Fifty Plus (50+) - Who Rides Recumbents

:D For those who have had knee or hip replacements and or problematic joint problems do you ride high BB's or low BB's? CWLB, SWB or LWB? I have had two (2) total knee replacements. I ride a Ti-Rush, Vision R-64 Sabre and Velotchnik StreetMachine GT. :D

I ride an EZ3 trike....since starting to ride again, my two artificial knees have loosened up enough for me to get my feet back further than before. I believe that now I could ride a bicycle too. It's funny that the surgeon who gave me my new knees was absolutely against me riding a bike....I wonder why? I guess I'll have to ask him the next time I'm due for a checkup.

I ride a homebuilt, it is basically a cross between a haluzak and a vision r40, underseat steering and short wheelbase. 3 coast to coat trips on this one. I also ride a trek hybrid here in NC to fuss as a commuter bike.

NOTE++++++

If your surgeon doesnt want you to ride a bike, the most lost impact and best aerobic exercise you can get for knees, then I would seriously fire the guy and seek out a sport surgeon like I did. Unles you have some other serious problem, knee replacements should work like the originals, only better, in time. Most PT utilizes cycling to strengthen muscles and keep the knees flexing to develop that good range of motion.

NOTE+++++ I do not ride a recumbent for a handicap. I think they get a bad rap and the younger folks look at them as handicap bike when othing could be farther from the truth. I ride for comfort, effeciency (the ergonomics of a TRUE recumbent are awesome) and contrary to some beliefs they are fast. And the downhills, OH MY GOD! A luge ride!

MJ

;) My Orthropod is a sports surgeon. He is also an avid cyclist (DF). After the second (2nd) knee replacement he was quite insistent on me becoming a "couch potato". I asked why and his response was "Replacement knees have only so many years of life so You want to take care of them". My response was that I was a recumbent rider and I was under the impression that cycling was beneficial for muscle development, etc. With this remark his attitude changed and agreed to my continuing with the cycling with a couple of exceptions. No banging up hills in 27th gear and no long rides (Ragbai). This past summer I was doing on average 30 miles daily. When I was going to PT my therapist was very positive about continuing my recumbent riding and besides I had set a personal goal to recover as quickly as possible because I had ordered my Ti-Rush in March and it was due to be delievered in June. (June 2nd). Besides riding on the road I ride a recumbent stationary and I do aerobics on a "Gazelle" exercise machine. Here is an image of me receiving my new Ti-Rush. The dog's name is "Max" :D

My knees are fine (so far), but my back is so bad (degenerative discs) I don't think I could ride a df at all. I ride a Tsunami SWB with a high BB and USS and love it.

I own two high-racers, a Volae Team and a Bacchetta Aero.

I got in to recumbents after a radical prostatectomy for cancer in May, 2003. The doctor banned me from uprights for at least 12 weeks, but allowed me on a bent after 6. I had ridden uprights for over 20 years and 120,000 miles but it only took me one season on a bent to become a total convert to bentdom. :)

I've now sold all of my uprights except my tandem which I still ride with my wife.

-Dennis

I am 54 years old and ride a recumbent Catrike Road.

I own two high-racers, a Volae Team and a Bacchetta Aero.

I got in to recumbents after a radical prostatectomy for cancer in May, 2003. The doctor banned me from uprights for at least 12 weeks, but allowed me on a bent after 6. I had ridden uprights for over 20 years and 120,000 miles but it only took me one season on a bent to become a total convert to bentdom. :)

I've now sold all of my uprights except my tandem which I still ride with my wife.

-Dennis

I was lucky and was back on the bike after 8 weeks after a radical. Only Recumbent I had a go on was a tandem, and boy was that comfortable, only about 3 miles but it scared the living daylights out of me. Didn't help that the owner who was on it with me, decided to show me how fast it could corner, so it came as quite a suprise to find that this trike-recumbent-tandem could use the conventional number of wheels if you took the corners fast enough

No major joint replacements here. I ride 'bent because all of the little aches and pains of an upwrong are gone. And it is fun too boot!

'bent Brian

More power to you folks, but I tried a recumbant and its just not my style.
Seems a sin (said in jest - no flames please) to ride anything in this position. Plus, I fear no one could see me. Rode a trek R600 for maybe 50 miles. Just didn't feel right.

I'll be hitting 60 this month, in great health and no joint problems other than normal aches and pains; I have found bents to the the answer. No one ever said you had to be uncomfortable on a bike. Last year I did 2,800 miles (1,800 on a single and 1,000 on a tandem), plan to do 3,500 this year.

Stable currently consist of three Visions; R45 USS (1998), R40 USS (2002), & R85 OSS Double Vision (2003). Still have a no name mtn bike and my Specialized hybrid. Keep looking at tadpole trikes, bound to be one in the next couple of years (that Hellbent Spitfire sure is sharp).

Always looking to meet other bent riders.

John D
Aging is required, maturity is optional

I ride a recumbent because it's fun...also ride a road bike and mountain bike.

I ride a recumbent because it's fun...

It isn't just fun, it's a riot. At the risk of repeating myslf, I've ridden over 120,000 miles on uprights since 1982 including racing as a Cat. 2 through the 1980's retiring at 40. I've put a lot of hours in on road bikes, fixed gears, tandems, cross bikes, etc. but the recumbent has totally rejuvenated my cycling. I rode 6000+ miles this year on my bents which is the most miles I've ridden since 1996. My passion for cycling has been restored and I owe it all to bents. :)

fools

I ride uprights. I have nothing against recumbents, although I would be nervous riding my friend's Zox in traffic, because it sits SO low. (It certainly is fast, though!)

I'm riding 4 different recumbents........have been for 4 years now. Thank God I discovered them before turning 50. I started riding when I was 32 years old. Sure wish I coulda had a tailfaired lowracer when I was 18 years old. Don't think lowracers existed back then though. To the guy who posted "fools"
lol................ the jokes on him.

my latest recumbent......

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=6996

heres a pic from the hilly hundred..........smoking past a few upwrongs.

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=9361

that was the same bike but with the tailbox mounted.

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=7408

It isn't just fun, it's a riot.

Agreed. Without a doubt, the biggest surprise since I've started riding is just how much fun that bent really is. It makes you want to spend every minute you can spare on the bike.

No parts replacements, and no serious problems with any parts - yet! I got my first recumbent in '97, after doing DALMAC and having my palms hurt for two weeks. I decided I rode enough, I deserved to be comfortable doing it! My first bent was a V-Rex, and it delivered all the comfort I needed, plus it gave me a peek of the kind of speeds I'd never dared to think about before. In '01 I added an Optima Baron to my stable. That puppy is scarey-fast! This winter I've started on building my own design, carbon highracer, which I hope will be ready to ride by the time the snow goes away.

By the time I'm 50 in August, I hope to have a sub-4 hour century under my belt.

When I knees began to bitterly complain about running, I started to put more miles on my ATB. Numbness in hands and soreness in the hinterland mad me look at recumbents. I tried a Rans Stratus first. It is a great bike but not for road riding in the mountains. Then I bought a Greenspeed recumbent trike. With a wide gear range (internal hub gears, 3 chain rings and a cassette) it is perfect for spinning up the local canyons. The trike was probably the best fitness decision that I have made in years.

Gary Mc, Salt Lake City

I ride a Sun EZ Sport. I switched when I got fed up with making constant adjustments to relieve this pain or that ache. Wrists, knees, low back, neck and shoulder promlems were a daily thing. No more, the bent solved all of them. bk

I'd **like** to ride a 'bent, but my better half says "wait." Her wish is my command :D

I'm riding 4 different recumbents........have been for 4 years now. Thank God I discovered them before turning 50. I started riding when I was 32 years old. Sure wish I coulda had a tailfaired lowracer when I was 18 years old. Don't think lowracers existed back then though. To the guy who posted "fools"
lol................ the jokes on him.

my latest recumbent......

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=6996

heres a pic from the hilly hundred..........smoking past a few upwrongs.

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=9361

that was the same bike but with the tailbox mounted.

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=7408



You're a very sick man !!! ;) I eat dinner on a plate smaller than that chainring. :eek:

I had arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday, and the Doc will explain everything he did at the follow-up on Nov 2nd. I'm hoping therapy brings me back up to snuff. They thought it might be a torn meniscus, but he didn't do anything about the torn hamstring tendon yet.

I got this about a month ago. I need to change the stem, which it looks like the shop bent on purpose(demo model).

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/dchiefsbikeclubcrit.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=10950

Dchief.....question....how do you like your Lightning? How does it differ from a P-38?
I rode a MWB bent for a while (Rans Tailwind)...did it take long to acclimate to having your cranks up that high? Any nervousness in traffic? How do you like riding crossover from DF to 'bent? Thanks, David.

Dchief.....question....how do you like your Lightning? How does it differ from a P-38?
I rode a MWB bent for a while (Rans Tailwind)...did it take long to acclimate to having your cranks up that high? Any nervousness in traffic? How do you like riding crossover from DF to 'bent? Thanks, David.

Sorry, I put 2-3 miles on it before my knee surgery one week ago. It had the typical "twitchy" feeling on my first ride, but there were some moments where I relaxed and it was such a great feeling. The seat is pretty high, and when I stop I have to turn and put one leg over the side of the seat.I put my clipless pedals on it, and ended up having to start out by leaning on the fence next to the driveway. I discovered from e-mailing back and forth with Lightning that the handlebar stem was bent by somebody. It was a demo bike for a local small chain of shops. I'll be getting a new stem before riding it again, and the drop "V" bars, maybe the EVO bars. It doesn't feel quite as heavy as my son's Trek Sport 800 MTB, and rolls very smoothly. When the physical therapist and the doctor let me ride again, I plan to take it to an industrial area that has no Sunday traffic, and make loops on a .81 mile square with very wide roads.
The components on the P-38 are better, the P-38 is lighter, and I think the frame design might be a bit better for climbing. I haven't been on one, though. I was actually thinking that if I like my Phantom, I might end up with a P-38 later. The thing is, right now Lightning doesn't have anyone to make the Thunderbolt and Phantom frames for them. The company that did stopped making them. The website says they are looking for someone else. The only dealers they list right now, are mostly in the L.A. area, and one(a "rep") in Sacramento. When my knee is better, I might make an appointment with the Sacramento rep. The decal for seat position is gone from the main tube under the seat. He'd be able to tweak my seat position for optimum power and comfort.

You're a very sick man !!! ;) I eat dinner on a plate smaller than that chainring. :eek:


I say, use the tool that does the job best. For me, that means a big chainring. (But don't get rid of the 30T bailout ring. ;) )

http://www.bikejournal.com/images/jfoltzBaron2.jpg

Total hip replacement here...just 5 months ago. I ride an EZ3-AX trike. My ortho who is also a sports med guy and did my surgery was thrilled when I told him I had gone to a bent and was riding again.

I have no joint problems so can't really comment, except to note that I do get some knee pain if I hammer the hills repeatedly on either of my two bent (high BB SWB). It is important to spin your way up hills on a bent, instead of mashing.

I just recently started riding DFs and enjoy them too, especially on hills. They (bikes)are all good, at least that's my view right now.

More power to you folks, but I tried a recumbant and its just not my style.
Seems a sin (said in jest - no flames please) to ride anything in this position. Plus, I fear no one could see me. Rode a trek R600 for maybe 50 miles. Just didn't feel right.

Good Lord! - an R600? FOR 50 MILES??? No wonder it didn't feel right, and, yes, that is a sin. :)

Find this interesting, I thought recumbents were hard on knees. I had total replacement of right knee about five years ago, have ridden MTB and road bikes for many years, I'm 67. Now ride a folder, a 21 speed dual drive Dahon TR and love it. Do 15 to 20 miles daily. But saw a trike the other day and it got my interest. That way I could take my dog along without fearing he is going to lunge at a cat.