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View Full Version : Bike Arrived: Beginner's Impressions



Bikes-N-Drums
06-06-06, 08:54 AM
Definitely an adjustment but I must issue a hearty, "WOW!".

1. It works muscles I haven't felt since I was riding Big Wheels.

2. It commands stop-em-in-their-tracks stares that can be seen in the rear view mirror.

3. Major wobblies at this point but from what I've read they seem to go away in time.

4. Takes off down hills and only seems a little slower on uphills.

Some things I've noticed... Frame is quite reflexive going over bumps. I guess this is normal. What struck me as unusual was a couple times during the ride, the bike suddenly "felt funny", almost as if I was riding on a flat tire. It happened a few times. Another sensation felt like - I dunno how to describe it - kind of a harmonic osciallation of the wheels? Normal? Not normal? Can't see any noticable defect in the bike.

Things I disliked: the uncontrollable urge to put a foot down into a turn, feet flying off the pedals when hitting a pothole, and especially this: grip shifts! I'll learn it in time, but with the super sensitivity of the steering in these bikes shifting gears often caused major wobblage.

The high point of the ride was having a pack of young teens pointing out my funny-lookin' bike to their friends, and all of them ran into the bike path to watch me descend down a hill. Unfortunately, my girlfriend was riding a bit behind me and ran into them like so many bowling pins. She was infuriated. Shortly after, I passed what seemed to be an organized ride of roadies. All were polite, waved & said hello and had that grinning look on their face like they had seen some cool exotic animal at the zoo.

Once I get over the wobbles I think I'm really going to love getting bent.

unbent
06-06-06, 09:40 AM
Bike-N-Drums,
Congrats on going bent. The wobblies go away faster when you learn to loosen your grip on the handlebars. If you don't you will also notice a pinch in your shoulder muscles during and after riding. Not sure which bike you bought, I have the EZ-1 Supercruiser from Sun which also has the grip shifter. That also as you mentioned takes a little getting used to. Again, if you can maintain a relaxed grip, other than the pressure needed to rotate the shifter, you will reduce the wobbles here as well. Not sure about the oscillation issue. Happy riding and stay loose. ;-})

Andy
www.myvemma.com/unbent

Bikes-N-Drums
06-06-06, 11:05 AM
Bike-N-Drums,
Congrats on going bent. The wobblies go away faster when you learn to loosen your grip on the handlebars. If you don't you will also notice a pinch in your shoulder muscles during and after riding. Not sure which bike you bought, I have the EZ-1 Supercruiser from Sun which also has the grip shifter. That also as you mentioned takes a little getting used to. Again, if you can maintain a relaxed grip, other than the pressure needed to rotate the shifter, you will reduce the wobbles here as well. Not sure about the oscillation issue. Happy riding and stay loose. ;-})

Andy
www.myvemma.com/unbent


Thanks, unbent! My bent is an Actionbent Road Runner.

Yes, I must unlearn my typical handlebar habits. Relaxing does pay off. The tricky part is shifting grip shifters without translating pressure to the bars. Going through the gears would occasionally send me out two or three feet in whatever direction. But I suppose as with anything, practice makes perfect!

Floyd
06-07-06, 05:17 PM
Congratulations and welcome to the bent world. Don't worry, be happy... that is, if you don't worry then eventually the hands will loosen on the handle bars and the wobbles will go away. I just went from a long wheel base...Linear... to a short wheel base...Lightning P-38... and even though I have been bent for 30 years I too was getting the wobbles or sensitive steering sensation at the beginning.
SO Hang in there and you will be zooming soon... peace el Padre

LandLuger
06-08-06, 09:34 PM
Just wait until your 'bent muscles develop over the next few months.

BikeZen.org
07-01-06, 04:25 PM
Just relax and everything will be ok.

Don't be afraid to practice the things that make you nervous. Here's a few good ones:
-- start and stop on steep hills (in low gear, with no traffic)
-- pedal with only one foot
-- find an empty parking lot, and see how few parking spaces you need to do a figure-8 (width and length)

Breath easy, keep your shoulders and arms relaxed, look where you want to go, and be free!

Dr.Deltron
07-02-06, 01:28 PM
My first 'bent was a used exotic called a Challenge Hurricane! I crashed prtty hard in the first 150 feet and figured the forks needed something, like a slight rake. They are straight legs. After considering my options I came to the realization that a bike this well built was probably designed well also. So I just kept riding it (well padded) and came to conclude that there was definetly a "learning curve" involved. A week later I was perfectly at home on it and could truly appreciate the AWESOME machine that was now mine.
A couple of months later I opened the biggest recumbent only shop in the country, A Bent 4 Rent. Unfortunetly, circumstances beyond my control led to an early demise of said shop! WAAAahhh!:(
But I still have the 'Hurri and still love it! Granted, it now competes for my time with several other 'bents, including my "Ferrari", a little red Greenspeed GTX!
Welcome to the recumbent world and I hope you are as enamoured with it as I am!:D

JanMM
07-02-06, 09:23 PM
I've been 'bent for 3 months since buying a used Rans Tailwind and am just beginning to feel strong/fast (by my middle-aged-man standards). Riding home from work this evening I was surprized to notice that I was riding at least a couple mph faster into a slight headwind than I would have been on my hybrid. Grip shifting only takes getting used to if you aren't used to it.