rydabent

Back in 2005 I bought my first bent. It was a left over 2004 that I got a good deal on. Almost immediately I was fully bent. Up till that time I had touring bike with a triple, and an mountain bike. After I got the Tailwind, I dont think those two bikes had more than 2 miles ever put on them again. One got sold in a garage sale, and the other traded in on the 26" wheel upgrade on my trike.

Apparently from what I read in these bike forums, im not the only one that has gone fully bent afte geting one. Is that true?

Dudelsack 

Not fully, but about 95%.

Retro Grouch 

For longer rides I definitely prefer my recumbent. The more urban an area gets, however, the more I appreciate my upright beater bike.

dual650c

I still have 2 DF's but they NEVER get ridden. I've tried to sell them but no takers on either CG or the local "classified ad newspaperlets".

delcrossv

I ride my DF once in a blue moon. ( maybe 20 mi in 20 years) Then go back to my bent. So no, I don't see going back. Got my first one in '94 and haven't looked back.

VegasTriker

This section should come with a warning and it should be posted on the door of every recumbent shop. Recumbitis is a disease manifest by the symptoms of never having just the right recumbent or enough of them. It is also easily transmissible. Just ask several of my friends - most of whom own more than one recumbent

I gave my 1973 Motobecane Le Champion road bike with Phil Wood hubs to a local charity for people who needed transportation and could not afford a car. It showed up again at the place a few weeks later as the new owner found it to be too uncomfortable. I had tried to give it to all of my friends and nobody wanted it. That for a 21 pound bike in perfect working order.

JanMM

My only safety bike, a Novara Big Buzz hybrid, is on extended loan to my younger son. It has been ridden very few miles by me since I bought my first bent in 2006.

Completely bent since replacing our upright tandem with a Screamer at the start of 2011.

Trsnrtr

I got bent in 2003 due to medical problems. Before that, I rode uprights between 6 and 8,000 miles a year since 1982 and never complained about the saddle, my hands or whatever.

Fast forward 10 years and my medical problems are gone and I've been riding an upright quite a bit even though I still ride my bents the most. What I've noticed is that in the last 10 years, upright technology has improved a lot. My latest upright is the smoothest, silkiest upright that I've ever owned, the carbon bars absorb shock quite well and the saddle has been fitted for my rear end. I find my upright to be an absolute joy to ride. Granted, it's a very high end piece of equipment.

Anyway, I still love my bents and my trike (rode it today) but I don't see uprights as the evil machine that many recumbent riders do.

rydabent

After several months of riding my first bent, we were cleaning out the garage, and I decided to ride my mountain bike around the block. It was strange just how weird it felt. I felt like I was perched clear up in the air, and about to go over the handle bars at any moment.

delcrossv

If my butt didn't hurt, I'd ride mine more too. Also I like to get where I'm going and the bent is a lot faster for me. I'm not an evangelist- Ride what you like, like what you ride.

Trsnrtr

I agree and bents or trike are still my first grab out the door.

-SEAN

I rode DF bikes for 20 years then nothing for 10 years due to a condition called Spina Bifida...when I test rode a recumbent 4 years ago I found I was able to ride without pain...I got rid of my mountain bike and have since owned 3 tadpole trikes, a delta trike, and 2 SWB two wheel recumbents...I got a Cannondale Quick 5 last May for my Ex to try and keep up with me...rode it a few weeks ago and was quickly reminded why I'm bent...I still have 3 of my recumbents and the DF bike in the garage to choose from...unfortunately back pain has come back and I have been grounded for the most part the last 8 weeks...I miss riding my bikes no matter what configuration they may be...

Tractortom

I purchased my first recumbent in 1990 or 1991 (I really don't recall which year) after meeting Steve Roberts who was riding the country on a recumbent he called 'winnebiko'. It was a DeFelease Bitubular model, made of mild steel at his machine shop in New Palistine, IN. Rode it for a couple years, but the darn thing weighed about 50lbs before I added accessories. So after a while, I went back to a diamond frame and rode it on and off until 2006. Got back into recumbents then and have not looked back. I've had an actionbent short wheel base, a Catrike trail, a Bacchetta Corsa, a Bacchetta Strada, a Bacchetta Giro 26 (all the Bacchetta high racers bothered my back) and finally a Bacchetta long wheel base Belladare. I just purchased a Catrike 'Annihilator' V81, to ride on the weekends. So, yes, I have gone back to a diamond frame after being bent, but I'm pretty fully bent these days, and commute on my Bacchetta Belladere almost every day.

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL