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.

Thinking About a New Recumbent

Thinking about a new recumbent? Weather you have owned one of these fantastic bikes or are just thinking about looking for one someday, this just might be the information your looking for.

Hopping on a recumbent for the first time is a memorable experience. "Its like learning how to ride a bike for the first time!" is what I hear time and time again. Customers come to the shop with all kinds of information and ideas they have read about on the net, but there is nothing like a ride to give you a idea of what style bike is best for you.
Small front wheel verses large front wheel is always a question. Newer designs have new customers wondering what is the best design for their needs. Its not until you have actually test ridden the two different styles that you will know.
Most customers take to riding small front wheel recumbents quickly. The lower seat allows the new rider to get rolling and find the pedals quicker and easier then the taller crank position with the larger front wheeled bikes. That said, Maybe a 24" wheeled recumbent such as the Corsa 24 may be best for you. The Bacchetta Corsa 24 has matching 24 x 1" wheels that because their smaller size has a shorter legged rider sitting closer to the ground ad starting off easier than a recumbent with a 65oc or the newer 700c wheeled bikes.
That said, most new riders feel right at home, (as if watching TV in their favorite chair) on a smaller front wheeled recumbent, such as the Bacchetta Giro 20, or the aluminum version, Giro ATT.
AS I have told customers, many new riders and owners in the past have purchased the 20" wheeled bikes and after a couple of years come back to by the larger. The only difference with this style of bicycle is that they usually keep their old bike for everyday use and buy the lighter, bigger wheeled bike for "Sunday rides."

Grab your helmet and get out for a test ride. Most shops that carry recumbents will be happy to teach you how to ride and having you in short order wearing we know as "The Recumbent Silly Smile!"

Stuffie Alert! Tucks Tavern, Cumberland RI.

This was a true "9" out of a total of ten points.Truly more clams the what was to be expected. We loved every bite!
About a mile from the Blackstone Canal Trail in Cumberland, This little gem of a pub was our lunch stop on Tuesday. Not knowing what to expect made this lunchtime surprize all the better.
Great service makes for happy customers. Everyone was nice.
Outdoor seating if you wish, on warmer days of course, If in the area, Tucks Tavern on Route 122 is a must.
Check out their clam roll and just try to find the roll!

The best Stuffies we have ever tasted,we look forward to our return!

Over, Under, Sideways, Down.

The question that always comes up with new recumbent customers. "What is better and safer? Under seat steering or above seat steering?" The question as many times as I have been asked it always throws me.
I enjoy both, although I now only sell Above Steering Recumbents. If I could, I would sell both, but my supplier only stocks the above style.
The difference is obvious, but the question gets asked anyway.
Bacchetta prefers above seat for the reason of aerodynamics, They feel that having both hands at your side has more wind resistance and a bigger silhouette of rider and bike. The wind "sees" more so by design, its slower. This is taking into account that the rider is riding with both hands. (I don't)
Its hard for me to say what I prefer. I love the under seat design. It gives you a better view and makes it easy to get on and off the bike. For years we sold the "ATP Vision" line of bikes, Most of their line was offered with both styles. I sold only under seat bikes except for the models that only had above seat offered.
The two styles offer two different feels of riding. The above seems faster, but the bikes became lighter in time with lighter wheels. The below always gave me the feeling of the perfect touring bicycle and having me want to slow down and enjoy the view.

What do you think? Most of the readers of this blog have had both or still do. I would like to see what people prefer and why.

Another Cool Bag

This one really strikes my fancy. I love the way it fits on the rack and how easy it is to remove it. Im not so sure how a laptop would withstand our streets and New England style pot holes, but would be willing to give it a try. Check this out:

Winter Time Blues

Its days like these that make living in New England tough. Salty, sandy roads are not good for Recumbent any way you look at it.
Damage creeps up so slowly, that you just might not notice. Pivot points on brakes and derailleurs are hard to clean and desalt.
I have no advice for dealing with the salted roads other then to find another bike to ride. Unfortunately recumbent bicycles are not usually found for cheap and sometimes free at the upright design.
Switching for the winter (if you can) may be the best plan. Cleaning of the bicycle will still be important, but an upright bicycle has some of the parts a little further from the road and free from the slop.
Sorry I don't have the perfect answer regarding Winter Recumbent riding, but warmer nicer days will be hear soon and allow us to enjoy the style of heads up riding we all know and love.