Additional: I have found it in my employers' database.
"A LAID-BACK WAY TO GET FIT;HEALTH
Recumbent bikes are easier to ride than they look and offer benefits beyond those of conventional
cycles. Peta Bee reports
Posture-friendly the average bike is not. You must not only contort your spine to reach the
handlebars, but the saddle offers barely comfortable support, while to turn the pedals you must
extend your legs in the most unorthopaedic of movements.
Hence the appeal -for the body-conscious at least -of the so-called "recumbent" bike. This bike is
easy on your back, while offering fitness benefits that you don't get from conventional cycling.
On the recumbent bike, you lie in a virtually horizontal position in order to cycle. Although there
is a variety of models (outdoor and indoor), the design principle is the same, with the pedals out
in front rather than beneath the body, and the seat positioned close to the ground.
Most gyms now have at least a few stationary versions of the low-level bikes in their cardiovascular
training zones, but a growing number of cyclists is taking to the roads on them -specialist bike
shops have reported a rise in sales, particularly among Londoners, who are opting for this mode of
transport to dodge both the traffic and the congestion charge.
On first inspection, the recumbent bike looks unrideable. In fact, the technique is easy to master
and you will be fully mobile within minutes.
Most outdoor recumbent bikes have handlebars with gear levers positioned either just above your lap
or beneath the seat. In that cluster of controls there is also a brake and steering mechanism. The
bike simply goes where you point it -and you can even leave your feet on the pedals when you come to
a stop (Eh? - Ed.).
Recumbents can reach average speeds of 55mph on the flat and up to 70mph downhill.
Indeed, the aerodynamic construction enabled a recumbent to set the world's 200m speed record for a
human-powered vehicle which, at 68.73mph (sic - Ed.), is not what you want to hear when you lower
yourself gingerly into the seat for the first time.
The most common reaction when people sit on the bike is how comfortable it is, says Oliver Taylor,
of the London Recumbents shop. "The mechanics of the bikes mean that, with the seat to lean on, you
can push the pedals with the right amount of pressure, allowing your body to relax and your legs to
do all the work rather than your lungs," he says.
There are other advantages. With your body weight supported, your neck, back and wrists don't suffer
from the pounding and reverberating impact you suffer on a normal bike, which can lead to chronic
aches and pains. And because the handlebars and gears are usually positioned just above your lap,
there is no opportunity for slouching or leaning on them as you pedal.
Experts say that cycling this way offers a range of benefits. Research by exercise physiologists at
the State University of New York showed that while riding a recumbent works much the same muscle
groups as ordinary cycling, the focus is different. On a low-level bike your hamstrings and gluteal
muscles work harder than your quadriceps, which makes it a much better bottom-firming activity. The
seated position also means that the knees, shoulders and back are under considerably less strain
than they would be on a normal bike.
"Recumbent bikes are an ideal piece of exercise equipment for overweight people and individuals with
lower-back problems and weak core, or stomach, muscles," says Chris Walton, the fitness manager at
the Third Space gym in London. "The wider seat and the back support offer more stability, and the
raised leg position is really helpful for people with circulatory problems and lower-leg injuries."
However, according to Magnus Bowden, the fitness development manager for Cannons gyms, it is not all
good news. "Because the cycling position means the heart is closer to the level of the legs, it is
less taxing on the cardiovascular system," he says. "You can cycle without as much aerobic effort,
but that does mean you don't use quite as many calories." Still, you can expect to burn around 320
calories in an hour when you cycle at a speed of 10mph on a recumbent (compared with 380 calories on
a normal bike).
And, of course, no matter how far you pedal there is the extra advantage that you won't get
saddle-sore.
Expect to pay Pounds 900 to Pounds 1,200 for a new bike"
I take it back. There's just a bit *less* deranged nonsense in this one. But you'd think a newspaper
which covered Queally's 2001 record attempt in some detail would have been able to find the current
HPV speed record. I don't know where they got the 55 mph from, though Oliver Taylor has confessed to
doing 70 on a Challenge Hurricane coming off Ditchling Beacon.
Dave Larrington - legslarry.crosswinds.netlegslarry.crosswinds.netOpen ↗
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Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
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