Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - recumbents only answer for long distance

For long distance or multi day riding, the recumbent is the only logical answer. More and more xcountry cyclist are turning to recumbents. All of the advantages of recumbent come to the fore with them. Comfort being the natural number one. Second is speed and safety. Third is the fact you set upright and see the scenery. But------number one is the main thing. You can ride all day, you will get tired, but nothng hurts. Pain is for the ignorant!!!!

and yet the Peliton (sp?) of that 3,000 plus mile race over in France continues to ride conventional's, 90+% of touring riders use an upright, uprights probably out sell recumbents 99 to 1, major manufactures who have a "touring bike" in the line up has a standard upright as the touring model ... racks and other touring gear is hard to find for a recumbent ...

A conventional bike properly set up is every bit as comfortable as a recumbent, which in some cases, is harder for traffic to see because it is lower to the ground.

If you are touring on a bicycle, what difference does it make if the recumbent might be a little faster? What's you hurry?

hehe . . . "While we're at it, you recumbent people scare me a little. Don't bring that lumbering f**king thing anywhere near me."

While bent riders claim they can see well, it's tough to see a bent in traffic.
Over 300,000 miles of non-bent riding . . . nuttin' hurts either!
Have ridden several bents, not impressed . . . and they are s-l-o-w climbing but bit faster on downhills. Have done 53 mph going down mountains in northern Arizona on upright bike. Have you gone faster on your bent?
Ride what you want, and I'll ride what I want.

i was seriously considering buying one of these
http://www.go-one.us/
until i realized i needed to find a parking spot for it.

First let me say ... I would love to own a recumbent.

But as for the comment about them being pain-free. Not true. You've got to set the recumbent up correctly just like you do for an upright bicycle, or you will experience all sorts of knee/hip/ankle difficulties. And what about recumbutt? That pain in the upper part of your butt/lower back you get when you've been sitting for hours and hours and hours?

Because the op didn't mention rebumbutt, I have to wonder how long his/her longest ride has been. A metric century? A century?

I have done four 1200K events, a couple 24-hour TTs, and numerous other long distance riding on my upright bicycle, and when it is set up correctly, I can do those with no pain other than the general soreness of fatigue because of being on the bicycle that long.

There are definitely some strong recumbent riders out there doing brevets, but they are only a tiny minority. I suspect that situation will not change any time soon.

don't recumbents collect sweat on your backside? After 90 hours in the saddle I bet your backside looks like a prune.

I agree that recumbents are scary. It's sorta like when you're walking down main street and see a clown. Scares the crap outta me. I was riding near my house and a whole paceline of recumbents passed me going the other way. It was all I could do to keep a straight line and avert my eyes.

I agree that recumbents are scary. It's sorta like when you're walking down main street and see a clown. Scares the crap outta me. I was riding near my house and a whole paceline of recumbents passed me going the other way. It was all I could do to keep a straight line and avert my eyes.

They aren't that scary ... and they are fun to ride. :) But I think I'd only want to ride them short distances at first.

my buddy would say, "oh but I've got this position, its so much more comfortable"
my retort, "says you."

my main thing is being able to do things on the bike
like bunny hop a curb, not that i go around all day going over curbs
but simply being able to hop a pot hole, or anything else, like road debris, etc...

uhh... how about standing and climbing? thats pretty much essential
removing a vest, or jacket while riding? ya... also essential

when you put on the brakes and STOP to remove clothing... thats slower than slow... thats called.. STOPPED. their aint no slower than STOPPED

the list goes on and on...

how about stretching while rolling down the road?

The fastest, easiest, safest way to cover 100 miles in a day is in a Mercedez. But that's not a bicycle either.

Thanks for stopping by!

I agree that recumbents are scary. It's sorta like when you're walking down main street and see a clown. Scares the crap outta me. I was riding near my house and a whole paceline of recumbents passed me going the other way. It was all I could do to keep a straight line and avert my eyes.

:lol: if your bike needs a little orange flag, it's more or less clownish. :lol:

What actually ticks me off about 'bents, is that they are slow as anything on the uphill (I could pedal backwards and get up a hill faster) and they are usually in the way.

On the downhills, they fly down and maneuver dangerously around. No to mention, but they are usually piloted by old people. It worries me. :rolleyes:

I ride a recumbent but the OP in incorrect it claiming it is the only long distance solution.

Regarding the other counter claims I respectfully disagree.

Recumbents aren't one type, there are long recumbents, short recumbents, taller recumbents, low recumbents, high BB recumbents, low BB recumbents, FWD recumbents, MBB recumbents, RWD recumbents. They vary in how much they are reclined as well. Any given recumbent will be some combination of the above features
it is easier to set up a recumbent for fit. But there are some issues that crop up with some people that eliminate certain form factors, for instance some people can't handle a BB too much higher than their seat height. Just like some people are more prone to hot foot on an upright.
Recumbentbutt is an issue with recumbents that aren't very reclined. Ones that are more reclined spread the weight over more of the back and shoulders, preventing the dreaded recumbentbutt. The solution for recumbent butt is the same as it is for a upright saddle, time and miles in the seat. Most of the preformance recumbents sold today are more reclined, and won't be subject to recumbent butt.
For long distance riding like brevets you want a performance recumbent, not a cruiser or slow bike. That limits you to Easy Racer GRR long wheelbase platforms, the better hi-racers, various lowracers, the Rans x-stream (hard to classify). Some would argue against the Easy Racer GRR but it is a proven brevet platform (which can give you recumbentbutt)
time, miles and training on your bike are still requirements before you go off on 200k, 300k or more rides. Recumbents are different beasts and you need to learn to ride them. The balance is different and the bikes are pretty different to ride. So you need practice and familiarity before you start doing distance rides.
Many recumbents are nimble, fast bikes, calling them lumbering things is a like calling all uprights beach cruisers.
Bunny hopping, pot hole hopping are BS, you don't do that on a 600k ride. I wouldn't bunny hop on a AL road bike with 23mm tires either. So I reject the criteria. I have yet to see anyone bunny hop a pothole while riding a road bike. Lots of rides, lots of miles, no bunny hops. Probably because it is easier to dodge it.
Visibility, ride like a car and be careful of intersections and you will be fine. Pushing fear of riding on a bike forums is stupid. Quite your whining and ride.
I can stretch, and adjust clothing while riding my bike. I do have to stop to remove or put on a jacket. But I can push up sleeves, and all that normal jazz. Putting on a jacket while riding is a bit of a clown act anyway. If you are 8 hours into a ride, you probably should stop to put that jacket on anyway. Even if you are an acrobat.
An upright setup properly is not as comfortable as a recumbent. And you will not find a properly setup upright in most cases anyway. It is just too farking hard to do and you have to be a certain amount of shape for it to be really comfortable anyway. A good part of being comfortable on an upright is the right muscles.
Standing and climbing, depending on the seat and the recline there are equivalents on a recumbent. Either bridging (putting your shoulders into the seat and lifting the butt a bit) on reclined recumbents or closing the position in the Fast Freddy position on more upright recumbents. Plus it is much less needed.


That said there are a number of recumbents that do well in long distance. Not all, but some. And the right bike matched with the right rider will do very well. That is why this years 4-man RANS RAAM team did so well.

And regarding speed. There are no uprights that have gone 82.8 mph on level ground with no drafting under human power. Yet Sam Whittingham did that this past week up in Battle Mountain. Barbara Buatois went 75.4 mph as well this past week claiming the woman's speed record and top European record as well.

There are a ton of different formats in recumbents unlike uprights which are all very similar. It is very easy to make claims that are true for one bike that are not true for another.

i ride a recumbent but the op in incorrect it claiming it is the only long distance solution.


Regarding the other counter claims i respectfully disagree.
recumbents aren't one type, there are long recumbents, short recumbents, taller recumbents, low recumbents, high bb recumbents, low bb recumbents, fwd recumbents, mbb recumbents, rwd recumbents. They vary in how much they are reclined as well. Any given recumbent will be some combination of the above features
it is easier to set up a recumbent for fit. But there are some issues that crop up with some people that eliminate certain form factors, for instance some people can't handle a bb too much higher than their seat height. Just like some people are more prone to hot foot on an upright.
recumbentbutt is an issue with recumbents that aren't very reclined. Ones that are more reclined spread the weight over more of the back and shoulders, preventing the dreaded recumbentbutt. The solution for recumbent butt is the same as it is for a upright saddle, time and miles in the seat. Most of the preformance recumbents sold today are more reclined, and won't be subject to recumbent butt.
for long distance riding like brevets you want a performance recumbent, not a cruiser or slow bike. That limits you to easy racer grr long wheelbase platforms, the better hi-racers, various lowracers, the rans x-stream (hard to classify). Some would argue against the easy racer grr but it is a proven brevet platform (which can give you recumbentbutt)
time, miles and training on your bike are still requirements before you go off on 200k, 300k or more rides. Recumbents are different beasts and you need to learn to ride them. The balance is different and the bikes are pretty different to ride. So you need practice and familiarity before you start doing distance rides.
many recumbents are nimble, fast bikes, calling them lumbering things is a like calling all uprights beach cruisers.
bunny hopping, pot hole hopping are bs, you don't do that on a 600k ride. I wouldn't bunny hop on a al road bike with 23mm tires either. So i reject the criteria. I have yet to see anyone bunny hop a pothole while riding a road bike. Lots of rides, lots of miles, no bunny hops. Probably because it is easier to dodge it.
visibility, ride like a car and be careful of intersections and you will be fine. Pushing fear of riding on a bike forums is stupid. Quite your whining and ride.
i can stretch, and adjust clothing while riding my bike. I do have to stop to remove or put on a jacket. But i can push up sleeves, and all that normal jazz. Putting on a jacket while riding is a bit of a clown act anyway. If you are 8 hours into a ride, you probably should stop to put that jacket on anyway. Even if you are an acrobat.
an upright setup properly is not as comfortable as a recumbent. And you will not find a properly setup upright in most cases anyway. It is just too farking hard to do and you have to be a certain amount of shape for it to be really comfortable anyway. A good part of being comfortable on an upright is the right muscles.
standing and climbing, depending on the seat and the recline there are equivalents on a recumbent. Either bridging (putting your shoulders into the seat and lifting the butt a bit) on reclined recumbents or closing the position in the fast freddy position on more upright recumbents. Plus it is much less needed.

that said there are a number of recumbents that do well in long distance. Not all, but some. And the right bike matched with the right rider will do very well. That is why this years 4-man rans raam team did so well.

And regarding speed. There are no uprights that have gone 82.8 mph on level ground with no drafting under human power. Yet sam whittingham did that this past week up in battle mountain. Barbara buatois went 75.4 mph as well this past week claiming the woman's speed record and top european record as well.

There are a ton of different formats in recumbents unlike uprights which are all very similar. It is very easy to make claims that are true for one bike that are not true for another.

+1

Any further questions? :D

I ride with DF riders (some 30 years or more younger) quite a bit on my HiRacer recumbent. Pacelines on longer rides this summer usually in the 22mpg plus category (Always lead or take last slot when group riding). This same HiRacer I have also used for time trials as well as pulled a trailer on self supported camping trips. Very versatile bike (yes it is a bike) and the comfort on an all day ride is trully amazing.

Purchased a budget LowRacer last year and this bike could be considered my antisocial ride, it does not really belong in a pack of uprights. However it is very fast and just as comfortable. Visablility was a concern for me. I have a flag, Air Zound horn, and always use mirrors. Feel very safe. This bike is the cat's meow for long distance riding. Did my first Ultra on this bike at the age of 62 this August and became the first person to succesfully complete the "Hell and Back" (twice across the state) option on the GutCheck 212 race across South Dakota. I also was the first person ever to do the race without a support vehicle.
http://www.gutcheck212.com/records/
http://www.gutcheck212.com/2009-participants/

The longest stretch in my 4 day event, was 34 hours on the bike without any significant rest (admit to being my limit). Other than a bruised elbow, caused by a spill on loosely dumped gravel, I had no aches at all when I completed the next day. "LayedBack1" speaks the truth. There really is no better way to fly. Comfort- Speed-Safety amen. Your safety is especially enhanced because fatigue is greatly lessened. You can actually enjoy a long distance ride with your head looking forward and not looking down at the pavement as you push into a headwind. I did require some extra effort as I traversed some pretty good rollers in the western part of the state. Even with added weight of items I carried on rear luggage rack, I really didn't have that much difficulty. Don't think I climbed anything over 10% though. Posted a link about my ride.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=9570789#post9570789

One shouldn't let foolish pride or whatever it is that keeps some cyclists treating recumbents as if they had cooties. If you have any pain at all on a long ride, recumbents might be an option to make a ride more enjoyable and be able to appreciate the scenery along the way.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n314/fluffypeanutcat/gutcheck/Wyomingborder1.jpg

I've got a really bad back, herniated disc's, vertebrae slipping and sliding all over the place. I had a recumbent and couldn't ride it for more than 8 miles before my back started killing me. Now I ride a road bike with relaxed geometry (Felt Z70) and it opens up my back and I can ride for hours and have done over 40 miles.

RAAM?
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raam2.php?N_webcat_id=51#solomen

Solo Men
Record
Year
Speed
Time
Miles
Who
Speed
1986
15.40
8:09:47
3107
Pete Penseyres
Time
1992
14.91
8:03:11
2911
Rob Kish
Rookie Time
1996
14.07
8:14:26
2905
Wolfgang Fasching
Rookie Speed
1985
14.31
9:02:06
3120
Jonathan Boyer
50-59
2006
12.63
10:00:52
3043
Jonathan Boyer
60+
2008
11.27
11:03:25
3014
David Jones
Recumbent
2008
11.30
11:02:50
3014
John Schlitter

It all comes down to what you like. I ride a diamond frame and hope to for many more years. I would be lying if I said I never had any discomfort and that goes for almost anybody that rides a bike of any kind. In my area there avery few bents, I have only seen 3 in 3 years of riding. I ride with a guy who rides them on occasion and he says the biggest downfall is starting off from dead stop, I just don't like them cause I can't draft off them very well...lol

...
Bunny hopping, pot hole hopping are BS, you don't do that on a 600k ride. I wouldn't bunny hop on a AL road bike with 23mm tires either. So I reject the criteria. I have yet to see anyone bunny hop a pothole while riding a road bike. Lots of rides, lots of miles, no bunny hops. Probably because it is easier to dodge it.

I'm not too sure about that. I bunny hop stuff including RR tracks all the time (as long as I'm going fast enough). Yes I ride on 23's.



An upright setup properly is not as comfortable as a recumbent. And you will not find a properly setup upright in most cases anyway. It is just too farking hard to do and you have to be a certain amount of shape for it to be really comfortable anyway. A good part of being comfortable on an upright is the right muscles.
I totally disagree with this. If you are not comfortable on a DF you haven't spent the time to get fitted properly or there is something wrong (ie you have physical problems). Finding the right fitter can be a problem because many fitters do not understand the requirements for longer distance riding. Most bike shops will try to fit you in too aggressive a position for long rides/races.


And regarding speed. There are no uprights that have gone 82.8 mph on level ground with no drafting under human power. Yet sam whittingham did that this past week up in battle mountain. Barbara buatois went 75.4 mph as well this past week claiming the woman's speed record and top european record as well.
Yeah and no recumbent has gone 1216.81 miles in 24hrs with and average speed of 50.70mph either like Micheal Seacrest did on a DF bike.


...That said there are a number of recumbents that do well in long distance. Not all, but some. And the right bike matched with the right rider will do very well. That is why this years 4-man RANS RAAM team did so well.

Not to belittle the effort of the Rans team because I have several good friends on that team and they put in a very good effort but the four man field was very weak this year. The rans team did win the 4-man division but they were also almost 24hrs slower than the 4-man record.

To be honest I think the OP was just being a Troll :troll:and trying to stir up arguments that don't need to be made. Especially since he posted an inflammatory thread then doesn't bother to come back on. It doesn't matter what you ride there is no reason to belittle another for what they ride. That goes for either side of the coin.

Yeah and no recumbent has gone 1216.81 miles in 24hrs with and average speed of 50.70mph either like Micheal Seacrest did on a DF bike.

It doesn't matter what you ride there is no reason to belittle another for what they ride. That goes for either side of the coin.

Yes,

Have to agree that the OP should not have used the term "Pain is for the ignorant". There should not be an "either side", we are all cyclists. Really though in all truthfulness, would not a recumbent offer a superior method of riding for most "normal" people in terms of Comfort-Speed-Safety in long distance riding?

If you took 50 cyclists, who never rode ultra-type distance, gave them training on both kinds of High-end bikes, so they were adapt on either, then asked them what they would like to ride on a 4 day 1,000 mile race with a large cash prize. Would it be possible that most would choose the recumbent?

My own limited experience on long riding with an upright, was when I got out of the Marines in 1971. Was in the best physical condition of my life and rode a loaded DF from South Carolina back to my home in Michigan. Even with the high tech advances I can't imagine a modern DF to be more comfortable on a long ride than a recumbent.

I appreciate my DF riding friends but I know from their reactions after doing a century or long sprint, that they are not as comfortable as me.

I was curious on the 24 hour speed/distance posted for Michael Seacrest. I see in 2007 his world record for the 24 hour was 535.868 miles (avg. = 22.33 mph). Most people can't reach 50mph unless they going down a hill?

An upright setup properly is not as comfortable as a recumbent. And you will not find a properly setup upright in most cases anyway. It is just too farking hard to do and you have to be a certain amount of shape for it to be really comfortable anyway. A good part of being comfortable on an upright is the right muscles.

This is pure conjecture. I agree with most of your list, but this part is nothing but your own personal bias.

I don't know what to make of recumbents. The theory looks good. The rap sounds good. But I've never been passed by one, ever (not counting fully faired HPVs). Mostly I just ride around them, even on the flat. And I'm not that fast: 12 hr. doubles is about it for me. I've no doubt that a superior athlete on a 'bent could ride away from me, but for some reason that just doesn't seem to happen. But superior athletes ride away from me on DFs all the time! 'Bents are faster on descents, but what, maybe a few seconds/mile? Nothing.

I've been doing one particular fast group ride for over a decade. We had a 'bent come out with us once. OMG. In spite of professed massive mileage, he wouldn't ride the fog line - kept riding in the middle of the lane. Said it was too dangerous near the edge of the road. He'd get in front and people would go around him on the right. Or he'd hang out in the lane with the paceline to his right. Now that's dangerous. I chewed him out and never saw him again. Good. I've ridden 'bents a couple of times, so I kind of sympathized with the guy, but sympathy doesn't get you much out on the road.

Bunny hopping - one of our favorite local mountain climbs had the road dug up for new culverts a few years ago. So there was about a 10' patch of loose gravel across the road every couple hundred yards. No big problem on the climb. On the descent, we just let the bikes run and bunny hopped the gravel. Not airborne, just unweighted them. Great fun.

I'm sure it's just the population of recumbent riders tends towards the slow end. If bike racing had adopted recumbents back in 1920, all the fastest riders would be riding them and we wouldn't be having this discussion. There is a bike shop here that specializes in them, so I see quite a few around. They are expensive, people with $ == slow.

...In spite of professed massive mileage, he wouldn't ride the fog line - kept riding in the middle of the lane. Said it was too dangerous near the edge of the road. He'd get in front and people would go around him on the right. Or he'd hang out in the lane with the paceline to his right. Now that's dangerous...

Not sure of the relevance of the point here although I understand your displeasure with this rider. Our club will chew out (in a nice way) a DF rider for the same. Riding predictably, sensibly, steady, straight and narrow is not a fundamental problem with 'bents.

... Really though in all truthfulness, would not a recumbent offer a superior method of riding for most "normal" people in terms of Comfort-Speed-Safety in long distance riding?

If you took 50 cyclists, who never rode ultra-type distance, gave them training on both kinds of High-end bikes, so they were adapt on either, then asked them what they would like to ride on a 4 day 1,000 mile race with a large cash prize. Would it be possible that most would choose the recumbent?

Here is the point, the vast majority of people who have fit problems on DF bikes have not taken the time to be fitted properly or were fitted by people who don't know what they are doing. If I was professionally fitted by someone and still had issues I'd be asking for my money back. If you are fitted properly you should be able to ride any distance with little or no discomfort on a DF. I've ridden in three RAAMs, half a dozen 1200k's and a boat load of other ultra races and I have no problems with comfort. If you watch the riders who are more experienced and (generally) faster you will see that they don't have problems either because they've taken the time to be fitted properly.



I was curious on the 24 hour speed/distance posted for Michael Seacrest. I see in 2007 his world record for the 24 hour was 535.868 miles (avg. = 22.33 mph). Most people can't reach 50mph unless they going down a hill?

It was on a track and is a drafting record. Downhill of course is a different animal. I've been 72.4mph on my DF bike.

Here is the point, the vast majority of people who have fit problems on DF bikes have not taken the time to be fitted properly or were fitted by people who don't know what they are doing. If I was professionally fitted by someone and still had issues I'd be asking for my money back. If you are fitted properly you should be able to ride any distance with little or no discomfort on a DF. I've ridden in three RAAMs, half a dozen 1200k's and a boat load of other ultra races and I have no problems with comfort. If you watch the riders who are more experienced and (generally) faster you will see that they don't have problems either because they've taken the time to be fitted properly.




It was on a track and is a drafting record. Downhill of course is a different animal. I've been 72.4mph on my DF bike.

Quite an impressive resume and I do see your point. Being in 3 RAAMs would put you above the ordinary and in my line of thinking as being special. Comparable to former Boston Marathoner's who have participated in our event here in South Dakota (http://www.gutcheck212.com/).

I have seen a documentary on the RAM and have seen how serious and how much it takes to compete. Some of the support vehicles are almost setup like EMT units. A lot of high-tech involved. My own thinking was more geared to less gifted/athletic individuals who might want to try an Ultra. As an ordinary 62 year old male, I was able to complete a 830 mile Ultra on my first experience. Being the first person to go two times across the state in the allotted time. Also the first person to participate without any support vehicle. I actually believe someone in your caliber could go twice as far and faster and without needing support.

I know of one DF rider who now suffers nerve damage in his wrist from doing this event two years ago. I guess all of the DF riders I ride with are not properly fitted as I assume would be the situation on a large percentage of DF riders using uprights across the US.

...I know of one DF rider who now suffers nerve damage in his wrist from doing this event two years ago. I guess all of the DF riders I ride with are not properly fitted as I assume would be the situation on a large percentage of DF riders using uprights across the US.

I can tell you right now without looking at your friends set up that he isn't fit properly if he has nerve damage in his hands. He shouldn't have that much pressure on his hands. An easy fix for him would be aerobars. I'd bet you a dollar he was fitted by a traditional roadrace type fitter as apposed to one who understands ultra racing.
Regarding the RAAM video, they are trying to capture the drama and pain is drama. If you saw the top three or four riders this year at the finish, none of them were hurting, expect for Robic and he was only hurting mentally. Weiss and Baloh looked like they just off a 30 mile training ride at the finish. Don't get me wrong, RAAM is long and grueling, it doesn't matter if you are on a DF or a recumbent. You're going to feel it. The only guy to finish RAAM on a recumbent last year was hurtin' at the end of the race too. You have to deal with exhaustion and fatigue which compounds issues. One small insignificant issue at the beginning of the race can become a ride ending issue. That's why their fit has to be spot on before the start.
I've always done the race with at least one EMT on the team. I'm not even sure if its a requirement or not? It just seems like the smart thing to do. For some reason I think it is. Safety is very important because the riders are pushing their limits and it is easy to step over the line if you aren't paying attention. Especially when it's hot!

btw, that SD race looks like fun. Maybe I'll have to try and make it out there for it some time soon.

I've been doing one particular fast group ride for over a decade. We had a 'bent come out with us once. OMG. In spite of professed massive mileage, he wouldn't ride the fog line - kept riding in the middle of the lane. Said it was too dangerous near the edge of the road. He'd get in front and people would go around him on the right. Or he'd hang out in the lane with the paceline to his right. Now that's dangerous. I chewed him out and never saw him again. Good. I've ridden 'bents a couple of times, so I kind of sympathized with the guy, but sympathy doesn't get you much out on the road.



And I've ridden with two recumbent riders who have been great to ride with. What you describe there is the rider, not the bike.

Don'tcha just love absolutes?

I saw 'bent riders at PBP with reverse Shermer's neck.

Ride what turns your crank.

More and more xcountry cyclist are turning to recumbents.Source? I am sure more and more xcountry cyclists are turning to carbon fiber, more and more xcountry cyclists are turning to aluminum, more and more xcountry cyclists are turning to steel because there are more and more xcountry cyclists.


You can ride all day, you will get tired, but nothng hurts.I just searched the bent forum and found a lot of posts related to pain associated with riding a bent, so that is not true.


Pain is for the ignorant!!!!I think your assumptions about what makes one pain-free on a bicycle is intelligence challenged. Google "bike fit" and git readin'.

and yet the Peliton (sp?) of that 3,000 plus mile race over in France continues to ride conventional's,

Sorry to rain on your parade, but there are no 'bents in Le Tour because the UCI BANNED recumbents from competition in 1934 after a 3rd-level French pro broke the world hour record on a 'bent. Some Armstrong character said he'd ride a 'bent in TT stages of the Tour if it was legal. And Jan Ullrich has been seen riding one since his retirement. You'll have to come up with a better argument than that. Besides, who gives a flying flip what the pros ride? They use whatever their sponsors provide, period (or something made up to look like their sponsor's product, if they're "big" enough to get away with it).

SP
Bend, OR
:recum:

...and BTW, I wouldn't exactly call LeTour "long distance". True, the riders cover 3000 miles, but it takes them 4 weeks to do it, and they seldom ride more than a few hours a day. RAAM winners, OTOH, cover the same distance in a week and a half. In terms of long distance, that's a more impressive accomplishment, but it's really apples and oranges.

SP
Bend, OR
:recum:

boyer...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Boyer
TDF
&
RAAM

DF bikes...

i dont think there are any recumbents on The Great Divide Race either

And I've ridden with two recumbent riders who have been great to ride with. What you describe there is the rider, not the bike.Good for them! That's two!

Just part of my "I don't get it" comment. Out of about 6000 rider-days we've had exactly two 'bents show up (sorry, I forgot about one) for a total of 2 rider-days. One intimated that he couldn't control his machine accurately, the only rider that I can recall who so intimated. Most newbies who come out and ride in the middle of the road are just very self-absorbed, not having trouble controlling their machines.

The forgotten 'bent showed up to a mountain century with 10,000' of climbing. We never saw him again after the first mile, but his car was gone when we got back.

I don't recall ever seeing a 'bent on a brevet around here, but I'm sure they must be out there. Just kind of makes one wonder, free market economy and all. If all this good stuff is true, where are they?

my buddy's dream bike, a "Longbike" with rear rack, panniers + BOB trailer
my custom Hunter 29er shod in 38c Schwalbe Marathon Cross tyres with custom Carousel Design Works bags.

albeit my buddy and I have totally different life experiences, and cycling practices

his daily routine was straight from each campground to the next

Astoria to Ventura

while i rode all over the place

even did a 12hr MTB race (12hrs of Humboldt)
12 laps, 7.4 miles/lap, 1350ft each lap, in the Arcata City Forest
about 90 miles and over 16,000ft of climbing

i got to Arcata 2 days prior
did a race
rested a day

then bridged back to my buddy in 2 days

by the time we got to Tamales Bay, i started pushing him up the hills until Ventura.
literally... riding along side, pushing on the back of his seat

I haven't done any ultras yet. I would like to and I most probably do them on a recumbent. I couldn't do one on a regular bike for one simple reason. I suffer ganglions at the base of both thumbs and occasional lower spine problems.

I can tour on an upright as long as each day is no longer than about 80km with plenty of stops. I can ride a recumbent for longer without stopping. Yes a recumbent is slightly slower uphill. It is like spinning a MTB uphill.

Pros of a recumbent for long distance riding.
- very comfortable
- if chosen correctly, it will be more aero than a regular bike allowing for faster flat and downhill speeds.
- only your legs get tired (unless you are on a very reclined low-racer without a neck rest).

Cons.
- Generally heavier than a regular upright and therefore slower uphills.
- less maneuverability at very low speeds.
- requires more creative thinking about accessible storing for gear. It is easy to store stuff on a recumbent, either on a rear rack, in a tailbox or recumbent bags but it is not so easy to access on the go.

I am jealous of those who can ride any bike very long distances.

Recumbents are not for everyone nor should they be completely dismissed either.

I don't recall ever seeing a 'bent on a brevet around here, but I'm sure they must be out there. Just kind of makes one wonder, free market economy and all. If all this good stuff is true, where are they?

They're all in Canada.

We had about 8 regular riders on the Manitoba Randonneur club when I was there ... 2 of them were recumbent riders. 1 of them has done the Last Chance and PBP. The other not only rides recumbents, but he builds them as well. His name is Peter and his brand of recumbents are called Peterbuilts. :D Both of them are very skilled riders ... no difficulty at all controling their machines.

There was one recumbent rider with the Alberta Randonneurs ... I'm not sure if he still rides, but I see him post here now and then. His name here is vik.

And there are heaps of recumbent riders with the BC Randonneurs.

I'm also a friend of another guy by the name of Peter, who lives in Florida now although he did live in Colorado for a while. I met him on the RM1200, and got to know him on subsequent long rides in various parts of the world.


I think recumbents are great ... I find them fascinating to watch and fun to ride. Personally, I'd rather do my long rides on an upright bicycle and I am very comfortable on my upright bicycle, but the recumbent riders I know are very comfortable and happy with their choice too.

I'll add that I've ridden with many 'bent riders on brevets, ultra-races, and 1200Ks. Those who think they're slow bikes -- even on uphills -- have never seen John Schlitter handle one. Or Larry Graham. Either of these guys -- and most of the rest of the Killer Bs -- would ride away from just about everyone in this forum on any hill, in any distance event, guaranteed.

Not only are 'bents fine on hills, but I think they work well in pacelines with DF bikes, too. The Bachetta guys proved this in spades a few years ago at Calvin's. Seemed like half the lead group was 'bents and us DF riders had no trouble working with them. I think bike handling is more in the rider than the bike. Sure, it sucks to be the DF rider directly behind a 'bent in a paceline -- the draft is significantly reduced -- but with a large enough group it's a problem easily solved by just rotating that spot around (or putting the strongest DF rider there).

Re: bunny hopping. Heck, I've done it on 1200s on my aluminum fixie with 23mm tires. How many rules am I breaking? ;)

It was a bent rider who introduced me to randonneuring. He mentioned randonneuring to us while my wife and I rode along with him. After explaining what it was he did I really thought he was crazy. 600km's in virtually one go? but I still have to thank him as the LD bug has bitten both of us thanks to a recumbent rider.

viral or troll. why are we allowing this? some ride upright... some bent. I know this is BF and we should keep logic to a minimum... I just am having trouble believing this thread got this far. How many times do we see bent this or LHT that.

I got to go. I am bored.

Hervé Le Du, the current PBP record holder, will be riding a Zockra recumbent (http://www.zockrabikes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=15&6944698475373d88c15f5b7a763d7a99=48254fc18d3e3a07c7c4c98a27dfe767) for PBP 2011. Rumor mongering over at BROL indicates that there may be a couple of 'bent teams in next year's RAAM.

One thing to note is that recumbents were only really revived in the 70's and from what I know of 'bent development it's only been the past few years that there have been a lot of performance/light weight focused recumbent designs. The Easy Racers and Lightning bikes have been around a long time but these days you can get light weight carbon & aluminum bikes from several manufacturers. I suspect that as more performance bikes come to market there will be more stronger riders choosing them. You know, maybe 'bents will go from 0.01% of the market to 0.03%.

http://www.zockrabikes.com/images/stories/herv%20and%20malric.jpg

...I don't recall ever seeing a 'bent on a brevet around here, but I'm sure they must be out there. Just kind of makes one wonder, free market economy and all. If all this good stuff is true, where are they?

'Bents are pretty rare so if you don't ride much the you might not see any. Using your line of blind reasoning, I would guess you don't ride much. :D

All of the advantages of recumbent come to the fore with them.And don't forget how easy it is to climb steep grades and navigate uneven pavement and tight and twisty paths and trails.

I'm going to go get a recumbent with a motor an go cross-country.

+1

Any further questions? :D

I've got a question(to me, my most important question). Does one get a good work out in a recumbent? I mean, speed and fun is okay but I've just recently joined my local randonneuring group and have never been fitter in my life! Being fast on a permanent is fine, but I don't want to sacrifice what I've gained just for something easier. Can I still get a good workout on a recumbent or should I stay on an up-right?

I've been looking into some really nice looking recumbents from actionbent but I'm in it for my fitness.
Ernest

i was seriously considering buying one of these
http://www.go-one.us/
until i realized i needed to find a parking spot for it.

Hmm, an 80+ pound bike (the monocoque alone is 66 pounds) for only about $8000. I can't imagine riding that thing on a typical summer day in Virginia, with temps of around a hundred and humidity pretty close to 100%. It'd be like riding in your own, portable oven.

Hmm, an 80+ pound bike (the monocoque alone is 66 pounds) for only about $8000. I can't imagine riding that thing on a typical summer day in Virginia, with temps of around a hundred and humidity pretty close to 100%. It'd be like riding in your own, portable oven.

so often I feel its another way of taking a perfectly good/viable design and turning it into a car!
so often i feel that its as if, "if it looks like a car, then we might try it"

after all... bikes are for kids right? sold next to camping equipment and the toy section, in a big box store... right?

forget about actually knowing how to ride it.

maybe if i can sit in it... now I've got something.

http://www.conferencebike.com/

the other side of the Go-One, is that its jet fighter like canopy is removable, a la hard top convertible-esq, and of course, oh the comfort on those rainy days? maybe?
how about a cup holder?

its the bike that has become a car.
aka: Velomobile

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=go-one+velomobile&search_type=&aq=0&oq=go-one

I haven't seen 'bent riders on any of the brevets here, but I have seen plenty of them on the club/charity century rides. I also see a few fully loaded 'bents during the week on my commute ride.

there are a lot of recumbents on the road in Ventura.
my personal thinking is that most people ride them, for comfort
be it from an injury, feeling uncomfortable with riding an upright, etc...
i see a lot of recumbent trikes!
this pic is of a recumbent club on a weekend ride, Ventura, Ojai, and back...

Re: bunny hopping. Heck, I've done it on 1200s on my aluminum fixie with 23mm tires. How many rules am I breaking? ;)

To know how many rules you are breaking, we also need to know: Did you have clipless pedals or platform pedals? Fenders? :-)