Height queries?

Zippy the Pinhead <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Mikael Seierup said:

6' 3 here.

Mikael

5-foot nineteen inches here.

I'm 0.00193 kilometers. So there. Nyaah, nyaah.

Jeff

"Lars S. Mulford" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Howdy Ed!

Quoted message said:

Lars, I don't understand why you and I don't get along better as I agree with EVERYTHING you
have said in your post.

Ed, it's like this really. I don't like or dislike you. I don't KNOW you. I can't really form a
decent and balanced opinion of someone based on some scraps of writ I see online. However, I
will amend that to say that you and I visit here for different reasons. You come to combat
others, lots of the time. I ignore most of that stuff and come here for information and sharing
that is directly related to recumbenting. Only that, nothing else. There's the difference. It
has nothing to do with liking or disliking someone! I'm about as easy a guy to get along with as
you'll ever want to meet, for I've been told that the way I write is a decent reflection of who
I am (to contradict what I wrote above!). It is hard to get my ire up. I'd be willing to bet
that the ones who write in rude and/or sarcastic ways on here with a bent to sniping at others,
would NOT be that way in person. Everyone is a toughie behind their monitor; real life is a
vastly different thing.

Yes, you have got me figured out to a T. I am here for the combat pure and simple. I blame it all on
Mr. Sherman.

Quoted message said:

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About the headaches, I had those too for years and then I finally got on high blood pressure
medication and that was the end of my headaches. So you might want to look into that if you are
still having headaches. Fitness is wonderful of course, but it is not the cure for everything
that goes wrong with our bodies as we age. There are plenty of slender people who have terrible
problems with high blood pressure
- and high cholesterol too.

This is true. In my situation, my headaches were directly related to high blood pressure and being
overweight. My cholesterol was also through the roof. Both are now in normal ranges. I've not had
a single headache since reaching my target weight. I've also not been sick at all during this
time. Also cool is the fact that I was able to kick a maintenance med to the curb, one that I had
been taking for years. I was taking a med for GERD (acid reflux) and about halfway through getting
into shape, I quit taking it just to see how long I could go without it. That was a year ago and
I've not had a single incident of acid reflux. Dietary changes were MAJOR in this, I think.
(Quitting sodas, drinking water, no fried foods, etc.)

Lars, it is really amazing how you have turned your life around. But normally, high blood pressure
will not be cured by weight loss alone or by exercise. Be sure that you continue to monitor your BP.
I was always very slender my entire life and I cycled like crazy, but I still ended up with one of
the highest blood pressures of anyone in this world - 240/120. If I were not on lots of BP
medication to lower my BP, I would be dead by now. I had headaches for 10 years before I finally
figured it out (I am a slow learner).

Quoted message said:

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About the exercise aspect, yes, we men will do it if it is fun. If it is not fun, we won't do
it. I am eternally grateful that I discovered cycling as I have always regarded it as just a fun
thing to do. The fitness followed the fun.

I agree with this NOW. Back when I started getting into shape, I couldn't believe that biking was
the same thing that I had enjoyed when I was a teen. I was SO out of shape that a mile on the bike
left me drenched. It was NOT fun those first couple of months while I slowly built up endurance.
Couple that with the fact that I lost over half my weight on an upright mountain bike (wearing out
two of them in the process - another little reason why Wally World or Target bikes aren't really
in for the long haul - visit your local bike shop and get a quality bike) and I was sore, really
sore. But, when the weight started coming off and I actually started looking like I was getting
into shape, things were getting easier. It was very tempting to step everything up a notch,
especially after I bought my recumbent. But, I stayed the course and lost the weight, got in
shape, and did it with no injuries.

Very few men could ever have accomplished what you did. I am in awe. I am now slightly over weight
for the first time in my life and darned if I can lose an ounce. I have nothing but the greatest
respect for folks who can lose weight.

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Howdy Ed and others!

Quoted message said:

Yes, you have got me figured out to a T. I am here for the combat pure and simple.

Ok, but in truth (and be honest here!), would you be as verbally combative to some on here if you
had the opportunity to meet them face to face, real life situations? Real life has a way of
deflating egos and bringing things back to "life size". And then when that happens, you sometimes
discover that some you've been trading broadsides with are considerably more well equipped than you
thought, both physically and otherwise! (lol) Joking a bit, but there is real truth in that.

Quoted message said:

Lars, it is really amazing how you have turned your life around. But normally, high blood pressure
will not be cured by weight loss alone or by exercise. Be sure that you continue to monitor your
BP. I was always very slender my entire life and I cycled like crazy, but I still ended up with
one of the highest blood pressures of anyone in this world - 240/120. If I were not on lots of BP
medication to lower my BP, I would be dead by now. I had headaches for 10 years before I finally
figured it out (I am a slow learner).

Thank you for the positive feedback! I wouldn't say it is amazing though. It just took that
intangible "something" that MADE me commit. That intangible for me was the comment from my youngest
daughter. After that, it was just an investment of time. If anything, you must have PATIENCE in
abundance, because things don't happen overnight when you're talking about life changes and more
importantly, life PATTERN changes. Be patient, stay the course, and you start to see the benefits
after a bit. For me, I was miserable the first month. The second month, I actually felt better and
could just start seeing physical changes. Into the 3rd month, it all started happening right before
my eyes, almost daily!

As for your BP comments, well taken. In my case, getting into good shape, losing the weight and
making drastic (and long overdue) diet changes did it for me. I went from 156/112 to an average now
of 125/70.

Quoted message said:

Very few men could ever have accomplished what you did. I am in awe. I am now slightly over weight
for the first time in my life and darned if I can lose an ounce. I have nothing but the greatest
respect for folks who can lose weight.

Thanks again for the positive comments, I really appreciate them! I must be honest though in while I
admit that I did it partially for myself, my main impetus for the change has been and will always be
my family. The investment from me was (and is) some sweat equity and an investment of time. The time
investment was tough initially because it cut into family time, but now that we all ride, it has
actually ADDED to our time together!

You know Ed, we can all talk on here until the cows come home about what bike is better, or "it is
the engine, not the bike", etc... Fact is, the best thing about recumbents is that we have them.

PERIOD.

All those other arguments, all sides of them most likely, have shades of gray that reveal bits of
truth in every facet. But underlying all of this is that despite bike differences, physical
differences, age differences, geographical differences... ...The fact is that we all RIDE. We are
really lucky to be able to do so.

When my oldest daughter was a smidgen younger and her younger sister would pester her to play dolls
or share time, she'd become upset and try to get her younger sister to play by herself or the like.
I explained to Katy (my oldest girl) that the fact that Rachel (my youngest) wanted to spend HER
time with her sister, was giving her a gift. I explained to Katy that the sharing of positive time
with someone is a real gift to cherish, and one of the most wonderful gifts that we are endowed to
give to others. Having said that, I said to Katy that perhaps instead of dismissing her younger
sister outright, perhaps she could figure out a way to "accept the gift" that Rachel was trying to
give her and enjoy each other's company. In that vein, recumbent riding is also a gift that we've
given ourselves or even to our families. Sometimes we forget that.

So to you Ed and all my other fellow recumbent riders, I say to "Accept the gift."

--
"Sea" ya!
--Lars S. Mulford
"You can find evil anywhere you look.
The question is, why are you looking?"

Quoted message said:

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

(Jeff Wills) said:

I'm 0.00193 kilometers. So there. Nyaah, nyaah.

We didn't ask how long you are, but how TALL you are.

I am a hulking 5ft 2in in height.

<skewing the tall people riding bents theory

6'4" 260 lbs

6'3" 210 lbs (30 lbs less than a year ago)

Mike Rice

Zippy the Pinhead <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

(Jeff Wills) said:

I'm 0.00193 kilometers. So there. Nyaah, nyaah.

We didn't ask how long you are, but how TALL you are.

Hey, you started it- you said you were "5-foot nineteen inches here", which is a scalar measurement.
It converts to 0.0020066 kilometer . Thhfffpppt.

Jeff

I have noticed that when I ride my uprights, my pants are baggy and I am always walking on the
cuffs. When I ride my recumbent, my pants are way too short.

William Higley, Sr. 5' 9" - 6' 2" (upright to recumbent) Vision R-50 RANS Rocket

"Lars S. Mulford" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Howdy folks!

I've noticed something since I've been riding recumbents. I see much

taller

Quoted message said:

guys and gals on recumbent bikes versus what I used to see when I rode my upright bikes. Has
anyone else taken notice of this?

I reckon I'm predisposed to looking for other tall riders since I'm 6'7" myself. There's a guy in
my town who also rides and he is an even 7'

tall!

Quoted message said:

Is it possible that the average recumbent rider is a smidgen taller than

the

Quoted message said:

average upright rider?

--
"Sea" ya! --Lars S. Mulford "You can find evil anywhere you look. The question is, why are you
looking?"

Lars S. Mulford said:

Is it possible that the average recumbent rider is a smidgen taller than the average upright rider?

Quite possible - the Dutch have three large recumbent manufacturers and if memory serves they are
the tallest nation on the planet ;-)

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

9.47 millifurlongs.

--

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================

Dave Larrington said:

9.47 millifurlongs.

It took me six millifortnights to work that one out :-/

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

[email hidden] (Steve McDonald) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

It's often hard to get long-enough handlebar and seat stems to fit extra-tall people on an
upright bike...

Upright bikes come in various frame sizes. Get the right size frame and you won't need special stems
and seatposts.

Quoted message said:

Also, a very tall person may be so high up on an upright, that their center of gravity may make
safe handling more difficult.

I believe it's just the opposite. It's easier to balance a broomstick vertically on the palm of your
hand than it is a pencil. On low-traction surfaces, recumbents go down with little or no warning,
whereas the upright rider MIGHT have enough time to get a foot out or to use body english to
compensate for the skid.

Quoted message said:

I once hand-made very long handlebar and seat stems for a woman who was 6' 7" and had legs up to
her armpits. She couldn't find any uprights or stock adaptors for them that would work for her and
was very happy with my special stems. I told her to try recumbents, but she was a poor college
student at the time.

If she can make the case that a recumbent is essential to her getting to class, she might be able to
get the price of the bike rolled into her federal student loan (at least here in the USA).

Quoted message said:

It seems that recumbents are especially popular in Scandinavia and nearby areas. Generally,
Nordic people are the tallest of all. Iceland has the tallest of all people and Nederland
comes in second. The Masai of Africa are the third tallest.

Perhaps the real advantage for very tall people is in aerodynamics.

Bill Anton (6'-1"😉 2001 Vision R-40 26x26 SWB OSS Lubbock, TX, USA

[email hidden] (Jeff Wills) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Zippy the Pinhead <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Mikael Seierup said:

6' 3 here.

Mikael

5-foot nineteen inches here.

I'm 0.00193 kilometers. So there. Nyaah, nyaah.

Jeff

Here in the US we shunned metrix decades ago. It would only make the deficit bigger to make the
switch, ergo, I measure out to 0.00116 Statute Miles, or (since our system of measure still uses
fractions)
1/862 of a mile. (X-seam is 1/1424 mile.)

Passing time 'till the weather warms up enough for riding, Bill Anton

Bill Anton said:

... I believe it's just the opposite. It's easier to balance a broomstick vertically on the palm
of your hand than it is a pencil. On low-traction surfaces, recumbents go down with little or no
warning, whereas the upright rider MIGHT have enough time to get a foot out or to use body english
to compensate for the skid....

Lowracers go down very quickly if the front wheel loses traction, but the fall is very short.

Recumbent trikes are easy to keep upright on slippery surfaces, as long as one avoids silly
maneuvers.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

"Lars S. Mulford" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Howdy folks!

I've noticed something since I've been riding recumbents. I see much taller guys and gals on
recumbent bikes versus what I used to see when I rode my upright bikes. Has anyone else taken
notice of this?

I reckon I'm predisposed to looking for other tall riders since I'm 6'7" myself. There's a guy in
my town who also rides and he is an even 7' tall!

Is it possible that the average recumbent rider is a smidgen taller than the average
upright rider?

Precisely the reason I ride a recumbent. I cnat finr a DF with a handlebar height level with where I
like my seat. So always too much of my weight on my weak wrists..

I crossed to recubents for comfort stemming from this problem.

191cm 106kg (think that puts me in the aerobelly class 😉

Tom