Pedal Forward Opinions
#26
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Because the seat tube does not meet the BB at a common angle ,
no more than 1 chainring is possible.
...and have a front derailleur to shift gears.
several options : a combination IGH - Cassette rear hub.. 3 by 8..
there are a few internally geared 2, and one 3 speed crank.. still 1 chainring ,
but the gearbox is between the chainring and crank arm ,
so crank can turn at a different rate, than the chainring..
OP is in Florida , a state not known for its hills to climb,
but some hellacious headwinds with named storms..
....
no more than 1 chainring is possible.
...and have a front derailleur to shift gears.
several options : a combination IGH - Cassette rear hub.. 3 by 8..
there are a few internally geared 2, and one 3 speed crank.. still 1 chainring ,
but the gearbox is between the chainring and crank arm ,
so crank can turn at a different rate, than the chainring..
OP is in Florida , a state not known for its hills to climb,
but some hellacious headwinds with named storms..
....
#28
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i don't know. i had welding done a couple times before i learned myself, and it's not hard enough to keep a person from trying themselves. i don't think it's a matter of if they can, but if it occurs to them to do it.
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I have a pretty bad knee. Will the pedal forward be less stress on your knee? I could deal with all the other cons mentioned as long as my knee won't hurt as bad. Thoughts?
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Hello,
pedal forward is is definitely easier on the knees. I injured my leg several years ago and was not able to get full range of motion on my knee or ankle. This made it difficult to get on or off a bike. The Townie was the only bike I could get on and pedal. I am now one month into riding almost every day. The doctors said my leg would not get any better. They were wrong. I can now bend my knee 3/4 of the way. I have found this bike to be easy to pedal and have not had any knee pain. It has taken me some time to adjust physically to riding a bike but I listened to my body and took things slow to start with. I worked up to a 15 mile ride this week and had no pain at all. I live near a bike path in a residential area and there is a good mix of different types of bicyclist. So far I am having a lot of fun and the bonus is I am getting my knees back in shape.
pedal forward is is definitely easier on the knees. I injured my leg several years ago and was not able to get full range of motion on my knee or ankle. This made it difficult to get on or off a bike. The Townie was the only bike I could get on and pedal. I am now one month into riding almost every day. The doctors said my leg would not get any better. They were wrong. I can now bend my knee 3/4 of the way. I have found this bike to be easy to pedal and have not had any knee pain. It has taken me some time to adjust physically to riding a bike but I listened to my body and took things slow to start with. I worked up to a 15 mile ride this week and had no pain at all. I live near a bike path in a residential area and there is a good mix of different types of bicyclist. So far I am having a lot of fun and the bonus is I am getting my knees back in shape.
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#34
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I just got back from my LBS and I ended up ordering the Townie 7D. I can say without a doubt that the pedal forward design (at least on the Townie) is 10 times easier on my knee. The only trade-off is you are a bit dead weight on the saddle as mentioned above. And it being a cruiser, don't expect to take it much off-roading. The reason I got it is for pavement only. To me it was not hard to stand up although it does take some getting used to. For anyone with a bad knee like mine, you owe it to yourself to forget all reviews (including this one) and at least go down and try a bike with the pedal-forward design for yourself. It may be the complete opposite for you, but for me it's a game-changer. I can't wait to ride again!
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#36
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My Electra Cruiser (pedal forward) is rougher on my knees than my CAAD12 (normal road bike). Part of it is probably that my knees are flexed more on the cruiser since the seat won't go high enough to extend my legs like I can on the road bike.
#37
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With three inch wide rear tire filled to 20 psi and a gel seat how can you be uncomfortable. I hit up fixies all the time to race me 40yrds. When the race starts I leave them in the dust with 32x23 gears if you want to go faster more psi and different gears.
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#38
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I think the touch down, pedal forward geometry is great. In my experience, you want to do your own tweaking with seat angle and handle bar angle, but that's true with any bike. I will say that dramatic pedal forward geometry is something I only truly care for when I am biking in a flat, or mostly flat place. When the topography starts to get more varied, I personally prefer more traditional geometry.
#39
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I bought a Dyno stretch cruiser in the 1990's. You could not stand on this bicycle to pedal so everything had to be done seated. I found that the low seat position was great for just short distance cruising but with all your body weight on the seat it can hurt after a while. My bike came as a one speed but I put in a Nexus 7 speed IGH which made it much better. As a one speed you could just barely start it on a crosswalk. If the crosswalk had a little up to it you might as well walk it across. I eventually settled on true recumbent bicycles for ultimate seat comfort and have not been disappointed. The bicycle looked cool but was not very real world practical.
#40
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I rented a 3G beach cruiser last year, and it was the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden. But I wasn’t quite sure why. The rental guy, who owns the shop, told me it’s because of the foot forward positioning. I was riding on the boardwalk so no hills, but I could have ridden that thing all day!
Mike
Mike
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#41
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I'm looking at an SE Bikes cruiser (they use Touch Down Geometry - not as far back) or a Phat cruiser and they both come with pedal forward positioning. Many years ago I rode a standard beach cruiser, and again most recently, but have no experience with the setback seat positioning. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of this? How it rides/feels?
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#42
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couldn't find a better pic, or of store brought one, but any stretch cruiser i've made into a more regular rider ends up with a seat with a back rest. makes all the difference on a stretch cruiser. especially the more semi or fully recumbent the bike is made.
Last edited by Philphine; 03-26-19 at 08:52 AM.
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#43
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Cruiser2112 that is a very nice cruiser. Monark style front fork and an IGH. I love the color too. Those handlebars could double as Texas steer horns on the front of a 60"s Cadillac. Nice fat color coordinated tires and rims. Cool Bike. We have a club locally, Sacramento CA,, that rides just these types of bicycles.
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Love my Townie 21D and Sixthreezero EvryJourney 7 spd. Both are pedal forward designs. a minature version of a recumbent bike. Not sure what people are talking about bad for the knees hard on hills comments. You can stand and peddle on every bike. You're just more forward. I didn't like the stock handlebars on my Townie, so I got cafe bars on one and bullhorn bars on the other one. Love the fact that I can stand up while stopped. Some people place the seat too short. I usually average about 13 MPH. I'm not speed racer, but I get to listen to music and stuff.
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#45
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#47
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Why did you feel the need to quote me, on a comment I made over 3 years ago? Build your post count quoting someone else.
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wow! I just joined, didn't even know it was an old thread. don't know what a post count is. why would you take this with such negativity?
#49
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Because I have knee issues (including having surgery), and the pedal forward position causes me severe knee pain and swelling. Look at the date of a post before quoting someone in a necrothread,...
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#50
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Dude...Lighten up and remember where we are. or at least explain how being "qUoTed" hurt you in any way...
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