Fifty Plus (50+) - Is there a 'bent in my future?

Walking over to Twiggs this morning for coffee, I spot a 50+er zipping along on his recumbent. For the first time, I found myself saying, "That's a cool bike. I could like that!"

Perhaps it was because this one seemed a little higher than most 'bents I've seen. Perhaps it was simply the lack of caffeine, I can't be sure.

The rear wheel was larger than the front. Is that typical?

I don't know enough about the different brands to be able to tell you what this one was. All I know is he rode almost as high as a DF, and he zipped right along. Looked like fun!

Then again, where would I put it?

Walking over to Twiggs this morning for coffee, I spot a 50+er zipping along on his recumbent. For the first time, I found myself saying, "That's a cool bike. I could like that!"

Perhaps it was because this one seemed a little higher than most 'bents I've seen. Perhaps it was simply the lack of caffeine, I can't be sure.

The rear wheel was larger than the front. Is that typical?

I don't know enough about the different brands to be able to tell you what this one was. All I know is he rode almost as high as a DF, and he zipped right along. Looked like fun!

Then again, where would I put it?

There is always room for another bike...

Frankly I have often wondered if I too would enjoy a 'bent. While they look quite comfortable, I think one thing I would miss is getting out of the saddle to climb... my legs love that stretch.

Well, I don't know. If you would publish the floor plan of your home, perhaps we could be a bit more helpful.

Walking over to Twiggs this morning for coffee, I spot a 50+er zipping along on his recumbent. For the first time, I found myself saying, "That's a cool bike. I could like that!"

Perhaps it was because this one seemed a little higher than most 'bents I've seen. Perhaps it was simply the lack of caffeine, I can't be sure.

The rear wheel was larger than the front. Is that typical?

I don't know enough about the different brands to be able to tell you what this one was. All I know is he rode almost as high as a DF, and he zipped right along. Looked like fun!

Then again, where would I put it?

By and large, the small front wheel configuration is typical (at least in this country). Where would you put it? Once you've come over to the dark side, you'll have plenty of room where your df(s) used to live. :rolleyes:

If there's a 'bent dealer in your vicinity, drop by and take a bike or few out for a test ride. You might find it an enlightening experience.

SP

Hey D.G.

Read, Drool & Dream.......

http://www.bicycleman.com/recumbents/recumbents.htm

Let me just say that this thread is yet another example of what is wrong with the 50+ forum - DG posts an observation/question, and gets (mostly) helpful responses.

This would be a much more entertaining thread in the Road forum....especially if he asked whether he should organize a group buy on recumbents from Bikes Direct.

Well guys, I went 'bent 4 years ago and I'll never come back to DF's. I ride a Long Wheelbase recumbent, (probably what DG was looking at) and the comfort is so incredible, that it leaves me thinking DF is obsolete. I often tell people that it is the middle aged guys perfect bike. A ultra comfortable seat, upright position which leads to a relaxed neck and shoulders, lumbar support and little or no weight on your hands. In short, ALL the pain points are eliminated. Just the thing for some 50+ riders.

There are some negatives. LWB's are heavy. My EZ Sport is just under 32 pounds. They are less maneuverable, because of the longer wheelbase. New, they're $1500.00, and up. The weight and maneuverability weren't problems for me because I ride relatively flat MUPs, and refuse to ride where there are cars. For me, it really works.

My advice; When the pain problems with DFs finally get you to thinking it's time to give it up, look into recumbents. Before that time, your DF will do fine. bk

Sounds like a great excuse to buy another bike to me.

But then I may be biased........

[QUOTE=BengeBoy;6916584
This would be a much more entertaining thread in the Road forum....especially if he asked whether he should organize a group buy on recumbents from Bikes Direct.[/QUOTE]

:roflmao:

DG, you do also need to consider the type of riding you do and whether a bent would fit into that.

If you're ever in the San Fernando Valley, stop by Bent up Cycles in Van Nuys. The owner of the store (Dana) has taken over the manufacture of Carbent bikes and has tall ones, low ones, whatever you like.

DG,

The answer is yes. You have been infected with the meme. It will eat at you till you satisfy it.

Maybe I'm to blame for the infection. I visited you at the same time I was buying buying my bent. I did the deal all over email with my LBS in Arkansas while I was in San Diego.

With a new garage, you wonder where you have room for another bike?

http://www.pointhappy.com/gcf/BacchettaSm.jpg

Over the past 8 days, I've gotten in 4 rides, 2 on my flat-bar road bike and 2 on my recumbent. My recumbent is a extra-cushy 40 pound bike with a spring suspension. I'm faster on the flat-bar, the handling is better on the flat-bar, I can cover more mile on the flat-bar, but rides on the recumbent are more relaxing. I see more of the countryside and the seat is more comfortable.

I will probably continue to switch back and forth, depending upon what type of ride I want to take on any particular day.

Now there are recumbents that are as fast or faster than upright bikes, so my experience does not speak for all.

I recently rode a LWB bent with a small front wheel. Very enjoyable ride. The Bacchetta Bellandare:

http://www.tandems-recumbents.com/images/bacchetta-bellandare.jpg

Check out the Hostel Shoppe, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. They are the most knowledgable recumbent folks that I've met without the sometimes superior, sometimes paranoid attitude. If you seriously think that a 'bent might be in your future, they'll take care of you.

Check out the Hostel Shoppe, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. They are the most knowledgable recumbent folks that I've met without the sometimes superior, sometimes paranoid attitude. If you seriously think that a 'bent might be in your future, they'll take care of you.

Indeed, HS has a great site and you can request them to mail you a paper catalog.
Check out Bentrideronline.com, which includes a message board specific to 'bentdom, all varieties. Plus, links to most online recumbent retailers and makers.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z284/JanMM/commutebent.jpg

Before I started riding the RANS Tailwind, I never got children yelling out "Hey, look at that!"

I passed 4 teenagers walking on a rail trail the other day, as I went past on my bent, I could hear one say to another, "Now that's a rad bike!"

>Frankly I have often wondered if I too would enjoy a 'bent. While they look quite comfortable, I think one thing I would miss is getting out of the saddle to climb... my legs love that stretch.<

which, to me, is the main shortcoming of bents, e.g being locked into one position albeit a relatively comfortable one.

i enjoy my bent a lot, but also enjoy my DF. and my CF.

if i could only have one, tough choice -- might be the CF.

As I understand, you now have a companion.

So, it is a choice. This is how you will get enough room for your bent.

Companion or Bent.

N+2

As I understand, you now have a companion. So, it is a choice. Companion or Bent. N+2

No need to choose. Buy two, his and hers, very romantic.

Over the past 8 days, I've gotten in 4 rides, 2 on my flat-bar road bike and 2 on my recumbent. My recumbent is a extra-cushy 40 pound bike with a spring suspension. I'm faster on the flat-bar, the handling is better on the flat-bar, I can cover more mile on the flat-bar, but rides on the recumbent are more relaxing. I see more of the countryside and the seat is more comfortable.

I will probably continue to switch back and forth, depending upon what type of ride I want to take on any particular day.

Now there are recumbents that are as fast or faster than upright bikes, so my experience does not speak for all.

I recently rode a LWB bent with a small front wheel. Very enjoyable ride. The Bacchetta Bellandare:

http://www.tandems-recumbents.com/images/bacchetta-bellandare.jpg

Looks like Easy Rider!

There's only one recumbent dealer near San Diego, in Ramona, about 34-40 miles due east. Rather surprising to me, given the population here.

:(

That is surprising, as we have 4 in the greater Madison area.

There's only one recumbent dealer near San Diego, in Ramona, about 34-40 miles due east. Rather surprising to me, given the population here.

:(

You need to road trip to here:

http://bentupcycles.com/index.cfm

Even I have considered road tripping (make that flying) to there from Illinois for a visit. :)

I'm curious, how well are bents at climbing?

I'm curious, how well are bents at climbing?

http://www.rbr.info/faq.html

http://www.hostelshoppe.com/recumbent_faq.php

http://www.lightningbikes.com/cyber.htm

If you're ever in the San Fernando Valley, stop by Bent up Cycles in Van Nuys. The owner of the store (Dana) has taken over the manufacture of Carbent bikes and has tall ones, low ones, whatever you like.

Bent Up Cycles is having a recumbent rally this weekend. It's been going on since last night. I was registered, but ended up not being able to make it. There are several manufacturers there displaying their wares. The shop has different types of recumbents to try out. They are located on the edge of an industrial park, so there's plenty of room for test rides.

Climbing on a recumbent is "different". You have to learn to spin your way up a hill, usually slower than on an upright.

I'm curious, how well are bents at climbing?

There are some guys on super light 'bents who can climb pretty well. The knock on 'bents is that they don't climb well, but this is not always the case. The aforementioned Dana came out to our ride on a prototype bike with 700c wheels which he claimed was around 17 pounds! He competed in the Furnace Creek 508 race last year on another Carbent.

DG -
If you're thinking about getting a recumbent, you might as well go off the deep end - get a recumbent tadpole trike! I did back in February, and just yesterday we went out and picked one out for my wife. Starting Tuesday, I'll have a riding companion! I don't know how fast a trike can climb hills with a rider that's in shape, but I can tell you that on one particular steep hill I ride, most people could probably walk up it faster than I ride. On the other had, I've hit 32.8 mph on the flat stretches, and that's on a trike that weighs between 70 and 75 lbs with everything I load on it. My wife's new trike should be a lot faster; it's only 36 lbs.
- Bob

Hill climbing on a 'bent? Here's my riding buddy doing Mt Tabor at Hilly Hundred. Mt Tabor is something like 1.2 miles long and has a max grade of 20%.
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/lowracervk2/th_mttabor.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/lowracervk2/?action=view&current=mttabor.flv)

edit: I should clarify: The camera was mounted to my buddy's rear stay, pointing rearward. The camera is mounted to a lowracer.

I'm curious, how well are bents at climbing?

I posted elsewhere about my ride up Mt. St. Helens today (the "Tour de Blast"). Several bents on the ride. One guy I rode w/for awhile and I were chatting for awhile...he was hoping to break his downhill speed record of 56 mph today but when I last saw him he'd only gotten up to the high 40's. He was doing a good job climbing but on the ascents he was generally slower than the DF folks (he and I rode together comfortably on the flats; I was much faster on the uphills).

When I'm on organized rides I generally see the recumbents and the tandems riding in a similar fashion -- slow-ish on the uphills, faster than heck on the downhillls.

I'm curious, how well are bents at climbing?

totally dependent on the engine.

one summation i read is that, given the same engine in mountainous terrain, the DFs advantage going uphill is greater than the bents advantage going downhill thus overall the DF will be faster.

on flat ground, given the same engine, the aerodynamic advantage of the bent makes it faster.

i'd say my experience pretty much mirrors the above. although i have never ridden on flat ground.

'Bents are too varied in capabilities for blanket statements to be true all the time. But... a few observations from a bent rider.
1. Except for racing bents or ones with fairings, there is no aero advantage for a bent, or at best a minimal advantage.
2. Bents are almost always heavier than uprights.
3. Hill climbing is mostly about power-to-weight ratios. Heavier bikes, often ridden by heavier riders, translates into slower climbing.
4. Most 'bent riders in the US don't care that they're slower climbing, and have no intention of improving. Blaming the bent for this is "blaming the bike for the engine."

John Schlitter of Bacchetta just finishd 9th overall in the Race Across America. First 50+ finisher. I believe there was some climbing involved...
http://www.bacchettabikes.com/forum2/tm.asp?m=36904&mpage=26&key=

John Schlitter of Bacchetta just finishd 9th overall in the Race Across America. First 50+ finisher. I believe there was some climbing involved...
http://www.bacchettabikes.com/forum2/tm.asp?m=36904&mpage=26&key=

Quite an accomplishment. A 50+'er who takes off on a bent and crosses the USA in 11 days, 2 hours, and 50 minutes.

D.G.,Spend enough time in a decent recumbent shop and you'll meet folks
from all over the world. Last Sept. I spent a day testing recumbents in
a shop in Alfred Station N.Y. I met a gentleman from Mass., and another from
Ohio. The week before a gentleman from Austrailia had just been there for
the third time in as many years (he's also shopping for a retirement home
in the finger lakes). My point is, when it comes to buying a recumbent, and
knowing that you're buying the right one for you....no shop is too far away.

I've been to both The Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point Wisconsin and to
The Bicycle Man in Affred Station N.Y. The Hostel Shoppe is a nicer building
with a large staff and many bikes, the Bicycle Man has way more bikes but
is a smaller shop with a smaller staff. 35 miles to get to a good shop is not too bad,
I drove almost 90 to Alfred Station, and 70 or so from business in
Milwaukee to get to Stevens Point.

I'm curious, how well are bents at climbing?

I ride a Sun EZ Sport which is heavy and more of a Cruiser than a road bike
or touring bike. I take my time, gear down and up I go. Like many have said
already, it's the engine that climbs. If you're more interested in speed there
are 'bents designed for that use on both the flats and the hills.

Observatory Road is a steep hill in Morgan County Indiana. Pre-'bent, I made it up twice on a Novara Big Buzz hybrid (38/34-700) low). The last two summers, I've had to stop and walk a bit of the steepest part when I tried it on my 'bent (39/32-20"). On last year's ride, I did go on to ride up Robb Hill Road, another steep climb nearby. I'm planning to go down there again this summer.
No problems making it up the hills on Saturday of the Hilly Hundred the last two years. (Hilly Sundays are spent on our KHS tandem with my stoker/wife.)

Here's a video that was featured on the BROL site. In the couple of shots where the faired trike turns on the speed, it is very impressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE3KLphD73c