layedback1

As a life long technician, I tend to look at things with a black and white eye. I also like to think of my self as logical. Almost 5 years ago after reading about recumbents for several years, my logical side took control, and I bought my first bent, a RANS Tailwind. Needles to say I was hooked on bents. I sold my touring bike, but have kept my mountain bike. However the mountain bike has had less than 1 mile put on it since 2005. I retired a year ago May 30 and rewarded myself with a RANS Stratus. Needless to say I am a very happy bent rider

Elad63

Several years ago I bought a second hand Vision Metro R30 CLWB because it looked different. I now have 4 bents. A Vision R40 SWB, Challenge Hurricane quasi-lowracer, a Tour Easy clone and the Vision Metro R30 CLWB. I also have 9 other bikes ranging between tourers, road, mtb and folders, and I haven't stayed with just one bike or design. They all have there pro's and con's.

kk4df

I bought a bent earlier this year. I enjoy the long rides, and the DF bikes tend to make my back hurt if I'm riding much more than 100 miles. I had to stop a 600K brevet last spring at about the 400K mark, when my back muscles would not relent. The pain was fierce, and I could barely walk or bend over for several hours. I started mentally exploring the idea of riding a bent for the long distance rides, and the rest is history. My DF bikes (3 of them) have seen very little use since the acquisition of the bent.

I look very forward to starting this next season of brevet rides on the bent, with the first ride coming up on Jan 1.

Jeff Wills

I've been hearing about a fair number of ultra distance riders moving over to 'bents due to these issues. They're finding that their speed isn't different, just that they stand up and walk away at the end of the ride.

A couple of my friends have been doing brevets for years. They've got stories to tell:
https://www.ohpv.org/events/albums/rao2005/
https://www.ohpv.org/events/albums/alex508-2008/

Look for a couple of recumbent teams in RAAM this year, along with a couple solo riders.

JanMM

A Central Indiana Bicycling Association website classifieds ad for a RANS Tailwind, cheap, caught my eye early in '06. On a whim, after online research and a brief test ride, I bought it, cheap. Most of my miles going back to '85 had been on hybrids or a MTB/citybike. Since buying the TW, most of my miles, except for tandem rides with my wife/stoker, have been 'bent.
The Tailwind, a bit small for me, was replaced by a V-Rex in August '08. Riding the Rex on lots of 25-60 mile club rides this past summer led me to the conclusion that a long wheelbase, dual big wheel bent would be just the ticket for rides in the Central Indiana countryside; a RANS V3 joined the family in October.
Have never had back or seat issues with DF's but did have some hand and wrist discomfort and occasional neck discomfort. That is all history, except when riding the KHS tandem. (It's tolerable)
The V-Rex is quite comfortable to ride and the V3 is even more comfortable. The long frame and 26" wheels with 1.5" tires soak up road irregularities and make it easier to cruise faster.
Looking forward to Spring '10. Considering aiming for a century next year, which would be a first.

bobbycorno

After 35 years of riding df's, capped of with particularly persistent "saddle issues" after a 1000k brevet, I borrowed a 'bent to keep riding while I recovered. That was two years ago, I'm on my third 'bent, and I've ridden my df maybe 5 times since then. My average speeds on long rides are about the same as before, commutes are much faster, and comfort and fun levels are way up. I haven't given up on df's but for any serious riding, I'll be on my 'bent.

SP
Bend, OR

Bearach

didn't have a particuar aversion to my DF. Seat is OK, a little wrist pain, but what did it was a crash where I broke my collarbone. that was it then. Recumbents much less damaging to the body as far as surviving a crash.

BlazingPedals

It was carpal-tunnel pain for me. Oh, I had saddle pain when I rode more than my customary amount, and a bit of neck/shoulder cramping on longer rides, but I always assumed that went with the territory and dealt with it. The year I did a tour and my hands hurt for a full week afterwards, though... that was the last year for my upright.

Trikin'

I own a Catrike Trail since July '09, I've got 1150k so far. I've been into trikes 5yrs now, I used to mountain bike years ago but I had the carple tunnel pain, so bad that I needed the operations. No more DF riding. Then I saw an ad for recumbents and after a couple of rentals I was hooked.
Its all about the ride

Jeff Wills

I went to the IHPSC races in 1979 and 1980. That got me thinking about non-traditional bikes. After I graduated high school (1981), I helped a friend of mine build recumbent trikes. Some of the pictures are here: https://home.comcast.net/~jeff_wills/aerocoupe/index.htm . After doing that for a couple years and a couple years of college, I finished my career in the bicycle business by working at Bike'alog. While I was there, I bought a Lightning since I was about 40 miles away. That was 1990. I've been using recumbent bikes as my primary ride ever since.

Jay D

At first I thought the recumbent bike was a concept that I created. I always thought it would be really fun to ride around in a pedal powered car with four wheels. Then I figured that it wasn't necessary to have four wheels and that two would be much more fun as you could lean into curves at that point. I thought I was onto something till I did a little searching around on the internet and discovered that my idea wasn't as original as I thought it was.

So I switched to recumbents because they are fun!! Plain and simple.

chucky

And preserving the health of your prostate. I don't understand why so many DF riders think that if they are comfortable that everything is ok when time and time again it's been medically proven that using DF saddles leads to prostate disease later in life.

altozwei

In May of 2008, I got my son a KMX Cyclone for his 12th birthday. He had never learned to ride a bike and had adamantly refused ever try again since his initial failed efforts at age 6. Frustrated that we could not ever ride as a family, the KMX sounded like a good gamble. I ordered one in spite of my husband's assertions that this was a terrible idea. The Cyclone turned out to be the perfect solution and we started riding together. Almost immediately, my son began bugging me to try his trike. Once I did, I realized how much fun it was. A month later, I put my bike up for sale on Ebay and used the money to order a Catrike. Not only was it fun for me, it made it easier, and more enjoyable for us to ride trikes together. Last month, I purchased a used Catrike Pocket for my son to replace the KMX that he was rapidly outgrowing. I never had any serious complaints with my DF bikes, but the trike added a fun factor to riding that was never there before. Hope to try a bent bike someday, but I'd have to sell a trike for that and that isn't too likely.

gcottay

Enjoyment, plain and simple. I enjoy riding DF bikes, but any decent bike or trike raises the fun for me by at least a factor of five.

JanMM

Living a long time can lead to prostate disease in men but not riding a bicycle.

Philphine

i haven't compleatly made the move. i like fooling with bike building and have kind of settled into making stretch cruisers for myself (just for fun, not a seller), which are kinda semi recumbent. i really come here to look at ideas because i want to try making a full on recumbent one day

chucky

Incorrect. I repeat, "time and time again it's been medically proven that using DF saddles leads to prostate disease later in life."

Jay D

Do you have sources for this?

I have no plans on switching back to a DF, but if this is true then it only strengthens my decision for using a recumbent.

chucky

Nope, but you can look it up.

evblazer

I've seen studies saying that riding a diamond frame bike with a seat that doesn't relieve pressure on certain points when the rider rides long periods without relieving pressure by things like say standing up a bit or sprinting and putting more pressure on the legs for a bit may increase the chances of prostrate disease later in life.
I did a brief search but was unable to turn up anything that it was a medical fact that riding a DF saddles means you are going to have prostrate disease.

I switched to a recumbent to handle long distances in an area where wind is more of a problem then hills. Then I found out we have hills but the recumbent helped alot with my joints due to my connective tissue disorder. I ride with alot of retiree aged folks who have been riding for decades long distances and still stay on their uprights and do just fine before, during and after the rider. They don't have pain problems and neither did I for shorter rides of under 100 miles.
Another advantage I suppose is when I eventually do go on permanent blood thinners a recumbent like I ride or perhaps a trike might reduce the risk or getting all cut and bruised up even if it is because I don't really mix it up with the diamond frames and they don't mix it up with me which keeps me away from all their troubles. Even so I am starting to ride with some bmx type padding on places I have fallen in the past due to wind/gravel issues during long rides.

farnorth51

I switched to recumbents because I wanted people to think that I was a fat, old hippy! Kidding! I saw an article back in the early 80's about the Tour Easy right after going over the handlebars on my mountain bike. At 6'5" it wasn't the first time I had been over the handlebars and it was a long ways to the ground so I bought a Tour Easy sight unseen and am still riding it 26 years later. Changed my life! I started doing rides that I never even considered before. Every once in a while I will take one of my DF's out for a ride to make sure everything works but that's about as far as it goes. Happy Winter. I've got my studded tires on!

aikigreg

in 3 words - too much fun.

fig

I tried about 6 different saddles on my DF, and was having pain that wasn't immediately apparent after riding, but would crop up after laying in bed after a ride. I would move my legs, and it felt like someone was sticking my tailbone with an ice pick. I then spent the weekend out at California Speedway watching the races earlier this year, and after the second day, realized I was having the same stabbing pain, and it hit me that I might not be able to find a saddle that will ever work. So I had been drooling over recumbent trikes for years, and this pain was basically what pushed me. I can't ride as far as I could with the DF yet, but so far no pain whatsoever when getting off the trike.

gavtatu

mosty just to be different! partly cos i`m creative, inventive, like the challenge.
and now, after my second proper `bent build, i love it!

jeffh129

Carpel Tunnel AND the fact that I rarely try anything new. This time however, for some reason, I said the heck with it and test rode and purchased my first bent, a long wheel based Linear.