ez speedster

[bbwolfy]

has anyone converted an ez speedster to 25mm tires what pros and cons also having knee pain, inside the knee,i have logged over 1000 mi on df bikes this season and run 6-8 mi a week but have not experienced discomfort till i rode my speedster yeah i mash a little but notto the point of this discomfort i notice that my shins angle in slightly when sitting on the bike should i get pedal extenders? does anyone else have this problem?or suggestion i like not having the numb wrists and unit but it is no trade off for the knees.

[BlazingPedals]

Knee problem can either be foot alignment, kneecap alignment, or mashing. Try this: sit on the edge of your kitchen counter with your legs dangling naturally. Note how your feet point. do they point straight ahead, in, or out? Whatever the angle, that's what you should try to duplicate on your pedals. If you have a lot of toe-out, pedal extenders will keep your ankles from hitting the crank arms. Otherwise, you shouldn't need them.

One exercise you can do is sit on the edge of your bed and slowly raise your lower leg until it is parallel with the floor. No weights are needed, just make the motion fluid and keep your feet aligned as you do it. The exercise will help the muscles that keep your kneecap tracking properly. I find that a few sets of 10 reps for a couple of days helps most of my sore-knee problems. Above all, DON'T MASH.

I wouldn't put skinny racing tires on an EZ Speedster. Do you know how much a pair of Contis costs, and how harshly they ride? My recommendation would be a 20x1.3 PrimoComet on the front and a 26x1.25 Primo Racer in the rear. Being fatter they will give a better ride, be less likely to pinch-flat, and they only give up a little speed to full-out skinny/fragile racing tires.

[BK Xray]

I had an EZ Speedster earlier this summer. I had the Primo Comets mentioned above on it. I was shocked with how quick the bike was. I came off an EZ Sport with the same exact gearing and figured it would be similar speed wise but I was 2-3 mph faster on the Speedster. The Speedster should have come stock with pedal extenders, did yours not have them? They definitely seemed necesary to me.

[bbwolfy]

i asked the lbs dude about the extenders but got a confused look and he said it didnot come with any this is also the same guy who could not find any thing wrong with my giant hybrid when the bb bearings were grinding and i needed that wknd only reason i bought from him end of season price [smile] thanx guys so much for the info

[BookFinder]

"Mash" ??

When I lived in New Orleans -- and according to my NOPD neighbor, a "masher" was a fat old guy with a thing for younger women. I don't think that is the case here.

So would somebody please splain' the details about mashing and recumbents to me?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

[BlazingPedals]

So would somebody please splain' the details about mashing and recumbents to me?


Nope, it doesn't have anything to do with middle-aged romeos, nor does it refer to the 4077 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital of movie and TV series fame. :)

In the bicycling context, to 'mash' is to pedal a too-high gear at a low rpm. Mashing puts extra stress on the knee joints, especially on a recumbent where the rider is wedged between the pedals and the seatback. We had a classic example in my club a while back. He was really fast - for about ten miles before his legs gave out. He would literally be lying on the side of the road as the rest of us passed by, shaking our heads. :P We preached and scolded, but he never learned for as long as he rode with us.

[BookFinder]

Thank you. I am now significantly more enlightened... ;)

[BK Xray]

Just to double check, I read the review on Bentrideronline. They also state that the EZ Speedster comes with pedal extenders.

[bbwolfy]

update on the pedal extenders; i emailed the company in fla. they responded wanting my address so they couldsend them asap

[bbwolfy]

this just in the pedal extenders showed up and they have made alot of difference gary at jb importers was prompt at answering my request its good to see this kind of service