Fifty Plus (50+) - Hubby shopping for recumbent

My husband has an artificial shoulder and probably another one on the way in a year or two (osteoarthritis in both shoulders). He rides a hybrid (Trek 7500) and 2 road bikes (an early 70s vintage Schwinn Sports Tourer and a Specialized Roubaix), both with stems adjusted high to accommodate his shoulders.

He's been riding all 3 bikes a lot lately and the pain in both shoulders intensified this week -- the perfect excuse for n+1..... a recumbent.

He went to a recumbent shop today and looked at a few. He loved the way he felt while riding them. He likes the Rans Stratus (http://www.ransbikes.com/SXPAL07.htm) but is just beginning the search and this is new territory. Lots of recumbent riders in our group, so he plans to ask them for input. And I plan to go to the Recumbent forum for advice there as well.

I don't even know what to ask for him. It must climb hills well and be stable. Can anyone point out the highlights to look for while shopping for a 'bent? Advantages/disadvantages of a smaller front wheel (or not), pedals forward, a price range for good quality without breaking the bank?

I've seen some recumbent riders that seem a little wobbly, and I wonder if that is the rider or the bike.

I suggested that he ride only the Trek and Schwinn for a while and see if his shoulders feel better. If not, then a recumbent is most likely in his future so he can continue to ride. In that case, he'll probably sell the Roubaix.

n+1.... it never ends.:rolleyes:

I'm a relative newbee to 'bents but I've read a lot of good things about
the Rans Stratus. Best advise I ever read was to test ride, test ride,
and then test ride some more. I can't offer any insight in regards to
SWB vs. LWB as I've only this week aquired a SWB of my own. I do know
first hand that my low end LWB rides like a dream. It's a bike I can sit
on all day long. After riding enough recumbents, he'll know which one feels
the best for him.

The wobble could be part of a learning curve, or just normal aquisition
of balance during start-up. I still wobble a little sometimes.

There's a lot of good info here http://www.bicycleman.com/recumbents/recumbents.htm
that might help some. Peter actually owns the Linear Co., he
knows what he's doing and his reviews touch on a lot of pros and cons.

p.s. Go along with your husband and try a few yourself, we won't tell
anyone. You might be in for a suprise.

Happy Hunting and Happy Trails

Check out BentupCycles in Van Nuys. Your hubby should test ride everything he can lay his hands on, whether racing or not, expensive or cheap, heavy or light, long wheelbase or short, 2-wheel or trike. For climbing he will want fairly light weight, but do the test rides anyway; they are fun and they build an experience base so he can choose intelligently!

A good rider will learn to not wobble, a MUPpet won't worry about it and will wobble forever.

You will notice that I'm not recommending anything in particular. You can safely ignore anybody who does, because all they're doing is telling you what they ride and like. And they are not your hubby.

The advantage of same-size wheels is that you don't have to keep two sizes of tires and tubes in stock. Some owners will gush about how same-size wheels make a bike handle better, but it's all personal preference. Geometry, not tire size, determines handling.

My favorite is probably the Rans Stratus. But you have to get in multiple rides, on multiple types of recumbents. The ride experience is so different, you can't make a reliable judgment after just a few rides.

See if anyone rents recumbents ... a couple of shops do that here. Rent one for several hours. Then if they have multiple choices for rentals, rent a different one.

Some brands you might consider:

http://www.bacchettabikes.com/
http://actionbent.com/
http://www.cyclegenius.com/models.html
http://linearrecumbent.com/
http://www.easyracers.com/
http://www.volaerecumbents.com/2007/volae_recumbents.php
http://www.ransbikes.com/
http://www.sunbicycles.com/sun/index.html
http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/streamer/index_e.html

The Stratus is a Long Wheel Base recumbent, whilch may well be the style that is most comfortable for him. When trying other LWB's, he should pay close attention to the dilfference between seat height and bottom bracket height. A low bottom bracket, relative to the seat, means a more upright riding position. A higher bottom bracket means a more leaned back position. Which is best for him is purely a matter of personal preference. He will need several rides before deciding. He should take his time. bk

. . . I've seen some recumbent riders that seem a little wobbly, and I wonder if that is the rider or the bike.

I think your husband is already getting good advice here.

The wobbles are a combination of bike, rider and speed. When your husband begins to test bikes, he may find them difficult to ride. Being a good or even excellent DF rider can be as much hindrance as help in first riding a bent. In case he finds test rides a challenge. these time-tested hints may help.


Relax
Choose a large area like a parking lot
Relax.
Make sure the bike is in a lowish gear -- maybe middle ring large cog
Relax
Settle back in the seat.
Relax.
Get your favorite leg in position for a power stroke.
Relax
Use the brakes to hold yourself in position
Relax
Remind yourself that no body english is required
Relax
Release the brake as you make a strong steady pedal stroke
Stay relaxed and keep pedaling for a bit
Spend a few minutes getting good at starts and stops


After that. it's ride, ride, ride. When (not if) he finds things getting a bit difficult, the fix is to relax arms and body core.

Finding the best seat position can take some trial and error too. Even a slight adjustment can make a huge difference in comfort level and body mechanics. When you find the right spot it feels very natural (once you've overcome that first few minutes of getting acclimated to riding a bent).

+1 on the recommendations for lots of test rides, and longer test rides are better.

I'd echo lots of test rides, etc.
Wobble can be partly the bike (my first bent wobbled when I got slower than about 5mph and I was told it didn't have enough "rake") and partly the rider. If the latter, it will improve or go away with time.
The stratus is a great LWB bent and the long wheel base ones with the lower bottom btrackets (pedals) ar the easiest to ride. Just jump on and go, almost no learning curve!
I have a Rans V3 which is somewhat like the Stratus except that the pedals are a bit higher and you are in a slightly more laid back position. Pedals are lower and you are a bit more upright in a Stratus.
Lots of good bikes for him out there!

Thanks everyone. I'll show this post to him -- I appreciate all of your replies!

After trying some bikes at different shops and riding one that was loaned to him by a member of our bike group, he seems settled on the Rans Stratus XP (http://www.ransbikes.com/SXP07.htm). He likes the LWB best and the grips are in the right place for his arms to prevent shoulder strain/pain while riding.

But first he wants to sell the Roubaix to pay for the 'bent.:( He feels bad about it, but I'm trying to encourage him to move on and not look back. Whatever keeps him riding, that's what's important.

His '72 Schwinn Sports Tourer and the Trek 7500 don't cause his shoulders as much agony as the more aggressive geometry of the Roubaix, though it has a comfortable geometry as road bikes go. Just not enough for someone with arthritic shoulders.

He has good taste. That is my favorite recumbent. Very comfortable ride on that long steel frame.

Thanks Tom. I'll tell him you said so. :thumb: I read good things about it in the Recumbent forum.

The Stratus XP is an excellent choice. I love mine.

I'm about 250 miles into my new V-Rex. Love the Rex! The only reason I steered away from a Stratus or V2 or V3 was because of storage and transport hassle factors. My Tailwind is long enough!
I think one of the RANS long wheelbase models would great fun to ride.

Good to know that Bud, thanks.

JanMM: We're wondering about the best way to transport it in our rack. The rack is the type which supports the wheels rather than the frame. With the LWB we're wondering about that.

Is the rack long enough for the Stratus? How wide is the vehicle? I can hang my Tailwind on a basic Graber rack on the back of a car with minimal overhang but that's only because of dual 20" wheels. You don't have a van, do you? We transport our tandem right down the middle of our Mazda MPV. We have a Thule tandem roof rack, too, but sticking it inside is much easier.

We have this bike rack (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=22745&subcategory_ID=4411). The wheels sit into the grooves (for lack of a better word); the bikes don't hang on it. And we don't have a van. A roof rack is out of the question for someone with bad shoulders.

Looks as if the wheelbase of a standard frame Stratus XP is 68" and that rack can only accept a max. 58" wheelbase. What's Plan B?
There may be some other hitch racks which would accomodate a long wheelbase bent.

We'll ask around in our group. Lots of them ride recumbents. Thanks for the info...

It is going to be very difficult to carry a Stratus XP hung lengthwise across the back of a vehicle. With both wheels on, even the standard size is 92.5" long. That's almost 8'. If you take the front wheel off, that would reduce it closer to 80". That might be manageable on a special carrier.

This is always a problem with the LWB bents.

I got very lucky with my Sun EZ-Rider CLWB. Even with both wheels on, it just barely fits inside of my compact Acura Integra hatchback. I couldn't believe it when I got it in there. It looked impossible. My car is only 178" long, which is about a foot shorter than a Honda Accord.

At the Rans site there's a review of this bike with a photo showing it on a rack on the back of a PT Cruiser. It sticks out quite a bit on both sides, just enough for an inattentive driver to clip it while passing.:eek:

With one of the wheels off and with it centered on the back of a vehicle, there should be only about 6" or so of overhang. Normally that shouldn't be a problem.

Did he try any short wheelbase bents? They can take more time to get used to, but that design is more popular than the LWB models. The SWB bents have wheelbases of less than 50" and would fit your current rack.

This one would hold a Stratus XP

http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1027022491

But for a price.

This one is less expensive, and would hold some LWB bents, up to 67".

http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1187361880

He tried a few SWB and said he likes the LWB better. I'll tell him what you said about them though....

Have you or he visited this site?

http://www.bentrideronline.com/

It must have about 50X more usage than the Recumbents forum here.

Yen, I agree that the Rans Stratus is a great choice and I can appreciate the
transport issue with the LWB. Having studied your hitch rack picture on the link
that you provided I can't help but notice an opportunity. If hubby or a freind
is somewhat handy, why not affix a 1 X 6 board of the appropriate length,
flat onto the rack and attach the bike onto the board? Should be a pretty
easy thing to do with a couple u-bolts and very cost effective too. Just affix it to the wheel trays and fasten the wheels to the board. The rack already has the hook for holding the top part of the frame. No need to buy a new rack.

I'm planning on doing a similar type of retrofit to my old Hollywood Team rack to
transport my LWB behind my Van which will allow me to put my sofa-bed back
in the van. One thing I'm starting to learn about the "Recumbent World" is that
it's a world limited only by one's imagination.

Happy trails

This is my first posting.

I loved my RANS Tilwind, Stratus and more recently my V-Rex. JUST sold my V-Rex because of different joint issues at the other end of the body.....and am now looking at a Robaix. Am sure your husband will be thrilled with the comfortable and fun ride of the Stratus.....as you will for him.
Enjoy,
Bob

Jen,

Tom is right. The Draftmaster would be the best rack for carrying that bike. You can find a better price on it than the Hostel Shoppe he linked to, though.

We use the same Xport rack you have on my wife's car. You can fit a longer bike on it by turning the hoops upside down, but I still don't think it will be long enough for the SXP. I modified mine, adding enough square tubing that it will hold a bike as long as the SXP. I don't like to carry a bike that long sideways, though. But for a short drive, it works fine. The second photo below shows a RANS X-Stream prototype bike on my modified Xport. I don't know the X-Stream's exact wheelbase, but it's close to the SXP.

Most of the time, when I don't start my ride from my driveway (which is what I normally do on the SXP - it's my weekday evening ride), I take one of my shorter bikes. On the rare occasion that I travel with either of my longest bikes (the SXP and an EZ Tandem), I use a different setup (made from a bed extender and borrowed parts from the Xport) and use the back of my truck. The first photo below shows the tandem. I carry the SXP the same way.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x5/Bud_Bent/tarack1.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/RBENT%20RANS%20visit/RT161.jpg

I've seen some recumbent riders that seem a little wobbly, and I wonder if that is the rider or the bike.



n+1.... it never ends.:rolleyes:

We're looking at options for Mrs. Road Fan, who's spinal problems are returning in the form of spinal stenosis. I'm following your thread just to learn and find resources.

But, wobbliness! the photo of that Rans Stratus shows a head tube angle that is VERY laid back by the standards of any standard-configuration road bike, including a tandem. I don't think the principles of bicycle steering and stability are different for a long bike and a standard bike - could these bikes have odd steering geometry that does not provide as much inherent stability as, say, the Roubaix?

Road Fan

We're looking at options for Mrs. Road Fan, who's spinal problems are returning in the form of spinal stenosis. I'm following your thread just to learn and find resources.

But, wobbliness! the photo of that Rans Stratus shows a head tube angle that is VERY laid back by the standards of any standard-configuration road bike, including a tandem. I don't think the principles of bicycle steering and stability are different for a long bike and a standard bike - could these bikes have odd steering geometry that does not provide as much inherent stability as, say, the Roubaix?

Road Fan

The lwb recumbents have a steep head tube angle because that's the only way to get the handlebar back to the rider without a lot of steering tiller (unless you use a remote steering setup, which a few bikes do). I think it's really mostly the long wheelbase that causes slow speed wobble, though. At speed, lwb bikes are very stable. And with experience, the slow speed wobble gets better.

The lwb recumbents have a steep head tube angle because that's the only way to get the handlebar back to the rider without a lot of steering tiller (unless you use a remote steering setup, which a few bikes do). I think it's really mostly the long wheelbase that causes slow speed wobble, though. At speed, lwb bikes are very stable. And with experience, the slow speed wobble gets better.

...and they do have much more fork rake than an upright, which combined with the slack (not "steep" - that means more upright) head angle gives trail equivalent to that of a df. Trail the biggest (tho' by no means the only) factor in determining steering characteristics.

A lot of the wobbling you see is due to the fact that balancing on a 'bent is not quite the same as on a df - the "body english" that you almost unconsciously use on a df is much more difficult on a 'bent thanks to the reclined positon and "full contact" seat. Watch an experienced 'bent rider, and you'll see much less wobbling.

SP

I have the Stratus XP and the same carrier as the original poster. I take the front wheel off, turn it around and attach it to a universal mount that I've zip tied to the front wheel holder. It is like this one:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=3702&subcategory_ID=4413
You can also buy an extender from Hollywood racks that will fit this carrier and let you place the XP on it without removing the wheel. I've thought about getting one, but the process doesn't take me very long now and I've decided to save the seventy bucks that it costs.

...and they do have much more fork rake than an upright, which combined with the slack (not "steep" - that means more upright) head angle gives trail equivalent to that of a df. Trail the biggest (tho' by no means the only) factor in determining steering characteristics.

A lot of the wobbling you see is due to the fact that balancing on a 'bent is not quite the same as on a df - the "body english" that you almost unconsciously use on a df is much more difficult on a 'bent thanks to the reclined positon and "full contact" seat. Watch an experienced 'bent rider, and you'll see much less wobbling.

SP

Oops, I stand corrected - slack head angle. Yes, lower to the ground and more reclined contribute to slow speed wobble, but it does seem most pronounced on a long wheelbase bike, until you get used to riding one.

I should also mention that I have a friend who takes the seat off his SXP and carries it on one of those regular bike racks, the kind where you just velcro strap the top tube to the rack. He's been doing that for a couple of years and has never lost his bike, but I'd never have the guts to try that.

The Rans Stratus is a fine LWB recumbent for someone starting out on 'bents. If he buys one, be sure to have him get the three way adjustable handlebars. Their adjustability can help eliminate lots of hand/wrist and shoulder pain by allowing a setup that is ergonomic for him. bk

Don't know what access you have to a "handyman" ( or if you or hubby is one) who might be able to 'adapt' one end of your rack to accept the front of the Stratus without wheel. I have made several special racks to hold my recumbents... have not done it yet for my Stratus.
Good luck in your continued looking...bike and rack.

Above post made before looking at second page,,,but it still applies.

Did he try riding one of these? http://www.catrike.com/ Before I had surgery on my hand I was looking at bikes you could ride with one hand and these were great. When riding them your arms are similar to when your hands are in your lap. It would probably be good for someone with shoulder problems, they don't wobble and are are suprizingly fast.

My husband has an artificial shoulder and probably another one on the way in a year or two (osteoarthritis in both shoulders). He rides a hybrid (Trek 7500) and 2 road bikes (an early 70s vintage Schwinn Sports Tourer and a Specialized Roubaix), both with stems adjusted high to accommodate his shoulders.

He's been riding all 3 bikes a lot lately and the pain in both shoulders intensified this week -- the perfect excuse for n+1..... a recumbent.

He went to a recumbent shop today and looked at a few. He loved the way he felt while riding them. He likes the Rans Stratus (http://www.ransbikes.com/SXPAL07.htm) but is just beginning the search and this is new territory. Lots of recumbent riders in our group, so he plans to ask them for input. And I plan to go to the Recumbent forum for advice there as well.

I don't even know what to ask for him. It must climb hills well and be stable. Can anyone point out the highlights to look for while shopping for a 'bent? Advantages/disadvantages of a smaller front wheel (or not), pedals forward, a price range for good quality without breaking the bank?

I've seen some recumbent riders that seem a little wobbly, and I wonder if that is the rider or the bike.

I suggested that he ride only the Trek and Schwinn for a while and see if his shoulders feel better. If not, then a recumbent is most likely in his future so he can continue to ride. In that case, he'll probably sell the Roubaix.

n+1.... it never ends.:rolleyes:

I'm curious as to why he has pain in an artificial shoulder. Isn't the point of an artificial joint to restore function and eliminate pain?

I want to thank everyone for your suggestions and comments, and tips for transporting a Stratus with the rack we have now.

Now I'll try to set some things straight. :)

I think the wobbliness I observed was from a relatively new rider and the pace was slow. I don't observe that in the more experienced/stronger riders or at a faster pace.

I showed him BentriderOnline.com and I'm sure he'll be spending time there, just as I do here. :) Maybe; he's not a forum participant but he'll at least read them.

The pain in his artificial shoulder may be some scar tissue or adhesions or something that is left over from the grueling PT (aka "Pain and Torture") that he endured for weeks after the surgery. Most of the time it does not hurt at all and the artificial shoulder gave him his life back. He can reach into his back pocket, comb his hair, put deoderant under the other arm -- things that most of us take for granted but they were excruciatingly painful before his surgery. Of course, he can also do everything else (OK, except 1-arm push-ups on that shoulder, hanging from a tree with one hand, rock-climbing, walking on his hands ... :rolleyes:).

Thanks again for all of your help and suggestions. I'll keep you posted as things develop.

Jen

Before I had surgery on my hand I was looking at bikes you could ride with one hand and these were great. When riding them your arms are similar to when your hands are in your lap. It would probably be good for someone with shoulder problems, they don't wobble and are are suprizingly fast.

Those are trikes, not bikes.
Neither of my recumbent bikes wobbles.

Might as well check out trikes while hubby is at it. They would be easier on the shoulders. Personally I don't like being that low, but maybe I need to ride them more. And as I have no balance problems on my bent, I don't have a strong reason to think trike.