Fifty Plus (50+) - Bought a new bike on Pie Day

Oops. Didn't have time for the pie ride. The shop is 90 miles away from
home, so the bride and I made a day of it. Test rode more bikes than I
can remember...all recumbents. Rode short wheel base, long wheel base,
under seat steering and over seat steering. Brought home a new Sun EZ Sport
long wheelbase overseat steering. It's not overly fast or overly light, but
then neither am I. The bike kinda picked me. No matter how many times
I switched back and forth from one bike to the other, every time I got
onto the EZ Sport it felt like I was climbing onto "The bike I rode in on".
For the foreseeable future I'll ride both the diamond framed bikes and the
recumbent as I don't intend to leave the new bike at the rack at work all
night.

Now I know there's a recumbent forum just a little way down the page, I spend
a lot of time there and learned a lot....but I'm still over 50 years old so
I hope you folks won't kick me outa here! :eek:


http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_0474.jpg

- congrats on a new cool ride!

- we'll wait for an extensive ride report... i'm wondering if maintenance requires fewer or more issues than with a road bike?

- how long does it take to get used to the handling? (have never been on a 'bent)...

-

- how long does it take to get used to the handling? (have never been on a 'bent)...
My first time too!!!!!!!
It took about five minutes of tooling around an empty parking lot before I dared venture
out into the road. By the end of the day of testing bikes, I felt fairly steady on U-turns
and great other-wise. Haven't had time to ride it around home yet!!!

Smart move on making the 90 mile trip to a real recumbent dealer.

There are so many different recumbent configurations that an LBS has to sell a lot of them to justify maintaining a representative stock of all of the different styles. I think that there's a lot more difference in how they ride and handle than among conventional bicycles.

How about service? Do you do your own maintenance? I used to clamp the rear axle in a resistance trainer but I hated all of the bending and stooping to work on them. Relatively simple jobs, like installing a computer, could turn into a major project. Park now has a recumbent clamp that fits the shop level workstands.

Now you really have to join us on the Scottsville to Letchworth ride on October 8 (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=340602). Break it in proper.

I'll be breaking-in my new rig on that ride (a DF, but still, its first long ride), and at least one other 'bent rider will be joining us.

BTW, nice-looking rig. I like the color scheme and have always preferred the looks of an LWB 'bent over the SWB ones.

So Peter made another convert huh! Gotta love his shop if you are Bent Shopping. Well worth the trip to be sure! Gotta get that seat back angle back a bit.

Lots of good rides as you know in Rochester. The Hell Bent for Breakfast ride is still going on and it's a good bunch of folks.

We have a few Bent friendly shops in town. I've always done my own wrenching on mine. I understand the bike well and it serves me well. It's a good choice to go with the larger rear wheel due to the mechanical advantage. My 20/20 Rans Rocket is okay. Handles really well due to the same wheelbase as a road bike, but that 62 tooth chain ring is a tough thing to have to replace!

Nice Bike! I hope you enjoy it! Just remember! You can't stand on the pedals so SHIFT and SHIFT again!

Chris

- we'll wait for an extensive ride report... i'm wondering if maintenance requires fewer or more issues than with a road bike?

The nice thing about Bents is that they use standard MTB and Road Bike parts. They are just configured slightly different. The biggest bug-a-boo is getting them in the stand to work on them. Some are much easier than other to be sure. Some shop accept them for what they are, just a different 2 wheeled bicycle and others give you that "queer eye look" and would rather not work on them. Some Tandem riders feel the same way too. Turns many of us into mechanics to get things right.

Some bents you need to live with the quirks of the bike. On my Rans, the front derailluer is troublesome due to the 62 tooth front sprocket. The derailluer can just barely handle the range, so it rubs the cage from time to time. But, due to the chain length I don't have to worry about cross-chaining either so sometimes it works out well!

Chris

The nice thing about Bents is that they use standard MTB and Road Bike parts. They are just configured slightly different. The biggest bug-a-boo is getting them in the stand to work on them.

Chris

I'm thinking I might grip the stem with the stand and make a padded prop
to put under the bottom tube to keep the rear off the floor. Just need to
be sure the prop is stable and can fasten to the tube (velcro). I'm hesitant
to grip the tubing with the workstand clamp, though this frome is ChroMo
I believe so probably nothing to fear. I'll talk to Peter about it next month
during the 30 check-out.

I'm thinking I might grip the stem with the stand and make a padded prop
to put under the bottom tube to keep the rear off the floor. Just need to
be sure the prop is stable and can fasten to the tube (velcro). I'm hesitant
to grip the tubing with the workstand clamp, though this frome is ChroMo
I believe so probably nothing to fear. I'll talk to Peter about it next month
during the 30 check-out.

Yep! Peter is the man to talk too. I can grip my Rans on the 1.5 inch diameter top horizontal tube. While it has messed up the Rans Decals (Not Clear-coated and sealed) the bike is nicely balanced on the Park Portable Stand that I have. It looks like the top tub of your bike right in front of the seat could work the same way. But again, I would defer to Peter's experience in a matter like this.

Chris

P.S. I am glad to see that your earlier encounters has not deterred you from riding!

Nice looking bike:) I'm sure pie would have been less expensive:rolleyes:

Chris

P.S. I am glad to see that your earlier encounters has not deterred you from riding!

NEVER! Just rethought when to ride vs. when to drive. Leaving home @ 04:30 AM
on Sat. and Sun Mornings....drive in to work to avoid the little creeps that are still
out raising heck from the weekend nights.

I'll continue to ride during those times I deem safe for as long as I draw air.
My intention is that when they stuff me into that box they'll have to pry my
fingers off a bike first. :D

I'll continue to ride during those times I deem safe for as long as I draw air.
My intention is that when they stuff me into that box they'll have to pry my
fingers off a bike first. :D

Amen to that Brother!

Chris

Woo hoo!

With all those test rides you deserved a pie!

Another 50+er who got bent!

How many of us bent 50ers (I mean bikes) do we have now?

Im one, ride a Barcroft Dakota and you?

Let's start a thread on it!

1999 Rans Rocket

Had a Suspension fork on it and just swapped back to the Stock fork.
Running Stock drivetrain
Maxxis Hookworm 20x1.95 @110psi Fat and FAST!