tnbaldguy

I am 37 and starting to feel the "pain" of cycling. I love it, but am wondering if it would be worth it to convert to a bent. I am 5'10 and a solid 200lbs. I am budget minded and would like someone who rides recumbents to tell me thier success story on thier conversion. Also what kind of bike should I look at. Trike or bike?

lowracer1

If you are wanting speed, then look at lowracers. Otherwise, I have no idea what bent to tell you to concider. I'm now 37 and got into recumbents at age 34 after being a hardcore mountainbike rider for 6 years. The lowracer is far more fun than the mountain bike ever was. What got me into it was a friend.....older than me who bought a bike-e. Even though the bike was geeky as all hell, it was still a blast to ride. I started researching recumbents and fell in love with the looks of the optima baron lowracer and the challenge jester. First I built my own recumbent from an ebay purchase of a backsafer frame made in Florida. I rode that for a year and had a blast on it. I wanted more speed however, so ended up buying the baron from the canadian distributor. I had the bike on order and in the meantime went to a recumbent rally and met Don Smith who as by luck had it .....was riding a baron at the meet. He was doing speed laps looking cool as all getup........around the rally parking lot. There is a road that does a huge complete loop around the lot. I went after chasing him, but of course could hardly catch him and when I did he dropped the hammer and I had no chance. That was 3 years ago and we are fast friends and ride every single century ride we can find together. After that I met Franknspeed and John Foltz. John and Don and myself do all the rides together. Frank has been to a few with us also.

twahl

Good God! I could have written that! Only thing is that I'm one state further east. Alas, I've not converted, but my wife has. I'm intrigued, but I like my Allez, and can't really justify anything related to changes or upgrades until I've ridden enough to take that 200 down to about 175. What I can tell you it that my wife loves her bent, and EZ Sport. She can ride a lot more and is going nuts to be on it more, a distinct improvement over her feelings toward a road bike. No wrist pain, comfortable on the butt, and she keeps up with me no problem.

I've been looking at the Jetstream.

Slo Joe Recumbo

Got bent because of a back injury. Thought I'd ride my DF now and then. Hung it on the wall. Tried it on one ride and said "What am I doing?". Never looked back.

Riding a recumbent is anything you want it to be: Slow amble tours. Fast as all get out like lowracer. A mix. Since I'm slow, I tell folks that it's not about speed: It's about re-discovering the fun of riding a bike because it feels good. Plus the view is a heckuva lot better. No more looking through your eyebrows. The fact that you can do a century and feel like "where's the next one" because you're not nearly as tired or sore. Headwinds? What headwinds?

The tough conversion part was the first time going up a hill and my 'bent' muscle groups had not developed. I thought I made the mistake of a lifetime. Months later when I was doing the same training route fast or faster I knew I made the right choice.

The 2nd toughest conversion part is you need a thick skin to ride with your old DF friends. You'll take a constant ribbing that's for sure. And you can't be shy cuz you'll get asked tons of questions wherever you stop.

As for "budget". Take what you can max spend and visit the sources of bikes that are out there.

www.recumbents.com and use the bike lookup.

www.bentrideronline.com and check out the buyers guide.

Good Luck

Floyd

Ditto on what has been said. I am 50+ and ride for health, or that is my excuse to get out of the office. I bought my bent 4 years ago used from a bike shop and got it for an economical price. As one of the posters said, I thought I would ride my 'other bike' once in a while, and I do, but the bent is the one that calls me back to the comfortable seat and lounge chair on wheels ride. I suggest that you go to your local bike shop, hopfully you have one, and try a bunch of recumbents. I know, most places dont have a bunch. take your time and be comfortable with the decision you make. peace El Padre

Big Bad John

tnbaldguy: I just got into 'bents and bought a Sun EZ Sport CX (Cro-Mo) frame on March 17th of this year. I was returning to cycling after a 20-year absence from cycling (hardcore road racer) and have rediscovered the joy of cycling without the pressure to win, win, win. I got in relatively cheap with the CX and love the way it rides. It's not fast, but neither am I anymore. I rode 26 miles yesterday with my son and enjoyed every pedal stroke. So far, my blood pressure is lower, cholesterol is down and I'm 18 pounds lighter. What's not to like about that! I'm looking to get into touring. The type of bike depends upon your intentions. Good luck with whatever you decide.

BlazingPedals

I've been an active club rider since about '85, and an avid short-hauler for years before that. So when the aches and pains associated with DFs started accumulating, I made the decision that I deserved a bike that didn't hurt to ride. My first recumbent was a V-Rex. I got it used, and it was the answer to all my cycling problems. I was slower initially, but by the end of that first summer, I'd gotten back most of my speed and could once again ride with my former DF riding partners. The following off-season, I got into fairings, and put a full body on the 'Rex. Wow! Instant 3 mph increase! I decided that full fairings were too much bother, so I designed a series of front fairings that got me a little extra speed, and were successively lighter and more refined. By even the second generation of front fairing, I had already gotten too fast for my DF riding partners, and 'graduated' to the fast group in the club. But it wasn't enough. I started looking at lowracers, and eventually bought a used Baron from a Chicagoland rider rather than special-order one and wait for weeks/months. Counting the rebuild to make it suit me, it ended up being about the same price as a new one would have been. The Baron is far faster than the V-Rex, even in its fully-faired form. Next up will be a carbon build-up that I'm referring to as a 'club racer,' which I hope will be easier to ride in mixed groups than a lowracer.

megaman

I converted about 3 years ago. I was riding a hybrid. The numbness in my hands and my sore rear end after a 40 mile ride, made my switch an easy one. I have an inexpensive bent, an EZ Sport. I still love it. I find overall I'm just as fast with this bike as I was with my hybrid. I still have my hybrid, but I don't know why. This bike is so much more comfortable I can't imagine going back.
When you start riding a bent, you will become cool!

Paul L.

Well, I uh, converted on Saturday. Yup. Last big ride on my upright sent my back south and I have been miserable not being able to ride since then. The new bent is like a godsend. I don't seem to be having problems with sore bent muscles so far. I can't tell you that I have years of experience and never looked back but I can tell you that I went from 1 10 mile ride a week back to my 24 miles every morning again without pain. I am rediscovering my commute that I have ridden every day for the past 6 months by being able to actually see things and scenery on the side of the road. As far as speed goes I am faster on the flats already and only lagging .5 - 1 mph hour on the local climb and I am hoping that will soon close as I ride the bent more. I have a Strada by the way and it isn't the cheapest (it definitely is not the most expensive though) but for me $40 a week gas savings add up quick and I ride more than I drive so it makes sense to go for quality and something that will be durable and dependable.

BlazingPedals

Congrats, Paul! I'll bet you're like me, wishing I'd had the wisdom and budget to have switched ten years earlier. It all seems so clear now.

erik forsgren

Many of us who have converted to the bentreligion never ever look back. What made us hesitate was a number of misconceptions about the recumbent which turned out to be entirely false. 1. The high price 2. The difficulty in keeping in balance on a bent. 3.The danger of using a bent in urban traffic. First of all the price varies according to equipment and quality of the components. I can see no difference between an upright and a bent here. Second you do not keep in balance on a bent. It's the bent that keeps you in balance if you do it right- pedal vigourously ahead in a totally relaxed mood. The danger in urban traffic is something that every cyclist is exposed to and I simply can't see the reason why a recumbentist should be more exposed to dangers in traffic than uprightriders. I ride my recumbents every day in intense traffic and I must say I feel a lot more comfortable on a recumbent than on an upright mountainbike or racer. The majority of accidents I have experienced on upright bikes not recumbents.

recliner

Hi,
I used to ride a mountain bike, but had back problems with it and switched to an HP Velotechnik Grasshopper. This spring I have established the habit of commuting 10 miles each way to work on a very convenient bike path and it hardly takes longer than driving in the traffic. The comfort level is like out of a dream, I go faster with less effort, and enjoy riding more, and feel better after the ride on the recumbent. Its quite blissful, being out in the world, watching it whiz by, hearing snippets of conversation, being relaxed, and exerting oneself can be one of the best parts of the day. I ride more often and further than before with no bad side effects. The bike is in fact the most comfortable thing I sit on each day. Many people are curious about the bike so its a very different and positive social experience as well. I think many people could benefit from switching to recumbent, its a healthier, more fun and more effective mode of transporation. I do however, hesitate to ride in dense urban traffic because the bike I have is a bit on the low side, but with practice I may feel differently. Commuting by bike also saves measurably on gas and reduces car dependency. Go 4 it and good luck,

- Andrew

Paul L.

I have found this week that motorists put up with me cycling on the road better with a recumbent. I think part of it is they don't associate my vehicle with what they think are toys (amusingly enough as I used to cycle more than I drive), and also because I can put a reflective triangle on the back just like other slow moving vehicles that they have to put up with. Anyway, those are just my first impressions after a week of commuting.

Hallyx

Sunrise saturday,
I was biking the backroads,
lost in the moment.

Nice alliterative Haiku, Paul.

Orcish

I have the same problem. I rode all the time growing up, even had a LeTour and Viscount at one time. Got away from it after high school - college. After I found out I was diabetic, bought a cross trainer and rode it for a while, but couldn't stick with it. I had a sudden realization the other day, that I had broken my tailbone about 25 years ago, and that was having a big affect on my ability to ride. So I am looking into recumbents, but am wondering about the bike/ trike/ tadpole question. I won't be going for any speed, at least until I loose some tonnage. Mostly back and forth to work, about a mile mile and a half, and around town. Any suggestions appreciated.

Orcish

JohnH

Orcish:

Find a local bike shop that carries a good range of recumbents and ride some. Do the "around the parking lot" thing, then pick one you feel relatively comfy with (they'll all seem strange at first) for a longer ride. Try to ride at least 20 minutes or so, on the road or a trail, if at all possible. You'll start to see what it's about. Take any bike you even think you might be serious about for a long test-ride, at least an hour if you're up for it. Don't worry about riding in traffic. I like SWB's (Short WheelBase) like my Tiger for traffic, others are more comfy, even in tight spots, on LWB's (Long WheelBase) like an Easy Racers Tour Easy. There's much more difference in feel between recumbent designs than between upright designs - one may feel good, but the next will feel even better. Something that looks uncomfortable may feel great. You have to try it over a significant distance to know.

Have fun and enjoy the search!

John
2005 Rotator Tiger

Orcish

Thanks for the suggestions. I just discovered that the RAS shop is only about 80 miles away, so I may check them out too. The local shop only has on lwb recumbent so I will have to go out of town to look into trikes and swb. Going to look all I can.

Orc

bnet1

You happen to have a good 'bent manufacturer right there in Kansas! RANS, in Hays KS is one of the more widely known manufacturers. You might want to see if there is a RANS dealer nearby. I think RANS may also do factory tours.

tornadobass

Converting was quick for my 16 year old son. We'd done a few tours on road bikes, and his wasn't too good...he certainly didn't enjoy it much! Last week, I lucked onto a used RANS Rocket and within 40 miles of riding, my son is doing great. I don't think he'll ever go back to a road bike. Tonight he said he was confident enough to reach for his water bottle while riding. He says the Rocket is like watching TV on the sofa (In that case, I need to make him start pedaling faster!).

erik forsgren

[QUOTE=Orcish]I have the same problem. I rode all the time growing up, even had a LeTour and Viscount at one time. Got away from it after high school - college. After I found out I was diabetic, bought a cross trainer and rode it for a while, but couldn't stick with it. I had a sudden realization the other day, that I had broken my tailbone about 25 years ago, and that was having a big affect on my ability to ride. So I am looking into recumbents, but am wondering about the bike/ trike/ tadpole question. I won't be going for any speed, at least until I loose some tonnage. Mostly back and forth to work, about a mile mile and a half, and around town. Any suggestions appreciated.


Orcish[/QUOTE/] I would suggest you get yourself a trike with a reclined seatposition as this position is the most comfortable when it comes to riding long trips without risking the discomfort of a sore buttock. Furthermore you are always in absolute control of the vehicle even in steep hills.

Orcish

Well, I did it. I was bidding on an EZ-3 trike on e-bay and lost when I was out of town. So, I went to the LBS and ordered an EZ-Tadpole CX. The only problem is that they are backordered until at least July 15th! I guess we'll see after that.

Orc

funbun

Just get to a recumbent shop and try a bunch out. If the shop will let you take an extended rice that would be great. Make sure it's flat and level. Learn to ride a bent and learning to climb hills is hard. A nice flat parking lot is great for learning.

sbhikes

I didn't get a recumbent because of pain problems. I just thought it would be fun. And it is fun!

I was always bothered by the seat on regular bikes. Sensitive areas down there and all that. But it wasn't enough to trade in my bike for a recumbent.

Nope, it was the new toy, shiny object syndrome for me. I enjoy it a lot. I ride to work 3x a week. I go on weekend rides with some other recumbent riders. I can't seem to get enough. I finish a ride and wonder where I can ride next. My ride to work doesn't quite count as "heavy urban", but it's very hilly. I don't have any trouble with the hills, but I am slower.

The best thing is that riding a bike is a joy again. It's relaxing when I want to relax and a thrill when I want it to be thrilling. I can choose to ride fast or slow. When I'm going slow I keep thinking, where's my margarita? Where's the beach? When I'm going fast I feel like I'm riding a slow sports car. See how much fun I'm having?