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman wrote:
> Qui si parla Campagnolo aka Peter Chisholm wrote:
> > oilfreeandhappy wrote:
> > > I would think that recumbents would be better for avoiding seat
> > > numbness. Supposedly, this problem is only evident if one rides
> > > without a proper saddle. But, at times, I've noticed it on my MTB.
> > > Usually I'll shift my weight or stand up, and it goes away. This
> > > numbness shouldn't be taken lightly, because if persistent, it can
> > > cause Erectile Disfunction.

> >
> > Not the proper saddle but the proper fit. Think sitting on the top rail
> > of a fence, straddling it(wrong) or both legs on one side(proper).
> > Sleepy winkie is not automatic with an upright, something else 'bent
> > riders will tell you that is BS...

>
> Now non-recumbent rider Peter Chisholm is speaking for recumbent riders
> and what they say? Should we follow his example and project the sayings
> of a few onto the whole group?
>
> On invitational rides I have attended, I have received unsolicited
> negative comments about my recumbents from a few upright riders
> (estimated at less than 1% of the total upright population). Should I
> follow Mr. Chisholm's example and say the other 99+% upright riders are
> jerks based on the behavior of less than 1%?
>
> --
> Tom Sherman


Easy there Johnny-MANY 'bent riders will say that uprights, with those
silly saddles, are uncomfortable and geeezzz, you get sleepy winky as
well.

Step out of your pulpit, take the robes off and take your religious
pack off.
The OP said he doesn't may not get numb on his 'bent..maybe a new
saddle for his upright..and no, a decent bike fit.
 
Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman wrote:
> Lou Holtman wrote:
>
>>"oilfreeandhappy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>
>>>I test rode a recumbent the other day, and I loved it. I'm hoping to
>>>make it my next toy. Is there anybody out there who has test-ridden
>>>one of these, and actually not liked it?
>>>Jim Gagnepain
>>>http://home.comcast.net/~oil_free_and_happy/
>>>

>>
>>Yes I have and it sucked. Your position is to static, dangerous in (heavy)
>>urban traffic, uphill is a PIA...and you look like a dork ;-)

>
>
> Presenting your posterior to the world like a baboon in heat (i.e. road
> bike rider on the drops) is not dorky?
>



Presenting your posterior or your crotch to the world. What's the
difference? I was joking Tom, relax. The OP ask if anybody else tried a
recumbent. I did twice and gave my opinion. I didn't like it.

Lou
--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu
 
Bob wrote:
> On 1 Apr 2006 07:29:48 -0800, "Qui si parla Campagnolo"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Not the proper saddle but the proper fit. Think sitting on the top rail
> >of a fence, straddling it(wrong) or both legs on one side(proper).
> >Sleepy winkie is not automatic with an upright, something else 'bent
> >riders will tell you that is BS...

>
> Wouldn't 'bent riders tend to have lower back issues on longer rides -
> like sitting in a chair in one position for a long time ? Perhaps numb
> cheeks instead of numb johnsons ?


Lower back, no. Numb cheeks, yes. Google "recumbent butt" and you'll
find that there's an endless discussion about it.

IMO, recumbent butt is caused by the same thing as upright numbnuts:
poor bike fit and/or adjustment. Finding the right combination of leg
extension, seat tilt, and handlebar reach is a combination of wise
application of theory followed by trial-and-error fine adjustments.

Jeff
 

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