Who are they kidding.
#26
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greg
Shoes can be very comfortable if you get a shoe that fits. I for instance take a shoe the is quite wide, an EE. Most shoe problems are caused by average shoe stores that go more for style than fit. I have been buying my shoes out of a Mason shoe catalog for years. They have shoe sizes that fit the very narrow to the very wide. The right size shoe makes all the difference in the world for comfort.
Shoes can be very comfortable if you get a shoe that fits. I for instance take a shoe the is quite wide, an EE. Most shoe problems are caused by average shoe stores that go more for style than fit. I have been buying my shoes out of a Mason shoe catalog for years. They have shoe sizes that fit the very narrow to the very wide. The right size shoe makes all the difference in the world for comfort.
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Yeah, I gotta agree with this point. I don't really care about the debate going on, but one of the things I hear from new cyclists is that the "seat hurts."
It's not a seat. It's a saddle. The difference being that you sit in a seat, but a saddle just stabilized you on the bike. On a bike, your weight should be divided among your hands, feet and butt or "sit bones." Getting it right, though, takes practice... well, not really practice, but experience. Just ride. Focus on getting the weight off your butt & it's golden.
That being said, there's something incredibly alluring about cruising 10 mph faster while reclining in a chaise lounge.
It's not a seat. It's a saddle. The difference being that you sit in a seat, but a saddle just stabilized you on the bike. On a bike, your weight should be divided among your hands, feet and butt or "sit bones." Getting it right, though, takes practice... well, not really practice, but experience. Just ride. Focus on getting the weight off your butt & it's golden.
That being said, there's something incredibly alluring about cruising 10 mph faster while reclining in a chaise lounge.
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Well, like I mentioned earlier, I have zero experience with recumbents. All I know is the first time I saw one, the dude passed me like I was going backwards & looked relaxed enough to have a pina colad in his hand. It's that speed while comfy equation that I find alluring. I can get some pretty impressive speeds on my bike, but I'm certainly nothing close to relaxed when I'm pulling it off. And no matter how comfy I get in an aero stance, it's nothing close to any natural seating position.
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greg
Shoes can be very comfortable if you get a shoe that fits. I for instance take a shoe the is quite wide, an EE. Most shoe problems are caused by average shoe stores that go more for style than fit. I have been buying my shoes out of a Mason shoe catalog for years. They have shoe sizes that fit the very narrow to the very wide. The right size shoe makes all the difference in the world for comfort.
Shoes can be very comfortable if you get a shoe that fits. I for instance take a shoe the is quite wide, an EE. Most shoe problems are caused by average shoe stores that go more for style than fit. I have been buying my shoes out of a Mason shoe catalog for years. They have shoe sizes that fit the very narrow to the very wide. The right size shoe makes all the difference in the world for comfort.
#30
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if you get an opportunity to try the 'lounge chair' ride, let opportunity show you the feeling, comfort, relaxing possibilities...while still going your normal route.
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Just to stir things up a bit, I ask just who do they think they are kidding. In the DF vs bent argument, how can DF riders claim they are as comfortable their bikes as a bent rider is? They are sitting on a narrow hard seat, and we are mainly setting on a lawn chair. In the argument DF riders seem to forget that most of us bent riders have put tens of thousands of miles on DF our selves. From experience we know where of we speak.
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Recumbent rider speed varies widely just like DF rider speed. On group rides, some recumbents are moving fast, others are poking along. Trikes always seem to be poking along, I'm not sure why as they are not inherently slow.
We have a SWB recumbent with a fairly upright seat back. It is not unlike many recumbents I see out there. I don't find it cruises any faster than a DF roadbike with a reasonably performant setup (bars below the saddle, rider on hoods or drops). But you are basically in a lounge chair, mmmm.
OTOH, recumbents with fairings and socks are to be feared. At least I do.
I don't ride the recumbent much because my ability to balance it is poor, because it isn't too compatible in group rides of DF bikes, because my climbing is challenged enough as it is, and because all my rides involve threading through traffic and intersections at the start and end. But it is a pretty cool machine. Someday I'll mount a fairing and sock and do STP with a jumbo Jamba Juice held ostentatiously to my lips.
We have a SWB recumbent with a fairly upright seat back. It is not unlike many recumbents I see out there. I don't find it cruises any faster than a DF roadbike with a reasonably performant setup (bars below the saddle, rider on hoods or drops). But you are basically in a lounge chair, mmmm.
OTOH, recumbents with fairings and socks are to be feared. At least I do.
I don't ride the recumbent much because my ability to balance it is poor, because it isn't too compatible in group rides of DF bikes, because my climbing is challenged enough as it is, and because all my rides involve threading through traffic and intersections at the start and end. But it is a pretty cool machine. Someday I'll mount a fairing and sock and do STP with a jumbo Jamba Juice held ostentatiously to my lips.
Last edited by jyl; 06-29-14 at 01:07 PM.
#33
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I ride a Cruzbike conversion and find that my climbing power is not compromised compared to what I used to ride. However I used to ride a dorky 20" folding bike, and I have never owned or tried another recumbent to compare the Cruzbike with either.
Alas Cruzbikes are not cheap. If you don't mind DIY, you could try going through the conversion kit route to mitigate that cost.
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You can get a bent built to just your size for 6 to 800 dollars from recycled recumbents and he also has a bunch of manufactured recumbents there for sale. And he ships. Here is the tab for that. And as far as stability it takes a little time to get that down good I been riding them for a year and I can set at a stop sign with my feet on the pedals not moving for about 20 seconds. And still improving on it. And I can ride 3 mph and keep my balance and that is hard as well. To get your recumbent legs useally takes a couple weeks to a couple months depends on how much you ride https://sites.google.com/site/recycl...e/the-showroom but to everybody and theyre own I guess .
Last edited by wbuttry; 06-30-14 at 01:40 PM.
#37
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I lust after recumbents... The first time I saw one zip past me like I was sitting still when I was actually pushing as hard as I could, I was sold. The fact that the guy looked like he was taking a nap may have influenced me a bit.
I am not immature enough to care what other people think of how I look.
There are two reasons I do not own one.
1st, I live in a very hilly area and am concerned about climbing hills. I am naturally a pretty good hill climber. That's probably my biggest cycling strength. Would that transfer to a recumbent?
2nd... price. I can get very good traditional road bikes for $400 all day long. I haven't seen a decent recumbent anywhere near that. Spending that kind of cash on something I consider to be a gamble is a bit much.
Alas, the lust is there.
I am not immature enough to care what other people think of how I look.
There are two reasons I do not own one.
1st, I live in a very hilly area and am concerned about climbing hills. I am naturally a pretty good hill climber. That's probably my biggest cycling strength. Would that transfer to a recumbent?
2nd... price. I can get very good traditional road bikes for $400 all day long. I haven't seen a decent recumbent anywhere near that. Spending that kind of cash on something I consider to be a gamble is a bit much.
Alas, the lust is there.
and issue #2 see this https://sites.google.com/site/recycl...e/the-showroom price is cheap and ships cheaply he builds to your height and everything .check him out this is what you can do keep your road bike and also keep you a bent in the stable . I keep my mountain bike in my stable so I can ride both..
#38
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When Safety Bike riders use the term, "climbing well," what they're trying to define is whether or not their friends will drop them to death on every positive grade. By that criteria, trikes DO NOT climb well.
#40
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You are rite blaze I did not get his meaning thanks for clarify I guess I don't get that roadie mumbo jumbo half the time heck I don't even know what a mup is . On my bike I charge most hills if small enough and if kinda long I go to my 22 tooth on front and my 28 in back and I can climb most hill at 4 to 5 mph but I live in flat land so I don't have that issue.
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Well, like I mentioned earlier, I have zero experience with recumbents. All I know is the first time I saw one, the dude passed me like I was going backwards & looked relaxed enough to have a pina colad in his hand. It's that speed while comfy equation that I find alluring. I can get some pretty impressive speeds on my bike, but I'm certainly nothing close to relaxed when I'm pulling it off. And no matter how comfy I get in an aero stance, it's nothing close to any natural seating position.
Just riding some trikes around the parking lot at Angle Lake Cyclery left me grinning ear to ear, and I already own a SWB bent.
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I had no idea recumbents could be found for so little money... Some of the suggestions you guys have offered are fully 1/2 the cheapest ones I've ever seen.
Thank you all!
Thank you all!
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And then there is the Schlitter Encore. Nicely spec'd at $2500, for full carbon frame, and SRAM Rival.
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No real comfort difference here. I have had bents for 20 years now and still ride both. I prefer the bent for low traffic, country road cruising, and the df for fitness and city riding/commuting. I used to have comfort issues with the df until I discovered Selle An-atomica saddles. I can sit on that one for many hours and forget it is there. The bent has its own comfort issues mainly from the lack of being able to change position while riding. I love being able to attack steep hills while standing.
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Used is always cheaper than new. Recycled Recumbents is inexpensive because what you get is a Tour-Easy clone made from cut-up remnants of upright bikes. They're functional, and a good choice if you're on a budget; but up close they are obviously homebuilts and not as polished as a name brand. They're also going to be heavier. Andrew never knows if his next donor bikes will be hi-ten, chromo, or something more exotic.