Bent / Burley Limbo questions

Cletus said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on smooth,
flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my time. The
steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about dumping the
bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider. Hopefully this is
just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has tips, I'd be grateful.

On an upright you are supporting a portion of your upper body weight
with you arms, so the force you apply to the handlebars is fairly high.
On a recumbent, applying this degree of force will make the bike feel
directionally unstable (i.e. "twitchy"😉. I suggest that you hold the
handlebars with just your thumb and forefinger (except when braking)
until you adjust to the much lower control forces a recumbent requires
compared to an upright.

The other upright habit to break is pulling on the handlebars. This will
make most recumbents feel "squirrelly".

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

Cletus said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on smooth,
flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my time. The
steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about dumping the
bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider. Hopefully this is
just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has tips, I'd be grateful.

To paraphrase the Bike-E manual

RELAX

Then read skip to the answer to '3'

Quoted message said:

2) I had a Hollywood Boomer hitch rack to tote my Trek around, but there
is just no way it can handle this bent. What are people using
hitch-wise to carry thier CLWB bents? The closest thing I have found is
the Sportworks recumbent rack, which is supposed to accomodate a max
wheelbase of 63".

I use a Rhode Gear hitch rack - carrying the bike across the back of a
SUV. One arm goes through the chains just abaft of the shock mount, the
other arm goes near the idylers - under both chains.

Quoted message said:

3) I'm 5'11", but I have to keep the steering close to vertical to keep
from banging my knees. No matter how I adjust it, this is a continual
problem. Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option...

First: you can extend the 'mast', but don't go past the "don't go past
this point" mark.

Then: rotate the handle bar to clear your knees. My knees miss touching

Now you will be able to relax. Riding while holding the mast forward is
not a way to relax, and explains you problem #1.

Mike
Limbo driver

Thanks for the into, Mike. I also got some tips from a tech at
Hollywood on how to retrofit a longer bolt on the locking cap, using a
2" diameter dowel or shims to balance out the thickness of the frame.

One other thing I noticed is that even though I use a recumbent exercise
bike regularly, riding the Limbo seems to work different leg muscles,
leaving me pretty sore at this stage. It does beat the heck out of
having an aching back and numb behind from riding the hardtail.

I'll work on that handlebar mast. That will be a relief.

Thanks again

Mike said:

Cletus said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on smooth,
flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my time. The
steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about dumping the
bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider. Hopefully this is
just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has tips, I'd be grateful.

To paraphrase the Bike-E manual

RELAX

Then read skip to the answer to '3'

Quoted message said:

2) I had a Hollywood Boomer hitch rack to tote my Trek around, but there
is just no way it can handle this bent. What are people using
hitch-wise to carry thier CLWB bents? The closest thing I have found is
the Sportworks recumbent rack, which is supposed to accomodate a max
wheelbase of 63".

I use a Rhode Gear hitch rack - carrying the bike across the back of a
SUV. One arm goes through the chains just abaft of the shock mount, the
other arm goes near the idylers - under both chains.

Quoted message said:

3) I'm 5'11", but I have to keep the steering close to vertical to keep
from banging my knees. No matter how I adjust it, this is a continual
problem. Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option...

First: you can extend the 'mast', but don't go past the "don't go past
this point" mark.

Then: rotate the handle bar to clear your knees. My knees miss touching

Now you will be able to relax. Riding while holding the mast forward is
not a way to relax, and explains you problem #1.

Mike
Limbo driver

Thanks for the tip. I'm glad I did not opt for the short wheelbase to
start out. I have next week off and plan to hit the trails every day...

Thanks again,

Sean B.

Tom Sherman said:

Cletus said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My
Limbo is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on
smooth, flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my time.
The steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about dumping
the bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider. Hopefully this
is just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has tips, I'd be grateful.

On an upright you are supporting a portion of your upper body weight
with you arms, so the force you apply to the handlebars is fairly high.
On a recumbent, applying this degree of force will make the bike feel
directionally unstable (i.e. "twitchy"😉. I suggest that you hold the
handlebars with just your thumb and forefinger (except when braking)
until you adjust to the much lower control forces a recumbent requires
compared to an upright.

The other upright habit to break is pulling on the handlebars. This will
make most recumbents feel "squirrelly".

about all i can say it took me at least 9 month to really fell
comfortable on my hepcat, just keep riding and you will get use to it

good luck

Cletus said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on smooth,
flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my time. The
steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about dumping the
bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider. Hopefully this is
just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has tips, I'd be grateful.

2) I had a Hollywood Boomer hitch rack to tote my Trek around, but there
is just no way it can handle this bent. What are people using
hitch-wise to carry thier CLWB bents? The closest thing I have found is
the Sportworks recumbent rack, which is supposed to accomodate a max
wheelbase of 63".

3) I'm 5'11", but I have to keep the steering close to vertical to keep
from banging my knees. No matter how I adjust it, this is a continual
problem. Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option...

Thanks.

Two corrections to my follow-up, I took a good look at what I'm doing
when I put the limbo on the rack.

One arm goes above _BOTH_ chains.
That arm is just forward of the Shock Mount.

I make sure one strap pulls the bike forward as much as possilbe,
keeping it against the shock mount.

mike

Mike said:

Cletus said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on smooth,
flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my time. The
steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about dumping the
bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider. Hopefully this is
just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has tips, I'd be grateful.

To paraphrase the Bike-E manual

RELAX

Quoted message said:

Then read skip to the answer to '3'

Quoted message said:

2) I had a Hollywood Boomer hitch rack to tote my Trek around, but there
is just no way it can handle this bent. What are people using
hitch-wise to carry thier CLWB bents? The closest thing I have found is
the Sportworks recumbent rack, which is supposed to accomodate a max
wheelbase of 63".

I use a Rhode Gear hitch rack - carrying the bike across the back of a
SUV. One arm goes through the chains just abaft of the shock mount, the
other arm goes near the idylers - under both chains.

Quoted message said:

3) I'm 5'11", but I have to keep the steering close to vertical to keep
from banging my knees. No matter how I adjust it, this is a continual
problem. Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option...

First: you can extend the 'mast', but don't go past the "don't go past
this point" mark.

Then: rotate the handle bar to clear your knees. My knees miss touching

Now you will be able to relax. Riding while holding the mast forward is
not a way to relax, and explains you problem #1.

Mike
Limbo driver

Cletus you wrote about the right car rack to accomodate the Limbo. I
have the Sportworks rack, I did want to tell you the rack is just
excellent. It held my Stealth confidentally without a problem. It is
very easy to use, and the only drawback I could see is the length it
adds to the vehicle itselt, that makes it difficult to back up. The
rack couldn't be seen from my Subaru.

Incidentally, I subsequent purchased a Chrysler Van and am not using
the rack at the moment. The Sportswork rack sits beside the
Megawarrior and Yakima Rocket Box in my garage, while I contemplate
whether either is really necessary anymore.

As for the knee banging, it sounds like you need a riser extention to
me.

Melanie

Cletus said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.
1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on
smooth, flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my
time. The steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about
dumping the bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider.
Hopefully this is just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has
tips, I'd be grateful.
2) I had a Hollywood Boomer hitch rack to tote my Trek around, but there
is just no way it can handle this bent. What are people using hitch-
wise to carry thier CLWB bents? The closest thing I have found is the
Sportworks recumbent rack, which is supposed to accomodate a max
wheelbase of 63".
3) I'm 5'11", but I have to keep the steering close to vertical to keep
from banging my knees. No matter how I adjust it, this is a continual
problem. Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option...
Thanks.

Sean:

Nice to see someone mention the Burley Limbo, a bike not often mentioned
on the board. I think the Limbo is a great, and sometimes under-rated,
bike, especially for combination road/commuter/ gravel trail use. With
its 58” wheelbase, it’s a relatively “compact” bike (CLWB) which offers
a 20/26 wheel combination. Kind of unique.

I’m planning to ride one this weekend myself. My dealer has one in
stock, though not yet assembled. I hope to ride the Limbo and the Burley
Jet Creek back to back.

I’ve been riding a friend’s Burley “Canto” for a few weeks, which uses
the linkage steering similar to you Limbo. When I first tried it, I
found the riding position odd, with the stem & bars seeming too close to
my chest (or so I thought at first). But, as Mike pointed out, there are
a number of adjustments to the tilt & rise of the stem and bars that you
should be able to reach a comfortable position with no knee clearance
issues, and without having to hold the stem in a near-vertical position.
I’m 6’ and, after fiddling with the adjustments, have no problem finding
a relaxing position with no knee interference. I only have about 150
recumbent miles under my belt. My initial twitchiness is gone and I’m
much more confident now.

Like the Canto, the Limbo isn’t intended to be ridden in an “arms-out”
position (what I was used to) but is set up to be comfortable with the
stem & bars a bit closer to the rider, with your elbows slightly bent &
resting at or near your sides. I found this position odd at first, but
have now grown to find it comfortable. The Burley Jet Creek on the other
hand, seems to allow for a more arms-out riding position. So I want to
ride both it and the Limbo before making a decision. One of the reasons
I’m leaning towards the Limbo is its relatively compact size, with a 58”
wheelbase as compared to 65” for the Jet Creek. Makes for easier
transport.

Anyway Sean, good luck with your new bike. I hope you’ll continue to
post as you get more familiar with your Limbo. By the way, if you
haven’t already discovered it, there is a Burley-specific group at the
following address. A nice forum to post your Burley questions.

http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/burleyriders

And there is also BentRider Online:

http://www.bentrideronline.com/

Jameson

--

Cletus said:

Thanks for the tip. I'm glad I did not opt for the short wheelbase to
start out. I have next week off and plan to hit the trails every day...

Thanks again,

Sean B.

So is it Sean or Cletus?

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

I am a Burley Canto rider. Been one for three years. When I first
started out I went with the short wheel base becuse I felt it gave me
better control. Now I am back to the long wheel base and enjoy the
smoother ride. There is a site that is for Burley riders,

http:://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/groups/burleyriders

The only problem I've had for the three years are the pains in my
right leg. My left leg has been fine. I've moved the seat forward,
backwards, and every way possible. With every move the pain changes
from knee, to ankle, to hip, to ham, etc. I finally settled on the
most comfortable position with the least amount of pain.

Other than that I love riding the recumbent and have given up all
riding my uprights this year. Dom.

Cletus <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on smooth,
flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my time. The
steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about dumping the
bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider. Hopefully this is
just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has tips, I'd be grateful.

2) I had a Hollywood Boomer hitch rack to tote my Trek around, but there
is just no way it can handle this bent. What are people using
hitch-wise to carry thier CLWB bents? The closest thing I have found is
the Sportworks recumbent rack, which is supposed to accomodate a max
wheelbase of 63".

3) I'm 5'11", but I have to keep the steering close to vertical to keep
from banging my knees. No matter how I adjust it, this is a continual
problem. Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option...

Thanks.

Its Sean, just Cletus because thats my Hotmail account...

Tom Sherman said:

Cletus said:

Thanks for the tip. I'm glad I did not opt for the short wheelbase to
start out. I have next week off and plan to hit the trails every day...

Thanks again,

Sean B.

So is it Sean or Cletus?

Thanks for the feedback. Even when I used my Hollywood rack, I had to
take it off each time to be able to close the garage. I have been
hauling the bike around in my wife's Venture van, but it is a real pain,
plus she likes the van better than my Civic...

Sean (aka Cletus)

Melanie said:

Cletus you wrote about the right car rack to accomodate the Limbo. I
have the Sportworks rack, I did want to tell you the rack is just
excellent. It held my Stealth confidentally without a problem. It is
very easy to use, and the only drawback I could see is the length it
adds to the vehicle itselt, that makes it difficult to back up. The
rack couldn't be seen from my Subaru.

Incidentally, I subsequent purchased a Chrysler Van and am not using
the rack at the moment. The Sportswork rack sits beside the
Megawarrior and Yakima Rocket Box in my garage, while I contemplate
whether either is really necessary anymore.

As for the knee banging, it sounds like you need a riser extention to
me.

Melanie

Great feedback, thanks. It does seem that when I do lower the
handlebar, I feel even less in control right now. I'm off work next
week, so I will have a lot of time to ride.

I took a rather large chance and bought this bike used from a guy near
San Francisco. Lucky for me, the bike is really clean, and that was
according to the bike shop tech I took it to. The bike shops here do
not stock recumbents other than the Cannondale, so I read up on
different bikes and decided to take a chance on a used Burley or Rans if
one showed up for auction.

I didn't know about the Burley group. I'll check it out.

Thanks,

Sean

Jameson said:

Cletus said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.
1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on
smooth, flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my
time. The steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about
dumping the bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider.
Hopefully this is just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has
tips, I'd be grateful.
2) I had a Hollywood Boomer hitch rack to tote my Trek around, but there
is just no way it can handle this bent. What are people using hitch-
wise to carry thier CLWB bents? The closest thing I have found is the
Sportworks recumbent rack, which is supposed to accomodate a max
wheelbase of 63".
3) I'm 5'11", but I have to keep the steering close to vertical to keep
from banging my knees. No matter how I adjust it, this is a continual
problem. Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option...
Thanks.

Sean:

Nice to see someone mention the Burley Limbo, a bike not often mentioned
on the board. I think the Limbo is a great, and sometimes under-rated,
bike, especially for combination road/commuter/ gravel trail use. With
its 58” wheelbase, it’s a relatively “compact” bike (CLWB) which offers
a 20/26 wheel combination. Kind of unique.

I’m planning to ride one this weekend myself. My dealer has one in
stock, though not yet assembled. I hope to ride the Limbo and the Burley
Jet Creek back to back.

I’ve been riding a friend’s Burley “Canto” for a few weeks, which uses
the linkage steering similar to you Limbo. When I first tried it, I
found the riding position odd, with the stem & bars seeming too close to
my chest (or so I thought at first). But, as Mike pointed out, there are
a number of adjustments to the tilt & rise of the stem and bars that you
should be able to reach a comfortable position with no knee clearance
issues, and without having to hold the stem in a near-vertical position.
I’m 6’ and, after fiddling with the adjustments, have no problem finding
a relaxing position with no knee interference. I only have about 150
recumbent miles under my belt. My initial twitchiness is gone and I’m
much more confident now.

Like the Canto, the Limbo isn’t intended to be ridden in an “arms-out”
position (what I was used to) but is set up to be comfortable with the
stem & bars a bit closer to the rider, with your elbows slightly bent &
resting at or near your sides. I found this position odd at first, but
have now grown to find it comfortable. The Burley Jet Creek on the other
hand, seems to allow for a more arms-out riding position. So I want to
ride both it and the Limbo before making a decision. One of the reasons
I’m leaning towards the Limbo is its relatively compact size, with a 58”
wheelbase as compared to 65” for the Jet Creek. Makes for easier
transport.

Anyway Sean, good luck with your new bike. I hope you’ll continue to
post as you get more familiar with your Limbo. By the way, if you
haven’t already discovered it, there is a Burley-specific group at the
following address. A nice forum to post your Burley questions.

http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/burleyriders

And there is also BentRider Online:

http://www.bentrideronline.com/

Jameson

--

Thanks for the info, Dom. My back kills me on my Trek, and so far the
only pain in my legs has been from using different muscles. I will
check out the web site...

Sean

Dom said:

I am a Burley Canto rider. Been one for three years. When I first
started out I went with the short wheel base becuse I felt it gave me
better control. Now I am back to the long wheel base and enjoy the
smoother ride. There is a site that is for Burley riders,

http:://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/groups/burleyriders

The only problem I've had for the three years are the pains in my
right leg. My left leg has been fine. I've moved the seat forward,
backwards, and every way possible. With every move the pain changes
from knee, to ankle, to hip, to ham, etc. I finally settled on the
most comfortable position with the least amount of pain.

Other than that I love riding the recumbent and have given up all
riding my uprights this year. Dom.

Cletus <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Riding a bent is new for me, and I have a couple of questions about
riding one in general, plus one about the Limbo specifically. My Limbo
is configured as CLWB. Any feedback is appreciated.

1) I never had problems balancing or maneuvering on a hardtail, but
after two weeks on the Burley, I'm still nervous about riding on smooth,
flat trails, which is where I like to spend most of my time. The
steering is much more sensitive, and I get nervous about dumping the
bike in a ditch, or worse, hitting another rider. Hopefully this is
just due to the inexperience, but if anyone has tips, I'd be grateful.

2) I had a Hollywood Boomer hitch rack to tote my Trek around, but there
is just no way it can handle this bent. What are people using
hitch-wise to carry thier CLWB bents? The closest thing I have found is
the Sportworks recumbent rack, which is supposed to accomodate a max
wheelbase of 63".

3) I'm 5'11", but I have to keep the steering close to vertical to keep
from banging my knees. No matter how I adjust it, this is a continual
problem. Any suggestions? And no, amputation is not an option...

Thanks.

Cletus said:

Its Sean, just Cletus because thats my Hotmail account...

Some of us here may find that humorous.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area