How long to bend my legs?

[EdinburghFixed]

Sounds good, nashd....

Sometimes strange stuff happens. I swear my shiny carbon VK tailbox makes my bike slower. There's no possible rational explanation for it, but I've done a couple of brevets without it now and it really feels like the bike grows wings at times.

There's not much point though, because I'm sure as hell not doing PBP without massive chav dragon decals (and 30L of luggage space!)... and on the Mull it Over I did my fastest moving average ever - though that was pan flat after the first half I suppose.

[Valiant]

I ride a Challenge Concept Trike on the odd sunny day. Trouble is it seems like a lot harder work than being on an upright, mainly becuase I tend to spin out, no matter what gear I'm in my legs give out before anything else. However when there's some serious weight ie towing the trailer with a heavy load it's more pleasant for me and I find I can happily carry on pedalling. I've done close to about 2k on it and still don't feel like I'm anywhere near really having my recumbent legs.

Anyone hazard a guess as to why this is? Part of it might be that I am just going flat out when on the trike but it's hard to tell because of the different riding position.

[tonycollinet]

Thread necromancy to give an update. I thought it might be useful for anyone looking to see how I actually got on.

I've done around 1500 miles now (More accurate update later), and think I am about there. After not using the GPS for a couple of months, I put it on this morning. I had my fastest ever commute at 16.5mph (Admittedly with a light tail wind). Howwever, the real teller is the incline up from Astbury into Congleton on the A34

In the first couple of weeks on the trike, I remember really struggling to hang on to 9mph on the way up - probably dropping to 8.5.

This morning, I went up and didn't drop below 16mph. That is a 75+% improvement.

There may be still small improvements to come - but only as a part of general fitness. I am now as fast as I am on the upright hybrid.

[EdinburghFixed]

Excellent - interesting to have someone reporting before and after!

Just before it was stolen I spent a couple of commutes racing my fixed-wheel, then the Raptobike up the long steady ascent of the Roseburn path. The recumbent was faster (albiet it's a very small average grade) which finally convinced me I was on the right course....

[ruggtomcat]

I might as well report back too, its been two months and about 2500km since my last post on this thread and 2000km of those have been hauling a trailer and about 50kg of stuff 

The other day I did some commuter racing around Copenhagen and managed some great speeds, keeping up a good 40kph on the flat and drafting a scooter at one point. I have grown these strange lumps on the back of my thighs which didn't use to be there and best of all in the last 2000km there has been virtually no pain, from my knees or elsewhere.

[swscotland bentrider]

Lots of familiar sounding stories here! It took me a long time to adapt.

I've tried quite a few bikes and a trike. Some seemed fast and others not. Because there are so many design differences in 'bents I suspect small differences (like the seat height to b/b height) might affect my performance in ways that may not apply to another another. I'm currently riding a Bacchetta Giro 26 ATT and an ICE B2. The giro is lighter and a (bit) quicker but not by much. The ICE feels like a better climber despite the weight. I wonder whether the more closed riding position and lower B/B might be factors.

Last year I rode an 1100 mile camping tour with my mates. They were on DF's. The trike was slower of course but did OK on all but the hilly sections. What I noticed was that although climbing was slower it seemed to require less effort i.e. I wasn't as puggled as I expected! I wonder whether the stability and straight line ability of the trike meant less energy was used balancing steering etc? Anyone else noticed this?

The tour was brilliant training. My diary shows a leap of 2-3kph on my average over my usual 30 mile circuit when I got back.

[EdinburghFixed]

I agree that lots of miles seems to make a dramatic difference. I came within a whisker of 17mph (moving) average over a 300km brevet at Easter - this is with no drafting, of course.

Unfortunately it's a bit of a risk jumping in on the big miles. I thought I had built up fairly steadily, from ~200 miles in January to ~700 in May but it seems this was too aggressive for my knees, which took the opportunity of some cleat misalignment (or possibly the boom not being in straight?) to explode horribly on my last big ride

I'd say for someone who rides regularly already, you should think in terms of 1,000 miles to adapt, not a hundred or so - and for me, it was nearer 2,000 before I felt quite happy.

[swscotland bentrider]

"I'd say for someone who rides regularly already, you should think in terms of 1,000 miles to adapt, not a hundred or so - and for me, it was nearer 2,000 before I felt quite happy."

I agree totally. Pretty much what I have experienced.

John