Author Topic: Getting started  (Read 9827 times)

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Getting started
« Reply #75 on: 29 October, 2023, 10:47:30 pm »


One thing I've found quite useful with recumbents is to project yourself forward with the pedals, the front of the bike leads, like the chainset is cutting through the air in front of you, and to pay less attention to what going on with the handlebars. When you're new to recumbents [especially two-wheeled versions] it's easy to get distracted by the movements of the handlebars - sounds a bit odd, but often there's a lot of self-centring that's going on all the time that you just have to let be. Same is true of uprights of course, but it's less obvious. Ride an upright bike and take a look at the front wheel when you're cycling and you will notice it is seldom tracking in a perfectly straight line - the front wheel is constantly moving from left to right in small increments, to keep you upright!  Try riding in a perfectly straight line keeping the front wheel locked.....you're not going to get very far!

This is a very useful bit of advice, and I think applies universally, in the sense of "don't get too focussed on the minutiae, but keep your head up and look where you are going" as long as you are heading in the right direction, the microadjustments tend to take care of themselves, leaving you to watch out for pothioles in the immediate pathway, or pedestriand doing stoopid things ahead.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Getting started
« Reply #76 on: 29 October, 2023, 11:06:46 pm »
I think that ties into the habit that some people who've only ridden bikes where you can see the front wheel have of watching the front wheel as part of the steering / balance / knowing where you're going feedback loop.  Not being able to see the front wheel breaks that, and it takes a little time to adjust.  Which is harder if you're trying to learn to ride a recumbent (rather than say a cargo bike or Brompton with front luggage, which steers in a more familiar manner) at the same time.

Re: Getting started
« Reply #77 on: 30 October, 2023, 07:25:47 pm »
Quick update.

Surgery on my left shoulder last week to try and alleviate some of the issues.  It's not a long term fix and wont get me back on an upright but it should stop things getting any worse for the time being.

So, 'bent is now on the turbo for a few weeks while the shoulder recovers.  Taken the opportunity to fit a bodged up headrest as I was finding the tension in core from keeping my head up with the seat further back was becoming an issue.  Used the rails from an old saddle attached to the back of the seat with some pipe lagging for padding. 

Also using this as a chance to play with bar height and reach.  Currently got an 80mm stem on there but going to swap out for a 40mm or 30mm to improve my hand position as it's a bit of a stretch atm.  Once that's sorted then it's the big step of cutting the steerer to lower the bars.  Can't just lower the stem as the riser is too wide, it uses an insert on the top to attach the stem.  Will be taking it slowly in 5 or 10mm increments.

Once that's sorted then I can look at reclining the seat a bit further without having line of sight blocked by the top of the steerer and bars.  Will have to wait and see if that gives me enough extra aero benefit to beat my current 40mph downhill top speed.

How long is the insert that the stem attaches to? On my old Bacchetta Giro 26 it used a similar system and the insert was quite long which allowed me to cut down the outer steerer tube fairly dramatically and then slide the inner insert up or down to make the finer adjustments to bar height.