It is pretty much true that recumbents are ridden by older people. Isnt too bad the the enlightenment comes later in life. For me I bought my first bent in 2005, and my mountain bike and road bike really never got rode again.

It is really too bad that "real cyclist" are poisoned against bents. A lot of this is promoted by cycling magazines because they depend on DF advertisers to keep them in business. IMO 90% of recreational riders would be better off on a bent. Since comfort is the big thing about bents, they will be ridden more often an further. It happened to me. BTW I now have the best of both bent worlds, I have a LWB bent and a tadpole trike.

So much for preaching to believers.

I bought an ICE Sprint this Fall, not because I was older or looking for comfort or finding my other bikes difficult to ride. I bought it because I had too much time to browse the internet while recuperating from a fractured wrist this summer and, because I had seen a number of very neat bents on the local rails to trails, I just had to join the club. I do have to say that 1) I have not seen any bent riders younger than mid 40s, 2) the folks that want to chat about my trike generally have some grey hair, and 3) I have learned to not bring up in casual conversations at work that I bought a tricycle. Although on the other side, I went on a ride with a coworker in his 30s and we switched rides because he wanted to try the trike - had a hard time getting him to switch back. Also, pre-teen boys seem to be very impressed.

The biggest slam was when I was passed by a gentleman on a 2 wheel bent. He probably had 15 years on me. We chatted for a while and then he said," Always wanted a trike, but I am not old enough for one yet!"

I don't see it as age-related so much as riding-style-related. Most likely my first trike will be a velomobile. For now, 2-wheelers do everything I want them to do.

I found myself with an indoor recumbent due to back surgery and probably will sell a couple diamond frames next spring after trying to ride one more time (to much pain) in order to finance an "actual" recumbent. Only one LBS around here dedicated to bents. I will be learning all I can here until then.

When I worked 3 mikes from home, I was going to get a trike to commute in the winter time. Now I ride 2 miles to the train, so I just use a regular folder most days...

I'm not sure I'd call it enlightenment that brought me to recumbents, but rather my poor old prostate. Now, I'm sticking with recumbents as I have no neck, butt, wrist, or other body pains and I like riding with a view other than looking down at the road. Now I can see all the close calls.

Welcome aboard, rideaddict.

Thank you John.

Recumbency might not stem from enlightenment, but it could possibly lead to it. A scientific study showed that brain activity while cycling is very similar to meditation. (OK, ok, cycling: not strictly recumbent related!) But riding my bent is the most Zen thing I've ever done. Sit down, relax, let the energy flow, and (POOF!), five hours gone!

That is, before I got so busy with work...

[QUOTE=Recumbomatic;17363192]Recumbency might not stem from enlightenment, but it could possibly lead to it. A scientific study showed that brain activity while cycling is very similar to meditation. (OK, ok, cycling: not strictly recumbent related!) But riding my bent is the most Zen thing I've ever done. Sit down, relax, let the energy flow, and (POOF!), five hours gone!

That is, before I got so busy with work...[/QUOTE

Have you read Thomas Merton on enlightenment? His piece on final integration. Somewhat understandable from Merton's western mindset. Not much Zen in riding, I think. More like endorphin.

In the final analysis, you're still on a lawn chair with wheels.

Yep!

That realization itself is enlightening.

There, I fixed that for you!


Perhaps not Zen, but the brain scans in the study I mentioned show the evidence...

I started riding 'bents in 1996, when in my early 40s. I continued riding upright frames as well, but the recumbents were just more fun, so I rode them more and more, and tended to go on longer rides. And it was fun to find that I was easily keeping up with riders 20 years younger than me (on flat and rolling terrain).

A year ago, I added a trike to my stable because they are fun, too. And I find that lots of people of all ages are intrigued by the trike, partly because it looks different and partly (I suspect) because I am obviously having fun when they see me riding it.

tony

I ride my LWB bent and trike about 50-50. But when on my trike when stopped I get far more questions. Most come from older people that suddenly see that a trike might be just the thing they might like to have. The local trike dealer sometimes has trouble keeping trikes in stock.

BTW as I have posted before having both a bent and a trike is the best of both worlds, since you can pick the right tool for the job at hand. The bent goes on longer ride out on the hiway, and the trike goes on the in town trails. The trike goes especially to out door events to watch. You have your own lawn chair right there with you.

Well yeah, but that applies to EVERYTHING, not just bicycles.

"Too soon old, too late smart."

Not necessarily, they just need to be shown the light:

There are a lot of people out there that know about bents, but they don't find anything wrong with what they've got. And without a reason to change, a bent is just an expensive bike that requires a fair amount of effort to learn and acclimate to.

I do wish that more of my friends would take up lowracers so I'd have better riding partners.

I sometimes marvel at the folks that can do long distances perched on a DF saddle. If it works for them, great, they're out and riding. Seems though, that there's an awful lot of threads on saddle discomfort: numb hands, wrists , privates etc. For those folks, it's evidently not working and I suspect a lot of them wind up not riding.

I really try to avoid posting in those threads, because for some reason, an obviously effective solution is not welcome for consideration.

del

Your point is well taken. There is a significant number of threads on saddles and all their attendent problems. What I find funny is all the treads that promise perfect comfort if you only have an expensive fitting done at a bike shop.

Well, in fairness, it works- for some. For others no, and they wind up throwing in the towel.

I can ride a hundred on a bent or a DF. Makes no difference to me.

Good for you!

I just trade one ache for another. A hundred miles on a bent gives me rotator cuff soreness and a DF gives me slight lower back pain. Neither hurts my neck or bottom. Lucky, I guess.

Did seven centuries last year, two on a lowracer, one on a trike and four on an upright. All were enjoyable.

Anyway, since I ride both, I get subjected to prejudice on both sides. Roadies don't understand bents and bent riders don't understand upright riders.

Let's all look down on scooter people.

People are looking down on you because you're riding a low rider...