Should I buy a recumbent [Archive]

vik

07-05-07, 07:08 PM

I started riding bents when I was 30 - I'm in perfect health and still ride DF bikes. A light aerodynamic bent will be faster than a light road bike on the flats or downhill. Uphill will favour the light DF road bike.

Having said that there are loads of slow fun recreation bents that are not geared to high performance riding.

Here is a fast light bent:

http://bp3.blogger.com/_vUEhS0lU3eU/Ro2ZAl86QII/AAAAAAAACEQ/WIObxWxkyuE/s400/fujinslj.pg

Challenge Fujin SL (http://www.challengebikes.com/html/index.php?taal=en&selectie=fujinsl)

Opedaler

07-05-07, 07:50 PM

50 years of age and riding a road bike. Why do people start to ride a recumbent?
Is it because of back problems or other problems? Can they go as fast as a road
bike? Seems not due to the fat tires and smaller wheel diameters.

thanks

ted
For me it was because a DF wasn't all that fun any more. Too many discomforts that went along with it. I'm actually probably faster on my bent than my DF but that isn't saying much. And last but not least I see what extended DF riding has done to some I know.......loss of lordic curve, concaved chest and rounded upper back, loss of mobility beyond the motion of the bike, etc, etc. Besides bents are FUN once you master the learning curve.

Floyd

07-05-07, 07:54 PM

Only you can answer your question...by trying more than one model to see if you like the "relaxed" position. Yes some people buy recumbents because of back problems, some (like me) prefer the more comfortable seating position. Of course there are many other reasons and you should get some more here, if not, brouse through the forum and you will find some more reasons. Sorry can't name any particular thread.

JanMM

07-05-07, 08:02 PM

After 16mo./3000mi. 'bent, I'm riding a bit faster than I was on my hybrid. A hell of a lot more comfortable, much better visibility. Every once in a while, I hear a child say "Hey, look at that bike!"

kalgrm

07-05-07, 08:06 PM

I got mine because the consistant headwind on my daily commute home made the aerodynamic profile of a recumbent very attractive. I still ride my mountain bike in the bush, but for on-road use, the 'bent is the bike I choose to ride.

Cheers,
Graeme

aikigreg

07-05-07, 09:43 PM

50 years of age and riding a road bike. Why do people start to ride a recumbent?
Is it because of back problems or other problems? Can they go as fast as a road
bike? Seems not due to the fat tires and smaller wheel diameters.

thanks

ted

I still have a full carbon fiber trek that I race in the crits and in triathalons, but given ANY opportunity, I prefer my recumbents. I can go longer and faster, and I have a *lot* more fun and enjoyable ride.

Bents do not equal handicapped or old. I'm only 34 and fully functional so long as you don't ask my wife :)

FlyingAnchor

07-05-07, 09:50 PM

Unnecessary question, of course you need a bent, everyone needs a bent bike, the only question is which three.
Not much help am I? :+)

Chaco

07-05-07, 11:59 PM

I had to give up biking 15 years ago when I had surgery on my neck. I can't maintain the neck position required by a DF for more than a few minutes without pain. Now that I have a bent, I'm back into biking again, and loving every minute of it. As for comfort, there's no comparison. When I last rode a DF, a trip of 35 miles would leave my rear in complete pain. Now I routinely do 30 mile recovery rides on my bent with no pain at all.

I get passed on the hills all the time by DF'ers. On the flats, and even slight inclines, it's no problem to maintain a 20 mph pace. Downhill, you hit 40 just coasting.

The thing I enjoy most is the view. There's nothing like pedalling along Hwy alongside the ocean and being able to really look at the landscape while you ride.

cat0020

07-06-07, 08:08 AM

As a road cyclist who's pedaled over 30,000 miles in the last 15 years, I like riding by myself these days, thanks for the recumbent bike I started riding last year.

In my younger days, I was competitive, mixing it up in group rides, challenge myself and other to the next hilltop along the ride routes, 30 mph paceline on straight, flat smooth pavement and 40+ mph screaming downhills... I still enjoy all that, but once I'm out on my own, I started to perfer a differnet kind of riding, I carry lot of food along the ride with me, head out for 4-5 hours at a time and come home still fresh enough to do yard work.

I guess riding a recumbent makes me more mature as a rider, not in a hurry to get to any specific place I need to be, but sure you could still get a good workout on a recumbent, but after the ride I never feel quite as "tired" or "worn-out" as riding a upright road bike.

I'm turning 34 this month, aiming to make a comeback to racing for the 35+ category next year.

divergence

07-06-07, 11:00 AM

I bought my first recumbent at age 38. Not because of back or any other sort of "problems", but because I just decided that 'bents are a superior piece of engineering. I'd have bought one at age 20 if I'd known then what I know now.

On your questions about speed...well, I've never been a particularly fast rider, but I find that I go a little faster, on the average, on my (steel-framed touring design, not really meant for speed) 'bent than on my (steel-framed touring design, not really meant for speed) road bike.

To break that average down a bit: downhills are significantly faster on the recumbent, flats are a little faster, and climbs are pretty much exactly the same on both bikes. (For the first month or so after I started riding the 'bent, I was noticably slower on climbs...but once I adjusted to using different muscles, the climb through the local mountains that used to take 75 minutes on my upright bike also takes 75 minutes on the recumbent.)

By the way, the fat tires you mentioned are by no means a universal feature of recumbents...and even the small wheels vary from design to design.

The real reason I ride the 'bent, though, has nothing to do with speed. It's just a more comfortable ride -- especially if you're putting in a long day on the bike -- and a lot more fun. I'm not claiming that a road bike is agonizingly uncomfortable, or bleakly non-fun; if that wasn't fun I was having for all those years riding upright bikes, then it was a damned close counterfeit. But a recumbent, I've found, makes a good experience even better.

Bent_n_Twisted

07-06-07, 08:17 PM

I'm also pushing 50 and started riding bents about 2 years ago. My situation is probably not the norm, since I was a quadriplegic 10 years ago from a spinal cord injury (not from biking). After years of rehab I really wanted to get back on my Trek DF, but the large metal plate in my neck caused a limitation in movement that made it just too risky of a venture. For the heck of it I bought a used Limbo from a guy in California, and I have not stopped riding since. Last year I got the bug for something faster and purchased a new Strada. I'm now looking for #3 (see FlyingAnchor!), because I want a different kind of bent for the limestone trails of the Cleveland towpath. I think I'm at the point where it is almost a disease...

Pupsocket

07-06-07, 08:56 PM

I bought my first bent after hearing of a distant relative who started riding a trike after back surgery. Lower back pain had pretty much kept me from riding for many years.

After 2 months on a cheap Sun EZ1 SX, I wish I had tried it years ago. The back is pain-free, the neck is pain-free, and the arms and especially hands/wrists are pain free. I've got the age (40 this year), slightly overweight, now all I need is the beard...

Karl

Pierre!

07-06-07, 10:35 PM

Nuther neck issue here - 3 level cervical surgery candidate - And I REFUSE to listen to the SURGERY part... (grin)

Doc has been hassling me about cholesterol... and no way I can ride the standard DF bikes. I tilt my head back like that, and in 5 minutes my arms are numb... 10 minutes and I would be blacked out. Checked out the "Comfort" and "Retro" bikes... At 49 I am a grandpa... but... Those bikes are NOT for me.

Recumbent - Now THAT is ME! Been into riding again for 3 weeks after a 2.5 decade layoff, and I am loving it! No pain (except from my *new* legs) and my wife can participate. I shoot competitively, and as you can imagine a solid platform is quite helpful in many of the shooting disciplines... so I am improving there as well! I selected the Volae Expedition (used) as my starting point - a reward for quitting smoking.

Glad I discovered Recumbents. I am pleased to say the Recumbent community is as enjoyable as the Glock community (LOL) Bought 2 bikes through classifieds on another forum and had no problems... that is a good community!

That is my story, and I am sticking to it!

Who's next?

Trsnrtr

07-07-07, 04:43 AM

I started riding bents in June of 2003 after a radical prostatectomy. My doctor allowed me to ride a bent earlier than a regular bike so I bought a V-Rex with the thought of selling it later. Well, that was over 30,000 bent miles ago and the V-Rex led to a Volae Team, Bacchetta Aero, Optima Baron, Challenge Fujin SL-II and a Velokraft VK2. :)

My prior cycling history before bents was 120,000 upright miles, including racing USCF from '84 -'91 with the last five seasons as a Cat 2. I don't own an upright at all anymore except for my tandem.

bobkat

07-07-07, 06:35 AM

There are amillion medical and comfort reasons to buy a bent. Mine is extensive back surgery and a stroke. There is no question though, that I would still be riding a bent if I'd tried one, without the surgery and complications. I firmly believe that there are hundreds of thousands of people out there (old and young) that would be far better off riding a comfortable LWB or CLWB bent for their casual fitness riding that don't because they have never tried one. Bents aren't that common for people to try them out, they look a bit nerdy perhaps, and too many upright riders look down on them and barely consider them "bikes."
All the upright web sites continually have health and comfort problems discussed, and I laugh when I read them and the answers posted back. Stuff like neck pain, wrist/hand numbness, seat comfort, back pain, what special $300.00 bifocal glasses to wear as you are looking down at the road all the time, what biking shorts with sewn in 'diapers' to buy, my butt feels like I've been sitting on a fence post for a week, and on and on and over and over...........All that stuff disappears with a bent.
But they are not for everybody, but if availability were up and entry level price down and if the health and comfort benefits of bents were advertised you would see a lot more of them.
In my experience Once you try one, people rarely go back to uprights.

BikeZen.org

07-07-07, 12:33 PM

I started riding a bent after 25 years on "wedgies" because I wanted greater comfort during daily commutes to work and for long recreational rides like Ride the Rockies and RUSA.org events.

My fastest century (100 miles) took a bit over 5 hours, much faster than my diamond frame. But that's partially due to the fact that I began riding more after switching to a bent! 'Bents are definitely faster on flats and down hills. Up most hills, bents may be comparable with diamond frames if your "bent muscles" are developed and you keep your speed over about 12 mph. Up extreme hills on long rides, I pass all "recreational" wedgy riders because I'm more well-rested than them, but serious rodies will crush me because I'm not at all interested in racing up hills!

You can find bents with 26" front and back (like my Challenge Seiran) and even 700c wheels (standard wedgy size) on some Greenspeeds and others.

More general info on bents appears here (http://bikezen.org/recumbents).

Dogbait

07-07-07, 11:02 PM

I recently bought a recumbent. I had prostate cancer surgery last October and have had some problems riding my upright bikes more than 15 miles since starting to ride again in late December. The recumbent seems to be the answer. I have been riding for a little over 2 weeks and am up to 18 miles. Still getting the set up dialed in and getting those different muscle groups in shape. All in all, I am pleased with my progress and look forward to longer rides in the near future.

ladybugrider

07-08-07, 01:19 AM

I recently bought a EZ 3 (delta trike, 1 wheel in front, 2 in back) and it's awesome. It's like riding around on my lazy-boy chair. Don't have any experience (except test rides) with 2 wheeled recumbents, but any recumbent - is awesome. Talk about comfort. Now why would someone chose to be uncomfortable, when they can have some REAL pleasure riding without any pain in parts of the body that we shouldn't have pain in? Go for a test ride, 2 wheeled, 3 wheeled, there are even some 4 wheeled ones available. That's the real way to tell why it's so cool to ride 'bent.

Get 'Bent & Enjoy

Doug5150

07-08-07, 11:49 AM

50 years of age and riding a road bike. Why do people start to ride a recumbent?...
Main reason is comfort. No saddle pain, no hand numbness, no neck pain.
----
As far as speed, some recumbents are faster and others are slower, for the same effort/compared to a normal upright bike.

If you want a faster/lighter recumbent, then some to look at are the monotube highracers from Bachetta (http://www.bacchettabikes.com/) and Volae (sold by Hostel Shoppe (http://www.hostelshoppe.com/)).

Another possible choice is the RANS Zenetic (http://www.ransbikes.com/07ZPRO.htm). While not as comfortable as a recumbent, it's still a big improvement over an upright bike. The seat does not require padded shorts, and the hand pressure and neck strain is much lower than with an upright. (don't let the dorky OEM handlebars scare you, most people change them out to albatross/moustache or whatever)
-----
If you have any pemanent injuries (bad back, neck, hips ect) then you need to TEST-RIDE before buying.
~

megaman

07-08-07, 03:00 PM

Yeah, I think a test ride is the only way to go. Before I switched to a bent I wasn't yet 50. I enjoyed riding my hybrid, but my rear end and hands bothered me. If fact after 5 miles I was constantly shaking the needles out of my hands. I remember a lady asking me about me handlebars, hoping it would give her some help with her hand needles. My lbs was selling bents and I was able to rent one(which he later knocked off the price) and instantly no rear end or hand pain. I was there. :D:

jeff-o

07-09-07, 06:07 AM

My back is totally fine, but my wrists give me trouble (I've broken both of them in the past). The main reason I switched is that I never felt quite comfortable on a regular bike. I'm tall, which means I need a big bike, which means I'm quite high off the ground. I never got the hang of leaning into turns and could never quite crank up to full speed for fear of falling off.

With a trike, I have no fear. I go as fast as I can, usually out pacing any other cyclist on the road. I never worry about gravel, ice or wet leaves. I can roll over cracks, bumps and curbs without being knocked off. I can carry more stuff, and in the winter I use a fairing to make me cold-proof. Transportation of the trike isn't even a downside anymore, since I got a hitch mounted rack.

JanMM

07-09-07, 06:57 AM

The default answer to the question "Should I buy a recumbent?" is "yes".

Opedaler

07-09-07, 08:14 AM

There are some drawbacks however. For us it has indeed been a different type of riding. Long, extended and relaxed. Pain and discomfort usually deremined the length of our rides previously, now, providing you get in half way decent shape, it's time. Doesn't seem like a big deal? Think again. You can ride for as long as you want in relative comfort. Coming up with the time isn't as easy as we thought it would be. Between work and "honey do's" it's not that easy to take off a few hours......and believe me, once you're on the bike you'll want to spend AT LEAST that much time.

banerjek

07-09-07, 09:35 AM

50 years of age and riding a road bike. Why do people start to ride a recumbent?
Is it because of back problems or other problems? Can they go as fast as a road
bike? Seems not due to the fat tires and smaller wheel diameters.

There are lots of reasons to ride bents. I still ride DF bikes, but as others have mentioned, it's a different kind of riding. As far as comfort and speed goes, that depends on what kind of bent you have, how you set it up, where you ride.

My Seiran SL is definitely faster than a road bike on flats, rollers, downhill, or against headwinds. It is slower than a DF on extended climbs, but it's not as slow as people think. Having said that, I like it on longer rides because it doesn't handle well at low speeds in town (especially when you have to stop and go a lot).

In town, my trike is the most fun. I can stop without unclipping. Despite the fact that it's heavier than my road bike, acceleration is very strong because I can leg press my way to speed. It is slightly slower than my road bike, but not much -- I have no trouble keeping up with people on other rides.

Like I said, I still ride my road bike, and it is my preferred ride for riding in the mountains. Incidentally, riding bents can make you a better all around rider. There's no reason to ride just one kind of bike.

The only thing I don't agree with other bent riders on regards comfort. If you ride enough, wedgie saddles are not uncomfortable at all, even if you are out all day. I've found I can be in plenty of pain or in relative comfort on any kind of bike. It's a matter of how you ride.

lowracer1

07-10-07, 05:56 PM

I got into bents because they looked like fun at first. I then discovered the speed potential and was hooked. My latest bike is the velokraft nocom and I must say it is the fastest bike Ive ever ridden. The vk2 is slow compared to the nocom. I also discovered that the nocom climbs hills better than the vk2. I really don't know what I would ever get to be a faster stock bike platform. I think I'm done unless I go to a streamliner.