Recumbent - new (to me) Burley Django

I bought a used Burley Django last fall and with the exception of riding it home, haven't ridden it since then ... until today. My Dahon needs new pedals and my commuter needs a wheel true that I was too tired for last night, so I dusted off the Django and off to work I rode. About 5 miles. To downtown Chicago. Foolish? Yes, probably.

Anyway, it doesn't seem to fit right. The handlebars are so close to my chest that my elbows were a bit sore from being so bent, nowhere near the 90 degree recommendation.

I'm not sure how to fix that. And can I do it without tools for the ride home tonight?

Thanks!

Does your Burley have a folding stem? If so, then check for an adjustment bolt which can be turned out to limit the movement of the bars. Could this bolt be missing, or turned in too far?

Okay, I rode it home in that crunched position, then took out some allen wrenches and found the bolt you mention. I was able to adjust the stem so it's quite a bit further from my body. Then I found another adjustment place that made the stem shorter, because with it more upright, it was too long to see over.

How far away from my body should the handlebars be? And how high should my hands be when riding?

Thanks!

I got about two pedal strokes from the house this morning when I realized this wasn't going to work. My knees were hitting the brake levers. So I increased the stem-tilt further, and lengthened the stem (opposite yesterday's adjustment). The difference it made today to have my hands away from my body was amazing! I felt so much more stable and able to manuver.

I also noticed that I was sitting on a metal bar. Turns out I was sitting more upright than the seat was adjusted for. When I slouched down, I found I was actually sitting on the seat! This meant the seat needed to be moved away from the pedals so I stopped to do that, too.

I'm thinking this afternoon's adjustments will be to rotate the handlebar toward me to provide a more natural placement for my wrists. I may also need to lengthen the stem a bit more as my knees were still making contact with the brake levers just a bit.

Today was a really fun ride! Totally different from yesterday. What a difference a few adjustments make!

Yes, you will find that once you get things tuned in you will have a bunch of fun...in comparison to the fetal position. peace and happy riding. el padre

Are there photos here of someone riding a Django? I definitely feel better on the bike, but am not feeling 100% comfortable. I feel like I'm on my sacrum instead of sit bones and am getting fatigue in the muscles just above my knees on the inside of each leg. Is this normal?

[...] am getting fatigue in the muscles just above my knees on the inside of each leg. Is this normal?

Yes, that's your muscles realizing they'd better get in better shape in a hurry :) Be careful not to mistake muscle pain with knee pain though, especially if you feel a burning sensation right above your kneecaps: it could be the muscles, but there's a chance it's your knees telling you something's not right with your riding position. If whatever pain you have in the legs is still there the day after your ride, and hasn't turned into a feeling of muscle fatigue, stop and experiment with other seating positions and boom adjustments until the pain goes away.

Also, if you're not used to riding a bent, don't push too hard on the pedals, try to spin instead. Recumbents are treacherous to the knees, because you can push very hard on the pedals without noticing you're overdoing it. Learn to spin instead of brute-forcing your way forward and you'll be a happy rider.

>>Also, if you're not used to riding a bent, don't push too hard on the pedals, try to spin instead>>

I agree. It can be VERY tempting to use the seatback as leverage to push too big a gear. Also, it takes some time to build up the "bent" muscles, especially those on the inside of the legs. Try to focus on a smooth, consistent pedal stroke. Spin...don't mash the pedals.

>>Also, if you're not used to riding a bent, don't push too hard on the pedals, try to spin instead>>

I agree. It can be VERY tempting to use the seatback as leverage to push too big a gear. Also, it takes some time to build up the "bent" muscles, especially those on the inside of the legs. Try to focus on a smooth, consistent pedal stroke. Spin...don't mash the pedals.

I agree. It's possible to totally blow out your knees on a bent because you can push so hard on the pedals. Don't do this! Spin, spin, spin!

The Burley web site (burley.com) has pictures of your bike as well as access to a PDF of the owners manual. This should help. Enjoy the bent life.

Bent-not broken

Yep. Spin, spin, spin! Clipless pedals and shoes help, too. Turns your pedaling into a 4-stroke vs. just 2-stroke, since you can pull back with one leg while pushing with the other. Either way, go for higher rpm's and less brute force. Good Luck!

thanks everyone!

Yep. Spin, spin, spin! Clipless pedals and shoes help, too...

Bah Humbug! (*^*%(%^& Clipless! REAL MEN STOMP! ;)