Giving up!

DIscuss anything relating to non-standard cycles and their equipment.
nobrakes
Posts: 77
Joined: 9 Jan 2020, 10:17am

Re: Giving up!

Post by nobrakes »

Yes. My body just doesn’t like being reclined with feet up high any more.

Haven’t tried to sell the Fuego but David at Laid Back did say the market wasn’t great. I have a bunch of stuff for the Fuego though, under seat pannier rack, 2 different handlebars, radical bags etc so I still hold out hopes of using it for bikepacking at some point. It’s better with a lower BB although still not currently comfortable. I’m hoping I can figure it out.
hercule
Posts: 1156
Joined: 5 Feb 2011, 5:18pm

Re: Giving up!

Post by hercule »

My Fuego has been languishing in the garage for the last couple of years - I had a bad “off” at speed on a patch of diesel on a sharp corner, it took a couple of months for the swelling to settle. But I’ve also been riding my kickbikes enthusiastically and bikes in general have taken a bit of a back seat and I decided to clean up the Fuego and put it up for sale. My ICE VTX kind of puts it in the shade.

I have been hugely put off by the selling prices though - at that rate it’s worth more to me and there is also the realisation that I’d probably never come across another (it was a bit of a job getting it up here in the Far North). After taking a test run on it again it’s won me over and it’s definitely staying!

Recumbent bikes in general seem to be falling out of favour but I’d never sell my trikes. The QNT in particular is certainly a fantastic machine, fast and versatile.
nobrakes
Posts: 77
Joined: 9 Jan 2020, 10:17am

Re: Giving up!

Post by nobrakes »

I have actually seriously considered getting an Elliptigo. So far, the low impact on the body and likely resolution of all foot problems has been overruled by the feeling I would look and feel like a plonker. Generally I don't care about such things but it definitely is a marmite platform. I'm not ruling it out though :)

Also thought about a rowing bike, but can't see me getting one of those up the steeper hills.

Wedgie it is for the time being.
Lodge
Posts: 142
Joined: 28 Feb 2016, 8:59pm
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands

Re: Giving up!

Post by Lodge »

I have also given up recumbent riding this year after many years and over 17000 miles across three machines (originally Bacchetta Giro, later Hase Kettwiesel then ICE Sprint). There were two main reasons.

First I've retired to the UK from France/Switzerland four years ago. The Staffordshire Moorlands is so pot-holed and bumpy, with tiny country lanes often including green bits down the centre, that finding routes that didn't shake me around too much was getting to be too much trouble. There are beautiful places to ride but on a three track vehicle, not easy.

Secondly, I like to keep fit and, in 2020, got a heart rate monitor to add to my Garmin. Now, I'm a scientist (physiologist) combined with statistician/modeller and love numbers, and quickly discovered that I could not get my heart rate up anything like as easily when recumbent as upright. I was still pushing out good power in the recumbent position but at lower average heart rates. Good one might think - stimulates heart growth. But, my resting heart rate is now in the low forties indicating rather large capacity. Not so good when retired and "training down" from heydays of 7000+ miles per year. Thinking through my physiology background I remembered that heart rate is a function of venous return. And venous return a function of muscle pumping, aided by the one way valves in ones veins. And that recumbent I was spinning quickly at light load (95-105 rpm) as opposed to upright with lower cadence (80-90 rpm) but more muscle compression.

Put the two together and we sold the Kettwiesel and Sprint (kept Hase Pino) and I'm sticking to uprights (I'm on the back of the Pino). Uprights, of course, have a further advantage of being able to better see the beautiful Peak District scenery over the walls and hedges.

I still miss cycling recumbent though.
hercule
Posts: 1156
Joined: 5 Feb 2011, 5:18pm

Re: Giving up!

Post by hercule »

nobrakes wrote: 11 Aug 2022, 10:15am I have actually seriously considered getting an Elliptigo. So far, the low impact on the body and likely resolution of all foot problems has been overruled by the feeling I would look and feel like a plonker. Generally I don't care about such things but it definitely is a marmite platform. I'm not ruling it out though :)

Also thought about a rowing bike, but can't see me getting one of those up the steeper hills.

Wedgie it is for the time being.
Serious suggestion here: if you’ve considered an Elliptigo have a look at kickbikes. I was in that positions few years ago when a knee injury limited running (my primary passion!) and ruled out cycling completely. Apart from the eye watering price of an Elliptigo I was concerned about the mechanical complexity and the fact that it was totally unsuitable for forest tracks etc where I do most of my running.

I came across kick bikes by accident (there’s a thread in here about my early enquiries) and eventually acquired one… a bit like ‘bents, that helped me work out what I wanted and how I would use it: essentially as a lower impact alternative to running. Although there are superficial similarities to bicycles, in terms of the activity they are far more akin to running than anything I’ve tried. I attribute my kickbiking to the rehab of my knee such that I’m functionally back to where I was pre-injury. (Sadly not as quick but that’s probably the ageing process).

I know there’s a bike shop owner in Edinburgh who has one and at least at one point was making retailing enquiries…

PS I’ve no idea if I look like a plonker… riding recumbents removed that particular worry years ago. I certainly don’t feel like one, I’m having too much fun!
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