One does not need a road bike for speed training. That day, I happen to be riding my cargo bent with a small rack load. I stopped to get ice cream and was on my way when the micro-paceline blew by. My other bent is a tilting trike low racer. It's not completely finished yet as I still have to put a 72T ring on it, but already, I'm spinning out the 52 at about 35 kph (20" wheel). When the big ring is finished this 40-something with a gut will spend the occasional Sunday hunting pacelines on some of the back roads around here.

What I'm waiting for is Sam Whittingham to get on on an unfaired low-racer and go further in the hour than the current UCI record. That would finally put paid to the whether or not recumbents are faster. Even better would be for Barbara Buatois to do that too. Seems to me that only when a little girl spanks all these macho men that there will finally be silence.

Recumbent riders are not all looking to join the big tours. That up to the USCF and the UCI and if they want to allow recumbents, then I'm sure Rans or Bacchetta could field a team. Really, though, all we want is for the haters to stop hating. Of course, humans are predictable with the hate, but it sure is nice to dream of a world in which everyone just gets along.

:)ensen.

Probably not jealousy. I know a bunch of cyclists who are interested in bents but probably would never buy one. That's the category I'm in. But we're British, and we're just a little bit different ol' chap.

because of the different speed profiles in headwinds, downhills and uphills between a recumbent and upright. And the fact that you have a whopping great chainring and pedals just behind the rear wheel of an upright when drafting on a recumbent means you have to concentrate much more.

I find it is much less stressfull to ride in a paceline on a normal bike than on a recumbent.

Ya know, this need for some to prove that 'bents are superior machines that have been held down by the man' is why many of us like razzing you hammock jockeys. Who cares what bike set what speed or distance record, or which does what better than the other...we ride what we like to ride. I ain't gonna set no speed records on my wedgie, and you ain't gonna set no speed records on your bent. ;)

Yeah, you SHOULD remind yourself of that...

SP
:recum:

[QUOTE=gnome;9783358]because of the different speed profiles in headwinds, downhills and uphills between a recumbent and upright. And the fact that you have a whopping great chainring and pedals just behind the rear wheel of an upright when drafting on a recumbent means you have to concentrate much more.

I find it is much less stressfull to ride in a paceline on a normal bike than on a recumbent.[/QUOT

The chain ring and pedals on my GRR is in the same place as a DF, between the front and rear wheel. The only time my profile changes is when I tuck my head under the fairing on downhill runs. But if you are doing 35+ mph I do not suggest talking to someone at the same time. There is a lot of road passing under you at that speed and a lot of things are happening pretty fast. I keep both eyes on the road at that speed. I have no trouble 'socializing' while riding next to another recumbent. I find that conversing with others is easier when I am sitting up in a normal position.

You miss the purpose of the my post. its not about trying to get on a tour, or speed training. its pushing yourself to see what your made of.
not sitting on a bent or bike eating ice cream. if you choose to do that on whatever you ride, you will get no respect from me.
just like you wouldnt see me on a beach cruiser. just not my idea of what a ride should be.

again chill out enjoy the scenery yadda yadda yadda, you cant convince me that a bent is cooler than a bicycle. just like i cant convince you that a bicycle is better.

Based on my experience, you have it right. Boy racers do seem to have a need to look down on anything and everything that may seem a bit different or threatening. Except for sad cases of life-long inferiority, men and women get over that problem, ride what they want to ride, and learn to appreciate variety and differences.

Nobody needs convincing of anything... especially me. My fleet includes 3 recumbents, 1 FS mtb and a longtail cargo bike. I ride whatever best suits my needs at that moment. I recently brought home 200 lbs of bagged compost with the longtail. For off-road and the upcoming snow, the MTB comes out. And for speed, one of the trikes. I've been a transportation cyclist for over 25 years and discovered early that to go really fast, a road bike is not the best mode. And yes... I had a Bianchi once. Fast, but not fast enough.

When you say that you won't ride slow and thus won't ever be found on a beach cruiser or bent, my immediate thought is that you have no friends with which to enjoy a nice lazy Sunday ride. There is a particular pleasure at just moseying along, watching the scenery and yakking with other cyclists. Of course, if you're not the type that rides a bike everywhere, then you probably wouldn't understand the particular type of cool that goes with a pink basket on a fixie. Maybe you are even that guy that makes nasty comments about recumbents and low-riders.

:)ensen.

ummmm......a recumbent bicycle is a bicycle

must

not

admit

to

agreeing

with

hammock

jockey

Fixed that for ya. Although I like recumbents better than uprights, that does not mean they are cooler than uprights. And it doesn't mean that I necessarily want anybody to switch. Bents have many advantages; but while they're better at some things, they're worse at others. Your priorities should determine what kind of bike you ride.

agreed, thanks for the fix

Riding my Worksman industrial cruiser, I've gotten quite a few "cool bike" comments, quite often from kids. I think it's the same as if you see a Model A coming down the street, you might say "Cool car" but that doesn't mean you're going to buy one, either. Nor does it imply you hate them if you don't. It's cool to see because it's different, not because it's better. I always like to see tandems for the same reason.

Have to admit to being one who got uptight to the gentle ribbing by some in the DF crowd. It really is about what you like to ride and have fun with. A little humor makes some of these discussions a little more interesting.

However their are no doubt some in the Boy racer crowd (not all), who go a little to the extreme in their dishing feet first brethren(we are all cyclists) . I don't like the fact little opportunity to compete directly in a TT with a DF rider in most events. Definitely don't belong in Road race or criterium with DF riders. I ride with DF's all the time in a paceline and I and they know the only acceptable way is for me to either be in the front or in the back. Recumbents can mess up a smooth paceline if DF riders not accustomed to riding with them.

I have expererienced the "cool" comments quite a few times from observers as I pedal by. I have also heard people say you have a funny looking bike. All I have to do is look at my shadow and would agree with the latter. I do think recumbents offer less wear and tear on the body per mile and offer a better view of the scenery around. Don't disagree that some like to ride in a more agressive stance and a recumbent does have drawbacks in different types of riding.

So here we have it. All bike have shortcommings as well as strong points. No one bike fits all needs. For every need there is a bike that excels at that particular task. Road, sprint, track, MTN, touring, commuting, cargo and the list goes on. What most people fail to realize is that recumbents do excel at certain things as well they have their shortfalls. It will take open minds and a lot of time for this to happen. If you asked the average person they would not know what a recumbent was.
Every spring our local newspaper would run an article about bicycling and would describe all the new classes of bikes including touring, cross, Mtn and so forth. They described how "comfortable the new "cross bikes were. I wrote a letter and challenged the author of the article to contest. Pick your most comfortable cross Df and I will use my Tour Easy. The challenge is to see who can sit on their bike seat for the longest time. The only request I have is to use a seatbelt incase I fall asleep. I did not get anyone to accept the challenge. I guess the bike model name (Tour Easy by Easy Racer) scared them off. As usual they failed to inform the public with a follow up article and so the ignorance continues.

Having just completed BRAT with my lowracer, I can say it was as if I were piloting an alien space ship. Locals would stare slack-jawed as I went by, people in cars would stop and wait for me to go past them before continuing... once someone even came in off the street to ask me questions while I ate in a restaurant.

Not one derogatory remark all week. There were some very nice, even very expensive bikes on the tour, but to the uninitiated they all looked like regular bikes. The lowracer stood out. The only jealousy I saw all week was me. I sort of wished I'd taken my highracer instead. :lol:

I'll bet a lot of people ascribe a fair amout of "coolness" to your Surly. That even you don't know it's cool says loads about your hipness factor, and IMO, lack thereof. That's not to say that being cool is forever. For example, the Hummer. Stylish, no. But originally, very cool. Now, not so much. OTOH, the entire 23 years I've had a recumbent, I've always had comments from people about its coolness. So until complete strangers with no apparent connection to cycling stop yelling "cool bike!" at me, then it's cool.

If the Surly isn't cool enough, you might get an even bigger reaction if you took your carbon aero road bike, painted it over in sunset orange, added mustache handlebars and a fixed gear hub. After that, I'd wager some of the urban riders might call your machine cool. Until then, you have my permission to be jealous.

:)ensen.

You are assuming that we give them much thought at all.

Unlikely.

Like I used to tell my kids...only wussies worry about what others think is cool...cool people don't worry about it...and indeed define it. So you just keep on worrying about what others think and let them define it for you. I grew out of worrying about it decades ago. :lol:

Always went my own way... still do. If I didn't, I'd have a fixie for everyday and a road bike for Sundays. Oh wait.... you have one don't you? Not exactly a good example for teaching the kiddies how to be cool and resist peer pressure. How does that age old mistake go now? "Do as I say, not as I do."

But I really shouldn't be beating on a dead horse. After all, you did begrudgingly agree with me already. No need to rub sodium chloride into it. It's bad enough for most people to have to admit to their themselves they didn't turn out as tolerant/wise/patient/independent as they had hoped to become. Myself included.

So I hereby agree that you disagree. That you find it impossible to understand that recumbents are also cool. That, as the planet heats up, all human powered vehicles are indeed, cool.

:)ensen.

Huh. Yeah, I don't ride a bent because of peer pressure...and every night bats fly out of my ass and capture virgins for me too. I've had a bent...I didn't like it. Wanna put your other foot in your mouth, or are you coordinated enough to just switch feet? :lol:

As far as cool, you keep right on chasing those fantasies...every dog has his day, dreams can come true, even for you! :thumb:

Enjoy reading your replies. Was suprised to see that you at one time owned a bent. Curious to know what prompted you to get one? Also wondered what type/make you had and what you least liked about it? I doubt DF riders in general are jealous but in a lot of group rides someone will shout out "cool bike!" as me on a bent and fellow DF riders pass by (assume it was me). Usually young kids on Huffy's are the one's making these comments.

It was given to me...after I won it in a poker game. :D

I didn't like it for much the same reason why I prefer a higher profile vehicle...I can see better being higher off the ground. That was the biggest reason...and the fact that at the time I was in the Marine Corps and wasn't allowed to grow a beard or an aero belly. ;)

After a few weeks of punishing the owner by riding his former bent to work every day, I purposely bluffed on a King-high nothing so he could win it back. The dummy folded and another guy won it. If I remember right, just about everyone in the unit ended up owning that bike for a spell until it finally found it's way home.

Most folks in BF know that I (and a lot of other wedgie riders) are just yanking their chains when it comes to hammocks...but apparently some don't. :o

I too enjoy a good flame, but my wit just hasn't been as refined these days. As you can see at the end there, had a lot of trouble paying out the right length of noose and then reining it back in again. Your snipes were shorter and sweeter. Better to fold than to go all in without enough marbles.

See you at the next bent vs df thread.

:)ensen.