How do DS cyclists cope with hills?

Gadget said:

How do the DS cyclists cope with hills? Going up I mean.

Turn the twisty bits at the front and the bike does the rest :-)

Quoted message said:

The point that was brought up was that it must be hard work considering the fact all the weight is
on the back wheels and you can't really stand on the pedals

You'd have to be going up about 45 degrees before the front wheel was in any danger of lifting, and
you can push against the seat back so you can actually apply more pressure to the pedals than you
can standing up on a wedgie. The only issue is that staility below 6mph can be poor, so for heavy
touring or really long steep ascents the extra wheel is Highly Recommended.

Guy
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"Gadget" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Recent meeting about the Rome to the Dome meeting we had a interesting topics about 'bents. How do
the DS cyclists cope with hills?

If I gear down to a low gear enough; I could take on any hill in this area. But I had to slow down
and spin more. My solution was a power assist and drastically shortening crank arms. Now I maintain
level speed uphill.

That is not popular, but a hybrid recumbent workedfor me. No competition since racing probably bans
boxed non-human power. but I can maintain that recumbent grin full time while others find out about
"tacking" (side to side steering) and how low they can go,.

Chris Jordan Santa Cruz, CA.

Gadget said:

Recent meeting about the Rome to the Dome meeting we had a interesting topics about 'bents. How
do the DS cyclists cope with hills? Going up I mean. The point that was brought up was that it
must be hard work considering the fact all the weight is on the back wheels and you can't really
stand on the pedals. The reason why I ask is because if they do the ride again in future, I might
consider doing rome to the dome on a recumbent. That is if the hills don't cause a problem.

I'm not sure what "DS" stands for, but I'll presume it's not Downtube Shifters. Perhaps "Darned
Speedy?" :-)

On an upright, there are two ways to take big hills: stand and winch yourself up at low rpm, or
downshift to a lower gear and remain seated. Both are valid methods, and both will get you to the
top; but option #2 requires lower gears on the bike and will probably result in slower climbing
speeds. With recumbents, as you observed, option #1 is not available. So, ask yourself which is your
preferred method, and you'll know whether or not you should try a recumbent.
--

John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24/63 --- _\\/\-%)
_________(_)`=()___________________(_)= (_)_____

Gadget said:

Recent meeting about the Rome to the Dome meeting we had a interesting topics about 'bents. How
do the DS cyclists cope with hills?

Personally, I point it uphill and turn the pedals.

There's more weight to lift, so I probably go up slower, but since I have the one true number of
wheels (3), and appropriate gearing, there's no problem with going up at about 3mph if needed. Any
less than that and my gearing's run out, but I could fit smaller chainring if I wanted.

Actually, on a steep ascent I feel better at the top than on a wedgie, since I _can_ go up very
slowly without finding I have to concentrate on balance and/or veering across teh road as my speed
drops. The only problem I have found on road (or road-like) is a steep tarmac surfaced bridle-path
near me that gets very little traffic. It's quite mossy and algae-y, and if I've got my daughter in
the trailer on the back I wheel-spin. If it were raining I probably wouldn't get up it with daughter
in tow. Off-road I've come across things on a couple of occasions where I couldn't get enough
traction to get up / over them.

regards, Ian SMith
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John Foltz said:

I'm not sure what "DS" stands for

"dark side" - uk.rec.cycling slang for the enlightened.

Guy
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In article <[email hidden]>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard of

Just zis Guy said:

standing up on a wedgie. The only issue is that staility below 6mph can be poor,

Eeek!

That'll be why noone has them around here then. There aren't many journeys you can make around here
without some steep sections.

--
Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France 1.5,
Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)

In "]news:[email hidden], Nick Kew <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard

of 'Just zis Guy said:

standing up on a wedgie. The only issue is that staility below 6mph can be poor,

Eeek!

That'll be why noone has them around here then. There aren't many journeys you can make around
here without some steep sections.

Whereas here in Walsall, where it's fairly flat, you can't move for recumbents. Even the kids
lounging around on their bikes in town are pleasantly slouched over a netting seat, and the baggy
trousered ones in the skate park are controlling their jumps with under seat steering, etc. etc.

Quoted post said:

The only issue is that staility below 6mph can be poor,

Down to 3mph I find to be no problem, even slower when I had the Peer Gynt. The Challenge Mistral isn't so good at such low, uphill, speeds.

Just fitted a triple chainset with 50/40/30 rings to go with the 11-32 sprokets.
Although it's possible too run the 30/32 it doesn't seem possible to balance.

Just have to practice I suppose.

[email hidden] (Nick Kew) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The only issue is that ['bent] stability below 6mph can be poor,

Quoted message said:

That'll be why noone has them around here then. There aren't many journeys you can make around
here without some steep sections.

Note "can be" - actually stability of some 'bents is so good that you can do an indefinite track
stand. Although there are those who claim that the extra wheel amounts to cheating, I'm sure Ian
Smith will vigorously rebut them ;-)

I find double-chevron hills are a bit punishing on my recumbent bike, so I usually fit the winter
cassette if I'm doing long climbs. That gives me a bottom gear of about 25" which is OK for anything
I meet hereabouts.

Although following last Sunday's experience I am forced to consider the possibility I might be
fitter than I thought...

OKAY!! I GIVE!!

What does "DS" stand for. all I can think of ,in my cynical head, is "Dumb Sh**"

--
Miles of Smiles,

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

www.gate.net/~teblum

"Ambrose Nankivell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Whereas here in Walsall, where it's fairly flat, you can't move for recumbents. Even the kids
lounging around on their bikes in town are pleasantly slouched over a netting seat, and the baggy
trousered ones in the skate park are controlling their jumps with under seat steering, etc. etc.

The well-known trials recumbent. :-)

--
Dave...

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

Quoted message said:

Gadget said:

Recent meeting about the Rome to the Dome meeting we had a interesting topics about 'bents. How
do the DS cyclists cope with hills?

Personally, I point it uphill and turn the pedals.

There's more weight to lift, so I probably go up slower, but since I have the one true number of
wheels (3), and appropriate gearing, there's no problem with going up at about 3mph if needed.

I too have a trike for climbing. Hardly seems fair once you try it. It has been easier for climbing
(not faster) for me than a 2 wheel recumbent or a mountain bike with street tires.

Before the trike I had a Rans Stratus, LWB. It had good stability down to about 4 mph for me. That
was not quite low enough for the mountain canyons around here, at least with this rider. There is a
rider in the area that formerly owned a Bike E CT. It had good balance and he was quite capable of
climbing the local canyons, even as part of century. So, it can be done.

In one of last year's Recumbent Cyclist News, Kelly Iniquez wrote about a tour in the mountains of
Colorado on a Rans Stratus that included the 11000 ft pass over Wolf Mountain.

I suppose it is up to each individual to find out what they are capable of on mountains and hills.

Gary McCarty, Greenspeed GTO, Salt Lake City

Tom Blum said:

What does "DS" stand for.

It means Dark Side - uk.rec.cycling slang (see
<http://www.chapmancentral.com/Web/public.nsf/Documents/mini-faq-darkside>) Guy
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Tom Blum said:

OKAY!! I GIVE!!

What does "DS" stand for. all I can think of ,in my cynical head, is "Dumb Sh**"

Dark Side. On uk.rec.cycling, recumbent riders are labelled the Dark Side, probably because they are
truly enlightened. Wedgie riders are afraid to join us. ('Wedgie' being the opositte of DS, for more
obvious reasons).

Actually, recumbent riders sometimes also get implied to be Jedi. Personally, I don't really care
which side I'm on, as long as I get a light-sabre.

regards, Ian SMith
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Ian Smith said:

Dark Side....

Actually, recumbent riders sometimes also get implied to be Jedi. Personally, I don't really care
which side I'm on, as long as I get a light-sabre.

I *knew* there was a reason why I was drawn to taking up Aikido!

L
--
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"redshift" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Ian Smith said:

Dark Side....

Actually, recumbent riders sometimes also get implied to be Jedi. Personally, I don't really care
which side I'm on, as long as I get a light-sabre.

I *knew* there was a reason why I was drawn to taking up Aikido!

"<hhhhurhh huurhh> Do not underestimate the power of the Dark Side." ~Darth Vader

weird you grow up on an upright DF, you see the light and get bent and NOW you are on the Dark Side?
Suppose the dark side could be that on a bent you are in the dark shadow of everything above 3 foot
tall. Then again this is an expression common ONLY in the U.K.
-----------------------
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tom Blum said:

What does "DS" stand for.

It means Dark Side - uk.rec.cycling slang (see

<http://www.chapmancentral.com/Web/public.nsf/Documents/mini-faq-darkside>)

Quoted message said:

Guy
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Gadget said:

How do the DS cyclists cope with hills? Going up I mean. The point that was brought up was that it
must be hard work considering the fact all the weight is on the back wheels and you can't really
stand on the pedals.

Actually, most recumbents *don't* have "all the weight on the back wheels" - if the example of my
Kingcycle was anything by which to go, which wheel lost grip first under extreme cornering
provocation was largely dependent on rear tyre choice - indicating that the weight distribution must
surely have been close to 50/50. Recumbent trikes, or at least those with two front wheels, tend to
have 1/3 of the weight on each wheel, thus the combination of very low gears and a wet or slippery
surface may lead to wheelspin. Thos LWB contraptions do have a rearward weight bias, admittedly, but
you wouldn't find me on one of those out of choice...

Standing on the pedals is for people who can't cope with wide-ratio gearing ;-)

It is important to distinguish between the statements "recumbents can't climb" - which is Clearly
Bollocks - and "power output is less for any given rider in the recumbent position" - which *may* be
true but has not yet been subjected to rigorous analysis by those without blunt axes. The average
recumbent being heavier than the average upright doesn't help either, of course, but the fact that
Ymte Sybrandy and Theo van Andel did Lelystad (~50 km NE of Amsterdam) - Magliano Alpi (100 km SE of
Turin) and back in 17 days, in Alleweder trikes with an all-up weight of 50 kg, and including such
delights as the Grand St. Bernard, St Gotthard, Grimsel, Furka and Susten Passes means that all
things are possible to those with bionic knees.

Or something.

Dave Larrington - legslarry.crosswinds.netlegslarry.crosswinds.netOpen ↗
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Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
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"Dave Larrington" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

It is important to distinguish between the statements "recumbents can't climb" - which is Clearly
Bollocks - and "power output is less for any given rider in the recumbent position" - which *may*
be true but has not yet been subjected to rigorous analysis by those without blunt axes.

I'd say that recumbents have more power going up hills since you can push into the seat, but is
offset by the extra weight of the bike. It seems to pretty much balance out for me. The advantage
to standing climbs on an upright isn't that it gives you more power - in the net, I think it
reduces power to the pedals since it's less efficient than spinning. The advantage to standing
climbs is that long climbs are tiring and being able to stand lets you use different muscles, or at
least use the same ones differently. Long climbs on a recumbent are largely sustained aerobic
affairs so you need to be in better shape aerobically than you would need to be on an upright where
you could stand.

MHO, of course.

Morgan.