Recumbent - Once you've gone 'bent' have you ever gone back?

I've owned a Tailwind for several years but there is this siren song that urges me to pick up a diamond frame again. Perhaps 'this time' I'll spend some money on a different Brooks / Alternative seat or spend the cash to get fitted by a professional. Maybe even purchase a custom frame in the process made specifically for my body.

Anyone else in the same boat?

I've owned a Tailwind for several years but there is this siren song that urges me to pick up a diamond frame again. Perhaps 'this time' I'll spend some money on a different Brooks / Alternative seat or spend the cash to get fitted by a professional. Maybe even purchase a custom frame in the process made specifically for my body.

Anyone else in the same boat?

When I got into cycling in April 2008, I bought a cheap hybrid. Comfort issues led to me buying a Bacchetta Agio LWB for commuting in July. For many months, I rarely rode the hybrid.

I have found that I can turn around and look behind me better on the upright bike. Yes, I use a mirror, but turning around is better. This allows me to ride through some hairy traffic with a bit more confidence.

So, I made some changes to the upright bike(new bars and Brooks saddle), and now do most of my commuting on the upright bike.

I still love my 'bent. I love the comfort and style. I will continue to ride it for longer rides, but I no longer see having a 'bent as necessary to riding.

Now that I can do longer rides on the upright, and can easily haul it on my car (I can't haul the 'bent), I'm planning on driving to Michigan to visit family (in the summer), then riding 60 miles to visit a friend, spend the night, and ride back the next day.

Oh, and my next bike will probably be a Surly LHT. :)

My lowracer is the fastest and most comfortable bike I own but I have other bikes I acquired afterwards for features of riding and transport the bent is less adaptable to: the MTB for trail rides, the Pista for the shorter training rides or dash to the market, the folder for the serendipitous riding opportunities on a car trip with it stashed in the back. I'm usually in full kit on the bent but not usually so on the others, except for a helmet and maybe fingerless gloves.

I tried my df a few times but it feels like I am going to tumble off forward. plus the cranks feel like they are about 50mm even though they are the same length.
Plus my butt hurt right away.

There's no way on God's Earth that I would, or could, go back to DF bikes. I have major arthritis in my shoulders, and can take no weight on my arms. 'Bents are the only answer to my problems, and there is also the bonus of riding something different rather than following the herd. I only wish that more riders would discover the incredible comfort of 'bents. Even the best custom fit sessions can only make DFs tolerable, while 'bents mean that neck angles are right and allow perfect vision, their seat angles mean that the ribcage is open and not cramped - I could go on and on. DFs are torture.

I hate to admit this, but I had a chance to pick up a 2005 Specialized Roubaix Pro with all new 2008 Campy components this week for less than I could have bought the group retail, so I bought it. Then, I rode it twice this week for a total of 50 miles.

Now, I haven't ridden an upright single bike since November of 2003 (I do ride an upright tandem) which is about 40,000 miles ago but I can see where I could get interested in riding a DF again. The bike was smooth, fast, and the handling is so easy. I could get addicted again, I think. However, my arthritic neck did complain a lot after the second ride, so I don't know... ;)

My bike isn't a true recumbent (Giant Revive). It has been my commuter for the last 4 years. Lately I've been perusing Craigslist for a full suspension mountain bike frame to make a townie out of. When I go mountain biking, I notice it works my upper body out more, and my legs in a different way. I thought since I ride street and path more than single track, I might like another commuter that gives my muscles a different workout.

In the middle 80's, while I was living in Maryland I rode a DeFelice Bitubular Recumbent. It was a long wheelbase bike with a mesh seat, and had Sachs expanding drum brakes and biopace chainrings. Long and springy, 20" front wheel, 26" rear, but weighed about 50lbs as it was made of mild steel. I rode it for several years, and got tired of hauling it around and it's poor hill climbing ability (or mine???). So I sold it, and went to a Releigh Technum Aluminum commuter bike that I had for the next 14 years. It fit well, and was about impossible to break.

When we moved to Florida a few years ago, I was in the position to start riding to and from work so I bought an Actionbent Jetstream I, short wheelbase recumbent and rode it for about 4000 miles back and forth to work, until the guy ran over me with the tractor and dislocated my left knee.

After more than a year off bikes to heal up completely, I sold the Actionbent and bought a Catrike Trail recumbent trike. Man, I'll NEVER go back to a diamond frame again! The catrike is just too much fun to ride and I get on it weekends and run errands and ride for fun.

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

I have found that I can turn around and look behind me better on the upright bike. Yes, I use a mirror, but turning around is better. This allows me to ride through some hairy traffic with a bit more confidence.



I found this also. It gives a different "feeling".
I still have one roadbike hanging in the garage, but it hasn't been out in over a year.

As dcrowell said, I like my df for it's handling qualities, however on longer rides I enjoy the comfort of my bent.

I kept my DF when I started commuting on my 'bent, expecting that I would use it for a backup. All I've done with it is scavenge a few parts for the 'bent. I just can't imagine going back to that seat for any kind of distance.

Every now and again I think about a DF bike. But the reasons I have a 'bent are just too numerous for it to be a real consideration. IF I do ride my poor neglected DF again it will have to be when my back gets stronger and then I'll probably only use it for short jaunts downtown or something. Mostly because of ease of getting it out. My trike stays in the apartment and is a 15 min ordeal to wrestle out the door. Bike is kept in the bike room in the basement of the building and would be 3 min to get out. I think for distance rides and touring it will always be my trike. No saddle sores, no screaming wrists, no walking up hills, no crippling back. :thumb: for my recumbent!

I have ridden my wife's crank forward. My remaining DF needs to have the rear wheel trued and the tires replaced (the are flat and sat on the flat tires too long, I am not confident about them). I do enjoy my wifes bike though, the Rans Cruz.

I own a Gold Rush, but most of my riding is still on DFs. I love the GRR for rides in the country and want to tour on it, but I can't leave it at a park and ride lot or put it on a bus. My mountain bike steals a lot of mileage from it too, especially in the summer.

I enjoy both upright and recumbent bikes. It goes in waves a bit though, and at the moment I'm riding my uprights much more than my recumbent. In fact I'm considering selling the 'bent - there's nothing wrong with it, but my uprights just make me happy in a simple and uncomplicated way. With my bent, it's more complicated - it's certainly fun and comfortable, but it sucks in this car-dominated country and I also hate being last up every hill on group rides. On balance, I really don't know....

A guy should get kissed for what a DF saddle does to him. I will stick to bents.

I rode a P-38 for several years but sold it when I decided riding in this city wasn't worth the hassle. A couple years later, I wanted to ride again but couldn't afford another P-38, so I got an EZ-1. That bike was eventually stolen but it came after it had spent more time in the garage than out.

About five months ago, I started commuting on an old hybrid. I actually enjoyed riding that bike, especially short jaunts like running for some groceries, or a quick trip to the taco stand. But I was still having problems with numb hands on my commute. I decided to get a new bike that had "city" bars (a Jamis Commuter 3.0). It's a great bike, and I love the Nexus internal gear hub; however, despite trying several adjustments, I still am having problems with my hands. Today for the first time, I found myself longing for my P-38. Wish I had never sold that thing.

I still ride my DF bikes. Mostly 2 folders and my mountain bike when I want to ride a trail. But whenever I do my regular training or do centuries/brevets I much prefer my Challenge Fujin. It is a "saaawweeet" bike. :thumb:

A guy should get kissed for what a DF saddle does to him.

Is that an offer? :D

I've owned a Tailwind for several years but there is this siren song that urges me to pick up a diamond frame again. ... Anyone else in the same boat?
Not me.

I gave away my last diamond frame shortly after I bought the first recumbent, and haven't ever wanted an upright bike since.

I did buy a RANS Fusion (semi-upright) a few years later, but only because so many people who had recumbents said it was so nice to ride. It is not very good for fast riding or for off-road use, but for moderate-speed cruising it does very well.
~

Picked up a used Tailwind in the spring of 2006 and it has been my main ride, by far, until I upgraded to a new V-Rex this past August. The only significant upright miles I have put on since then have been on a tandem. We would consider a RANS tandem except that from all that I've heard, we would have a harder time 'bent getting up the worst of the Hills on the Hilly Hundred every Fall.
I swear I am going to get rid of at least one of my two hybrids this year.

I still have a hybrid which I use for commuting, night rides and winter riding, all of which tend to be fairly short by nature. I occasionally find myself looking at a new wedgie, but then common sense takes over and I realize I wouldn't ride it enough to justify the expense.

After switching out bars and saddle on my hybrid, it became my primary commuter. Now, I seem to have damaged the rear wheel, so once some snow clears, I'll be back on the 'bent.

However, I am participating in a two-day, 150-mile charity ride later this year. I will ride the 'bent for that one. :thumb:

Switched to my Vision when riding a DF became too painful. Much time has passed and the memories of those painful miles have faded.

When I see things like this, I think maybe...
pcad's new bike (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=508080)

But I know the old aches and pains would return. Maybe I should go by the LBS just to give it a go? :innocent:

I never gave up df even though I have now collected 6 bents. I still love my mtb, road, folder and ss bikes.

I still ride DFs from time to time, I like both designs. Naturally I see the clear advantages of the bent and love to ride it, but the truth is I am a little bit bipolar in my moods and sometimes I just don't feel like getting the attention and ride an inconspicuous DF, whereas sometimes it's open season and bent all the way, it all depends.

Is that an offer? :D

LOL, that is funnier than you thought it might be.


Considering getting a Selle SMP. My SO is riding Le Etape du Tour this summer. He has been training since he got a slot for the ride.
After that we will ride parts of France. Will have to rent a DF because rental bents are hard to find. Will have to ride my DF to condition those muscles in preparation for the trip.
Rented a great DF when we were there last year, but that was before I got a 'bent.

All my friends know the low rider...and I'm staying there.

LOL, that is funnier than you thought it might be.


Considering getting a Selle SMP. My SO is riding Le Etape du Tour this summer. He has been training since he got a slot for the ride.
After that we will ride parts of France. Will have to rent a DF because rental bents are hard to find. Will have to ride my DF to condition those muscles in preparation for the trip.
Rented a great DF when we were there last year, but that was before I got a 'bent.


Hey, being funnier than I tried is a bonus! :D

Re: upright bikes: That's sort of where I am. I've been riding bents since 2003 except for riding an upright tandem with my wife, but I have friends that take tours and, usually mountainous, and keep asking me to go along. This is the first year that I might have the time off to do it. Traveling by plane with an upright would solve a lot of problems as well as "fitting in" a little better with the guys.

Anyway, I've gotten more miles on a DF in the last two weeks than I have my bents trying to get some upright muscles again.

I ride both Dfs and Bents and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. One thing is a properly set up DF can be a vehicle of great joy especialy with a Brooks:thumb:...........

i tell ya i must be the only 300lb guy on the forums. everyone rides so fast and far, i could never ride with anyone from here. but i bought a sun usx from a co-worker last summer and my buddy bought the other one. we took a 20 mile ride 2 usx and 2 df. after half way we all traded. the 2df riders took off on our usx so happy that their rears wernt hurting. and me my wrist, my rear, my neck were killing me in about no time flat. even if i ever get in shape again i will always ride a bent, the only diff would be to upgrade to a better one.

I'd go back to a DF bike in a heartbeat if my body could take it. I find the handling and overall feel of a DF road bike to be unmatchable.

I own 2 bents and 3 DFs. Last year I split my time about 50-50 between the two types, but towards the end of the year, was riding on my bents about 80% of time. Both bents are LWB and can be a pain to transport, but are such a joy to ride. The DFs are easier "grab and go" bikes.

Don't know what my split will be in '09, but I suspect it will be heavily toward my bents. Except for lunch hour excursions at work on my DF folder.

I've got 2 seasons on my 'bent and wouldn't consider going back to DF. I tried one for a couple of minutes last summer and quickly decided "never again"! My biggest regret is that I waited so long to get my 'bent. I'm in my early 60's with a moderate case of spinal stenosis at the base of my neck. If it weren't for my 'bent I would merely be a spectator.

I've owned a Tailwind for several years but there is this siren song that urges me to pick up a diamond frame again. Perhaps 'this time' I'll spend some money on a different Brooks / Alternative seat or spend the cash to get fitted by a professional. Maybe even purchase a custom frame in the process made specifically for my body.

Anyone else in the same boat?

Yep. I never really gave up diamond frames even when all my riding was on my Lightning. Then I found that WTB saddles and a more upright position made upright riding tolerable. Now my garage is split down the middle: 5 uprights, 5 recumbents (http://home.comcast.net/~jeff_wills/Gallery/index.html). Of course, 2 of the recumbents are my wife's. She tried an upright a couple years ago- didn't like it, so we got rid of it.

I like the uprights for their different designs, but the Gold Rush is all-day comfy. It's my favorite.

Well, I've now made two complete cycles= DF ->Bent->DF->Bent. When I started commuting a few months ago on an old hybrid, I was really enjoying it. I especially liked when I just hopped on and rode errands. Getting out of the saddle and just jamming reminded me of "the goodle days." But even after several attempts at adjustments including buying a new bike, I kept having problems with hand numbness. Today I did my first commute on my EZ-1SC and it was great. The circumstances in obtaining this bike weren't a lot of fun (documented in other threads), but this is definitely a case of "all's well that ends well!"

Glad to be Re-Bent!!:)

I kept my DF intending to ride both. After the DF collected enough dust I parted it out on ebay. Never going back.

I switch back and forth between my 'bent and a beach cruiser. The 'bent is better for longer distances where I know I can safely stash it at the end. The cruiser is good for short runs to the store.

I just broke my DF again... so back to the 'bent for a while.

Though 95% plus of my annual miles are bent, I still enjoy riding a DF, mostly just in the neighborhood or trails too tough for bents but easy enough for relaxed riding.

I kept making excuses not to ride my Greenspeed to the store -- namely, I didn't want to risk it being stolen. Those things aren't cheap. So I got a low-end Trek hybrid, and have used that a few times. The steering on the Trek seems very very twitchy to me, and after the super-low position of the Greenspeed, I feel like the Trek is about ten feet tall.

I don't regret buying the Trek (not an expensive model, after all) but I can't say I find it very comfortable after riding the Greenspeed.

Another negative factor with the Trek has nothing to do with the bike itself, just the conditions on my first few rides. My very first ride on the Trek I got caught in a downpour. Not prepared for rain at all, soaked to the bone by the time I got home. My second ride was too late in the day in Arizona sun, and I crisped thoroughly (the strong headwind on the way home didn't help). So I almost feel like the universe is telling me that the Greenspeed is the ride for me. Even my worst rides on the Greenspeed haven't compared to the first couple of rides on the Trek.

But I still don't ride the Greenspeed to the store, the Trek has worked out fine for that sort of thing.

I got 'bent about a year and a half ago, and haven't ridden a df since. I did try a couple of times, on my mtb and my rando bike, but they both felt so weird and uncomfortable that I haven't bothered since. And this after riding df's for 45 years straight.

SP
Bend, OR

i got a ez-1 sx last november and loving it more every day. the df's i had in the past were sold or put to collect dust after a couple of rides. just cannot stand that saddle! but two months ago i tried a pedal forward beach cruiser (i think the brand name was "american flyer") and found it comfortable for short rides even though the saddle wasn't to my complete liking. thought that using a noseless, well padded saddle should feel better. well, i ordered a fuji pedal forward as a backup bike and will change the saddle to see if it will indeed be comfortable for me. if it is not, it will make a good loaner for someone to go riding with me. i also considered the "giant suede" and the "electra townie" but the fuji is "more pedal forward" than the giant and costs less than both (much less than the electra). the bike should arrive next week; will tell you about it.

Me arse tells me to stay bent!! I do so enjoy riding that lawn chair!

I've been riding bents since 2001, but never entirely gave up DFs. I still enjoy them (have a mtb), but only for short rides. I feel like I'm sitting way up high and like the handling of a DF.

I have a RANS Fusion crank forward bike and it feels a lot like a combo of a long wheel base bent and DF, so it is a nice compromise. Sweetest in the stable is the trike, and if I could have only one that would be it. But then I just basically love bicycles, period.

I'm back on DF's, and darn if I'm not enjoying it more than I wanted to. I had a opportunity to Race RAAM this year, the only stipulation was I had to do it on a DF. It was an adventure that just couldn't be passed up, so late last year I bought a new low end upright off the internet. It fit pretty well and I've been doing some semi-serious rides on it. My team bike (an Orbea) should be arriving in the next couple weeks. My training partner is a died in the wool roadie, and it's been fun riding eye to eye with him.

Prior to recumbents, I spent 17 years on uprights. Liked them alot, but the last bike I bought, just never fit me right. After discovering recumbents, the joy in riding came back, and subsequently I've ridden, over 30k miles on various makes and configurations. As a bonus, I've met and shared the road with some of the nicest people in the world. So now, I'm a bit torn. I've ridden the Bents less than 100 miles so far this year. Some of it is the need to bond with the upright and train for the event, but some of it is I'm having fun on the DF's.
I'm not sure where this will all lead, a year ago, I couldn't have imagined I'd be writing about this now.
I think when I strip away the goal for this year, I'll settle back to my laid back ride, there are so many good things about recumbents. the comfort, visibility, utility, culture. The Road bikes though, have sparked that racer dude in me, that still wants to come out and play. The irony is I bought my first recumbent so I could do a cross country ride. I was planning on just riding that platform until the cross country trip, then return to my DF. Well that cross country trip never happened, but I kept the bent and sold the road bikes. Now I've taken up Road bikes to ride cross country.... It will be interesting to see where the road leads me. Never say never...
Denny
The race team site
www.teamtype2.com click on team type 2

I've owned a Tailwind for several years but there is this siren song that urges me to pick up a diamond frame again. Perhaps 'this time' I'll spend some money on a different Brooks / Alternative seat or spend the cash to get fitted by a professional. Maybe even purchase a custom frame in the process made specifically for my body.

Anyone else in the same boat?

I've just ended my 3rd stint on bents and gone back to DFs.I have no comfort issues on DFs and actually prefer the ride to my bents.

Bicycle types are just tools to get around... ;)

The most appropriate tool for my situation happens to be recumbents, but I'll also use uprights for other situations.

Sometimes, I'll even carry my recumbent (Thunderbird 4) inside my car (Thunderbird 2) for cycling missions a long distance away from home (Tracy Island)

Never! My wife rides my last df - she's happy, I'm happy. She likes to 'go fast', I like to smell the roses and enjoy the view (which is way better on a recumbent trike). A big plus is that it takes a major effort or serious overserving to fall off my Scorp.

I went on a 3+ hour ride on my road bike on saturday, and also rode in to work on it this morning. It's still very fun to ride, although the pain in the rear left over from saturday's ride reminds me why I love bents so much.

Also going downhill on a DF is never going to be as fun as on a bent!