Cannondale bent

Jon Senior said:

I was alerted today to the presence of a bent from Cannondale. I decided
to check it out given the high quality of their other bikes. I found
what looks dangerously like a Giant EZB (IIRC).

Oh no it doesn't! It looks pretty much like the original Cannondale
Recumbent from a couple of years ago but with a rigid front fork to me,
which in turn makes it look rather like a BikeE on steroids. The EZB is
a semi-recumbent.

Quoted message said:

CLWB / LWB (Not quite sure which it is defined as).

CLWB. Any LWB has the crank inside the wheelbase, CLWB only just so,
often at the top of the fork.

Quoted message said:

Comments?

Not ridden one, but critical reaction on the first one (the Easy Rider)
was pretty good (see, for example, Velovision 5 from March 2002), with
plus points being superbly executed suspension design (not a big
surprise from Cannondale), excellent build but rather heavy and very
expensive. But at the time you still got a much better machine than a
BikeE seemed to be the thinking.

The HPVel Spirit covers more or less the same bases for considerably
less money than the first 'Dale cost though, but apparently Cannondale
were sufficiently pleased with the reception of their first effort to
not shelve it, and happily that seems to be the case with the range now
expanded to 2 bikes.

It's designed as an urban comfort bike (like the Spirit) for which
purpose it should be good.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Jon Senior said:

CLWB / LWB (Not quite sure which it is defined as). Very upright seat.
Looks a bit like a Chopper.
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/cusa/model-4BMRR.html

These types of bike look like great city bikes. I have seen several but not
tried one on the road; I know they aren't fast, but they are comfortable and
easy to ride in traffic. If I lived in London I'm sure I'd find a use for
one :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington
University

Just zis Guy said:

These types of bike look like great city bikes. I have seen several but not
tried one on the road; I know they aren't fast, but they are comfortable and
easy to ride in traffic. If I lived in London I'm sure I'd find a use for
one :-)

I've ridden Ben's HPVel Spirit demo bike, and I found it the most
immediately comfortable bike I have ever ridden. Real armchair comfort
stuff, though over a long day the worse aerodynamics and more pronounced
seat angle making recumbent butt a higher possibility would put me off
compared to something like the Streetmachine or Grasshopper. But both
are a non-issue on a city bike. If my lottery ticket comes up I'll have
one as an urban hack (once I've had the underground garage built...).

Roos thinks they look decidedly uncool, but I'm at a disadvantage in the
looking cool stakes compared to her anyway, and don't have much cool to
lose! ;-)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Hang on... recumbent butt? I thought those over on the dark side had
long since left pain in that area behind.. ;-)

The only major problem that I know of with the Dark Side, is that
comfort is much more prone to disappearing with a badly set up bike. If
your saddle is too low on an upright, then you can stand up on the
pedals. You'll tire quickly but...

If your recumbent is not reasonably well-arranged, it's far harder to
shift yourself around to compensate (Riding up Leith Walk with the seat
- crank length too short counts as one of the most painful experiences
of my life!).

Recumbent butt is a consequence sitting on the same muscles that you are
using to ride with. A more laid back seat is fine because your weight is
supported along the length of your back, but the quite upright posture
of the Spirit / Cannondale is more likely to induce it.

And Roos, I agree, they don't look cool! :-)

Jon

Quoted message said:

I've ridden Ben's HPVel Spirit demo bike, and I found it the most
immediately comfortable bike I have ever ridden. Real armchair comfort
stuff, though over a long day the worse aerodynamics and more pronounced
seat angle making recumbent butt a higher possibility would put me off
compared to something like the Streetmachine or Grasshopper. But both
are a non-issue on a city bike. If my lottery ticket comes up I'll have
one as an urban hack (once I've had the underground garage built...).

Roos thinks they look decidedly uncool, but I'm at a disadvantage in the
looking cool stakes compared to her anyway, and don't have much cool to
lose! ;-)

Pete.

Hang on... recumbent butt? I thought those over on the dark side had
long since left pain in that area behind.. ;-)

--

Velvet

Velvet said:

Hang on... recumbent butt? I thought those over on the dark side had
long since left pain in that area behind.. ;-)

Most of the shadowy figures around here are on quite heavily reclined
seats, with a lot of weight taken directly on the back rather than all
on the bum, and in those instances it's not usually much of a problem.
With a more upright seat, if you don't fit the seat well then it can be
like... well, ever seen a 3+ hour movie in a seat that wasn't quite
right? Rather like that!

But with the right seat there's not much need to get out of it. But
this does again emphasize that trying the seat of your Sithmobile before
you part with money is a Really Good Idea.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Velvet said:

Hang on... recumbent butt? I thought those over on the dark side had
long since left pain in that area behind.. ;-)

Most of the shadowy figures around here are on quite heavily reclined
seats, with a lot of weight taken directly on the back rather than all
on the bum, and in those instances it's not usually much of a problem.
With a more upright seat, if you don't fit the seat well then it can be
like... well, ever seen a 3+ hour movie in a seat that wasn't quite
right? Rather like that!

But with the right seat there's not much need to get out of it. But
this does again emphasize that trying the seat of your Sithmobile before
you part with money is a Really Good Idea.

Pete.

Ooh, definitely :-) I'm intending taking the short lists out for at
least a half day to sort out how comfy they are - but only once the cash
flow situation's improved enough to permit the splurge on Sithmobile
(lovely name).

I know the anthrotec I tried isn't for me for that reason - too upright,
I got a sore back where it had chafed against the seat back - so I'll
definitely be looking to try much more reclined seating arrangements. I
like the ventilation of the mesh back, though I've got a vague idea that
whatever I end up with, making a beanbag inner for the seat might have a
lot of benefits both in moulding to my shape *and* letting me wiggle
slightly. Hmm, there's a thought. 'bent beanbags. Market niche?

--

Velvet

Velvet said:

whatever I end up with, making a beanbag inner for the seat might have a
lot of benefits both in moulding to my shape *and* letting me wiggle
slightly. Hmm, there's a thought. 'bent beanbags. Market niche?

You've been effectively beaten to it, I'm afraid. The Airflow cushion
HPVel use isn't really a bean bag but it has a textured foam under a
mesh cover that gives a not entirely dissimilar effect without the
problem of the beans migrating. The HPVel riders hereabouts all
recommend them as Good Things over the basic strip of karrimat.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Velvet said:

whatever I end up with, making a beanbag inner for the seat might have
a lot of benefits both in moulding to my shape *and* letting me wiggle
slightly. Hmm, there's a thought. 'bent beanbags. Market niche?

You've been effectively beaten to it, I'm afraid. The Airflow cushion
HPVel use isn't really a bean bag but it has a textured foam under a
mesh cover that gives a not entirely dissimilar effect without the
problem of the beans migrating. The HPVel riders hereabouts all
recommend them as Good Things over the basic strip of karrimat.

Pete.

Buggerit :-)

Hmm, that sounds mighty like what's inside my camelback actually. Sort
of a wire stringy plastic which is very good at staying sprung out and
not squishing too much, so it adapts slightly but more importantly has
far more hole than plastic so the air flow is really good.

--

Velvet

Velvet said:

Hmm, that sounds mighty like what's inside my camelback actually. Sort
of a wire stringy plastic which is very good at staying sprung out and
not squishing too much, so it adapts slightly but more importantly has
far more hole than plastic so the air flow is really good.

Yup, that's the badger, or at least that's a good description to apply
to the HPVel Airflow cushion in any case...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/