I've had both types of bikes, bent's and DF's but for some reason, my knees didn't like then bent very much, you do have to "SPIN" harder to make a CLWB or LWB bent go up hills, I've got two types of arthrtis and both effect my knees. Now bent's FLY downhill's and my neck doens't care for my hybrid DF's, so sadly I can't be "comfortable" on any style of bike, rats. Still the bent had ONE GREAT quality, I LOVED, being able to just, look straight on with my head in a normal position! On my DF hybrid, even with a 35 degree stem, I'm still looking at the ground or my neck get's stiff!

In answer to the original question: No, no one over 50 rides a recumbent. No, wait a minute, I mean no one under 50 rides one. I ride one and can't believe that I am over 50. Or 60.
Went on a club ride today and out of about a hundred cyclists, I had the only 'bent. Sometimes it seems as if no one but me rides them.
My legs hurt after riding today but I can't blame the bike - I blame the danged Southern Indiana hills, many of which point up.

Anybody old enough to post in this forum should be YEARS past giving a crap what anybody thinks about their bike. Or anything else.

No more entries. The Arrogant Roadie Prick contest is over.

Just in case the OP is still interested in a serious response, my wife is planning to buy a recumbent tadpole trike around the end of the year, and I'm going to ride it as much as she'll let me. I anticipate it will result in my own purchase shortly thereafter as well.

I would like to try one.

Shouldn't be that hard to arrange.

One problem with recumbents is you can't try just one and say that you know how recumbents ride and handle. Compared to DF bikes recumbents are a rapidly evolving design and different frame configurations can handle quite differently.

All the DF nay sayers against recumbents need to remember one fact. Nearly 100% of bent riders rode thousands of miles on DF bikes, so they know what they are talking about. DF riders that blather against bents on heresay have no creditibility.

One thing that remains a real hoot is the "proper fit" argument that says it will eliminate all pain. For me it fall into the same catagory as "tastes just as good as fresh perked" and "the check is in the mail"!!!!

Another old wives tail is bents dont climb. To prove that wrong is easy. Look at the 4 man RAAM race of a couple 3 years ago. The RANS team won the four man race. Also they improved their standing comming up the west side of the Rockies by about an hour against the other 4 man DF teams. So dont tell me that "bents dont climb"!!!!

So, shall we label them "DF Failures" ??

How bout DF Failure Fools

What are they putting in the water these days? We are talking about bikes, aren't we? It's not like talking about the end of civilization as we know it.

Maybe someone will make the argument that it does.

Im about to do an experiment. I've only ridden a bent since 11/11. In about an hour I'm going MTBing in Colorado with my SIL who thinks I've named him in my will. I'll tell you how it goes. It might get ugly in a hurry.

I guess you can if you want. I refer to them as "The Enlightened Few".

I hesitate to bring up physiology and genetics - a similar thread on the 41 dragged on 13 pages and led to charges of racism and stuff - and all wedgies are racists (j/k) - but that might influence ones choice of ride.

Last time I was checked. By CV fitness was 80% of my age, my strength was 50%, but my flexibility was 4%. I just don't do so well with road bikes. Bents work better for me.

[QUOTE=rydabent;14708438]All the DF nay sayers against recumbents need to remember one fact. Nearly 100% of bent riders rode thousands of miles on DF bikes, so they know what they are talking about. DF riders that blather against bents on heresay have no creditibility.QUOTE]

What naysayers? Who is blathering on here?

The only negative stuff in this thread is from you with your insulting and name calling.

Ick. This thread is degenerating. You'd think we were all a bunch of teenagers! Arguing on an internet forum is like arguing with your wife; when you think "I've won!" is when you most surely have lost!

Gotta have the helmet mirror and the little orange flag flying off the antenna-like thingy, too. You also run the risk of turning into a smug, self-righteous jackass, calling we less enlightened riders senseless fools.

Time out! Everybody go to your room and don't come out until you can play nice.
I'll be in my room.

Bikes is bikes. Bikes is bikes. Bikes is bikes. Bikes is bikes. Bikes is bikes. Bikes is bikes. Bikes is bikes. Bikes is bikes.

I enjoy my V-rex; my poor DF road bike has been hanging unridden in the garage for 10 years. Meanwhile, despite carpal tunnel, arthritis in my neck and lower back surgery, I've finished two super randonneuring series and PBP 2011. I'm a middle of the pack randonneur, and the challenges to move up have nothing to do with the bike.

A bent would not worked on the trails today. Every muscle in my rapidly aging body hurts right now. MTB is the queen of a sport that has no king.

Having said that, I think I'll stick to unkempt beards, weird bikes, and little orange flags.

First off, I rode over 120,000 miles on uprights and was a cat 2 racer in my younger years before switching to bents for medical reasons.

Second, I have two bents under 20# and they do make them in carbon fiber for all of you cutting edge buyers.

Third, I don't have a beard.


Oh, and I do own a full Campy 2011 Specialized Roubaix Pro SL3 that I also ride occasionally but I prefer my bents.

And people are allowed to disagree. When I was looking at one it was much longer than a road or MTB bike and would not fit in the back of my Tahoe without putting the rear seat down. I didn't even know they made a bent specific rack and I can promise you I can not climb a 8 percent hill as well with a bent as I can with a DF road or MTB. That is just me and I didn't say it was a problem for everyone. We take things and base them with what we are used to. I can load two bikes at a time with road bikes when our group goes out of town but I don't believe I could even pick up a lot of bents with one hand. I now have a Saris Cycle on pro rack for 4 bikes. So because I didn't have a rack when I was first looking at bikes before I got back into it I took a tape measure and try to see if I could get a LWB low rider in my truck without putting the seat down. So from my perspective they were a PITA to load even if they looked like they might be cool to ride. Yours is too long to fit sideways for when I am by myself and want to pop my bike in the back without putting the seat down and that was all I was trying to say.

I don't ride one all the time like you do and I don't have an issue with comfort on a DF so the trade offs don't apply to me. The Op asked if any of us rode one and I have. Two in fact but they didn't work for me and I thought they were hard to push up hills. I thought they were heavy and I thought they were comfortabe in the flats. So all I was saying was as long as I can still attack a long climb faster on a DF I am not ready to move to a bent. But when I do I might as well go all the way to a Trike because you can always have a chair with you.

But still no where in my post was I saying someone should not get one only that I am not ready for one yet. I don't have a beard or a pony tail.

I don't want to get involve in any arguments but since you seem to be one of the few mature posters in this thread I'll ask a couple of questions out of curiosity: Can you sprint on a recumbent and get similar power to a regular bike? For example, is there an equivalent method of standing up and powering up a hill or do you need to spin up all hills?

I have no problem sprinting but I admit that hills are difficult for me. However, I am also overweight; I have aot of trouble on steep hills on an upright, too. Sprnting is no problem as many of my upright friends an attest.

There are some ugly bents, as there are some ugly DF bikes. However it remains that a large percentage of the riding public would be better served riding a comfortable bent. What ususally happens is middle aged people get fat and want some exercise. They see a bike glide by and think wow that for me. They go to the ave LBS that is wed to DF bikes, and the salesman sells them a mountain bike with upright seating. After ridding it 15 or 20 times they decide it is a pain in the ***, and hang it up in the garage. After a few years it is sold for 5 to 10 percent of what they paid for it in a garage sale. However if they would have bought a bent, for just one reason--------no pain-----they would still probably sitll be riding.

really? is that "rydabent", as in "Ride A 'Bent"? I wish I would have had access to your opinions before I started riding. I have made some big mistakes in my life, but buying and riding all those DF bikes I now realize is the biggest one. I just put my 2011 Giant Defy Advanced One out at the trash. since you must be a 'bent dealer, maybe I could buy one from you and start over, this time the right way. (this is all tongue in cheek, by the way. I am not trying to offend. this has to be the greatest thread, ever!)