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Agreed. The best bike is the one YOU choose to ride. Not everyone has problems riding a road or mountain bike. Not all recumbent riders are overweight, bearded, past middle-age men. Not all men become sterile from riding bike saddles. Not all recumbent riders are "sandal-wearing, old hippies". Have I missed any of the stereotypes? Being proud of what you ride doesn't mean you have to be insulting or condescending to others because they choose to ride something different.
well said
 
I think you should check this article out from Web MD:

Bicycle-Riding Men Beware


So you may think you are not having problems, but wait till down the road.

Lisa
While there is useful info in that article, I had to laugh at the scare tactic at the beginning, using an anecdotal story instead of sticking to facts to drive a point home that may not actually affect *all* DF riders.

"...His symptoms first started 2 years earlier after he injured himself in the groin while bicycle riding. He never went to the doctor..."

Well duh! It should be pointed out that his stupidity added to the problem. A visit to the doctor and a change to a crotchless cycle seat (yes there are such things) would have made him feel a lot better.

In my personal case, I did thousands of kilometers on a DF, and while never having any damage in my groin, it would go numb on longer rides, mostly attributed to improper seat padding. Changing seat type and height from the pedals did not improve things, so I switched over to recumbents.

For *me* they are far more comfortable, can carry larger loads more comfortably, and go just as fast (if not faster in certain circumstances) than my DF. Plus, living in a rainy environment such as Denmark, I can mount a fairing so that I can ride throughout the year, every day, regardless of weather.
 
dude ...I'm in desperate want of Scorpion FS ...I gonna get one ... damn they is /are hot ... velotechnik.com ... I priced one here ...and somebody I think said $9000.00...at least that is what I thought I heard before I blacked-out ... that was with all the bells and whistles... and I believe a hockey card in the spokes too ....
That fully suspended Scorpion is crazy for sure. I haven't seen one in person yet but I have a feeling that those crazy Germans nailed this one. The specs are spectacular.
 
I ride a recumbent and love it especially on hills! I ride a Lightening Phantom and it is great! I particulaly like passing the "wedggies" going up hill and hearing the men say "Is that a woman" as I leave them in the dust! I ride with a few guys on their wedggies and me on the Phantom. We challenge each other and take turns leading. I have no probelms keeping up with them and they are serious cyclists!!

"Bents Rule'

Dmckham
 
dude ...I'm in desperate want of Scorpion FS ...I gonna get one ... damn they is /are hot ... velotechnik.com ... I priced one here ...and somebody I think said $9000.00...at least that is what I thought I heard before I blacked-out ... that was with all the bells and whistles... and I believe a hockey card in the spokes too ....
Since those beasts are built in Germany you will be paying a premium for shipping but I do agree with you in wanting one. When I think about the nice used car I could buy for the cost of one that put me back into reality and to be honest, my Catrike Expedition is damn nice in it's own right.
 
...When I think about the nice used car I could buy for the cost of one [Scorpion FS] that put me back into reality...
Not to be too mean, but that sounds like your reality is pretty limited to yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

<rant>seriously, folks- comparing an expensive recumbent trike to a used car in terms of price is not only silly but downright in-accurate: you can not just look at the buying price of the respective vehicles!

TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) applies here as well as to office supplies and computers.

Cost of a decently set up *new* Scorpion FS (minus shipping): ~$5000-$6000
- decent body fairing to give you similar weather protection and improved aerodynamics as a car: ~$1,000
- fuel usage: roughly $35-$40 per week (food intake) (yes, I'm being a bit conservative) if you cycle every day. more or less depending on your diet, of course. I generally would not include this number in TCO because you will eat *anyway*, whether you cycle or not, but i put it here as a given estimate of 'fuel' consumed,
- insurance: roughly a few dollars per week, if not less,
- bike maintenance costs (adjustments, new tires, new parts): ~$100-$500 per year or less depending on your cycling habits.​

Cost of a decently road-safe used car: ~$5000-$6000
- fuel usage: ~$30-$50 per week,
- insurance: ~$35 per week (based on 2009 numbers for US national car insurance),
- car maintenance costs (adjustments, new tires, new parts, oil changes every 3-6 months): ~$100-$1000 per year (+/- depending on your driving habits of course and the condition of the car)

If your primary reasons for cycling are exercise and commuting to work daily up to 30 miles round-trip, or for distances up to, let's say, 15-20 miles one way, a recumbent trike is more cost effective than a car will ever be. It's only disadvantage is in time spent cycling- about an hour for a 15 mile commute, as opposed to 10-15 minutes over the same distance by car (or even longer than a cycle if city traffic-jams are the norm in your area).

A daily used recumbent trike will typically recoup your investment far faster by being cheaper to run and maintain than a car, plus improve your health a bit.

It's not a simple "oy vey! I can buy a car for dat money!" logic.</rant>
 
Actually depending on where you live it kind of is just that simple. That $9000 velomobile is at its peak distance at about 30 miles round trip, that is unless you won't to spend more than an hour each way commuting. Time is worth a great deal too, just ask anyone stuck on the freeway during rush hour when there has been a crash. There are a number of places where a velomobile can legally go, but practically probably shouldn't. You still have to find a place to park it, which may or may not be a big problem.

Unless you live in a major city, a 30 mile daily commute would be rare. That used car doesn't tire after 30 miles, but you will. Out of town trips? It would take a week to do what I can do in the car easily in a day. Public transportation?? Not where I live. It does not exist. Since anything that isn't motorized is banned from the shoulders of a freeway, I am not sure it could even get to the airport. At best it would be difficult and probably take a century to do it. Go Greyhound just doesn't sound appealing these days.

Just as you can buy a very nice bike for less than a velomobile, you can also buy a used car for less too. Operating cost definitely go to the bike, but going car less for anyone outside of a big city is going to be very very limiting. I looked at the operating expense of a car as the price of freedom and have never been too concerned about it. I ride because I want to, not because I have to because I don't have or want a car. That to me would take the fun out riding.

Now if you are trying to justify getting the velomobile, don't bother. If you like it, want one and can afford it, go buy it and enjoy it. Don't bother trying to convince yourself its better than a car. Just accept it for what it is and enjoy the experience. I enjoy my sports car, and I enjoy my bike. Two very different experiences, but both real pleasures. I didn't try to justify either one.
 
...for distances up to, let's say, 15-20 miles one way, a recumbent trike is more cost effective than a car will ever be. It's only disadvantage is in time spent cycling- about an hour for a 15 mile commute
I don't need a velomobile to average 15 mph. I can do that on my hybrid.

When I lived closer to work, I rode my hybrid and my V-Rex equally. With my current commute, I really wouldn't want to leave for work an hour and a half early every day. Weather permitting, I'll drive to a park-and-ride spot, though.
 
I don't need a velomobile to average 15 mph. I can do that on my hybrid.
Of course you aren't limited to 15 mph - that was just a speed presented for reference. I typically do 18-20 mph on my daily commute. And I do that in just about any weather, all year around (snow-fall might slow me down a little bit, but only if the roads are not cleared). I'm sure cyclists more fit than I could do it faster with less energy in something as aerodynamic as a VM.
 
recumbent Vs. road bike

the main problem I have with recumbents is not their weight or their maneuverability, But the fact that they can't clime hills worth a darn. I had a infinity long wheelbase back in the late eighties and I loved it on the flats and downhills and it worked for me fairly well except for the last part of my ride involved a very steep hill and even with my super low Suntour 24-38 going up that hill was terrible.

It was a aluminum frame l with a 20 inch BMX sew-up on the front (I never got a flat on that tire either) and a 48 spoke tandem rear wheel. It weighed in at twenty eight pounds witch a thought was pretty good considering it was over six feet long. and even had a set of Blackburn racks. The thing I like about it was that it had a really good turning radius because the bars were under the seat and if you moved the handle bar a inch the front wheel turned an inch and a half.

When you come to a hill you have no options you have to gear down and tough it out, you cant get out of the saddle and it doesn't do any good to pull up on the bars. I.M.H.O. you just can't generate the same power as a standard variety road bike.

I do miss all of the positive responses I used to get though.

mike
 
Slower up-hill climbing is an issue, certainly. Then again, you are talking about a vehicle that is typically heavier than an upright (but that is changing). And yes you can't stand on the pedals, but you can often push against the seat back to get some more leverage *without* changing position or aerodynamic profile. A little push against the seat coupled with a good pedal stroke (via clipped shoes, not loose) and you can learn to climb very well.

I know personally 3 people here in Denmark who ride two-wheel bents, trikes, and VMs *and* can climb just as fast as guys on DFs. A difference in training is needed, ie: smoother pedal rhythm (equal push and pull), bracing against the seat back, spinning faster in a lower gear, adjusted breathing, etc.

From my own perspective, I've found that after a few months of regular riding, I can climb the hills around home almost as fast as I did on an up-right - which is not bad since I don't do any rigorous training what-so-ever. I just ride regularly and daily so that my legs are used to using different muscle groups. For me, I use more muscles above the knee than below.

Hill climbing is also why many 'bent and velomobile riders chose to install electric motor assist, like the Bionix. It's nice to get help up the hill, and at stoplights the extra boost is great for accelerating away from the slower bikes so that you get up to your cruising speed with less energy, and therefore less sweat. For a regular daily commute, electric assist is the way to go.
 
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