Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => The Dark Side => Topic started by: teamonster on 21 May, 2010, 12:55:32 pm
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I'm currently having an enforced break from cycling, due to a broken scaphoid bone in the wrist, the result of failing to stay upright on a stationary bike - don't ask ! This has led to an unhealthy interest in internet surfing ! I've found myself strangely drawn to the idea of moving to the dark side.
Should I destroy the computer now and seek forgiveness, or continue further down this path ? Several people have warned me that no good will come of it - heavy/expensive etc, but I'm keen to investigate further, not least because I fear my wrist may not be good as new anytime soon !
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Do it. After an accident that put me in hospital with a broken wrist, I couldn't use drop bars for ages, so switched to commuting on my 'bent. Under-seat steering meant no nasty forces on my arms. Thumbshifters on the ends of the bars are ideal - I still can't use twist-grip gear changers (my wrists were never very strong anyway).
Keep doing the exercises. In particular, neck flexibility is a bit more "mission-critical" on a 'bent, as you need to turn further round to look behind you. And fit mirrors etc.
Go for it. You'll look back on the day you ride away from the shop on a newly-bought 'bent (or a large cardboard box is delivered to your house with spangly new strange-shaped metal inside) as a life-changing one.
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A ride mate of mine spanked his wrist in a similar fashion (although moving at the time) and has spent the time since hankering after different configurations of drops, butterfly bars, aero bars, twist grips, shifters, et al. None really relieves the weight on his wrist sufficiently to let him ride without concern.
He can ride my 'bents without any kind of pain, except the balance issues that saw him off the first time round continue to plague.
When I tally the money he's put towards trying to sort it on the DF, we both know he might have done better selling up and buying a recumbent trike.
Ymmv, of course. Hopefully you recover fully before you get a test ride in, else its not so much a choice of 'if' but 'when' :)
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I'd love one, but they seem to be so damn expensive. I've done all my audaxing on a bike that cost me £250, and now that its frame has gone the way of all flesh, I can get a new frame for reasonable money.
The cheapest recumbents of equivalent quality seem to come in at £700 and up, second hand, and I'd still probably want an upright for club runs and rides involving a train trip to get to the start.
But with my back grumbling away again, I find myself yearning after one.
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You don't have to ride it forever
When your wrist is strong again you could go back to a proper bike
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JJ - have you spoken to Kevin at D-Tek? The numbers he dropped into conversation regarding s/h 'bents were surprisingly low (less than £700).
I am going for a try out session in June.
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You can get them on trains also ;)
Well the 2 wheeled ones you can ;D
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and my Giro 20's still available........
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You don't have to ride it forever
When your wrist is strong again you could go back to a proper bike
You might not want to.
But if you do, you might find yourself surprisingly strong.
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JJ - have you spoken to Kevin at D-Tek? The numbers he dropped into conversation regarding s/h 'bents were surprisingly low (less than £700).
I am going for a try out session in June.
I did speak to him last year when it was bad in the run-up to LEL. In the end he was forced to cancel, and we never set the try-out up again. I got through LEL by taking care and being a selfish b***er. Maybe I should give him another call.
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Do not resist the force, The Dark Side beckons, tis useless to resist, if you are local to me you are welcome to try my Q-NT, I will warn you though that after you have tried a good recumbent trike you will leave with a ridiculously large grin on your face and plotting to rob someone to raise the funds.
I have had mine four years and after about 6 months had a recurrence of vertigo attacks, I had no option but forget all other forms of transport and use my trike, I would never return, the force has claimed me for ever, manic grin down fast hills, wry grin up nasty hills but always a grin, motto now Phuket, try and enjoy
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The trice recumbents had caught my eye - right now I can't try anything out, as a) can't drive anywhere and b) the consultant has warned me not to go near a bike of any kind for fear of b****ring up my wrist further ! Of course I told him the thought of cycling with cast on had never crossed my mind O:-)
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I frequently ride along on my trike one-handed, free hand tucked under the seat or fiddling with a camera or something. Most modern recumbent trikes have fairly minimal brake steer so you can get away with braking on one side only. Shifting might be more difficult. However you can get twin-pull brake levers and mount a combination of twistgrips and bar end shifters for one armed use.
It's probably a big step to take if you don't already have a recumbent trike, but I can see that if I was in your position I'd be out in the garage tinkering with the trike to make it suitable to ride... probably before the cast on my wrist was fully set ;D ;D
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Twin pull brake lever and you are sorted!
(http://www.sjscycles.co.uk//images/products/21412Thornright_xl.jpg)
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The best reason for trying a recumbent, regardless of whether or not you need to, is that they are:
FUN!! Fun!, Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun...
If you don't try one, you'll never know what you have missed out on. All serious cyclists should at least try a recumbent.
Oh, and a recumbent saved my cycling life. But the main reason I ride one (well, several) is because it's FUN ;D
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The best reason for trying a recumbent, regardless of whether or not you need to, is that they are:
FUN!! Fun!, Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun...
If you don't try one, you'll never know what you have missed out on. All serious cyclists should at least try a recumbent.
Oh, and a recumbent saved my cycling life. But the main reason I ride one (well, several) is because it's FUN ;D
Met two "cyclists" in my local after a toddle yesterday, they asked us (Barbara rides a Catrike Road) what recumbent trikes were like and then very rudely used everything they had in their tiny minds to trash them, FUN is of course the one thing that "serious people - cyclists included" don't allow themselves, wouldn't be serious would it. And yes, recumbent trikes are incredible FUN,
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6 weeks and still in plaster (or more accurately fibreglass !) and still thinking of the dark side, what should I spot down in town, but the Ealing LCC group doing their DR Bike session. There were people trying out penny farthings, but it wasn't those that caught my eye. No it was an ice trike sitting all on its own. Having sought out the kind owner, I got my first, if a little short ride on one. I wasn't even on the road, but it was enough to bring a smile to my face. As soon as the cast is off, I'll be off to have a proper test run. In the meantime if anyone knows of any second hand ice trikes - I'm dead keen !
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d tek recumbent little thetford near ely . lot,s of nice 2nd hand machines :P :)
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Might be a Catrike Road for sale here, usual spec bar ends etc 1600 miles
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I'm sort of veering towards a Trice as they can fold, but once I get the cast off and I can drive, I'm going to take a look and a ride of a few different models. Ive already convinced my partner that they have such a good re-sale value, I can buy one as temporary measure and get shot once I am 100% again ! (When I say convinced. I think she's already working out what she gets as compensation !)
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Drove up to Derby today to look at some Greenspeed Recumbants. My mate who is losing is sight was keen on the tandem so we had a spin on that, then I took out a GT5, felt like a little kid on a bogey (home made go kart, for the non Northerners on the forum ) just wants to be ridden fast around corners - great ! Need to fix up a trip to Ely next to see a few other models
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Did my first proper ride on this
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn6/gaydisco/RB%20Performer/RBRecumbent005.jpg)
today.
30km on the Tissington & High Peak Trails.Dropped it only once :-[
Starting was initially a "danger to others" affair but gradually improved to a not-too-shabby performance.Still lots of room for improvement.
The low c of g makes head-turning a hazardous practice & shoulder shuffling a kamikaze exercise.I was suprised about the effect side wind has on the handling/steering.Double panniers & a rack pack may be having a "sail" effect :-\
I really enjoyed riding without wearing lycra & cycle-specific shoes.
I need a rear-view mirror ( I cannot turn my head to that degree & maintain a straight line) so that I can take it onto the road.
I think it would be wise to fit a larger sprocket & a granny ring to cope with some of the steeper hills in the Peaks & provide gears low enough to allow the carriage of lightweight camping kit.
Definatley grinfactor riding :thumbsup:
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Drove up to Derby today to look at some Greenspeed Recumbants.
where was that exactly?
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Probably here (http://www.wrhpv.com/index.html)
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I knew they had relocated but didn't know they are that close to my place :o
I might call there on my way to meet Peli & Wooley on monday.
Thanks very much for that :thumbsup:
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I really enjoyed riding without wearing lycra & cycle-specific shoes.
I enjoy the without lycra, but I don't like the without cycling shoes - I find that my feet tend to drop of the pedals if I'm not attached.
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- I find that my feet tend to drop of the pedals if I'm not attached.
I did have this inconvenience today on the slightly lumpy/bumpy bit of the trail north of Tissington & realised that I will eventually fit spd's.
It's too soon atm though & I need to develop a smoother "right-first-time-every-time " start & stop skill;which means more time on the bike ;D
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Probably here (http://www.wrhpv.com/index.html)
I'll be there on Sat morning, taking his Glyde away for a 2 week holiday ;D
Can't wait 8)
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- I find that my feet tend to drop of the pedals if I'm not attached.
I did have this inconvenience today on the slightly lumpy/bumpy bit of the trail north of Tissington & realised that I will eventually fit spd's.
It's too soon atm though & I need to develop a smoother "right-first-time-every-time " start & stop skill;which means more time on the bike ;D
Heel plates might be another option, giving the best of both worlds:
(http://www.lightfootcycles.com/images/heel%20plate%20use.jpg)
Just the plate, though - not the toe clip/strap! ;D
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I knew they had relocated but didn't know they are that close to my place :o
ISTR Rob Hague's day job is with Rolls-Royce and they tend to move him around a bit. They're Westcountry Recumbents coz when they started they were in Zummerzet, but then they got moved to E. Yorks and then Derby.
The crocogator logo was drawn by TWFKAML, trivia fans.
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Probably here (http://www.wrhpv.com/index.html)
I'll be there on Sat morning, taking his Glyde away for a 2 week holiday ;D
Can't wait 8)
Cool!
Are you taking it where it might want to go (that is, to its spiritual home in the Low Countries)?
Or are you going to be adventurous and ride it in more mixed terrain? I suppose you would learn more about its usability that way...
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Probably here (http://www.wrhpv.com/index.html)
I'll be there on Sat morning, taking his Glyde away for a 2 week holiday ;D
Can't wait 8)
What time?
mrs. jogler says..
"shall we go across?"
It would be nice to see you & have a looksee at WCR now that I am a provisional Darksider
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I'll be riding it over to Mildenhall for the rally and audax, then home again.
As I have the week after off I've got a 600 planned on the Wed/Thurs up to Yorkshire and back using varied terrain as I want to see what difference it makes to my usual audax times.
I'll be using it for commuting the first week also ;D
Alan - Planning to be up there about 9 - 10 as I've got the kids in the afternoon. Give Rob a call and I'm sure he'll be able to have some other stuff ready to roll as well.
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Well as an "also drawn". I've emailed Kevin at D-Tek this evening, and got a reply in 40 minutes. That's not bad!
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Yes that's rather good for Kevin ;D
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Spent an afternoon with Kevin at D Tek last week, what a great guy nothing was too much trouble. Highly recommend a visit there for anyone looking at buying a 'bent. It confrimed to me that I definetely want one, and it's likely to be an ICE trike, but which one !
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Did he have any ice trikes there? I'm also interested.
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Yep he had several of various vintages including a new Trice
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Kevin from D-Tek is sound, knows his stuff and is independant so therefore is not biased towards any particular model or brand.
I have two bents, and have never looked back. One is an all weather machine that i use for getting around. The other is a low racer which absolutely flys that I use for fast day rides.