Noob: 'Bents and Lumbar Problems

With the huge variety of seats out there in the bent world, I would think
you should be able to find a bent that would give you some lumbar relief.

"xkred27" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello.

Due to physical problems brought on and/or aggravated by the recent

purchase

Quoted message said:

of my first DF road bike, I'm thinking of a 'bent. Now I know that a
recumbent will absolutely fix the first problem (genital numbness), but

I've

Quoted message said:

heard that lumbar spine problems may improve or may even worsen riding a
bent. For me, whose lumbar symptoms are aggravated specifically by

driving

Quoted message said:

and, say, reclining in the old Barca-Lounger, I can't help but notice that
the general seating position on a 'bent suspiciously resembles the other
grief-giving positions. So I'm concerned.

My sense is this regarding DF's vs. 'bents:

a) Upper back, neck, hand, and genital problems will be most relieved on a
'bent.
b) Lumbar spine and knee problems could go either way

Does this sound about right, or does it all depend too much on the
individual (rider and bike) to make meaningful generalizations?

Don't won't to fork out big bucks only to discover that I've swapped one

set

Quoted message said:

of ills for another.

Thanks.
--
Peter

Anti-spam =
a) Remove NS_
b) Replace 3 zeroes with alpha O's

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

Quoted message said:

With the huge variety of seats out there in the bent world, I would think
you should be able to find a bent that would give you some lumbar relief.

"xkred27" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

I've

Quoted message said:

heard that lumbar spine problems may improve or may even worsen riding a
bent. For me, whose lumbar symptoms are aggravated specifically by

driving

Quoted message said:

and, say, reclining in the old Barca-Lounger, I can't help but notice that
the general seating position on a 'bent suspiciously resembles the other
grief-giving positions. So I'm concerned.

My sense is this regarding DF's vs. 'bents:

a) Upper back, neck, hand, and genital problems will be most relieved on a
'bent.
b) Lumbar spine and knee problems could go either way

Does this sound about right, or does it all depend too much on the
individual (rider and bike) to make meaningful generalizations?

Peter: I have a herniated disc at L5-S1. Six years ago I went bent.
I have ridden most of the bents out there. What I have found (for me)
is as follows:

1. Seats with hard seat pans (hardshell seats or mesh seats but with a
hard pan), regardless of the cushion, provide me with excellent
support and no back problems at all.

2. Seats with mesh bottoms supported by stretch cords (which absorb a
lot of road shock) where there is a significant amount of give create
problems for my lower back after a few rides.

3. Seats with mesh bottoms which are rigidly held in place (whether
with zip ties or other devices that have very little give) are
acceptable but overtime create limited problems. This is true whether
a cushion is on the seat or not.

My two cents worth of analysis is that numbers 2 and 3 have too much
give so that there is not a solid platform that supports my low back
and "butt" thus causing my lower back to move and twist. No
scientific proof, just my conclusion. But regardless of the reason I
would suggest you thoroughly test the seat of the recumbent you are
planning to get. And, of course, from recent postings, make sure that
whatever the seat is it is designed and manufactured appropriately
from a responsive company so that if there are problems with it you
can seek to resolve the matter expeditiously.

Mike S.
St. Louis, Mo.

Mike,

Your detailed reply much appreciated.
--
Peter

Anti-spam =
a) Remove NS_
b) Replace 3 zeroes with alpha O's

xkred27 said:

Hello.

Due to physical problems brought on and/or aggravated by the recent purchase
of my first DF road bike, I'm thinking of a 'bent. Now I know that a
recumbent will absolutely fix the first problem (genital numbness), but I've
heard that lumbar spine problems may improve or may even worsen riding a
bent. For me, whose lumbar symptoms are aggravated specifically by driving
and, say, reclining in the old Barca-Lounger, I can't help but notice that
the general seating position on a 'bent suspiciously resembles the other
grief-giving positions. So I'm concerned....

One thing you must do when riding a recumbent is to break yourself of
the habit of pulling on the handlebars. This will not only makes the
bike handle poorly [1], but also it will put stress on the back that can
aggravate existing problems.

[1] Reynolds Weld Lab USS is an exception to this in my experience.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad Cities (Illinois Side)

"xkred27" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Mike,

Your detailed reply much appreciated.

I have had a discectomy and laminectomy on l4-l5 about ten years ago.
I do five minutes of exercises once or twice a day religiously. I
switched to a bent about 19 months ago. I test rode about ten bents
and they all seemed much more comfortable than my upright. I found
that seats with a more verticle back are uncomfortable from the get
go. I gravitated to those bikes that had a slight recline and
curvature to their seat backs. This allows some lumbar support and
distributes impact shock over your lower back and butt.

I ride a Tour Easy with a coolback seat. I reclined the seatback a
small amount (and had to trim the seat back stays a little to get it
to work). Even so, I did still find that my spine would get
compressed after long rides or after several days of short rides. A
collegue at work suggested doing shoulder stands to de-compress my
spine. It was amazing how quickly this solved my problem. I now find
that if my back feels at all out of whack , a take a ride on my Tour
Easy actually helps it get back to normal.

So I recommend you go to one of the big recumbent bike dealers and go
for as many test rides as you can. Tweak the seat backs (if you can)
to find the sweet spot for your back.

Good luck.

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

Quoted message said:

xkred27 said:

Hello.

Due to physical problems brought on and/or aggravated by the recent purchase
of my first DF road bike, I'm thinking of a 'bent. Now I know that a
recumbent will absolutely fix the first problem (genital numbness), but I've
heard that lumbar spine problems may improve or may even worsen riding a
bent. For me, whose lumbar symptoms are aggravated specifically by driving
and, say, reclining in the old Barca-Lounger, I can't help but notice that
the general seating position on a 'bent suspiciously resembles the other
grief-giving positions. So I'm concerned....

One thing you must do when riding a recumbent is to break yourself of
the habit of pulling on the handlebars. This will not only makes the
bike handle poorly [1], but also it will put stress on the back that can
aggravate existing problems.

[1] Reynolds Weld Lab USS is an exception to this in my experience.

I would second Tom's advice (but still totally reject his use of
footnotes 😉.

I have some degenerative disk issues myself (both lumbar and
thoracic). I found with the Vision USS (which I LOVE the "feel" of), I
had a tendency when accelerating or climbing to pull up on the bars.
This was exacerbating the thoracic problem. I have swapped bars for
the more traditional type of USS and I find the tendency to pull on
the bars has greatly decreased.

As a side note the Vision seat (alas, an "orphan"😉, while appearing to
be totally lacking in lumbar curve, is actually very lumbar friendly
and very adjustable via the fabric straps. Rigid-backed seats with
built-in lumbar curves are likely superior PROVIDED the lumbar support
fits YOUR back. I would strongly suggest either A) a test ride of 3
or 4 hrs .. preferably several days in succession, or B) a commitment
from the seller to swap out the original seat for a different size
seat, in case you find the seat is not what you need.

xkred27,

First thing, I'd find out from a doctor specifically what kind of
"lumbar" problem you have. There are many. You may need surgery; you
may need only therapy. Get a reliable diagnosis from more than one
doctor. Then decide on which bike is right for you.

In my case, I had one of the worse: spondylolisthesis, which in short is
a congenital condition where a vertebra (5th lumbar, in my case) is
displaced forward. I had surgery three years ago, which required my
being in a body cast for six months (24/7) and an additional year of
non-activity. One year later I rode my TE across the U.S. without so
much as a twinge.

Get professional advice/help before you make your decision. :-)

Steve

xkred27 said:

Hello.

Due to physical problems brought on and/or aggravated by the recent purchase
of my first DF road bike, I'm thinking of a 'bent. Now I know that a
recumbent will absolutely fix the first problem (genital numbness), but I've
heard that lumbar spine problems may improve or may even worsen riding a
bent. For me, whose lumbar symptoms are aggravated specifically by driving
and, say, reclining in the old Barca-Lounger, I can't help but notice that
the general seating position on a 'bent suspiciously resembles the other
grief-giving positions. So I'm concerned.

My sense is this regarding DF's vs. 'bents:

a) Upper back, neck, hand, and genital problems will be most relieved on a
'bent.
b) Lumbar spine and knee problems could go either way

Does this sound about right, or does it all depend too much on the
individual (rider and bike) to make meaningful generalizations?

Don't won't to fork out big bucks only to discover that I've swapped one set
of ills for another.

Thanks.

--
Steve Fox
McKinleyville, CA

I just bought a Cycle Genius and really like the bike However that
being said my back is bothering me after no problems for the last six
years. I have problems with disc L3,L4,L5,S1.

THe first bit of a Problem I took a hot bath follow up with an ice
pack then I toom my mountain bike and went for a twenty mile bide. The
first 10 were hell then I was fine. Two week later after riding the
recumbent it happened again only the winds were to bad to ride end so
I have been suffering for over a week now.

Not sue why except that when you hit bumps on the cycle genius you
feel it all up the back. It there a cure for this without me selling
the bike, bot sure!

With the mountain bikes you have seat problems after real long rides
with the recumbent you May have back problems!

If you figure it out let me no.
thanks
geary

I have swapped bars for

Quoted message said:

the more traditional type of USS and I find the tendency to pull on
the bars has greatly decreased.

What kind of bars did you switch to? Or did you just turn the stock bars
around? I tried turning my stock bar around only to find the reach was too
far out for my liking and it also struck the seat when trying to make a
turn if I went very sharp at all.

Quoted message said:

A collegue at work suggested doing shoulder stands to de-compress my

Quoted message said:

spine. It was amazing how quickly this solved my problem.

What are shoulder stands? How are they done, and how do they
de-compress the spine (I have a L5-S1 problem; hopefully, shoulder
stands can provide some releif to me also)?

[email hidden] ([censored] P.) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A collegue at work suggested doing shoulder stands to de-compress my

Quoted message said:

spine. It was amazing how quickly this solved my problem.

What are shoulder stands? How are they done, and how do they
de-compress the spine (I have a L5-S1 problem; hopefully, shoulder
stands can provide some releif to me also)?

A shoulder stand is a yoga exercise I learned from Richard Hittleman's
yoga book. Basically, you lie on your back, bend your legs, and rock
back onto your shoulders bracing your hips with your arms. Next you
extend your legs straight up. If you do it correctly, it's easier than
it seems. You only have to hold the position for 20 - 30 seconds.
Then you bend your legs and roll back until your flat on your back
again. (Hittleman's book has photos.)

BTW, Hittleman's book is worth its weigh in gold.

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

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] ([censored] P.) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A collegue at work suggested doing shoulder stands to de-compress my

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

spine. It was amazing how quickly this solved my problem.

What are shoulder stands? How are they done, and how do they
de-compress the spine (I have a L5-S1 problem; hopefully, shoulder
stands can provide some releif to me also)?

A shoulder stand is a yoga exercise I learned from Richard Hittleman's
yoga book. Basically, you lie on your back, bend your legs, and rock
back onto your shoulders bracing your hips with your arms. Next you
extend your legs straight up. If you do it correctly, it's easier than
it seems. You only have to hold the position for 20 - 30 seconds.
Then you bend your legs and roll back until your flat on your back
again. (Hittleman's book has photos.)

BTW, Hittleman's book is worth its weigh in gold.

Thanks. I'll try to find a copy.

I switched to recumbents due to ruptured discs in my back, 2 in my
lumbar area and 1 in the upper thorax T6:T7.

I have a tour easy (with a rans seat), a rans screamer and a Bachetta
Strada. All have similar seats that have a built in lumber support
that supports my back extremely well.

I find that the combination of exercise, building up of my back
muscles and forcing my back into the lumbar support while I pedal
helps my back. In fact, at times when I have been having severe back
pain with muscle cramping, sciatica and difficulty walking....I can
always climb on one of my recumbents and ride with little or no pain.
Sometimes, it is what I have needed to stop the muscle cramps. It has
never made my back worse. Before I sold my Lemond Zurich, I used to
try to take it out when my back was doing well....riding it always
made my back worse...always!

I second the comment made that you should travel to a recument bike
shop where you can take extended 2-4 hour test rides. I have done that
for every recumbnet bike purchase that I have made and it has been
worth it. In fact, twice I went after much reading with the intent of
buying a certain model of bike...and ended up buying something
different after a day of extended test riding.

I have an unknown back problem - MRI said something about
l4, but that was 10 year ago and I don't remember what.

I get severe back pain after more than about an hour
in any car where I cannot have a very upright sitting posture -
seat back reclined and/or knees more straight than
bent causes me problems.

I am retiring (tomorrow) and want to get back into bike riding.
I would like a bent if it won't hurt, but don't know how to get
enough time on a rental or something to find out.

I have read this thread and think I can find a bent that
will meet my needs, but I don't know how to find it. I
live about 30 minutes south of San Francisco. Any ideas
on bents that I should try and where I can rent one them
for a couple of days?

Thanks

JKA

--
[As CEO] It's my job to outsource enough jobs
to make a profit and to keep enough jobs here
so there are enough people to buy our products.

I'll just repeat what I wrote a few weeks ago on this thread. Feel free
to ignore the advice, but before you do anything, get a thorough
checkup. Find out what the problem is and whether there is a medical
approach/solution. This based on experience.

J Ahlstrom said:

I have an unknown back problem - MRI said something about
l4, but that was 10 year ago and I don't remember what.

I get severe back pain after more than about an hour
in any car where I cannot have a very upright sitting posture -
seat back reclined and/or knees more straight than
bent causes me problems.

I am retiring (tomorrow) and want to get back into bike riding.
I would like a bent if it won't hurt, but don't know how to get
enough time on a rental or something to find out.

I have read this thread and think I can find a bent that
will meet my needs, but I don't know how to find it. I
live about 30 minutes south of San Francisco. Any ideas
on bents that I should try and where I can rent one them
for a couple of days?

Thanks

JKA

--
Steve Fox
McKinleyville, CA

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

Quoted message said:

I have read this thread and think I can find a bent that
will meet my needs, but I don't know how to find it. I
live about 30 minutes south of San Francisco. Any ideas
on bents that I should try and where I can rent one them
for a couple of days?

Try Zach Kaplan in Alameda. He doesn't have a website but if you
Google search you'll find his e-mail address. He is available by
appointment and you won't find another more knowledgeable.

http://www.centralcoastdouble.com/rider_reports/Zach_Kaplan_Ride_Report.htm

"Eddie H" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

J Ahlstrom <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have read this thread and think I can find a bent that
will meet my needs, but I don't know how to find it. I
live about 30 minutes south of San Francisco. Any ideas
on bents that I should try and where I can rent one them
for a couple of days?

Try Zach Kaplan in Alameda. He doesn't have a website but if you
Google search you'll find his e-mail address. He is available by
appointment and you won't find another more knowledgeable.