I have a lovely, very serviceable Schwinn mountain bike that has never failed me during the various bike rides down my bumpy, potholed washboard country lanes inwhich I reside.
Before kids, my wrists and shoulders would ache after a 15-20 mile ride.
Since kids, well, my athletic prowess has taken a nose dive and I am thinking that maybe a recumbent would help with the aches and pains.
Naturally, I gravitate towards Lightfoot Cycles and either the Ranger or because I cannot be normal in any sense of the word The Greenway. ( cause it has a ‘trunk’ option for stuff. I’m a mom. I gots stuff.
Now, unless I win the lottery sometime soon, I am not going to be able to get either one of these any time soon.
But, until I do, any advice from the peanut gallery will be very much appreciated.
Whereabouts “in the middle” are you? There is a pretty famous bike shop in Steven’s Point, WI that specializes in recumbents. I heard about it from a guy in Tokyo.
It’s called Hostel Shoppe. You can try out tons of recumbents and talk to people who are experts.
You might just need to get your current bike properly fit. It is much cheaper. I have a bad shoulder from skiing, a bad neck from a pickup game of football, and a bad back, probably from sitting. Getting my bike properly fit made a huge difference in my comfort. So did learning how to properly bend, but even PT is cheaper than a new, good bike.
I see recumbents are around here not infrequently. They do look easier on certain body parts, but might still be hard on a back that’s crap from sitting. Also, you are not as visible, so I would not ride one in a city. (There is someone on this board who likes to argue that you sit just as high up. Not on any of the ones I’ve seen. Just a few days ago, I saw a recumbent biker and a mountain biker side by side on a paved “trail”. The mountain biker’s head was at least two feet higher up, and they were roughly the same size adult men.)
I have a recumbent bike (BikeE) that I have been thinking of selling but was not sure I wanted the hassle of packing and shipping it. (thought about listing it on ebay for local pick up)
I bought it because it was better on my knees and wrists than a regular bike, but I still had problems breathing!
When I was shopping for a recumbent, I looked into the BikeE. I looked like a good design, but they had a big recall because of mechanical failure. Right now, I can’t remember if it was the seatback or the front of the frame. If you are still riding it, check it very closely for cracking and metal fatigue. :eek:
I don’t know much about Ebay, but I thought the buyer pays for packing and shipping. Maybe you can just take it to a pack-and-ship place.
I don’t think this bike has been ridden enough to develop any kind of failure!
I guess I could ride it to the pack-and-ship place and then walk home. (it is too big to fit in my car)
[QUOTE=pudytat72]
I don’t think this bike has been ridden enough to develop any kind of failure!
I guess I could ride it to the pack-and-ship place and then walk home. (it is too big to fit in my car)[/QUOTE
I went for my first ride in years, 8 miles, to Meijers. I was going to buy myself a pair of gloves, but thought how dorky I would look with my Schweet, Schweet Schwinn that is tricked out with a basket and gel seat and then gel gloves.
How much of a poser could I be?
(Didn’t buy them because the selection there is phfffft.)
( I also want a basket thingie that goes over the back wheel, to complete my UltraDork look.)
I’m in the same boat. I use to ride 100 miles a day during the summer as a kid but now a 20 mile ride feels long. You can buy an extender for the handlebar that will bring it back and up. I did this for my touring bike because I have a broken bone in my neck that will never heal. It’s tough for me to ride hunched over. I may have to buy the gloves for the reasons mentioned.
I’ve been looking at recumbents and found a clear winner but don’t feel like shelling out that extra zero for it. I think it was a Rans Stratus LE that caught my eye. It was really comfortable to sit in. It was like sitting in a recliner. I definitely liked the general layout of the bike compared to other recumbents and at 31 lbs it was reasonably light. However, I can get a carbon fiber bike for $1600 and that seems more exciting from a dollar value standpoint. I’ll probably end up with the recumpent though. I don’t want to be the only dork with a carbon fiber bike with extended handle bars and a padded seat.
I’ll say one thing for recumbents. They can go incredibly fast downhill. On Sunday, I took a ride at a location with some big hills. As I climbed the last big hill, I saw I was gaining on a recumbent. He was still in sight when I got to the top, but not for long. I’m not skilled enough to use my aerobars in high winds like we had, but I still hit 35 mph on the descent, and that guy totally smoked me. The low profile obviously really helped him.
But, before you spring for a new bike, I second the gloves. I don’t know if they’ll help with the shoulder pain, but properly fitting the bike will help with that, especially if you need an extender. Despite my neck injury and shoulder injury, I took a 6 hour mountain bike ride yesterday, with minimal discomfort. (My mountain bike also has a gel seat and a really cushy suspension.)
Yeah, get the gloves. I don’t think I could ride without them - they’re THAT good when it comes to wrist pain.
Also, as others have said, position means a lot. If you have a bike store near you, ride over to it and have someone adjust your bike to fit you. A couple inches here or there can make a huge difference.
I’ve owned a recumbent for the past 2 years and I will never go back. Before I “got bent”, I had the same problems… Butt would hurt from the saddle, arms and wrists would hurt from holding my upper body up, and neck would hurt from holding my head up so I could see.
I have a CycleGenius CGR Starling. I bought it on Ebay from the Nicollet Bike shop in Nicollet, Minnisota. It has been a fabulous bike for me. The only reason I bought it from an Ebay vendor instead of locally is that there were next to no bike shops that had affordable recumbents near where I live. I got a great deal ($500 total with shipping). The downside to it is that just about all of the nearby bike shops either won’t work on it, or are incompetent when it comes to recumbents.
If you are seriously looking for one, try to buy local first if you can. That way the shop you buy from will be familiar with the bike and will be able to service it better.
I also suggest you test ride some recumbents so you can get a feel for them. There are three basic types of recumbent: Long wheelbase, compact-short wheelbase, and short wheelbase. Each ride differently, so you should test drive some and find which type you like best.
I hope this helps. If you do end up with a recumbent bike, let us know what you end up with.
[QUOTE=pudytat72]
I don’t think this bike has been ridden enough to develop any kind of failure!
I guess I could ride it to the pack-and-ship place and then walk home. (it is too big to fit in my car)
[/QUOTE