Fifty Plus (50+) - Bents and other accomodations to age

The wife (who hates it when I refer to her as "the wife," but I tell her it's better than "the 2nd wife") tells me bents are for over-the-hill male geeks. In my case that may be accurate but I'm embracing them warily. I find bent riding a little less immersive. My hands just hang there like they need a beer bottle or a TV remote, and I keep getting the urge to either fasten a seat belt, or pull the recliner lever.

This reminds me of another accomodation I've made to age --going to a "long-john" putter when I play golf (you've seen those senior players standing upright and casually swinging a long pendulum). I've finally decided to give up the long-john after five years of absolutely horrible putting. It is also not immersive enough. I stand there aloof and wave a pendulum at a ball and don't care about speed or break. Back problems be damned, if I can't make an occasional putt, life isn't worth living anyway.

But for bents, I'm still on the fence.

Under seat steering may be more immersive for your bent riding...

Why exactly did you go to a bent in the first place? Age alone isn't a good justification. I always found it an unpleasant distraction that I needed to constantly change hand positions, squirm on the saddle, or stand up for no reason beyond relieving my butt. With the bent, I just sit down in the cockpit and get ready for blastoff. While I can acknowledge that some cyclists actually enjoy all that stuff, it's not for me. Maybe you need a more exciting bent, or maybe you're just not cut out for one.

Wait until you start considering a trike bent. Then you don't even have to worry about maintaining your balance. Then you can bring along a six-pack to keep your hands busy.

About 15 years ago I was driving through Golden Gate Park in San Francisco when I saw a cyclist on a road bike up ahead. As I got closer, I noticed that he looked very fit, wiry, and strong. As I passed him, I realized that he was probably 70+ years old!

I decided that I wanted to be that guy "when I grow up" :D. Now, at 53, I weigh what I did in high school, and ride around 5000 miles per year (including the Death Ride (http://www.deathride.com), and the Bicycle Tour of Colorado (http://www.cyclistats.com/biketours/BTC2003/BTC0017.htm)).

I refuse to make "accomodations to age" - doing so would feel like I was giving up on myself.

So, for me, I'll ride a 'bent...when they pry my cold dead fingers off the bars of my (upright) road bike. :D

I could get into a bent I think. Not because I am getting old, mind you - but something to help fill the stable...

2 bikes I could never get into- Single speed and bents.

Single speed because with the hills where I live-I would never have the right gear. 30/12 is uphills, or at least part of them and 52/something is the downhills. As to bents- Offroad is difficult enough on a mountain bike but trying it on a bent would be impossible. Only good thing about them is that it is less distance to the ground when you fall off.

Now for road riding on a Tandem- I could just about see a reason behind a Recumbent Trandem- Except for transporting the thing. I did have a go on one once and the speed out of this thing was frightening- what was terrifying though was two wheeling through a tight bend taken just a bit too fast.


Before you say it- I have tried a recumbent and it is not for me.

I think a 'bent expands your cycling experience....good old variety-- I owned a Tailwind for a year. But.....somehow is was not "Cycling" for me. I like standing up on the pedals, I like sitting up straight riding no hands, I like being "above" tractor trailor axles (!), and would rather get bitten on the leg than the face by some farmer's rottweiller. If I had the money, and wasn't considering a cf frame for my stable, I would take a very serious look at EasyRacer's new monoframe. 'Bent riders are in fact serious riders...I wouldn't mind, had I time and money, having a foot in both styles.

Personally, like SSP above, my image of what I want to be as an older cyclist was formed some years ago when I drove past an old guy with a body like beef jerky climbing Hwy 120 into Yosemite on an old Bob Jackson. I started out as pot roast, am now more like round steak, beef jerky maybe some day.

I still have "feet in both worlds". I enjoy a bent, I enjoy riding 2 upright bikes (mountain and flat bar road bike). Just on the bent I miss the feel of riding an upright bike. I do think that each type of bike is fun and can help to keep multiple sets of muscles going. If I rode only a bent I'd miss my uprights. I don't think it's a matter of age for some people. They just enjoy one or the other or all.

For me, bents saved riding altogether. DF bikes gave me too much crotch, wrist, back and neck pain. Switching to a LWB bent cured all of these problems. Now I ride about 2,000 miles a year and have no serious problems. Yes, I still have some tenderness in the palms, but a few days off from riding usually takes care of it. The other day I rode my old bike around the neighborhood for a while, and I couldn't see what it was that I liked about that bike for 7 years. Just couldn't do it anymore. bk

http://www.hase-spezialraeder.de/ens/tagun/index.php

well, not really, but I did see & sit on one at the IFMA Bike Expo in Cologne in September - man oh man, what a vehicle! They run about 3,000 euro so that's waaaay out of my price range - still one can dream.

Under Seat Steering is the way to go...

I've got a Bent and really hate it. It's a nice bike as Bents go... (Volae, Century) It's very fast, it's pretty darn light for a bent (20 lbs) and it climb ok. I just can't get comfy on it. Yes, it fits. I'm the kind of rider that needs to stand up every few miles.... I can't do this on a bent. So I stop about every 5-10 miles to stand up, stretch and move on.

I'll make ya a really good deal on it.

I've said all this before, so if you've heard it, move on...

The short story is that I rode uprights for over 120,000 miles in 22 seasons. I raced as a Cat 2 in the '80s for 9 seasons and collected three state Master's championships along the way. Cycling was/is my life. In 2003, at 52 years of age, health issues (cancer) temporarily put me on a recumbent. Recumbents changed my life.

I love the bents, I mean really love them. High, Low, carbon, Ti, you name it. I can ride regular bikes, no problem, but bents are faaaaassssttt and no pain, nada, zilch. Anyway, sold my custom Campy equipped Eisentraut. Sold my custom Campy equipped Serotta. I've never looked back. Centuries? No, problem. Fifty mile spinning rides? Did one Monday, did one today, probably do one tomorrow or Friday, and Saturday is already logged in for fifty miles with friends. I'm averaging over 7,000 miles a year since going bent.

My current steed (I own three) is low and sleek, weighs 20#, and climbs like a cheetah. I wouldn't trade it for any upright.
:)

Dennis

P.S. Not to nitpick, Grampy, but a stock Volae Century weighs a little over 26#. My Volae Team (Top of the line) weighs 24#.

I've said all this before, too. From extensive back surgery and a stroke leaving me in a wheel chair two years ago, graduating to a walker to being talked into trying a LWB bent, now doing a couple of centuries this summer and over 2500 miles! I'd probably be riding a DF more if I could, but 10 miles on one leaves me almost unable to walk the next day or so. If this is accomodating for age, so be it! I may be over-the-hill, but I'm not a geek! Ha!
I do ride a folder a few miles once in a while, only because it's small and transportable when I need to haul it for basic transportation.
Bikes are bikes and they all are fun. To each, his/her own. But I do shake my head at some DF riders attitudes towards bents.....................

First off, let me say that I have no problem with the fact that we don't all agree on what kind of bike to ride. To me, whether you're off the road on a mountain bike, zooming along on a road bike, doing a bike path on a comfort bike, or laid back on a recumbent pedalling, you're still doing great by me.

My back is cratered to the point that, if I didn't ride bents, I'd have to wait until after a few surgeries to ride at all. I have a variety of bents, and love them all.

My Bacchetta Corsa does a reasonable job of mixing with df's on club rides, and I've reached the point where I can keep up with all but the fastest club riders, and no matter how many miles I ride, or how hard I push myself, when I get home, my legs are tired, but nothing hurts. I just don't see how you can beat that for bicycle riding.

My EZ Tandem is a slow heavy recumbent tandem, but it's the bike that ends up with the most miles. My wife and I really love it.

My EZ Rider is also a slow bike. It is a CLWB that manuevers well, making it a good bike for bike path riding, which my wife and I also enjoy.

The Rans Nimbus I'm building will be my bad weather road bike, and I may try it on bike paths, as well.

Lots of bent riders may be older, geeky riders, but sleek bikes like my Corsa, and several other bikes mentioned in this thread, don't fit that pattern at all, and the fact I can ride 5000 miles a year and keep up with club rides, make recumbents worth a close look for many people, no matter their age. There seem to be a surprising number of people who still love df bikes best, but manage more mileage on their bents.

Hey, dbg, last time my wife overheard me refer to her as "the wife", she griped until I told her that at least, I hadn't said "my old lady". LOL.

P.S. Not to nitpick, Grampy, but a stock Volae Century weighs a little over 26#. My Volae Team (Top of the line) weighs 24#.

Not to nitpick Trsnrtr, but who said it was a stock Century. AND they are a bit heavier this year due to the disc brakes.....

Not to nitpick Trsnrtr, but who said it was a stock Century. AND they are a bit heavier this year due to the disc brakes.....

If you got a Century down to 20#, then you are definitely The Man and my hat is off to you!

Bent On!

There are several makes and models of bents. I would suggest you try several before you give up on them. I have loved every minute on my Bacchetta Agio. Yeah, I agree that the hands don't do much, but try one of the USS models. I am still slow going up hills, but its progressing. I took that nasty ass Cherry Creek trail hill in 2-1 today and still managed 6 mph going up. Since I am completely pain free, I cannot imagine going back to my Giant for any reason.

Bikes are bikes and they all are fun. To each, his/her own. But I do shake my head at some DF riders attitudes towards bents.....................

Seems that I'm about the only bent rider on this forum that hasn't added my two cents worth, so here goes.
IMO, the reason "older" people usually ride bents is cause we've reached the time in our lives when many of us can afford the things. The kids are moving out and we've paid many of our bills and we figure we've put in enough years dealing with the little aches and pains of riding, so, along comes a bent. I'm weighing less now than I have in 15 years. That's just because I riding the bent much more than I did my upright. I still love to eat, so this winter maybe a challenge to keep the weight off.
This is the latest in the year I've ridden regularly. I would have never done that when I was "younger". I'll be riding this weekend and I know I'll be riding in December too. Meaning I'll have ridden every month this year. :D:

Don't get me wrong. I consider myself primarily a bent rider. I've had different types of bents (and a trike) and still feel the urge to ride an upright every once in a while. I will admit that I can not see myself riding an upright for any distance longer than 10 miles. They just don't offer the comfort factor for that type of riding, at least for me. I do enjoy riding the little mountain bike along the rough roads and single track trails in the woods near my house. I like to take the road bike into town and do a loop of just fitness riding. After that, I'm back on the bent for any other riding fun. I like standing up in the pedals and feeling "tall in the saddle" on an upright, but not for long distance riding.

Recumbents are a blast. There are so many different types of recumbents, even trikes. I find them interesting, fun, and love the variety. Give them a chance. You might find that you have room for one in your stable of bikes to love and enjoy.

The reason I would never ride a bent - no, two reasons:

1. Guys who ride bents - and they are always guys - tend to be too serious, take themselves too seriously, and are way too defensive about the fact that they're riding bents. Now, I'm not saying this is true of any of you 50+ers who ride bents. Your posts sound actually quite reasonable. Maybe once you turn 50 you come to terms with yourself and you can ride a bent and not care what some narrow-minded cantankerous old traditionalist SOB thinks. But anytime I recite reason #2 below, I get a lot of flaming from overly-sensitive younger bent riders.

2. The primal imperative: In the animal kingdom, prone is the attitude of aggression, supine is the attitude of submission. I think a lot of motorists are somewhat intimidated by guys who ride in a racing position with drop bars because it is a very aggressive position. It's the position predators assume when chasing or eating their prey. The reason I don't ride a bent is that it puts you into a primal submissive position - belly-up, throat exposed. If you've got the handlebars in front of you (the "sit up and beg" position) or the bars underneath you (so you don't have your arms in position to defend yourself), it sends an even stronger message of "eat me." Now, this might even be kind of an advantage when dealing with traffic; drivers may not feel threatened by guys on bents. But it's just not the message I wish to send.

Man, why does the inside of my cheek hurt?

- L.

makes perfect sense to me....

The reason I would never ride a bent - no, two reasons:

supine is the attitude of submission. I think a lot of motorists are somewhat intimidated by guys who ride in a racing position with drop bars because it is a very aggressive position. It's the position predators assume when chasing or eating their prey. - L.

When I flip off some adolescent passing pick-up driver in cowboy hat who has just seen how close he can come, I'm convinced this quote is right on about aggressive posturing.

Then I think of those luge riders going supine at 60mph and I'm struck by the injustice of appearances. My cat goes supine in front of my dog, then, when doggy is sniffing her belly button, she strikes lightning fast at his tender nose. Mother Nature is not always so easily read.

The reason I would never ride a bent - no, two reasons:

1. Guys who ride bents - and they are always guys - - L.

I think my wife, and MRs Stormcrowe would take exception to your comment, and maybe a few others.:rolleyes:

Then I think of those luge riders going supine at 60mph and I'm struck by the injustice of appearances. My cat goes supine in front of my dog, then, when doggy is sniffing her belly button, she strikes lightning fast at his tender nose. Mother Nature is not always so easily read.

Yep, we're really ninjas on wheels. :D

I'll chime in again here. I don't consider a bent to be an 'accommodation' to my age; rather, I got it because I deserved it and could finally afford it. I was never one to move around while riding, and the bent not only eliminated the need, it also eliminated all the pressure points much better too. It was only later that I discovered lowracers and how much faster they could be. I can now choose any club ride I want based on route and destination, not on who I can keep up with.

I agree with at least part of lhbernhardt's assessment. Being supine is subconsciously interpreted as being submissive. Having attained high wisdom through advanced age, I don't care. As long as my zipper is closed!

Hey, dbg, last time my wife overheard me refer to her as "the wife", she griped until I told her that at least, I hadn't said "my old lady". LOL.

My ex always preferred to be referred to as "my bride of 'X' years".

Grampy:

those are made in Wisconsin so they're right up the road from you :rolleyes:

what size is your Volae Century? my problem with the bents I've tried is that they're all too short for me: can't seem to get my legs extended and the adjustable seat positions all stop an inch or two from my size...

my problem with the bents I've tried is that they're all too short for me: can't seem to get my legs extended and the adjustable seat positions all stop an inch or two from my size...

I test rode a Greenspeed last year that they shortened the boom all the way in for me. I'm 6 ft. tall, with an average leg length. That trike would have easily accomodated a 6' 5" person.

"sit up and beg","eat me",I just fell off my chair.
How about this:
Instead of the little orange flag,display the skull and crossbones to install the respect of drivers.
All kidding aside, with the prices of these bents at my lbs,I can see why they ride with a serious expression.I wonder how much they spend on those plastic bubble windshields that appear in the cold months around here?

I bought my fairing (that's what the plastic bubble windshields are called) for my recumbent tandem on ebay for $96, including shipping. It's made out of polycarbonate, so it's light. It will come off in April, but it's just the ticket for our evening rides until then.

I bought my 'bent last year when I was under-going radiation therapy for prostate cancer and the thought of siting on an upright bike just didn't seem to appeal somehow. I rode it for the early part of this past season and while I was quite happy with it at first, I found I did not enjoy riding it as much as my road bike. I usually ride with one or more friends and I do not like trying to converse with someone while looking up all the time and, the speed profile of the bent did not match that of the roadies I ride with. I was constantly falling back or going faster than I wanted to catch up. My fear of siting on the old prostate has gone and I recently bought a new road bike. So, I too, have a 'bent for sale. This is just my own experience and I am not trying to put down 'bents or those that like them.

I have no issue with bents, and may actually ride one some day...

However, where are all these lightning fast bents I keep hearing about? I don't see very many, but those I have seen were either going the opposite way, or I was passing them. By the way, I am incredibly slow myself.

One of the funniest things I ever saw was two old guys on a tandem trike bent at a stop at the bottom of a hill, trying to get started up the hill while being stuck in too high a gear... They finally caught up to me as I finished my break at the next rest stop.

However, where are all these lightning fast bents I keep hearing about? I don't see very many, but those I have seen were either going the opposite way, or I was passing them. By the way, I am incredibly slow myself.

There are several reasons why you may have never seen a fast bent. Recumbents come in a multitude of flavors, shapes and sizes. Many are designed with comfort in mind or touring and tend to be very heavy and have heavy or rather stout wheels. Secondly, many bent purchasers have come to bents for reasons other than performance. Again, there's that comfort thing. Lastly, performance bents are a relatively new part of the recumbent market. Young racer types tend towards uprights, so younger athletic types on a bent are relatively rare.

Having said all of the above, there are new bents on the market that are lightweight with lightweight wheels and components and designed with maximum aero benefit. Bent manufacturers have embraced titanium, aluminum, and carbon fiber in recent years and are making sub 20# bents. It wasn't too long ago that 28-30# bents were considered lightweight. My current bent weighs 17.6# stripped in racing configuration. That's a bent on par with racing uprights. Throw in the aero benefit and one has a machine that rocks and mine isn't even considered a racing recumbent.

Fast recumbents are rare, but they are out there and they are becoiming more common every day.

Dennis

It's time to go bent when the wrist, low back, shoulder, neck and crotch pain get to be too much. A LWB bent solved all these problems for me, and leads to much more riding. Comfort goes a long way to encourage more/longer rides. bk

Good post bkaapcke. To younger more aggressive DF riders bents might seem slow, but as TRSRTR pointed out, oftentimes it is the rider that is slow, not the bike itself. There are really fast bents out there, but as this thread is discussing, there are a lot of older guys out there who choose to ride in comfort without all the multitude of aches and pains that most of my DF friends seem to complain of after a century or any other good days ride.
Guys like me would be slow relative to the young chargers or racing types even if I borrowed Lance's bike, but at the end of the day I'd sure be a lot more content and comfortable with my own LWB 35 pound bent! Maybe a bit slower, but so what!?!
And I know of a few Trike riders who could not ride at all if their Trikes weren't available. Slow? Of course! But happy? Yes!
I also met a fellow, about 60 - 65 on a week long ride last summer with a Trike who could absolutely blow away any and all DF riders (over 400 on the ride!) It was humerous watching him pull alongside young fast DF bikers on an uphill stretch, slow awhile to chat, then pull away (sometimes after showing them his manuverability by doing a U turn even) and zoom down the road. He'd have his camp set up long before the majority of the other, presumably more fit, riders! I admit I had always thought trikes were slow, but he sure taught me that the reason so many are slow was simply because the engines were older and weaker.
Put a young stud on any bent and he'd be as fast if not faster, than his identical twin on a DF bike. He'd be a lot more comfortable, too!

Good post bkaapcke. To younger more aggressive DF riders bents might seem slow, but as TRSRTR pointed out, oftentimes it is the rider that is slow, not the bike itself. There are really fast bents out there, but as this thread is discussing, there are a lot of older guys out there who choose to ride in comfort without all the multitude of aches and pains that most of my DF friends seem to complain of after a century or any other good days ride.

I don't understand the "multitude of aches and pains" comment. I hear bent riders say things like this quite often, but none of my DF-riding friends know what they're talking about.

Are you saying that DF's cause aches and pains? Or, that people who tend to suffer from chronic aches and pains migrate to bents? I would believe the latter, but not the former.

FWIW, I'm 53 and ride 4-5000 miles per year and have had not "aches and pains" associated with cycling (other than the occasional muscle soreness of going too hard). I regularly ride in weeklong tours in the Rockies (400 miles, with 30,000+ feet of climbing), and do centuries and more (e.g., the 125 miles, 15,000 feet of climbing Markleeville Death Ride).

And my friends, all my age and older, don't complain about aches and pains after a century...mostly we enjoy sipping a cold beer, eating some good food, and planning the next adventure (as we watch for the arrival of the first 'bents :D).

I don't understand the "multitude of aches and pains" comment. I hear bent riders say things like this quite often, but none of my DF-riding friends know what they're talking about.

Are you saying that DF's cause aches and pains? Or, that people who tend to suffer from chronic aches and pains migrate to bents? I would believe the latter, but not the former.

FWIW, I'm 53 and ride 4-5000 miles per year and have had not "aches and pains" associated with cycling (other than the occasional muscle soreness of going too hard). I regularly ride in weeklong tours in the Rockies (400 miles, with 30,000+ feet of climbing), and do centuries and more (e.g., the 125 miles, 15,000 feet of climbing Markleeville Death Ride).

And my friends, all my age and older, don't complain about aches and pains after a century...mostly we enjoy sipping a cold beer, eating some good food, and planning the next adventure (as we watch for the arrival of the first 'bents :D).

Maybe you guys are the exception, maybe we are. I can only give you my experience. Within ten miles on my road bike, my hands would start hurting. The pain followed me through 4 bikes, 3 of which were professionally fit. I changed hand positions regularly, didn't lock my elbows, etc. The pain never went away. If my carpal nerve wasn't crying my palms were cramping. With or without gloves, with thick padding or thin, raising or lowering the bars - nothing made a difference. On top of that, I could 'condition' my butt for back to back 80 mile rides on the weekend, but if I did a century or I did a 3rd 80 mile day in a row, I was right back to saddle sore. A dozen saddles on my last upright again didn't make any difference. Then there was that perennial little cramp in my right shoulder. At the time, I was a coach for a high school diving team, and was active in the sport myself, so 'core strength' was not an issue - I could do 15 handstand pushups, and sit-ups until I got tired of counting. After these and a few other problems induced by the road bikes, I finally had enough and got a recumbent. I deserved it!

As far as the "where are the fast bents" question, here's a few clips from Hilly Hundred, taken by my riding partner. The camera was taped to his chain stay. It gives a good idea of what it's like to ride a lowracer in rolling hills. He has an hour and a half of this stuff recorded, and the bikes never stop getting spit out the back, even on the 15-20% climbs. We could start with the early crowd and finish first, but where's the fun in that?

http://tinyurl.com/y79ynv
http://tinyurl.com/ymsafs

Maybe you guys are the exception, maybe we are. I can only give you my experience. Within ten miles on my road bike, my hands would start hurting. The pain followed me through 4 bikes, 3 of which were professionally fit. I changed hand positions regularly, didn't lock my elbows, etc. The pain never went away. If my carpal nerve wasn't crying my palms were cramping. With or without gloves, with thick padding or thin, raising or lowering the bars - nothing made a difference. On top of that, I could 'condition' my butt for back to back 80 mile rides on the weekend, but if I did a century or I did a 3rd 80 mile day in a row, I was right back to saddle sore. A dozen saddles on my last upright again didn't make any difference. Then there was that perennial little cramp in my right shoulder. At the time, I was a coach for a high school diving team, and was active in the sport myself, so 'core strength' was not an issue - I could do 15 handstand pushups, and sit-ups until I got tired of counting. After these and a few other problems induced by the road bikes, I finally had enough and got a recumbent. I deserved it!

Interesting...but, based on the number of bents vs. DF's (and the fact that nobody I know has experienced the aches and pains you mention), I suspect the problems you cite were unique to you and not something that's very common. Perhaps you already had a propsenity to develop carpal tunnel, for instance, but it only manifested with cycling (though it might also manifest with other activities).

It's good you've found a cycling alternative that works for you...one of my friends has back problems (pre-existing), and may someday ride a 'bent (if he has to).

As for me, I hope to never have to ride 'bent - I like riding in the big mountains too much, and have yet to see a 'bent that I couldn't outrun going uphill (I've not yet been passed by one going downhill either, but I concede the possibility...but I'm a pretty fast descender and hardly ever get passed when the road goes down :eek: :D ).

I bought a Rans Tailwind on a whim, sorta, hadn't planned to buy a bent, but saw on ad on the local bike club's message board for a used one, less than half the price of a new one. After doing a lot of internet research, and riding it briefly, I bought it (March '06, 1800 miles ago). Really enjoy riding it and don't miss the complete lack of hand, wrist and neck discomfort. Stopped searching for the Perfect Gel Gloves. No longer have to remind myself to change hand positions and shake my hands and wrists regularly. The only discomfort has been my legs telling me that they've noticed some changes in equipment and pedalling techniques. Overall, I'm riding a bit faster a lot of the time than I was on my hybrid (Not a Comfort Bike). And a lot faster some of the time. Downhills are amazingly faster, much like riding a tandem downhill. (Slower up hills, but that is improving -rode Saturday of the Hilly Hundred on the TW in October.)I've never had comfort problems with bike seats, but the Rans seat is not just tolerable, but very comfortable. I miss doing track stands at red lights while commuting, but it's OK to put both feet on the ground and relax while waiting for the light to change.

Interesting...but, based on the number of bents vs. DF's (and the fact that nobody I know has experienced the aches and pains you mention), I suspect the problems you cite were unique to you and not something that's very common. Perhaps you already had a propsenity to develop carpal tunnel, for instance, but it only manifested with cycling (though it might also manifest with other activities).

It's good you've found a cycling alternative that works for you...one of my friends has back problems (pre-existing), and may someday ride a 'bent (if he has to).

As for me, I hope to never have to ride 'bent - I like riding in the big mountains too much, and have yet to see a 'bent that I couldn't outrun going uphill (I've not yet been passed by one going downhill either, but I concede the possibility...but I'm a pretty fast descender and hardly ever get passed when the road goes down :eek: :D ).


Jeez........pick an argument that makes sense. Search any forum on bf, or any cycling forum for that matter. You'll find thread after thread after thread asking how to get rid of this pain or that pain. On my own club rides, I listen to the gripes about pain from the df riders at every stop.

There are all kinds of things you can badmouth about recumbents, but the fact is they cause a lot less pain than df's.......period.

Jeez........pick an argument that makes sense. Search any forum on bf, or any cycling forum for that matter. You'll find thread after thread after thread asking how to get rid of this pain or that pain. On my own club rides, I listen to the gripes about pain from the df riders at every stop.

There are all kinds of things you can badmouth about recumbents, but the fact is they cause a lot less pain than df's.......period.

That might be relevant to some, and I acknowledge that a bent can be a viable solution for some pain-related problems.

But I don't have any aches or pains from riding a DF (nor do the folks I ride with), and it seems like the pain relief issue is more important to bent supporters than it is to the vast majority of DF riders...most of whom ride thousands of miles per year pain-free.

I also don't think you can draw opinions about the frequency of DF aches and pains from forum posts...people who suffer from pain will post about it at a much higher rate than those who ride thousands of miles pain free.

About 15 years ago I was driving through Golden Gate Park in San Francisco when I saw a cyclist on a road bike up ahead. As I got closer, I noticed that he looked very fit, wiry, and strong. As I passed him, I realized that he was probably 70+ years old!

I decided that I wanted to be that guy "when I grow up" :D. Now, at 53, I weigh what I did in high school, and ride around 5000 miles per year (including the Death Ride (http://www.deathride.com), and the Bicycle Tour of Colorado (http://www.cyclistats.com/biketours/BTC2003/BTC0017.htm)).

I refuse to make "accomodations to age" - doing so would feel like I was giving up on myself.

So, for me, I'll ride a 'bent...when they pry my cold dead fingers off the bars of my (upright) road bike. :D

+1

I refuse to make "accomodations to age" - doing so would feel like I was giving up on myself.

So, for me, I'll ride a 'bent...when they pry my cold dead fingers off the bars of my (upright) road bike. :D

I hear ya! And I also refuse to refer to my bikes as "DFs". They are bicycles fercryinoutloud. They don't need a new term to describe them. Save the acronyms for the different bikes.

I like upright but don't like pain or soreness.
Trying a crank forward Rans Fusion.
So far it is the most comfortable bicycle I've ever ridden.
In a year or so if it doesn't work out I'm going recumbent.

I test rode two recumbent trikes this time around, when shopping for a bike. But the only ones near my price range were the large, heavy Sun trikes. If my bike doesn't work out for me, then I'll reconsider the 'bents. Maybe consider a Catrike Pocket.

I've decided I'm keeping my bent. As a bike guy it expands my knowledge. It also allowed me to participate in our annual ride across WI while recovering from back problems. I had hoped to rent one for a month but discovered it would cost half the purchase price (used 2004 Burley Canto) and figured I could re-sell with smaller total cost in the end. I added a rear rack, a computer, a handlebar mount for a GPS, and a handlebar mount for my iPod nano (wired to small JBL travel speakers sewn into the trunk bag).

Half the fun on the WI trip was seeing others in the group trying to ride it. We did a 3min video of some attempts using the Chumpawumpa song ("I get knocked down, but I get up again, ...") as background score. Very entertaining.

Didn't mean to offend you at all SSP and certainly not knocking uprights either. Just pointing out that a lot of people would sooner sit back (pun intended) go a bit slower uphill, but go more comfortably, especially older guys like me who can finally afford the entry prices for a good well equipped bent. Heck, if my health problems would let me I would probably ride an upright bike especially off road, which I can't really do on a bent. I could probably afford it financially but if I could do it physically, I'd have a whole stable full of different kinds of bikes! With my back fusions, stroke, etc. I simply can't ride an upright!
There are numerous threads on how to eliminate or minimize neck pain, back pain, hip pain, hand numbness, etc. on upright bike websites, but other than the odd case of "numb feet" threads, these simply don't exist on bent websites. That must at least suggest something to you?? Maybe uprights don't CAUSE this sort of thing, but obviously they don't ELIMINATE them either! Cause they sure exist in bike riders that are friends of mine and with whom I ride regularly!
But if/when the choice comes between becoming a couch potato or riding a bent, I'll take the bent anytime, even though some upwrong bike riders do seem to look down on them.

Scottogo - keep us informed about the Rans Fusion. This might be a "sort of upright" bike I could ride, especially off road. They wouldn't be a mountain bike, but neither am I a young hairy chested mtb rider either, but there are places I would love to ride that I can't on a conventional LWB bent.

Scottogo - keep us informed about the Rans Fusion. This might be a "sort of upright" bike I could ride, especially off road. They wouldn't be a mountain bike, but neither am I a young hairy chested mtb rider either, but there are places I would love to ride that I can't on a conventional LWB bent.

They are already selling them. http://www.ransbikes.com/Fusion07.htm. You can sit on the seat and put your feet on the ground when stopped. Rans makes a few different models of that type of frame.



At 53, I had to get my knee fixed due to an injury. The Doc that scoped it fixed the meniscus, but told me that my knee is "80% gone". I'm assuming the rest of my joints might be a bit more worn than other people's, also. My neck gets sore after 25-30 miles on my Trek 420, along with my butt, neck, and back. It also did it a few years ago when I was in much better shape and lighter. On club and organized rides, I constantly see others getting up off their seats and shaking out their hands while riding. While doing rehab for my knee, I was required to ride for 10-30 minutes, indoors, 3 times a day. I had a Lightning Phantom, so I put it on my trainer. No sore butt for an hour of riding each night. No sore wrists or neck. I have a very short and tall stem on my Trek, and still get sore wrists and neck. Riding that Phantom was more comfortable than I've ever been on a bicycle. I couldn't "get used" to the short wheel base feeling of being unbalanced, so I sold it, and am saving for a Rans Stratus. Want an offroad bent, try a Lightfoot Ranger. If I would have been able to get used to the short wheel base bents, this might be the bike I'd save up for.