Have you ever gone on a long bike ride only to be sore, stiff and numb when you got home? A conventional bicycle puts all of your weight on your hands, shoulders and buttocks. A long ride on a bicycle of this sort is sure to cause problems. Recumbents can be ridden for hours without getting sore shoulders and buttocks, stiff neck and numb hands and buttocks. Recumbents are not only just plain cool, but they are ergonomic, and a fun comfortable ride. If you enjoy riding a bicycle as much as I do, and don't want to suffer these issues after a ride, then a recumbent bicycle is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Recumbents distribute your weight evenly.
Bents, as they are commonly called, distribute your weight much differently than normal bicycles. Rather than sitting straight up, you are sitting back as though you are in an easy chair. This is a much better solution as you don't have to strain your neck in order to see ahead. On a bent, you are naturally looking forward. On a conventional bicycle you put a lot of weight on your hands and wrists. This can easily lead to problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome. This is not the case on a bent as there is no weight or strain placed on your hands since your weight is evenly distributed. Your feet are in front of you on a recumbent rather than below you almost as though you are in a recliner. It is said that a normal bicycle can cause erectile dysfunction for regular male riders because of all of the weight placed on the veins and arteries in the buttocks area.
Recumbents have a long history and are FAST.
Recumbent bicycles have actually been around for a long time. They made their first showing in 1892 but that appearance only lasted until the 1930s because they were banned from use in bicycle races. Why were they banned you ask? Well it seems the regulating officials felt recumbent riders had an unfair advantage because bent racers could attain much higher speeds than those on normal bicycles. In the early part the 20th century a Frenchman named Charles Mochet and his team was breaking records in cycling races throughout the world. One of his riders broke the one hour record by riding 45.056 kilometers in an hour (about 28mph). This was in 1933 and it was eight months later that United Cyclists Internationale banned recumbents from all of their races. Bents were around for a few more years but pretty much disappeared for the next fifty years. It was in 1979 when they made their resurgence. Gardner Martin revived the Recumbent with his "Easy Racer."
Recumbents DO have a few of disadvantages but don't let that stop you.
They are usually more expensive than normal bicycles. Don't let this discourage you, though. Their cost is coming down due to the demand. I purchased mine online and had it shipped to my home for around 0. This may seem like a lot of money but a good bicycle can cost anywhere from two to ten thousand dollars!
Balancing on a recumbent is different than on a conventional bicycle. I learned this lesson the hard way on my first commute with my bent. Since you are lower to the ground the center of balance is much different than on a normal bicycle. Rest assured, though, it really doesn't take long to get the hang of it.
You can not stand on your pedals when going up a hill. This is a small disadvantage but worth mentioning, especially if you have to go up a lot of hills. I used to commute up a very long and steep hill on my bent. Each day I just kept going as far as I could go and then would walk the bike the rest of the way. Soon, I made it all the way up every time.
Recumbents don't have a great turning radius. Again, not a major disadvantage but just something to consider. It is generally never a problem for me.
Recumbents turn heads
So if you enjoy riding a bicycle but are tired of paying the price in your body afterwards, you need to get a recumbent. They are fast, ergonomic and comfortable. Besides, I can't tell you the number of heads that turn when I ride mine. I remember when I was on one of my first commutes on my bent a young lad about 10 saw me riding and said "cool bike!"
Actually, I get that all the time!
| Price : $299.00
