to go bent or not to go bent

[pjclinch]

Ben (Kinetics, Glasgow) and David (Laid back, Embra) are both Good Eggs and happy for test rides.

Don't make any assumptions about anything before you ride, and write off the first half hour just getting used to a different position in general.

But taking weight off your arms, 'bents a very good idea. The other option is absolutely bolt-upright on a Dutch opafiets or similar.

Pete.

[swscotland bentrider]

I would second the recommendations for Laidback in Edinburgh.
I'm in Dumfries and I have two bents. Happy to show you and have a hat about them. Pm me if you want to.

[cyclop]

Very kind of you and will take you up on the offer.Thankyou.PM sent

[nigelnightmare]

Cornering on a two wheeled recumbent is vastly different from an upright and it takes a bit of getting used to as you're leaning whilst laid back as it upsets the balance center's of the inner ear.
That and the fact that you don't use your upper body to balance the same as on a DF/safety bike.
The first time you don't fight the leaning as you corner it suddenly feels right............


........You'll know what I mean when you do it.

P.S.
If your arms have to be bent then Over Seat Steering (Hamster) will probably be the way to go.

HTH

[pjclinch]

Cornering on a two wheeled recumbent is vastly different from an upright and it takes a bit of getting used to as you're leaning whilst laid back as it upsets the balance center's of the inner ear.

........You'll know what I mean when you do it.

Sorry, I just don't recognise any part of that statement as anything like my experience. I find cornering on 2 wheel 'bents to be pretty much the same as an upwrong, I look where I'm wanting to be going, and that's where I go.

P.S.
If your arms have to be bent then Over Seat Steering (Hamster) will probably be the way to go.

My arms are bent on my USS 'bent. Even on Superman bars with relatively straight arms, the key point on a 'bent is there isn't any weight leaning on them.

Pete.

[[XAP]Bob]

It's different, but it doesn't 'upset' the inner ear - you just need to learn what it feels like on your new bike.

[cyclop]

After"swscotland bentrider",s kind offer,I went round,had a good natter and he even let me have a go on his challenge furai.After an almost vertical learning curve,all of 10mins,I managed a run of 75yds and a return from standing which convinced me,yes,this is something I could master if I needed to up the line.A lake district away day yesterday with the Annan old boys,70mls,7500ft with 25% was done without arm problems....for now.....so who knows this time next year?Thanks for all advice and help.Martin.

[[XAP]Bob]

If you ever happen to be passing any of the shops mentioned... then stop in anyway...

[firedfromthecircus]

This Sunday is the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling's Laid back Sunday.
You would have the chance to speak to lots of recumbent riders if you could make it along.
Details here. https://edfoc.org.uk/events/event/laid- ... ike-event/

[cyclop]

Bitten the bullet and gone bent after old elbow problems resurfaced whilst training for the Dalbeattie Hardrock.Whilst chatting to "swscotlandbentrider",John,he said he might be selling his Gaucho,a very nice looking machine indeed.So I bought it and am on a steepish learning curve.Fell off 4 times on day 1,once on day 2;now on day 4 having just returned from tesco car park,Castle Douglas.What a great training ground with all the everyday traffic and road situations but slower.Hand signals,stopping-starting,slow bends,tight bends all coming on nicely.Using flat mtb pedals with pins with no issues at all .Nowhere near ready for the road yet.

[NUKe]

Welcome to the Dark side.
When I got the Grasshopper I did the car park on the first day and then went out on the road very early when traffic was low the next. it is a confidence thing, go somewhere quite and you will soon get the hang of it. What you will find is cars give a wide birth, As for falling off, I lost count of the prat falls, I managed, in the first six months but non of them damaged either me or the bike. I have had mine a little over a year now and I still think I am learning. My one tip is learn to relax your body, don't tense up, in hippy speak let the bike become part of you.

[pjclinch]

I think just about all of my falls have been comedy SPuD keel-overs, but at least you don't have quite so far to go!

Thinking back it took me about a week to be happy with general control and about a month before I was happy to take on heavy traffic of the sort of level I'd be okay on the upwrong on. The biggest issue for me was being able to look properly behind maintaining a straight line, and just like on an upwrong it's practise and you get there.

Pete.

[cyclop]

Plenty of quiet roads round here,may take the plunge this week.The relaxing thing is something I,m telling myself to do,drop the shoulders etc. but I know I can master this whole thing and "embed" in the muscle and balance mechanisms before I get too old.65 now.

[[XAP]Bob]

I started off by scooting down a gentle hill - then gradually lifted my feet a bit higher.
Then put them on the pedals, then started to turn them...

I then carried on off the end of the slope.

Took a me a little while to be happy when starting, but I can do uphill starts happily now.
Did have one prat fall on the road - but nothing too serious, it's generally low speed stuff that causes issues, which makes any fall less bad.

I did have a fall at 22mph - taking a tight-ish corner, had to tighten up further than anticipated due to other traffic and the rear wheel washed out on gravel.
I'd far rather fall off a bent at that speed than an upwrong - although the worst injury was the bottom bracket hitting my ankle but I can't recall which side (the injury wasn't bad enough to remember particularly)

[squeaker]

Welcome to the dark side
One of my early training runs was starting and stopping every few tens of yards up a fairly steep hard surfaced farm track - sort of interval training
Good luck!