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Date: 12 May 2006 07:20:17
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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LOL -- it was weird! Like how you only spend three weeks hiking and
camping but when you're back in the office you suddenly feel
disoriented!
Yep, I'm definitely speedy on my upright. No, not "speedier," but just
plain speedy -- cruisin' speed is 20, 23, 25 mph! I go up most hills
on my Trek 1000c at the same speed I cruise on the flats in my HP Velo
SMGTe: 15-17 mph!
But this morning, my back was definitely tight! I must say, that the
recumbent hasn't suddenly "cured" my bad back -- at least not the one I
have -- as I still feel the back somewhat engaged in my riding, but I'm
certainly no longer using it as a shock absorber! Just riding the
upright last night for an errand (twice, forty minutes at a time) has
my back all knotted again this morning.
But I have to say, the 'bent is really unwieldy. With the upright I
was able to go to ~97% of all the places I wanted to go. With the
'bent, it's down to like 75%: it's simply too big (long) to maneuver!
I'd like to visit D.C. again this summer, and luckily D.C. -- at least
the tourist areas -- have nice wide streets, and seems generally
deserted on the weekends...but still, I'm a bit concerned about having
to find alternate routes in unfamiliar territory due to the 'bent being
not nimble enough for some spots.
It's kind of messed up, this, that a nice comfy ride for me means
giving up lots of speed and maneuverability. Still, it's very do-able,
bicycling on a 'bent, so this is where all-day leisure rides will find
me from now on!
And that's the end of my 'bent-newbie observations...I think I've said
about all there is to say inside a month's experience. Until I get
another one, anyway! =)
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Date: 07 Jun 2006 13:33:38
From: Caffe Mocha
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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Freewheeling wrote:
> NYC XYZ wrote:
>> >
> > BTW, are my hamstrings supposed to feel anything? How about the
> > calves? I barely feel my calves being exerted, and don't my hamstrings
> > at all....
> >
> I guess it depends on how your bike is set up. But you're probably
> right that more of the work is being done with the quads and glutes than
> on a regular bike. Also, there's a muscle on the inside of the upper
> thigh that's far more important on a recumbent than an upright. It
> actually took a couple of seasons before I could even get my heart rate
> up where it was on an upright, which is a physio effect I'm not sure I
> understand.
Another bent newbie chiming in here. After two weeks of commuting 12
miles a day round-trip, including a monster hill on the way home, the
only thing I've felt is in my knees. I'm a bigger guy, and I'm used to
hearing my knees crack and carry on when I get up from a crouching or
kneeling position, so perhaps they're my weak spot. But some nights
I'll get home, and my knees are either burning or just aching far into
the evening. Don't know if I'm supposed to be feeling anything else
from my biking workout, but that's all I've noticed so far.
Also wanted to offer some feedback on the earlier comment -- about
visiting DC on the weekend, when it's deserted. Just a heads-up -- I
live in the metro DC area, and I can assure you that this area is NEVER
deserted! The tourists pile in on the weekends, so traffic is often
even worse then than it is during the weekdays. Be prepared!
And happy riding ...
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Date: 08 Jun 2006 03:52:58
From: Mike Rice
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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On 7 Jun 2006 13:33:38 -0700, "Caffe Mocha" <thirdandsix@gmail.com >
wrote:
>
>
>Another bent newbie chiming in here. After two weeks of commuting 12
>miles a day round-trip, including a monster hill on the way home, the
>only thing I've felt is in my knees. I'm a bigger guy, and I'm used to
>hearing my knees crack and carry on when I get up from a crouching or
>kneeling position, so perhaps they're my weak spot. But some nights
>I'll get home, and my knees are either burning or just aching far into
>the evening. Don't know if I'm supposed to be feeling anything else
>from my biking workout, but that's all I've noticed so far.
I can be easy to hurt your knees. One thing about bents, it may be
wiser to gear down and spin instead of mashing. Your knees shouldn't
be hurting long after your rides.
Mike
>
>Also wanted to offer some feedback on the earlier comment -- about
>visiting DC on the weekend, when it's deserted. Just a heads-up -- I
>live in the metro DC area, and I can assure you that this area is NEVER
>deserted! The tourists pile in on the weekends, so traffic is often
>even worse then than it is during the weekdays. Be prepared!
>
>And happy riding ...
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Date: 19 May 2006 16:45:32
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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Freewheeling wrote:
>
> That's nothing. It takes a season or two to get up to speed on a 'bent,
> probably because it's just a different skill with different muscles.
> I've done the Seagull Century on a V-Rex at an average speed of 20mph,
> which is much faster than I've ever done it on an upright even with a
> lot of paceline help. Was too soon to get discouraged.
I sure hope you're right! I can't believe it, but after almost a month
of weekend riding and weekday commuting, my quadriceps still get a
workout every time! It's definitely like those leg press machines in
the gym.
BTW, are my hamstrings supposed to feel anything? How about the
calves? I barely feel my calves being exerted, and don't my hamstrings
at all....
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Date: 07 Jun 2006 12:59:46
From: Freewheeling
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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NYC XYZ wrote:
> Freewheeling wrote:
>> That's nothing. It takes a season or two to get up to speed on a 'bent,
>> probably because it's just a different skill with different muscles.
>> I've done the Seagull Century on a V-Rex at an average speed of 20mph,
>> which is much faster than I've ever done it on an upright even with a
>> lot of paceline help. Was too soon to get discouraged.
>
>
> I sure hope you're right! I can't believe it, but after almost a month
> of weekend riding and weekday commuting, my quadriceps still get a
> workout every time! It's definitely like those leg press machines in
> the gym.
>
> BTW, are my hamstrings supposed to feel anything? How about the
> calves? I barely feel my calves being exerted, and don't my hamstrings
> at all....
>
I guess it depends on how your bike is set up. But you're probably
right that more of the work is being done with the quads and glutes than
on a regular bike. Also, there's a muscle on the inside of the upper
thigh that's far more important on a recumbent than an upright. It
actually took a couple of seasons before I could even get my heart rate
up where it was on an upright, which is a physio effect I'm not sure I
understand.
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Date: 13 May 2006 21:18:24
From: DougC
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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NYC XYZ wrote:
> .....
> But I have to say, the 'bent is really unwieldy. With the upright I
> was able to go to ~97% of all the places I wanted to go. With the
> 'bent, it's down to like 75%: it's simply too big (long) to maneuver!
> I'd like to visit D.C. again this summer, and luckily D.C. -- at least
> the tourist areas -- have nice wide streets, and seems generally
> deserted on the weekends...but still, I'm a bit concerned about having
> to find alternate routes in unfamiliar territory due to the 'bent being
> not nimble enough for some spots.
> ......
SWB's are not known for relaxed handling--particularly those with
extending front booms when used with heavy/larger riders, as the larger
the rider is, the more rider weight is carried on the front wheel. A
CLWB would feel a lot more stable but still maneuverable and not too big
overall.
...Also I find that the front crankset boom of a SWB "sticks out" beyond
the front tire and is difficult to judge where the boom is going to hit
when you try to steer through narrow turns.
> It's kind of messed up, this, that a nice comfy ride for me means
> giving up lots of speed and maneuverability. Still, it's very do-able,
> bicycling on a 'bent, so this is where all-day leisure rides will find
> me from now on!
>
The general advantage of a bent is that you can comfortably ride much
longer than you would on an upright: your butt, hands and neck shouldn't
hurt afterwards. In my opinion the fastest, most-roadworthy bents are
highracers, but for city riding you really want a low-standover height
bike that you can easily put your feet to the ground fast--and
highracers aren't good for that.
~~~~~
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Date: 13 May 2006 07:22:16
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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Fardog wrote:
> How do your compare hill climbing on your bent vs. your Trek?
Well, like I was saying in the other thread, I cruise my SMGTe on the
flats at around the same speed I climb up most hills in my upright!
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Date: 13 May 2006 07:13:06
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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Duram wrote:
> Ferrari x Citroen Picasso
> Truck x SUV
> Bent x upright
> Digital x Silver Film
>
>
> none of above compares can be made as they are different things
> and can be used for different uses each doing the best in it part.
> try to run with a Citroen and go to the superket to buy a month
> food with a Ferrari, doesn=B4t work.
>
>
> --
> NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth
Yes, true, but it all still makes for interesting conversation...like
comparing men and women, it's fun to see where thing are similar or
different, and how so and how much so....
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Date: 13 May 2006 18:44:24
From: Duram
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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I´m going to buy my bent next month but I will never sell my mountain bike
because I can use it to ride with my kid with a seat, go to places where
I can lock and not worry in being stolen, run over the curb, etc.
will use my bent to go to work, ride 100´s of kilometers, ride all day
with bent users here in Rio (growing population).
You can´t compared speed without using a USS or a speedy bent, fast bents
go more than 70 km/h and uprights no more than 50 km/h in a level road.
"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1147529586.937186.218300@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...
Duram wrote:
> Ferrari x Citroen Picasso
> Truck x SUV
> Bent x upright
> Digital x Silver Film
>
>
> none of above compares can be made as they are different things
> and can be used for different uses each doing the best in it part.
> try to run with a Citroen and go to the superket to buy a month
> food with a Ferrari, doesn´t work.
>
>
> --
> NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth
Yes, true, but it all still makes for interesting conversation...like
comparing men and women, it's fun to see where thing are similar or
different, and how so and how much so....
--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth
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Date: 13 May 2006 10:11:52
From: Duram
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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Ferrari x Citroen Picasso
Truck x SUV
Bent x upright
Digital x Silver Film
none of above compares can be made as they are different things
and can be used for different uses each doing the best in it part.
try to run with a Citroen and go to the superket to buy a month
food with a Ferrari, doesn´t work.
--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth
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Date: 12 May 2006 19:01:14
From: Fardog
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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How do your compare hill climbing on your bent vs. your Trek?
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Date: 13 May 2006 13:10:53
From: H M Leary
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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In article <1147485674.098635.99620@d71g2000cwd.googlegroups.com >,
"Fardog" <dsikes45@charter.net > wrote:
> How do your compare hill climbing on your bent vs. your Trek?
Someone once said "It ain't about the bike!"
I do hills on my Greenspeed trike at about one third the speed as I do
on the Lemond.
Of course, the object is to get to the top, and as Sheldon Brown pointed
out, you can climb at 1mph.
HAND
get bent...its the bomb!
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Date: 12 May 2006 18:53:06
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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gotbent wrote:
>
> You're trying to compare the little miyata to the panzer tank? I think
> that you don't have the miles on the Streetmachine yet.
Well, I've got 166 miles on it right now...I'm afraid I've seen all I'm
gonna see out of the SMGTe where speed's concerned.
You know, the USS does make it feel like some kind of AFV!
> If you can ride
> the Trek that fast, you will be able to eventually cruise higher speed
> on the bent too.
I sure hope you're right! It's true that I've gained like a mile or
two on my cruising speed since I first started riding.
> OTOH, if you put panniers and about 10 pounds of stuff
> on the Trek it might cruise more like the bent.
I seriously doubt it. I think the physics of it all is just against
the 'bent -- I mean, the SMGTe (anyway). The thing I'd forgotten about
the upright is how easy it was to pedal! I don't mean that the 'bent
was hard to pedal, actually, but on my upright I simply have much less
"resistance"....
Another factor I do have to keep in mind is that I have Schwalbe
athon Plus tires. I love them, but I'm sure they hold me back.
I'll try putting Stelvios on them some day when I'm not so lazy and see
whether I can simulate BROL and RCN's experience of a big speed
improvement (and they'd had regular athons).
> There are more maneuverable and speedier bents than the Streetmachine,
> but you bought the Abrams batttle tank of bents because you wanted a
> bulletproof cruiser, with more cush for your tush.
You're right, certainly. I'm not complaining, you understand. Just
noting for the record.
The SMGTe is a fine bike, but it's much slower than I'd expected,
that's all -- and I knew it wasn't a speedster. But it's not supposed
to be a slow-poke, either. But then again, these terms are really
subjective: for me, 17 mph cruising is slow. Apparently, this is
considered fast for most.
(And yes I know my spedometer works 'cause of them "radar signs" that
zap me as well as motorists on the street!)
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Date: 19 May 2006 10:12:52
From: Freewheeling
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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NYC XYZ wrote:
> gotbent wrote:
>> You're trying to compare the little miyata to the panzer tank? I think
>> that you don't have the miles on the Streetmachine yet.
>
> Well, I've got 166 miles on it right now...I'm afraid I've seen all I'm
> gonna see out of the SMGTe where speed's concerned.
>
> You know, the USS does make it feel like some kind of AFV!
>
That's nothing. It takes a season or two to get up to speed on a 'bent,
probably because it's just a different skill with different muscles.
I've done the Seagull Century on a V-Rex at an average speed of 20mph,
which is much faster than I've ever done it on an upright even with a
lot of paceline help. Was too soon to get discouraged.
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Date: 13 May 2006 17:16:43
From: Erik Sandblom
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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i artikel 1147485185.998174.152430@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com, skrev NYC
XYZ på jack_foreigner@yahoo.com den 06-05-13 03.53:
>
> gotbent wrote:
>>
>> You're trying to compare the little miyata to the panzer tank? I think
>> that you don't have the miles on the Streetmachine yet.
>
> Well, I've got 166 miles on it right now...I'm afraid I've seen all I'm
> gonna see out of the SMGTe where speed's concerned.
I've never ridden a recumbent, but from what I've read, they use different
muscles. For muscles to become strong, they need work, but also rest.
http://www.ihpva.org/FAQ/#slow
This guy took two weeks of commuting 20 miles to get strong. That's 200
miles in two weeks. Based on that, you need another 166 miles and a few more
weeks before you can draw conclusions about speed.
If you cruise at 20-25 mph on your ordinary bike, that suggests that those
muscles are very strong, which would suggest that you need even longer to
get your other muscles up to the same strength.
--
Erik Sandblom
my site is EriksRailNews.com
for those who don't believe, no explanation is possible
for those who do, no explanation is necessary
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Date: 12 May 2006 16:22:01
From: gotbent
Subject: Re: Ah...Just Rode the Upright Again!
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NYC XYZ wrote:
>
> Yep, I'm definitely speedy on my upright. No, not "speedier," but just
> plain speedy -- cruisin' speed is 20, 23, 25 mph! I go up most hills
> on my Trek 1000c at the same speed I cruise on the flats in my HP Velo
> SMGTe: 15-17 mph!
>
>
You're trying to compare the little miyata to the panzer tank? I think
that you don't have the miles on the Streetmachine yet. If you can ride
the Trek that fast, you will be able to eventually cruise higher speed
on the bent too. OTOH, if you put panniers and about 10 pounds of stuff
on the Trek it might cruise more like the bent.
There are more maneuverable and speedier bents than the Streetmachine,
but you bought the Abrams batttle tank of bents because you wanted a
bulletproof cruiser, with more cush for your tush.
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