Recumbents my [censored]

garryb said:

And it is my [censored] that is the subject of much pain.

Dear god, I can' remember in being in such a pitiful state.
I took my swb homebuild out for it's longest test today - a 68 mile
trip to Oxford and back. I was working yesterday so I didn't have the
opportunity to take advantage of the lovely weather we had here in the
UK, so I went today, expecting something similiar. Not so. Misty all
day where I am, and kind of chilly.
Anyway,this swb I've got is kind of fine. It steers ok, shifts,
brakes, is reasonably stable.... and has a plywood/foam seat - which I
thought on my shorter test runs round town was just dandy [longest
trip had been 15 mile]. I was well chuffed the bike made the trip,
that was the main purpose of the exercise, but dear god, does my [censored]
ache!!! Is this recumbent butt or just a bad seat? Guess I'll find
that out.
There are a couple of difficult climbs on the return journey that are
real killers [to me anyway], which I've always managed to do on my DF,
but I came so close today to caving in. But I didn't. But only just.
It was really, really hard. Much harder than I'd anticipated to be
honest. And I ws really kind of disappointed in a way. And my [censored],
arrrgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How true is the notion that 'you use different muscles when riding a
bent'?

I'm not backing out now, not after all this work, but it's a reality
check, that's for sure.

I'm not normally one to relate ride experiences, but this takes the
biscuit as far as I'm concerned. I have lopads more to write, but I
need my arms for drinking beer now.

Anyway, thanks for listening :]

Garry
[moving around the place like an 46 yr old man]

Garry,

Can you post photos of your bike someplace on the web?

What is you seatback recline angle (measured from the horizontal)?

The recumbent riding position does tend to use the muscles in the
posterior area more than an upright bicycle, so soreness can occur from
overuse. The solution to this is the same as with other physical activities.

Your seat may be too upright or shaped improperly. For an upright seat,
some padding is necessary [1]. A foam pad over a molded base (e.g. RANS,
Bacchetta mesh seats) or over a sling mesh (e.g. Lightning, Longbikes)
is generally used on bikes with a fairly upright seating position. Some
riders find a sling mesh with padding comfortable.

Molded hard-shell seats (e.g. Challenge, Optima, HPVelotechnik, M5) are
found to be comfortable by a lot of riders, but usually only when the
seatback is at an angle of 35 degrees or less from the horizontal.

[1] OK, I know a couple of people who can be comfortable riding on a
board covered with outdoor carpet in a fairly upright position, but they
are the exceptions to the rule.

--
Tom Sherman - Earth (Downstate Illinois, North of Forgottonia)

garryb [email protected] said:

And it is my [censored] that is the subject of much pain.

Dear god, I can' remember in being in such a pitiful state.

<snip>

I have two bikes - a Linear LWB with a flat padded seat like the one
you describe, and a Haluzak SWB with a "sling" seat ie starps hung in
a seat frame.

The padded seat is bad news after a while. Like yours. The sling seat
is no problem. I have contemplated making a sling seat for the Linear.

Quoted message said:

biscuit as far as I'm concerned. I have lopads more to write, but I
need my arms for drinking beer now.

Anyway, thanks for listening :]

Garry
[moving around the place like an 46 yr old man]

Quoted message said:

Garry,

Can you post photos of your bike someplace on the web?

Tom, this is about the best I can do for now without taking more
photos, and right now, I can't move :-)

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vindaloo77/pednor.jpg

Quoted message said:

What is you seatback recline angle (measured from the horizontal)?

This is the angle, although I did set it back a touch more today
before the ride.

Quoted message said:

The recumbent riding position does tend to use the muscles in the
posterior area more than an upright bicycle, so soreness can occur from
overuse. The solution to this is the same as with other physical activities.

Sure. I wasn't really suffering from bad numbness throughout the ride.
A bit, but nothing uncomfortable. It wasn't until I finished that it
really hit me.

Quoted message said:

Your seat may be too upright or shaped improperly. For an upright seat,
some padding is necessary [1]. A foam pad over a molded base (e.g. RANS,
Bacchetta mesh seats) or over a sling mesh (e.g. Lightning, Longbikes)
is generally used on bikes with a fairly upright seating position. Some
riders find a sling mesh with padding comfortable.

Yes, to be honest, I hadn't given the seat a great deal of thought. To
use a bit of ply with foam was the quickest/cheapest option. Like I
said, for a few miles, this was ok....but I may have to reconsider!
Might have to ge tthe MIG out again and try and make one of the sling
seats I've seen plans for on the net.

Quoted message said:

Molded hard-shell seats (e.g. Challenge, Optima, HPVelotechnik, M5) are
found to be comfortable by a lot of riders, but usually only when the
seatback is at an angle of 35 degrees or less from the horizontal.

Quoted message said:

[1] OK, I know a couple of people who can be comfortable riding on a
board covered with outdoor carpet in a fairly upright position, but they
are the exceptions to the rule.

Ok, cheers for the input.

Garry

(Ian Boag) said:

garryb [email protected] said:

And it is my [censored] that is the subject of much pain.

Dear god, I can' remember in being in such a pitiful state.

<snip>

I have two bikes - a Linear LWB with a flat padded seat like the one
you describe, and a Haluzak SWB with a "sling" seat ie starps hung in
a seat frame.

The padded seat is bad news after a while. Like yours. The sling seat
is no problem. I have contemplated making a sling seat for the Linear.

I'm contemplating it too now :-)

Garry

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

biscuit as far as I'm concerned. I have lopads more to write, but I
need my arms for drinking beer now.

Anyway, thanks for listening :]

Garry
[moving around the place like an 46 yr old man]

garryb said:

Quoted message said:

Garry,

Can you post photos of your bike someplace on the web?

Tom, this is about the best I can do for now without taking more
photos, and right now, I can't move :-)

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vindaloo77/pednor.jpg

If you are eating Dave Lister style vindaloo, I understand why you are
having problems. 😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What is you seatback recline angle (measured from the horizontal)?

This is the angle, although I did set it back a touch more today
before the ride.

That appears to be a bit upright for the amount of padding over a solid
base.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The recumbent riding position does tend to use the muscles in the
posterior area more than an upright bicycle, so soreness can occur from
overuse. The solution to this is the same as with other physical activities.

Sure. I wasn't really suffering from bad numbness throughout the ride.
A bit, but nothing uncomfortable. It wasn't until I finished that it
really hit me.

Quoted message said:

Your seat may be too upright or shaped improperly. For an upright seat,
some padding is necessary [1]. A foam pad over a molded base (e.g. RANS,
Bacchetta mesh seats) or over a sling mesh (e.g. Lightning, Longbikes)
is generally used on bikes with a fairly upright seating position. Some
riders find a sling mesh with padding comfortable.

Yes, to be honest, I hadn't given the seat a great deal of thought. To
use a bit of ply with foam was the quickest/cheapest option. Like I
said, for a few miles, this was ok....but I may have to reconsider!
Might have to ge tthe MIG out again and try and make one of the sling
seats I've seen plans for on the net....

I believe a different seat or more recline would help, if gradual
accommodation to the seat and riding position does not occur.

--
Tom Sherman - Earth (Downstate Illinois, North of Forgottonia)