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Guest
I must disagree with a point in the faq: http://www.bentrideronline.com/FAQ/index.html
I have been riding a recumbent for a year and I love it (a high bottom bracket-- a RANS Rocket), but
I must insist that you do not get as good balance on high bottom bracket recumbents, where your feet
are over the wheels. The problem may not be as accute as on low bottom bracket recumbents.
Balance is an issue from my experience because I have fallen twice. I could not recover from running
into bad road conditions from which I am certain I would have recoveredon a upright, but found it
more difficult to do so than an upright bike. There also some other situations where my steed is not
so trusty.
I think that on a upright your feet straddling each side of the bike below the center of gravity act
as conterbalances so that if you tires slip out from underneath you, you can use your legs to
counter balance. On high bottom bracket, if you tires slip out from underneath, you have barely any
chance to recover because you legs are above the center of gravity and you cannot shift your weight
to recover. I am certain that more experience riders can recover from a greater range of situations,
but he still lacks the counterbalancing advantage.
These are my experiences. Though they were caused by my stupidity, on an upright I would have been
able to recover, I am certain.
1) I was riding on wet pavement a took a fast turn and the bike slide out from underneath me and
fell. (Blood, lost skin.)
2) I rode of a 2 inch curb at a shallow angle and fell. (Blood, lost skin.)
3) On lose gravel I can fall any moment. (Haven't yet, but have to go at a snails pace.)
4) I dread hitting stones about 1/2 inch in diameter or more, especially if I am turn at relativey
high speed. (Haven't yet, but when I hear the ping, I think twice.)
I would however trade off this danger factor for the comfort factor. But I would recommend low
bottom bracket bikes for the faint of heart. I am somewhat gun shy now that I have fallen off twice.
Something like the Strada is a death machine for the beginner in my opinion.
I do think we need some empirical studies to determine whether the safety claims of recumbent
advocates and columnists correspond to reality. If some consumer protection agency or government
agency does decide to check the saftey record of recumbents, recumbent advocates can cheer that they
have been noticed by these venerable organizations.
I have been riding a recumbent for a year and I love it (a high bottom bracket-- a RANS Rocket), but
I must insist that you do not get as good balance on high bottom bracket recumbents, where your feet
are over the wheels. The problem may not be as accute as on low bottom bracket recumbents.
Balance is an issue from my experience because I have fallen twice. I could not recover from running
into bad road conditions from which I am certain I would have recoveredon a upright, but found it
more difficult to do so than an upright bike. There also some other situations where my steed is not
so trusty.
I think that on a upright your feet straddling each side of the bike below the center of gravity act
as conterbalances so that if you tires slip out from underneath you, you can use your legs to
counter balance. On high bottom bracket, if you tires slip out from underneath, you have barely any
chance to recover because you legs are above the center of gravity and you cannot shift your weight
to recover. I am certain that more experience riders can recover from a greater range of situations,
but he still lacks the counterbalancing advantage.
These are my experiences. Though they were caused by my stupidity, on an upright I would have been
able to recover, I am certain.
1) I was riding on wet pavement a took a fast turn and the bike slide out from underneath me and
fell. (Blood, lost skin.)
2) I rode of a 2 inch curb at a shallow angle and fell. (Blood, lost skin.)
3) On lose gravel I can fall any moment. (Haven't yet, but have to go at a snails pace.)
4) I dread hitting stones about 1/2 inch in diameter or more, especially if I am turn at relativey
high speed. (Haven't yet, but when I hear the ping, I think twice.)
I would however trade off this danger factor for the comfort factor. But I would recommend low
bottom bracket bikes for the faint of heart. I am somewhat gun shy now that I have fallen off twice.
Something like the Strada is a death machine for the beginner in my opinion.
I do think we need some empirical studies to determine whether the safety claims of recumbent
advocates and columnists correspond to reality. If some consumer protection agency or government
agency does decide to check the saftey record of recumbents, recumbent advocates can cheer that they
have been noticed by these venerable organizations.