Fairing Life

The question comes up a couple of times a year if a fairing is a good idea for a recumbent bicycle. At this time of year it is one of the best accessories I have ever owned.
Here are a few things you should know about Fairings:

Fairings are very expensive. Because the failure rate of blowing such a large plastic bubble, the cost of lost plastic sheets is part of the expense of your new fairing. Both Zipper and Mueller have a replacement special price if you have a problem within a certain time of ownership. Both are very reasonable.

Fairings scratch almost the very moment you set them up. Its almost impossible to keep them scratch free. There is polish to make them look better, but I have never been able to remove scratches.

The polycarbonate plastic is not optically correct. The view looking through the plastic is very distorted and not recommended. I have tried it and found it to not be safe. Both manufactures recommend the rider to be looking over the top of the fairing to see and be safe.

Fairings are bulky and noisy. They not only amplify the sound of the drivetrain, but work like a drum when you go over bumps.

The extra length of a faired recumbent make it difficult to move the bike around. Carrying the bike through doorways and up and down stairs becomes a challenge, (as if it wasent before.)

However the advantages do out weigh the disadvantages at this time of year.

Moving into and with the wind is better. Its easier to move into the wind for obvious reasons, but with a tail wing you are pushed along. like having a sail. Because of this its best to not have the fairing held with your handlebars. A strong gust could take the bars out of your hand or steer the bike into traffic or off the road.

Riding in the rain is a treat. Dry feet and body have you smiling in short order. However, rain droplets build up on the surface of the recumbent and when you go over a bump, come off and hit you in the face, all at once. It wakes you up. Arriving with a dry body and feet after past years of rides of being soaked, is amazing.

Riding with a Fairing is warmer. As I have written before, sitting behind a Fairing is like being in a greenhouse. Less warm clothing is needed because less wind chill with less exposure to the wind. There is nothing like heading out on a cold day with only a T-shirt. (I have done it.)

Fairings really look odd. A driver seeing a faired recumbent cant stop looking. Some riders may not like this, but I like being seen around speeding automobiles. With a faired recumbent you are given more space to pass. I have never been cut off by a driver while riding a bike with a bubble.

With the the return to warmer weather, removing the Fairing is like being able to strip a layer of clothing. The bike becomes smaller, lighter and easier to corner, making the return of Spring for us Recumbent cyclists, an even nicer experience!

Check out the links below for prices and availability:

http://www.zzipper.com/

http://www.windwrap.com/

Too Windy and Too Cold?

Ride a Recumbent!

Did you know that riding a bicycle at twenty miles per hour , 98% of the work is fighting the wind? Well then, Doesn't it make sense to ride a bike that the wind sees less of you?

Recumbent bicycles have a rider in a position that has less frontal area. Its different with some designs, but if you have ever spent any time on a recumbent riding in the wind, you know exactly what I mean.

There is a noticeable difference with the cold too. Less wind on the body equals less wind chill. The effect the wind has on the body when there is less for the wind to see, make for a less windy ride.

Fairings make things even better. Sitting in a greenhouse on a cold sunny day will have you warmer then you might expect. I can remember a fast ride on a cold day with no jacket, warm and happy behind my Windwrap fairing.

If there was ever a reason to ride a recumbent, riding in the cold wind is surly one of them. Dry roads on a cold day for a ride to a near by greenhouse will have you smiling that silly recumbent smile once again!

So whats it going to be, Head first or Feet first?

If there is ever a question of whats to come, I like to move forward slowly and hold my head back. Walking in the dark comes to mind. Not taking a chance with whats up ahead with my head. Leaning forward and going headstrong into the unknown is always a bit chancy.

Bicycle design over the years still has us riding what resembles a horse. Regulations for racing bicycles has governed design over the last 125 years. The bicycle must fall into a designated shape to qualify. Because of this Recumbent design and the head up and back style has never been mainstream.

People want whats familiar in every style. Only a few thinkers outside the box are willing to take the chance of trying something different.

Recumbent design is outside the box. Its not usual and doesn't fit into what most people think a bicycle should look like. People choose a safer design for anything they would want to buy, but familiarity wins out every time.

Fears of how the new design will perform in situations that they are use to. How will they be received using this item and what will their pears think. Pears play a major role in choosing new designs.

Recumbent owners are proud to wave their eccentric flag when it comes to showing off among friends that already know the fun and fantastic style of Recumbent bicycle design. You see this at events. (If you have ever been so lucky to attend one) Sometimes the wackier the better! "Did you see what Joe rode up on?" "No, but I can't wait, he always has the craziest bikes!" I mean really, deep down inside, don't we love people like that?

When all is said and done, one simple question needs to be asked. "When someone swings a car door out in front of you, would you rather hit it with your feet or your head?" The answer is clear and usually gets people thinking. This time with their head and not their feet.

Life as a Recumbent Cyclist

You would think things would have changed by now. Recumbents have been available for almost 40 years and a more comfortable style of cycling you would think would have caught on. But Nooooooo!

Mostly everyone knows the riding position. They prefer it while getting comfortable at home. Sit back and put your feet up. Why not? Driving isn't too different. Sit back and put your feet forward. How about cycling? Too weird!

"That's a long chain!" Really, is that the only thing they can say when they look at a recumbent? You have heard it before if you ride one!

Can you just imagine if you had never seen a person riding a horse? How weird would that look? Maybe if our story books as children had people riding recumbents instead of horses?
I mean really, If the public can handle a full grown man riding a Razor scooter, why not a recumbent? Beats me.

For now, I will play the roll as the Odd Ball and hope that someday cyclists may want to get comfortable when they ride.

The Recumbent Silly Smile (Reprise)

posted by Danni

After three years of riding my recumbent, it amazes me that I still
wear a silly ear-to-ear grin every glorious moment on my bike. I'm
not certain if it's because of the extreme pleasure I experience while
riding my recumbent or the smiles and waves I get from people who are
astonished by my unusual bike. Most probably it is a combination of
both.

Sadly, though, there is one downside to grinning like a fool the
entire time I am riding my bike. After my ride, it is a huge
nuisance trying to floss all the tiny little black bugs from in between
my teeth. Ugh!

Anyway, I hope you are getting out on your recumbent and enjoying this
beautiful time of the year - and if you are . . . don't forget to
floss when you get home! ;)

Happy Spring!

A Better Bicycle for My Back

People come to me for Recumbent bicycles. About 50% come because of pain issues. The rest just want something different or just want to go fast.

Its true, Recumbents are good to relive some types of pain. Neck, hand, wrist and tender private spots have less stress while riding a Recumbent. But what about the back?

There are all types of back pain, One person's pain, may not be the next persons. When shopping for a bicycle to relieve back pain, one must consider the reasons for the pain.

Its true, that if you get on any bicycle and ride it harder than you are fit to, you will get off hurting. We at wheelworks at this time of year have many a rider coming in with pain issues because they went too hard, too soon. Taking the Winter off and then hopping back on the bike to ride it as fast and as long as they did in the Fall can be a mistake. Peter Mooney at Wheelworks calls it "Easter Knee." Easter knee is what you do to your knees on your Easter ride. Common as it is, recumbent or no recumbent, You can do damage to yourself by not properly warming up and being in shape.

Pain with your back is another problem. Riding a Recumbent may not solve your problem and heres why:
When riding a upright style bicycle, the rider can stand up. Lifting the back off the seat and absorbing the shock in ones legs of a crack or pot hole in the street. This is something that can not be done on a recumbent. Reading the road may be a little easier on a recumbent because of the heads up style, but un-weighting the wheels is very hard if not impossible. During my times of back pain I have tried to lift my rear end off the seat by bridging between the pedals and the back of the seat with my upper back, but in severe back pain, any road shock at all can make back pain worse.

An up right style bicycle has you pulling on the bars while climbing hills. This in time will strengthen the back and can cause some types of back pain to actually go away in time. I know this first hand.

Another thing about the recumbent style of riding is that you use your back to ride. Pushing into the back of the seat for leverage makes climbing easier. Something that is missed when back on a upright bike.

A simple test to see if a recumbent will be better for your back is this: Ask yourself how you feel sitting in a chair. Although some style of recumbents have you almost lying down, for the most part the sitting position on a recumbent is like sitting in your favorite arm chair. If you find this to be uncomfortable while watching TV, chances are that watching the street and road while seated in a recumbent you will be uncomfortable as well.

Test riding a recumbent may have you feeling comfortable at first, but its the longer rides on rougher roads that will have you in short order wishing for something different.



Please comment to this posting if you have less problems with back pain riding a recumbent style bicycle.

Buying a Used Recumbent.

There is nothing better when it comes to owning a recumbent to have bought it new from a real bicycle shop that has experience and is happy to deal. Warranty issues if any arise and free adjustments for the first year are the unseen extras.

That said, there are good deals to be had in the used recumbent market. Sometimes a customer buys a bike and after a year, wants to sell it. I have actually found that a fair amount of used recumbent sales come from customers that thought it would be a easier bike to pedal. As if it had a motor. Hearts broken, they pass it on to another rider for about half the price.

This can be a good deal for both parties, but there are a few things you just might want to consider before making the leap into the world of used.

First thing, Make sure your buying a good recumbent. Something that has a good reputation of safe and correctly designed bicycle. There has been company's that really never knew anything about bicycles before they started building bikes and selling them. I would have to say, most. Without making a list that could upset readers, ask someone you know who rides a recumbent or call a shop that deals in new bikes. Most likely If a bicycle shop sells the brand, its a bicycle worth owning. They also will be happy to service your used bike. There are brands out in the used market that have key parts that when broken are not available. This could have you parking the bike for good, or having something made that could have you spending more then if you had purchased a brand new bicycle to begin with.

Second, The best way to buy used is to pick up the bike yourself. Having the bicycle shipped is usually where things go wrong. Hers why:

Shipping a recumbent requires a shop that has recumbent experience. The best way to ship is in the box or boxes that the recumbent came in. Usually two boxes are needed to safely ship the bike. If the seller just brings the bike in to any shop, you stand the chance of having it received by someone that really doesn't want to do to do the job or know how. Its just a bicycle until they actually try to pack it.
Make sure the bike is being packed and shipped by someone who knows what they are doing and wants to do it. A grumpy close minded mechanic, (and I have seen a few) could be your first problem.

Third, Make sure unless you know how to assemble a recumbent yourself, that the shop that receives your boxed bicycle sells Recumbents. If the don't, most will tell you that it wont be a problem until later one arises. A good way to eliminate any problems is to bring the bike to a shop that actually sells that brand. If that's imposable, at least ask if they have the special clamp for their"Park stand" to fit the recumbents sized tubing. If they don't, they will not be able to correctly build the bike.

Figure that boxing and shipping from a shop that deals with recumbents will be around $200.00. Assembling the bike by a shop that has recumbent experience will be another $100. If you are quoted less, figure that they have very little recumbent experience if any at all.

Finally, How the bike is shipped is completely out of your or the shop at ether ends hands. I have had perfectly packed bikes go out at night and come back the very next morning, crushed and without the box. How could this happen? It actually sometimes does.

Again, the best way to buy used is to go pick up the bike. You may be able to convince the seller to deliver it themselves for extra money, or to meet you half way. This completely eliminates the dismantling and assembly of the bike that if it can be avoided make the best sense of all, Why fix something that isn't broke,,,Yet.

I would love to see comments regarding this post to further help readers looking to buy a used recumbent. Past experiences and how to avoid problems in the future. Thank You for reading BOSRUG.