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Commuting on recumbent / storage and other concerns

Old 08-29-19, 04:03 PM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by ciclista_pazza
He rode it in front of me to show me how it's done and he did fine, but I can't imagine how he was able to avoid the leg strike issue. He did mention that he'd had several other people come out to try it and most of them had crashed too.
I think I know how he did it. He timed his pedaling so his knee was in the low position on the side to which he was turning. On recumbents with a small front wheel and the chainrings out in front or above the front wheel, you have to time your strokes so the leg and foot on the inside of the turn don't hit the wheel, so he may also have turned his knee on that side inward. Not recommended for the knee.

One of the reasons I recommended the two Sun bikes is that they are easier to learn. The pedals are behind the front wheel.
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Old 08-29-19, 05:10 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Lightning Pilot
I think I know how he did it. He timed his pedaling so his knee was in the low position on the side to which he was turning. On recumbents with a small front wheel and the chainrings out in front or above the front wheel, you have to time your strokes so the leg and foot on the inside of the turn don't hit the wheel, so he may also have turned his knee on that side inward. Not recommended for the knee.

One of the reasons I recommended the two Sun bikes is that they are easier to learn. The pedals are behind the front wheel.
Thanks! I'll take a look at those Sun bikes. Just from looking at images of those bikes, I can see that the handlebars wouldn't be an issue, so that's great.
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Old 08-30-19, 11:27 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by ciclista_pazza
I asked someone about this and they said high racers can be difficult to adapt to. I'm curious how anyone could get used to getting thrown from their bike but there must be some learning curve I'm not aware of. I might try some long wheel base options and see how that goes.
The people who can just climb on highracers and ride them competently right away, make so much noise about it that it gets overlooked that they are actually a challenge for most people. But good luck fitting a Tour Easy LWB in your bike locker. Recumbent trikes are VERY popular, compared to any kind of two wheel recumbent for exactly the bruises you stated. With a good U-Lock I don't worry about leaving a tandem outside a Fred Meyer's for the time it takes to shop for a weeks groceries. I would not also worry at an active office park. Would I leave Saki, or Big Red unattended with a $150 U-lock for longer than it takes to say, "I'm back!"? No, I don't think so. YMMV. Don't know exactly what 'physical issues' are at issue, but, just saying, for a similar cash outlay to buying a decent used recumbent, a growing number of people are buying e-bikes or getting e-assist systems for their regular bikes. For back issues we are using Planks. A 4:00 min Plank will sort out ANY back problem that is not caused by an actual injury. FWIW.
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Old 08-30-19, 04:14 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Leisesturm
The people who can just climb on highracers and ride them competently right away, make so much noise about it that it gets overlooked that they are actually a challenge for most people. But good luck fitting a Tour Easy LWB in your bike locker. Recumbent trikes are VERY popular, compared to any kind of two wheel recumbent for exactly the bruises you stated. With a good U-Lock I don't worry about leaving a tandem outside a Fred Meyer's for the time it takes to shop for a weeks groceries. I would not also worry at an active office park. Would I leave Saki, or Big Red unattended with a $150 U-lock for longer than it takes to say, "I'm back!"? No, I don't think so. YMMV. Don't know exactly what 'physical issues' are at issue, but, just saying, for a similar cash outlay to buying a decent used recumbent, a growing number of people are buying e-bikes or getting e-assist systems for their regular bikes. For back issues we are using Planks. A 4:00 min Plank will sort out ANY back problem that is not caused by an actual injury. FWIW.
Thanks!
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Old 08-30-19, 04:35 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Leisesturm
The people who can just climb on highracers and ride them competently right away, make so much noise about it that it gets overlooked that they are actually a challenge for most people. But good luck fitting a Tour Easy LWB in your bike locker. Recumbent trikes are VERY popular, compared to any kind of two wheel recumbent for exactly the bruises you stated. With a good U-Lock I don't worry about leaving a tandem outside a Fred Meyer's for the time it takes to shop for a weeks groceries. I would not also worry at an active office park. Would I leave Saki, or Big Red unattended with a $150 U-lock for longer than it takes to say, "I'm back!"? No, I don't think so. YMMV. Don't know exactly what 'physical issues' are at issue, but, just saying, for a similar cash outlay to buying a decent used recumbent, a growing number of people are buying e-bikes or getting e-assist systems for their regular bikes. For back issues we are using Planks. A 4:00 min Plank will sort out ANY back problem that is not caused by an actual injury. FWIW.
Is and e-bike really bike riding? If it's the only way someone can ride, then sure. Otherwise, it's the easy way out, IMHO.

If the issue is balance, then a trike becomes a very good option. The down side is that for a recumbent trike, you are much less visible in traffic.

As for planks, if prescribed by qualified medical people, fine. But they are not a panacea, nor are they good for a back that is already injured. After healing, yes. Few people can hold a front plank for 4 minutes at the start, fewer still a side plank.
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Old 08-30-19, 04:43 PM
  #31  
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I tried fitting my Terra Trike into the bike locker at work. It would go... on its side. Those lockers are full width, so they’d fit a regular recumbent ok, I think, if it wasn’t too long. But the wedge type is definitely designed for DF bikes.

I had no hesitation to lock that trike up to the end of the rack at the grocery store but it was an older model with the “crossbow” arms to provide a solid triangle to lock through, and not the current cantilevered arms which you could maybe defeat just by removing the wheel. You’d want to maybe put the cross up against the rack so the lock could go to the opposing corner of the cross

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Old 08-30-19, 08:51 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
I tried fitting my Terra Trike into the bike locker at work. It would go... on its side. Those lockers are full width, so they’d fit a regular recumbent ok, I think, if it wasn’t too long. But the wedge type is definitely designed for DF bikes.

I had no hesitation to lock that trike up to the end of the rack at the grocery store but it was an older model with the “crossbow” arms to provide a solid triangle to lock through, and not the current cantilevered arms which you could maybe defeat just by removing the wheel. You’d want to maybe put the cross up against the rack so the lock could go to the opposing corner of the cross
Use a high quality cable through the wheels.
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Old 08-30-19, 09:12 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by Lightning Pilot
Use a high quality cable through the wheels.
Letting the air out of one of the tyres will be a more effective theft prevention.
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Old 08-30-19, 10:47 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by MikeyMK
Letting the air out of one of the tyres will be a more effective theft prevention.
They are not going to ride the trike (especially not the bike!) when they defeat whatever immobilizing scheme is in play. They are going to toss it in the back of a van full of their latest ... discoveries, and make their getaway. That's how the pro's do it. And only pro's would be interested in a recumbent in the first place. The only way I would leave a trike or velomobile locked outside the same location day after day would be if it was equipped with an alarm that would BOTH make an attention gathering racket at ground zero AND notify me via my cellphone of events taking place outside. Chances are the alarm in itself would be enough.
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Old 08-31-19, 03:34 AM
  #35  
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I can't see an alarm being much use. Nobody takes any notice, or acts..

Would be nice to have a recumbent you can pick up and sling into a truck - my steel, electric tadpole has gravity firmly on its side!
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Old 08-31-19, 09:21 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by MikeyMK
Letting the air out of one of the tyres will be a more effective theft prevention.
Frankly, I think that is absurd. It would only deter the most casual of thieves, and is very inconvenient. Any thief who knows the bike is always there with a flat tire would just bring a carbon dioxide cartridge inflator.
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Old 08-31-19, 09:24 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Leisesturm
They are not going to ride the trike (especially not the bike!) when they defeat whatever immobilizing scheme is in play. They are going to toss it in the back of a van full of their latest ... discoveries, and make their getaway. That's how the pro's do it. And only pro's would be interested in a recumbent in the first place. The only way I would leave a trike or velomobile locked outside the same location day after day would be if it was equipped with an alarm that would BOTH make an attention gathering racket at ground zero AND notify me via my cellphone of events taking place outside. Chances are the alarm in itself would be enough.
While I don't agree the alarm itself would be enough, an alarm that notifies the owner is a very good idea. You don't have to rely on someone else "getting involved."
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Old 08-31-19, 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Lightning Pilot
Frankly, I think that is absurd. It would only deter the most casual of thieves, and is very inconvenient. Any thief who knows the bike is always there with a flat tire would just bring a carbon dioxide cartridge inflator.
And that'd still take longer than snipping through an Ottolock or any cable lock with hand snips..
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Old 08-31-19, 10:53 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by MikeyMK
And that'd still take longer than snipping through an Ottolock or any cable lock with hand snips..
If that's the case, the only thing that will save the bike will be real kryptonite, from the planet Krypton.
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Old 08-31-19, 08:44 PM
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Or a beer. I mean, riding a recumbent is weird. Riding off in a hurry on one you've never ridden before is especially tricky, and then doing that one-handed, with a beer in your hand, is nigh-on impossible. It's not like they're gonna leave the beer behind. It'd probably be quicker to pump up a tyre first.
And faced with a fresh beer or weird thing, what are they most likely to choose? Maybe just leave a beer on the seat to pay-off any would-be thief.
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Old 09-01-19, 01:10 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by MikeyMK
Or a beer. I mean, riding a recumbent is weird. Riding off in a hurry on one you've never ridden before is especially tricky, and then doing that one-handed, with a beer in your hand, is nigh-on impossible. It's not like they're gonna leave the beer behind. It'd probably be quicker to pump up a tyre first.
And faced with a fresh beer or weird thing, what are they most likely to choose? Maybe just leave a beer on the seat to pay-off any would-be thief.
I am completely missing the gene that makes a good swath of humanity go @$$ over teakettle for a hoppy IPA. I can't be the only one. Lock the bike. It's a better strategy. Really it is. I've also spent all last season learning to speak passable Highracer. Again, I can't be the only one. Most bike thieves will not be able to ride any kind of recumbent without a good deal of practice but not ALL bike thieves. Lock the bike. Securely.
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Old 09-01-19, 01:28 AM
  #42  
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You're also missing the gene that prompts one to read fully a given conversation; Ideas spanning flat tyres, Kryptonite and beer are in response to improving security over using a cable lock (I personally use a 19mm thick U lock).
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Old 09-02-19, 07:04 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by MikeyMK
You're also missing the gene that prompts one to read fully a given conversation; Ideas spanning flat tyres, Kryptonite and beer are in response to improving security over using a cable lock (I personally use a 19mm thick U lock).
Aha! You thought I was talking about a cable with an integral lock. Not at all—haven't seen one of those that can't be overcome rather easily. I was thinking of a cable with end loops, and a heavy U lock, which is what I use. The cable keeps everything together. Around this neck of the woods, seeing orphan bike wheels securely locked to immovable objects is fairly common, as is seeing a securely locked bike with a missing wheel.

No lock is completely secure. The idea is to make it more trouble than the thief thinks it's worth.
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Old 09-03-19, 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Lightning Pilot
Aha! You thought I was talking about a cable with an integral lock. Not at all—haven't seen one of those that can't be overcome rather easily. I was thinking of a cable with end loops, and a heavy U lock, which is what I use. The cable keeps everything together. Around this neck of the woods, seeing orphan bike wheels securely locked to immovable objects is fairly common, as is seeing a securely locked bike with a missing wheel.

No lock is completely secure. The idea is to make it more trouble than the thief thinks it's worth.
Security has been done to death on the General page, yet sadly the issue remains as big a battle as ever. When i bought my old Kryptonite it came with a Krypto-cable but i just put it straight in the bin. It will not stop a ghost wheel.

Recumbents are a bit different with regard to locking - my frame has no loop in it (matchstick man design) so i can only secure the wheels and hope for the best. It'll be fine. Nobody is gonna try and take a recumbent trike with a wheel missing. That's just not gonna pay for this afternoon's bag of crack.
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Old 09-09-19, 08:22 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by Lightning Pilot
Aha! You thought I was talking about a cable with an integral lock.
I thought the comparison was to a cable with an integrated beer.
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Old 09-09-19, 08:34 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
I thought the comparison was to a cable with an integrated beer.
Oooooo— I want one of those!
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