Do people just stop and stare?

[Mikael Seierup]

"Simon Kellett" skrev

> Negative - it is the one thing I *hate* about riding a recumbent :-(

Well buy am upright racebike and dress like your favourite pro cyclist. Noone will pay any attention
to you then.

Mikael

 

[Dave Larrington]

Me:

> I was once following the London- Brighton Veteran Car Run on a Windcheetah.

Mike Causer:

> I've taken a photo of a Windcheetah from the riding-mechanic's seat of an Alldays & Onions on the
> Brighton Run. Hmmm, I'll have a dig through the piccys.

This was, from memory, 1983. Unseasonably warm day. I was wearing Madison touring shorts, a
Motorhead T-shirt and a kamikaze headband...

Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Geob]

> Negative - it is the one thing I *hate* about riding a recumbent :-( I ride everyday, but I would
> much rather just slip quietly by !!

When I picked up my bent, my LBS guy told me, "If it bothers you, just pretend you are invisible".
Yes, it bothers me too, sometimes, but I like it a lot of the time.

GeoB

 

[Jay]

in article [email protected], Scott at [email protected] wrote on
3/14/03 9:57 AM:

> Perhaps our most unusual moment was when we rode past a group of fellows working in a field along
> side one of our favorite routes. First one then another stood up to stare, then clap, then
> another...soon we had over a dozen people cheering and clapping as we tooled by on our Greenspeed
> Tandem. We were doing maybe 18mph, but we felt like Lance winning the tour!
>
> Scott and Jodi Greenspeed

I had the similar thing happen while I was riding my first bent. It was a homebuilt SWB with OSS.
REALLY rough looking with **** scavenged parts.

While I was riding past a public park there were two ladies of about 70 who were dressed quite fancy
(lace blouses, skirts, etc) They said in quite delicate voices, as they rose from their benches to
applaud "Lovely..simply lovely"

That scene stands out from the 20 "cool bikes" per hour I have gotten the last 4 year of year-round
bent transportational cycling.

 

[Dave Patterson]

R2D2 <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> It never ceases to amaze me how many people just stop and stare as you ride by.
>
> Young kids are just enthralled. Even Teenagers and college students make comments about how "Cool"
> the bike is (at that age it is usually not cool to comment about anything).
>
> My wife is almost embarrased to ride with me due to all of the attention! Don't ya love it?
> R2

I have people make U turns just to ask me about my ride. I find it kinda creepy and nice in a wierd
sort of way.... DP bike-e ct (feet first always):-D

 

[Steve McDonald]

Tim S. wrote: I rode by an entire high-school's worth of female athletes (that were walking across
the Hawthorne Bridge) on Tuesday and received a lot of favorable comments about my bike, including
one "Take me with you".
-----------------------------------------------------

Now you know that if you'd taken just one with you, you'd be writing this from jail!

If I'd ever met any of the requests I've received from women when I was riding my rocket, I'd
also be serving time.

Steve McDonald

 

[Steve McDonald]

For many years, I have used a streamlined fairing and towed a large, rocket-shaped fiberglass
trailer. The rig catches a lot of notice and I usually spend as much time talking about it as I do
riding. Some smartass kids pointed to the trailer and asked if I had my wife inside. I shut them up,
when I replied, "What's left of her!".

Eventually, I built a less conspicuous aerodynamic cargo box that fits behind the seat on
another bike. It doesn't carry as much, but I can usually ride it, without repeatedly telling
the whole story of its design and purpose.

I once spent an afternoon cruising around town with the fairing and trailer rig and also
wearing my large streamlined helmet. I was with two friends, one riding a unique recumbent
manuped (quadraped) 2-wheeler and the other with a recumbent manuped tricycle. We drew about as
much attention as a circus parade and were definitely a traffic hazard. The girlfriend of one
guy rode with us on a standard bike. She is extraordinarily statuesque and she said it was the
first time that people neither noticed her nor made suggestive remarks. It must be an extra
burden to be a gorgeous woman who rides a bike.

Steve McDonald

 

[Timothy B. Stor]

Steve,

There is no room on my Saber for more than one person, anyways.

Tim

"Steve McDonald" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Tim S. wrote: I rode by an entire high-school's worth of female athletes (that were walking across
> the Hawthorne Bridge) on Tuesday and received a lot of favorable comments about my bike, including
> one "Take me with you".
> -----------------------------------------------------
>
> Now you know that if you'd taken just one with you, you'd be writing this from jail!
>
> If I'd ever met any of the requests I've received from women when I was riding my rocket,
> I'd also be serving time.
>
> Steve McDonald

 

[Jay]

>Timothy B. Storey at [email protected] wrote: There is no room on my Saber for more than one
>person, anyways.

I have had several people not yet ask for a ride, but who wanted to "hitch hike" along with
me. Three offered to sit on the bike rack. Looks, charm, money... who needs it when you have a
ccol bent.

 

[Tom Sherman]

R2D2 wrote:
>
> It never ceases to amaze me how many people just stop and stare as you ride by.
>
> Young kids are just enthralled. Even Teenagers and college students make comments about how "Cool"
> the bike is (at that age it is usually not cool to comment about anything).
>
> My wife is almost embarrased to ride with me due to all of the attention! Don't ya love it?
> R2

I received an unusual comment recently - somebody apparently admired the above seat steering
arrangement on the bike, but thought I was a bundle of sticks, since they yelled, "nice ASS,
******" at me. For some reason, he also indicated number one with the middle digit of one hand,
palm facing inwards.

I wonder what it all means?

Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

[Tiger Cub]

I get a lot more attention on my rotator tiger than my previous wheeled transportation: a unicycle.

I don't mind the stares, but I'm still unsure about the laughter. And I don't mean my own!

Tiger

 

[Daniel Payne]

Benters, I like a wide range cassette, because of the topography of Southern Chester County.
Currently on the Vision R44, I use a 32-559 rear tire with a 12 - 34, 9-speed shimano cassette, and
a 53 - 39 - 24 set of chain rings. This setup works well for the hills here around home, but it
seems as though the steps between the gear choices are too large, at times, when I venture into the
flat areas of the Chesapeake Bay, and such. I am considering changing out my 39 tooth chain ring for
a 48, which may not be available, or some such ring that will allow the so called "half step" set
up, so that one would bounce back and forth between the middle and large ring for finer gear
choices. Has anyone done this recently? Was it worth the effort? Any expert opinions on my efforts
in this matter? Are there other things that I should be considering?

Daniel, still tinkering in Pa.

 

[Tom Blum]

There was just a long thread about this in the last month or two. Google should be able to find
it for you.

Jude suggests changing freewheel/cassettes like you change socks. Going to the flat lands? Put on
the corn cob. Going to the hills? Put on the wide range.

I agree that there always seems to be a spot where the gears you have aren't quite what you want. I
think that's part of riding HPVs

If I could just get it like in the dream, I'd be idling along in the mid twenties in a really tall
gear, looking at the scenery.

--
Miles of Smiles,

Tom Blum Winter Haven, Florida Homebuilts: SWB Tour Easy Clone Speed Machine Clone

www.gate.net/~teblum

 

[Simon Kellett]

Tom Sherman wrote

> he also indicated number one with the middle digit of one hand, palm facing inwards.
>
> I wonder what it all means?

I have always called that one the "cyclists' wave" (the cyclist being the deliverer rather than the
receiver)

Regards, Simon

http://home.arcor.de/zoxed

 

[Daniel Payne]

On 22-Mar-2003, "Tom Blum" <[email protected]> wrote:

> There was just a long thread about this in the last month or two. Google should be able to find it
> for you.

Yes, so i see. i don't know how i missed that thread. It looks like it started in January.

John H. in N Texas did your parts come in? how did you like your half step setup?

Daniel