Long Distance Bent Info

Hello John,
I have been riding recumbents for ten years, exclusively for 3 years. For my 50th b'day I completed an 1800 mile tour last summer from Florence, OR to Dillon CO on the Adventure cycling route. With roughly 45000' of climbing it really tested the old knees. I did this on a Rans V-rex with 50 lbs of gear, fenders, racks, 2 large water bottles, a water bladder tucked in the seat back and my 195 lb self. I did it in 30 days. In prep I did quite a few back to back centuries. I too am no great climber on any kind of bike, nor am I a speed demon. I did manage to haul myself up those mountains. Slow, and with a lot of stopping. I regularly do the local Geysers ride with about 3400' feet of climbing in the nearby coastal range with some horrendously steep grades(ask Zach). I have also done this on my tour easy clone bike. Again slowly, but I manage. Recumbents may not climb well but they do climb. BTW my low gear is about a 19". I suspect that with a reasonably light bike with the right gearing and lots of spinning you will have little trouble getting up some of those nasty hills Missouri reputedly has. As far as long distance, if anything you will last longer on a recumbent than any DF bike. I really wonder why recumbent makers don't own the touring bike market! Make sure and test ride as many bikes as you can. Good luck and have fun.
bob

John,

I am an active cycle tourist (e.g. 9021 miles last year) who bought a recumbent bicycle (tour easy
model) in September and have ridden ~1300 miles on it so far. Most of my previous riding on
Cannondale touring bicycle.

My perspectives on questions you ask:

1) As far as hill climbing goes, I am also slow climbing hills. Over Christmas week, I rode an AYH
ride taking six days going 400 miles outside San Diego that includes climbs up to 6000 feet and
descent to below sea level (see trip report: mvermeulen.comsandiego2003Open ↗). I had made
the same ride in 2002 with my Cannondale when I weighed ~5 pounds more. I was surprised to be
riding faster on the recumbent in 2003 than 2002! I think the recumbent is still slower on
climbs, but extra stability/speed on descents and flats, slightly less weight and being perhaps
in slightly better shape made me ride faster on my recumbent over some hilly terrain than the
year before.

2) Handling is going to vary widely with type of recumbent bicycle. My long wheelbase toureasy
reminds me a bit of a sedan (not a ferrari), with solid stable riding, excellent descents, but
not necessarily quick corners and turns.

I haven't done much in paceline or more detailed pack riding (on either my Cannondale or Tour Easy).

3) I rented a minivan to drive my XL sized bicycle to San Diego and back. I had to fold down seats
but it all fit.

4) Maintenance, largely the same pieces but in a different configuration, so similar maintenance
should apply.

5) Transition time. Within an hour I was riding in stable fashion. Looking at newsgroups, I see more
reports of "recumbent butt" though I've found a fit that works. My longest ride so far is only 99
miles but just about as comfortable as my upright bikes. Two weeks after I got the bike, I made a
~80 mile round trip ride to Estes Park (2500ft elevation gain) and definitely felt more tired
than than I would have been on my Cannondale.

I am sure experiences will differ, but listed above are some of mine.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

in article [email hidden], jostclan at
[email hidden] wrote on 2/11/04 4:37 PM:

Quoted message said:

I'm looking for some help.

My name is John, I'm 44 years old and I live in

Quoted message said:

St. Louis, Missouri.

I've been "seriously" riding for the last three to four

Quoted message said:

years. I've

ridden "B.A.M. 2000", a St. Louis to Kansas City and back race as

Quoted message said:

a

member of a four man team. I've ridden in two local 24 hour road races. My

Quoted message said:

first one in 2001 was a blast, my second one in 2002 sucked as I

ended up with

Quoted message said:

a nasty case of Shermer neck after only 75 miles and by

105 miles had to pull

Quoted message said:

out. In 2003, I entered and completed two 200K,

two 300K, two 400k and one

Quoted message said:

600k ride and tallied up a bit over 5,400

miles for the year. All of this was

Quoted message said:

on a Litespeed Classic, titanium

road bike and a Santana Sovereign aluminum

Quoted message said:

tandem.

I'm not a great climber and generally get dropped by just about

Quoted message said:

everyone

including little old ladies, but I get to the top. I don't avoid

Quoted message said:

the

hills, and I enjoy riding in Colorado where my sister lives. I'm just not

Quoted message said:

fast. This being the case, I'm curious and leary about climbing on a

recumbent. Yes there are plenty of hills in St. Louis, and the brevet series

Quoted message said:

finds some nice climbs in southern Illinois. I would also like to

ride

Quoted message said:

Boston-Montreal-Boston (1200K)which is hilly, and hopefully Paris-Brest-

Paris

Quoted message said:

(1200K) in 2007, also hilly according to one of my friends who's

ridden it

Quoted message said:

twice.

At a tandem rally I had my first opportunity to ride a Greenspeed

Quoted message said:

tandem

trike. This was the first recumbent I had ridden. What a cool ride

Quoted message said:

that

was. It had me thinking about my ultra events and brevet rides. I

Quoted message said:

sure

would like to be more comfortable and finish without wanting to trade the

Quoted message said:

bike in for a bowling ball. I'm intrigued by the latest entries in

the "go

Quoted message said:

fast" recumbents like the Bacchetta Corsa and Strada, Rans Force

5 and the

Quoted message said:

Vision Sabre.

I wanted some input from other long distance riders (hopefully

Quoted message said:

you are

out there), who already ride recumbents. I would appreciate any

Quoted message said:

feedback

you can provide regarding things to look for on the bicycle

Quoted message said:

(equipment),

handling comparisons (maneuvering, cornering, climbing,

Quoted message said:

descending, pack

riding, and pace lining with uprights. I'm also interested in

Quoted message said:

ease of

maintenance of the bicycle, as I do most of my own upkeep and take

Quoted message said:

the

bike into a shop once or twice a year for a pro tune up before big events.

Quoted message said:

Also, do these recumbents load into a minivan? I currently get

my singles and

Quoted message said:

tandem in without too much trouble, although the tandem's

rear wheel sits

Quoted message said:

between the driver's and front passenger's seats.

I'm also curious about

Quoted message said:

fueling while riding. I generally wear a

camelback with water only, carry two

Quoted message said:

frame mounted bottles with my drink

mix, and load my pockets with Hammer Gel

Quoted message said:

and other solid foods. On self

supported brevets I carry a trunk bag with

Quoted message said:

everything I need. On 24 hour

races, I travel very light and let the PSV

Quoted message said:

handle everything, so a

single water bottle is sufficient.

How long will it

Quoted message said:

take for me to transition from an upright to a

recumbent? As upright riders

Quoted message said:

can and must change position often, (stand

to relieve the sore butt and get

Quoted message said:

extra power on hills) what do recumbent

riders do to adjust seating positions

Quoted message said:

on long rides? Is it realistic to

ride centuries or double centuries with

Quoted message said:

minimal off bike time?

My goal, if I can put out the money would be to

Quoted message said:

transition to a

recumbent after the completion of this year's brevet series,

Quoted message said:

and take

the summer to learn how to get the most out of the body and

Quoted message said:

bicycle.

Again, I appreciate any input you can offer.

Quoted message said:

--

Is it possible to do paragraph breaks on cycling forums?

There have been several posting by people from that forum and they are VERY
hard to read.

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

Quoted message said:

I'm looking for some help.

My name is John, I'm 44 years old and I live in St. Louis, Missouri. I've been "seriously" riding
for the last three to four years. I've ridden "B.A.M. 2000", a St. Louis to Kansas City and back
race as a member of a four man team. I've ridden in two local 24 hour road races. My first one in
2001 was a blast, my second one in 2002 sucked as I ended up with a nasty case of Shermer neck
after only 75 miles and by 105 miles had to pull out. In 2003, I entered and completed two 200K,
two 300K, two 400k and one 600k ride and tallied up a bit over 5,400 miles for the year. All of
this was on a Litespeed Classic, titanium road bike and a Santana Sovereign aluminum tandem.

I'm not a great climber and generally get dropped by just about everyone including little old
ladies, but I get to the top. I don't avoid the hills, and I enjoy riding in Colorado where my
sister lives. I'm just not fast. This being the case, I'm curious and leary about climbing on a
recumbent. Yes there are plenty of hills in St. Louis, and the brevet series finds some nice
climbs in southern Illinois. I would also like to ride Boston-Montreal-Boston (1200K)which is
hilly, and hopefully Paris-Brest- Paris (1200K) in 2007, also hilly according to one of my friends
who's ridden it twice.

At a tandem rally I had my first opportunity to ride a Greenspeed tandem trike. This was the first
recumbent I had ridden. What a cool ride that was. It had me thinking about my ultra events and
brevet rides. I sure would like to be more comfortable and finish without wanting to trade the
bike in for a bowling ball. I'm intrigued by the latest entries in the "go fast" recumbents like
the Bacchetta Corsa and Strada, Rans Force 5 and the Vision Sabre.

I wanted some input from other long distance riders (hopefully you are out there), who already
ride recumbents. I would appreciate any feedback you can provide regarding things to look for on
the bicycle (equipment), handling comparisons (maneuvering, cornering, climbing, descending, pack
riding, and pace lining with uprights. I'm also interested in ease of maintenance of the bicycle,
as I do most of my own upkeep and take the bike into a shop once or twice a year for a pro tune up
before big events. Also, do these recumbents load into a minivan? I currently get my singles and
tandem in without too much trouble, although the tandem's rear wheel sits between the driver's and
front passenger's seats.

I'm also curious about fueling while riding. I generally wear a camelback with water only, carry
two frame mounted bottles with my drink mix, and load my pockets with Hammer Gel and other solid
foods. On self supported brevets I carry a trunk bag with everything I need. On 24 hour races, I
travel very light and let the PSV handle everything, so a single water bottle is sufficient.

How long will it take for me to transition from an upright to a recumbent? As upright riders can
and must change position often, (stand to relieve the sore butt and get extra power on hills) what
do recumbent riders do to adjust seating positions on long rides? Is it realistic to ride
centuries or double centuries with minimal off bike time?

My goal, if I can put out the money would be to transition to a recumbent after the completion of
this year's brevet series, and take the summer to learn how to get the most out of the body and
bicycle.

Again, I appreciate any input you can offer.

Well John,

What do you want? Is it a contest? What do you want to do? You already admit you are not fast. Any
'bent will get the job done if that is all you need. You will be a lot more comfortable 'bent that
is for sure. If you want to go fast that is another matter. It does not sound to me that that is
what you are into. Some 'bent designs are well, much faster than others if that is a consideration
for you. I have experienced that speed over distance on a recumbent and that on a few of the designs
that are out there. Litespeed? Ha! Any fast bent will outperform any upright bike on a 200 mile
course. Except that there are only a very very small amount of fast bents on the market today.