My overall speed is still faster on a DF.

[bentstrider]

I've had an "EZ-1 SC" for seven months now.
I mainly bought it out of convenience and impatience, due to my former trucking job and not being in one place for too long.
I started riding it for awhile and noticed I was moving along at the same speed on flatland, as I was on my DF.
I'm under the impression that it isn't necessarily my strength, but just those 20"/16" wheels the EZ-1 comes equipped with.
I've been hearing alot of stories that lower-sitting recumbents and 26" drive wheels would enable you to keep up easily with a road-like race.
I've been on the Actionbent website and the "Midracer" seems to be quite appealing.
I just want to find something I could make better use of my DF-leg strength on.

[wink]

I would say you will be faster as I have a semi recumbent with 20`s and a lwb EZ Sport.But don`t bet you can stay with the roadies as the ones around here do 30 + MPH.The EZ Sport I stay with most any thing but them.
Wink

[dgholmes59]

I rode an EZ Sport CX from Sept. 2006 to June 2007 and slowly got faster on the EZ sport than the aluminum frame mountain bike I was riding. I had smooth tires on the MTB for riding on the road. Before switching to a Bacchetta Giro 20 in June 2007 my best was 16.40 mph for 30 miles with a fairing. This was much better than my best on the MTB plus I could not ride my MTB for 30 miles.

When I started riding the Giro, the lighter bike enabled me to ride a little faster. My average went from 12 - 13 mph to 14 to 16 mph. I have ridden as fast as 18.5 mph for a shorter ride of 17 miles and 17.5 mph for a 30 mile ride.

I am able to ride farther, faster and much more comfortable on recumbents. To be honest, it would not matter if I was slower, I would still be riding recumbents because my back, butt, neck, hands and feet never hurt. I rode 80 miles for almost 6 hours in Sept. and had no pain whatsoever. I cannot even ride in a car that long without pain.

For me, speed is low on the priority list. I like speed, but comfort is at the top for me.

[Ric]

I've had an "EZ-1 SC" for seven months now.
I mainly bought it out of convenience and impatience, due to my former trucking job and not being in one place for too long.
I started riding it for awhile and noticed I was moving along at the same speed on flatland, as I was on my DF.
I'm under the impression that it isn't necessarily my strength, but just those 20"/16" wheels the EZ-1 comes equipped with.
I've been hearing alot of stories that lower-sitting recumbents and 26" drive wheels would enable you to keep up easily with a road-like race.
I've been on the Actionbent website and the "Midracer" seems to be quite appealing.
I just want to find something I could make better use of my DF-leg strength on.

If you're looking for overall speed try a Highracer, as for making better use of my DF-leg strength on a recumbent you can basically forget that as you are using an entirely different group of muscles on a bent. Recumbent muscles and overall speed come with riding time and miles. There are no short cuts to performance.

[BlazingPedals]

An EZ-1, or any Sun for that matter, can be compared most closely to a mountain-bike-based 'comfort bike' with respect to speed capability. Which is OK, since most owners graduate from either mountain bikes or hybrids. They wouldn't compare favorably to a full road bike - too heavy, with fat, high profile, high-rolling-resistance tires, and seating that actually makes them less aerodynamic than a drop bar roadie (but perhaps similar to a hybrid.) The gearing on it tells you it isn't meant to be fast - the top gear is only about +-92 inches. For the same size drive wheel, the RANS Rocket has a 62 tooth chainring. Like most recumbents, the added comfort will tend to make the owner ride more, and thus get stronger; so I have no doubt that you'll ultimately be faster if you stick to it.

Regarding using the 'same muscles.' The closest you'll find to using the same muscles might be a Lightning, which attains a more closed pedaling position through a fairly upright seat and very high pedals. I'm in the minority who believe that an *open* position is ultimately more powerful, as it uses your muscles in a more ergonomic range of motion compared to what you're currently used to. Yes,this means re-training; but I believe it's worth it.

[aikigreg]

Yup, shouldn't be a big surprised when you buy a heavy-arsed bike like a Sun that it's slow. If you want speed, you have to buy it, just like everyone else :)

[wink]

Yup, shouldn't be a big surprised when you buy a heavy-arsed bike like a Sun that it's slow. If you want speed, you have to buy it, just like everyone else :)

True but I don`t see any of the high racers or low racers on any of the dirt roads or beach I ride either.It is all in what you want to do with it.Plus with all I have on it as ,radio, lights, fenders, and bags it would not be a light bike any way. My butt don`t hurt and not the slowest bike on the road so I am happy:D
Wink

[lowracer1]

[QUOTE=wink;5685333]True but I don`t see any of the high racers or low racers on any of the dirt roads or beach I ride either.It is all in what you want to do with it.Plus with all I have on it as ,radio, lights, fenders, and bags it would not be a light bike any way. My butt don`t hurt and not the slowest bike on the road so I am happy:D

Actually I've had my baron , vk2 and nocom lowracer on dirt roads.......... Not by choice of course.

[aikigreg]

True but I don`t see any of the high racers or low racers on any of the dirt roads or beach I ride either.It is all in what you want to do with it.Plus with all I have on it as ,radio, lights, fenders, and bags it would not be a light bike any way. My butt don`t hurt and not the slowest bike on the road so I am happy:D
Wink

Yes, but no one buys a bike for the beach and dirt roads and complains that it's slower than their DF....at least, no one who isn't a tard....:)

[bentstrider]

Nice replies.
The "DF" I currently own is nothing more than a folding, Montague "Paratrooper".
Basic 21speed, 26" inch wheels, 38x28x18 or some low-chainring gearing like that.
This thing weighs about 25-26 lbs without the utility attachments on it.'
I also have some high-pressure, street-tires mounted on it.
I don't own a "road-bike", so I try to use this as my "all-around" rig.
I'm not going to abandon 'bents completely though.
I'm selling the EZ-1, and saving towards that Actionbent "Midracer", or "Highracer" depending on what feels better.
The name of the game is somewhat high-speed, along with added comfort.

[Trsnrtr]

Some people "take" to bents like a duck to water and others never get comfortable or fast on one. A friend of mine bought a new RANS Force 5 a year ago and sold it after 500 miles. He just couldn't make it work. His muscles hurt, he felt unsteady, couldn't climb; he hated it. It wasn't the bike's fault; he just wasn't cut out to be a bent rider.

For many, bents take a lot of adaptation and a lot of desire. That's my situation. A new bent usually takes me a couple thousand miles to adapt to it. I get sore legs and I just don't seem to adapt the specific muscles required for a specific bent until then. Others can adapt with little trouble.

One thing for sure, if you and a particular bent "click", the relationship can be gratifying. :)

[Ric]

Nice replies.
The "DF" I currently own is nothing more than a folding, Montague "Paratrooper".
Basic 21speed, 26" inch wheels, 38x28x18 or some low-chainring gearing like that.
This thing weighs about 25-26 lbs without the utility attachments on it.'
I also have some high-pressure, street-tires mounted on it.
I don't own a "road-bike", so I try to use this as my "all-around" rig.
I'm not going to abandon 'bents completely though.
I'm depending on what feels better.
The name of the game is somewhat high-speed, along with added comfort.

The basic 21 speed you're referring to is there CX model and comes with a Prowheel® 42/34/24 crankset, the 38x28x18 is the folding size of the bike and it weighs 32lbs according to there spec's. If you're selling the EZ-1 and saving for a Highracer I'd stay away from actionbent and lean more towards the Rans or Bacchetta line and buy used if possible, you may want to try Bentrider online or the Bacchetta forum, they sometimes have some deals on used bikes. Just my opinion.:)

[wink]

The name of the game is somewhat high-speed, along with added comfort.


How much speed are you looking for?
Wink

[STEEKER]

I love flying along on my hurricane and I am just as fast on it as I was on my df and I am ALOT faster driving into the wind on the bent, once I recover and get back into shape for long distance I am accepting the challenge from a df rider to do the lake simcoe run, this guy thinks bents can't go fast or far .

[BlazingPedals]

I love flying along on my hurricane and I am just as fast on it as I was on my df and I am ALOT faster driving into the wind on the bent, once I recover and get back into shape for long distance I am accepting the challenge from a df rider to do the lake simcoe run, this guy thinks bents can't go fast or far .

I used Bike Route Toaster to plot out a rough course around the lake. It looks like about 110 miles, and less than 2000 feet of climbing. Completely do-able, and the kind of course that would tend to give a bent rider an advantage. We will be anxiously awaiting news of his defeat! :D

[STEEKER]

I could not get the route toaster thingy to work , I will make a Gmap up and link the route on here , the ride starts at the bottom of Warden Ave go's to lake Simcoe then heads east into Sibbald camping grounds then back down to lake Ontario , I just have too get two Tri riders or two roadies from cycle solutions to be judges and follow us ,, I offered to take him on at a university out door track and field oval for a 100k which would be fun as the fixed geared crowd would joing in...

[BlazingPedals]

G-Maps doesn't give such a nice profile graphic, but I can't seem to get a URL to share the Bike Route Toaster one. Toronto to Lake Simcoe and back (simple out and back) looks like just under 100 miles. The first 21 out are constant easy grade, then mostly down to Lake Simcoe. Reverse is true on the way back - if you're with the upright with 21-22 miles to go, you should be able to put him away unless there's lots of stop lights.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1473907 (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1473907)

[STEEKER]

BlazingPedals
here is a link of the route , it actually goes right onto the park but I have to get a wisdom tooth pulled so I'll make a complete map of the route later for ya ,, I hear the lake michigan loop ride is wild have you done it ??? http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1473953

[BlazingPedals]

A circumnavigation of Lake Michigan would be a good subject for a week (or longer) tour. I've heard of it being done, but nope, not me.