recumbent saftey

ryan said:

ok this is my first post on a newsgroup so dont be too mean
i just wanted to inquire as to how safe recumbents are for people
under 5' 5" and 150 lbs.
and things you can do to make them safer.

Hi Ryan,

My partner fits your specs, and has groused a bit that frame sizes among
'bents are ever so slightly restricted for her physique --- no more, no
less, than for wedgies she would consider buying, in her opinion
(sheesh, she has three so far). Regardless, she is discovering a wide
range of 'bent options; the trick is to find a way to really check them
out. Whereabouts do you live? I found it difficult to discover
'bent-oriented folks in my area (Silicon Valley), and could have used
some help early on in locating them.

As far as safety is concerned: IMHO, the most important thing to be wary
of is dropping your leg(s) when moving more than a (ok, ok, darned fast)
snail's pace: you risk the danger of breaking at least two bones, with
about 1 year to rehab the mess---so I have been told by the fellow who
sold me my 'bent. Some on this forum have written that they don't like
"clipless" (aka SPD) pedals for safety reasons. I don't get it. For me,
SPD's are the safest way to go, especially as one adapts to a cycling
style more suited for the 'bent: quicker cadence than I would use for
wedgies on the road, and letting the legs drop into the stroke at a
different point: a bit before full extension, keeping them relaxed.

While I was, to the original owner's surprise, able to relatively easily
cruise and navigate on what is now /my/ RANS V-Rex (whoo-hoo!), I
still found that it took a lot of miles, under varying conditions, to
really have it down. I suspect that my bike is "twitchier" than many, if
not most, 'bents. Regardless, getting the balance, stroke, and
comfort-level down will take a a few weeks, and you will get much better
over the ensuing months as your legs adjust to the new position. Keep
your back, shoulders, neck and arms relaxed, and you will not only have
a safer ride, but a far better view than you have ever had from a bike
before!!!

For additional safety: personally, I don't see the use of pole flags, so
to speak, but that's for my area (extremely bike-conscious). My 'bent,
and evidently most others, has a black seat; so I often wear a bright
vest, and have a bright yellow seat bag (Radical Designs). I ride a lot
at night, so I have my bike lit up like crazy with a Schmidt generator
hub (two front lights, and one rear Toplicht 4D), plus extra
battery-powered blinkies for backup. I put 3M reflector tape on obvious
spots. Oh-for the lights, I suggest you investigate Peter White's shop
(http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/)

I hope this helps. The hardest thing for me in getting going was
learning the (for me) new microvocabulary associated with
'bents. Hang in there: recumbents are a serious blast, and more than
worth the hassle of figuring it all out.

Regards,
Dave Braden

ryan said:

ok this is my first post on a newsgroup so dont be too mean
i just wanted to inquire as to how safe recumbents are for people
under 5' 5" and 150 lbs.
and things you can do to make them safer.

Safe in what sense? There isn't any particular evidence I've come
across to suggest their safety is any worse than an upright, and none to
suggest that rider size will have any general effect.

Safer from what? You can, for example, do things you can do to other
bikes to make them safer, like put on better tyres and uprate the
brakes, but is that what you mean?

The typical safety worry is being so low, but many 'bents have the rider
at car seat height or higher. People can see potholes in the road, so
why is a recumbent cyclist too low? And because they're different they
often get noticed as well as just seen, and given more room. The
braking characteristics are often better too, with much less tendency to
fly over the bars.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

ryan said:

ok this is my first post on a newsgroup so dont be too mean
i just wanted to inquire as to how safe recumbents are for people
under 5' 5" and 150 lbs.
and things you can do to make them safer.

You need to be able to get your feet down, which can be a challenge on
some of the taller 'bents. Otherwise there's not much of a safety
issue relative to upright bikes. I ride both, and what I find is that
I can see what's around me better on the 'bent because I'm not hunched
over the handlebars and I have a nice, big handlebar mirror right out
in front of me rather than a tiny glasses mirror or a handlebar mirror
"way down there" on the bars. I also find that cars give me much more
respect on the 'bent, perhaps because of the novelty aspect.

Getting started is a little trickier on most 'bents than on an upright,
but since there isn't, in the worst case, far to fall that's not so
much a safety issue as an embarrassment issue ;-)

Hope this helps,

John

Verily, it was written by Peter Clinch <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

ryan wrote:

Safer from what? You can, for example, do things you can do to other
bikes to make them safer, like put on better tyres and uprate the
brakes, but is that what you mean?

Well, I discovered (rather painfully) just yesterday a nasty difference
between 'bents and uprights.. I was making a relatively speedy turn
through an intersection, when my back tire found a pothole. This would
obviously not be a good thing for any bike, but I'm confident that had
I been riding my MTB, I'd have just gotten a good jar and been annoyed
through the ride. On my 'bent, however, I couldn't wiggle enough to
get out of the bounce, the back tire skidded, and I laid it down in
mid-turn, grinding my leg on the asphalt for a good six-seven feet.

If anyone needs a DNA sample of me, there's plenty of it on the corner
of 4th and Capitol in downtown, Sacramento. 🙁 So, lesson learned:
in the midst of a relatively speedy turn, be VERY cognizant of potholes,
bumps, or anything that will make your back tire lose traction.

"Bill Glaholt rmv underscore" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

speedy turn [...] back tire found a pothole. [...]
the back tire skidded, and I laid it down in mid-turn,

By my experience, front-tire traction loss can be just
as quick a "downer" on recumbent as your rear-tire
skid.

Quoted message said:

grinding my leg on the asphalt for a
good six-seven feet.

Leg and hip injuries, major and minor, seem to be more
commonly reported by recumbent riders.

However, I managed to get a "nice" road-rash scar on the
outside top of my shoulder from one front-tire skid on my
TourEasy. On another skid/fall I scraped a 3" patch on my
hip. Feet stayed clipped in or on pedals and hands on
handlebars both times.

re: safety --

As Peter mentioned, I don't think there's a great deal of
difference in overall safety between uprights and recumbents.
The main safety factor for any bike riding is awareness.

Ride visibly: colors, lane position, some people like flags

Ride predictably: follow rules of the road

Ride awaredly: watch out, scan for signals, both obvious and
subtle, consider that parked car doors may open, watch
for cars that may turn in front of you

get a mirror, listen, etc...

Jon Meinecke

Jon Meinecke said:

"Bill Glaholt rmv underscore" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

speedy turn [...] back tire found a pothole. [...]
the back tire skidded, and I laid it down in mid-turn,

By my experience, front-tire traction loss can be just
as quick a "downer" on recumbent as your rear-tire
skid.

Both of these are much less likely to be issues if you've got a
suspended bike. Suspended recumbents are quite common.

My "shakedown cruise" on the Streetmachine included a rather worrying
moment coming around a corner at > 30 mph to find that's where the
resurfacing project had come to a temporary end, and rather than
beautiful tarmac I was about to hit a pot-holed ruin. I thought that
was it but the bike zoomed through with no troubles. "Ah", I thought,
"so /that's/ why they put suspension on this bike!". Up until then it
had struck me as a bit of a gimmick.

Quoted message said:

Leg and hip injuries, major and minor, seem to be more
commonly reported by recumbent riders.

I've only managed one bit of nasty gravel rash on my leg, when I was
pushing my first 'bent to see just how far it could be taken into
corners. Apparently not a 100 degree bend with adverse camber where I'd
"forgotten" to brake beforehand, and despite the clear sight line
telling me I had the whole road wondering if I could keep inside the
centre line... So mea culpa!
I've had a couple of slides on the Streetmachine, on gravel or diesel,
but the seat has kept me off the tarmac so nothing hurt.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Jon Meinecke said:

"Bill Glaholt rmv underscore" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

speedy turn [...] back tire found a pothole. [...]
the back tire skidded, and I laid it down in mid-turn,

By my experience, front-tire traction loss can be just
as quick a "downer" on recumbent as your rear-tire
skid.

Both of these are much less likely to be issues if you've got a
suspended bike. Suspended recumbents are quite common.

My "shakedown cruise" on the Streetmachine included a rather worrying
moment coming around a corner at > 30 mph to find that's where the
resurfacing project had come to a temporary end, and rather than
beautiful tarmac I was about to hit a pot-holed ruin. I thought that
was it but the bike zoomed through with no troubles. "Ah", I thought,
"so /that's/ why they put suspension on this bike!". Up until then it
had struck me as a bit of a gimmick.

Quoted message said:

Leg and hip injuries, major and minor, seem to be more
commonly reported by recumbent riders.

I've only managed one bit of nasty gravel rash on my leg, when I was
pushing my first 'bent to see just how far it could be taken into
corners. Apparently not a 100 degree bend with adverse camber where I'd
"forgotten" to brake beforehand, and despite the clear sight line
telling me I had the whole road wondering if I could keep inside the
centre line... So mea culpa!
I've had a couple of slides on the Streetmachine, on gravel or diesel,
but the seat has kept me off the tarmac so nothing hurt.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Verily, it was written by Peter Clinch <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Jon Meinecke said:

"Bill Glaholt rmv underscore" <[email hidden]> wrote

Both of these are much less likely to be issues if you've got a
suspended bike. Suspended recumbents are quite common.

I may have to upgrade to one, then.. I do find myself 'bracing' (lifting up out of
my seat) for even the smallest of bumps in the road on my Actionbent (Litespeed Metro).

It can't be the safest manner of riding...

Thanks for the info.

Quoted message said:

[..]
Pete.

Bill Glaholt rmv underscore said:

I may have to upgrade to one, then.. I do find myself 'bracing' (lifting up out of
my seat) for even the smallest of bumps in the road on my Actionbent (Litespeed Metro).

My first 'bent, a Speed Ross, was unsuspended and it wasn't a problem...
but though it was great for speed and simplicity for general use I'd not
want to go back to a rigid model now I've had good suspension for a few
years. As well as just comfort it makes you more efficient over grotty
roads, and there is the /much/ better handling over the real craters too!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Bents, as all bikes, are as safe as the rider. You are a lot lower, so make
a flag out of an old fishing rod with siver mylar streamers( available at
party stories). Also consider clipless pebdles and bike shoes you do not
want your foot to fall off the peddle on a bent. Also with your height, be
careful about to much wieght forward. Good luck
"ryan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ok this is my first post on a newsgroup so dont be too mean
i just wanted to inquire as to how safe recumbents are for people
under 5' 5" and 150 lbs.
and things you can do to make them safer.

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ok this is my first post on a newsgroup so dont be too mean
i just wanted to inquire as to how safe recumbents are for people
under 5' 5" and 150 lbs.
and things you can do to make them safer.

I'm 5'2" and rather heavier 🙂

My Bacchetta Giro 20 is fine and I can't see a safety problem.

You shouldn't have any trouble on most bikes with feet on the ground
at stops, but it's worthwhile checking if you buy a highracer (like
the other Bacchettas).

Other than feet on the ground, I don't think your size makes any
difference to the safety of the bent when riding. As long as the
thing fits you - you are comfortable on it - then any bent will be
generally safe.

Some are twitchier than others, but I find the Giro to be quite fine
at all speeds. The tweener bars do make very slow turns a bit tricky
though and I still have to unclip and duckwalk sometimes.

If it's safety in traffic that concerns you, consider a bike like the
Giro with a high seating position. In traffic, seeing is as important
as being seen. I'm not a fan of low bikes with flags in traffic
becaus a) I don't think the flags are useful enough, I don't think
they are easy to see and comprehend in complex traffic situations and
b) because they limit your own vision, you can't see what's happening
as easily.

On the Giro I'm at about the same height as drivers are, my head is
about their head height. I can see well, they can see me, I have no
problems.

Zebee

Ken Bradley said:

Bents, as all bikes, are as safe as the rider. You are a lot lower

Implementation dependent. On my 26/20 SWB tourer I'm at the same height
as a car seat, so it's /better/ for eye contact than a wedgie and I've
no more need of a flag than a sports convertible.

Quoted message said:

Also consider clipless pebdles and bike shoes you do not
want your foot to fall off the peddle on a bent.

Implementation dependent. While a foot slipping off /and/ hitting the
ground on a tadpole trike will *hurt*, there are plenty of designs where
foot slipping off is a non-issue. I'd suggest clipless for making life
easier, but it's not much of a safety issue in many cases.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/