My new iPod transport...

[HsvToolFool]

I've been saving up for a recumbent trike for a while. Two week ago, I finally pulled the
trigger and the trike was delivered last Sunday. I've only put about 50 miles on my
awesome human-powered-vehicle this first week, but I've thoroughly enjoyed every
minute.

Why a tricycle? My plan is to drop about 70 pounds over the next year and get back to
about 160. That's only 1.5 pounds per week and I'll be monitored by my doctor. I'll
commute to work when the weather allows, and enjoy longer touring-style rides on
the weekends. I intend to work up to 20, 50, and 100 mile rides soon as possible.

Unfortunately, I can't do any of that until I get more supplies like a high-visibility
flag, lights, bags, water bottles, locks, etc. I must also work up to the longer rides.
I presently can't manage more than an easy hour of riding around the local neighborhoods.
But my legs should be ready in about a month.

Well anyway, here's a pic in case there are any 'Bent riders around here. This is a Catrike
"Expedition", and purple is just the color they happened to have in stock at the time...

 

[slowGEEZR]

Very nice. Exercise is something of which I also could use a little more.

 

[sebrof2000]

I ride as a hobby (traditional road bike), and I've seen many different styles of recumbants. I've always been curious as to how it would feel riding one. As a charter member of the "Old Guys who get fat in winter" club it would be nice to have one to ride in the spring when my rear end is a little tender. I could ease into toughing it up a little easier. It looks a little sturdier too, 'cause sometimes I'm afriad the extra weight I carry early in the season will break a carbon fork or bend one of those skinny tires.
Good luck getting in shape. 1.5 lbs/week is a reasonable goal. I usually shoot for between 1 and 2 when I try to lose 15 - 20 lbs when I take a bike vacation in the Colorado Rockies. There, every pound counts big time.

Mike

 

[Diamonds]

I've been saving up for a recumbent trike for a while. Two week ago, I finally pulled the
trigger and the trike was delivered last Sunday. I've only put about 50 miles on my
awesome human-powered-vehicle this first week, but I've thoroughly enjoyed every
minute.

Why a tricycle? My plan is to drop about 70 pounds over the next year and get back to
about 160. That's only 1.5 pounds per week and I'll be monitored by my doctor. I'll
commute to work when the weather allows, and enjoy longer touring-style rides on
the weekends. I intend to work up to 20, 50, and 100 mile rides soon as possible.

Unfortunately, I can't do any of that until I get more supplies like a high-visibility
flag, lights, bags, water bottles, locks, etc. I must also work up to the longer rides.
I presently can't manage more than an easy hour of riding around the local neighborhoods.
But my legs should be ready in about a month.

Well anyway, here's a pic in case there are any 'Bent riders around here. This is a Catrike
"Expedition", and purple is just the color they happened to have in stock at the time...

Your bike looks great! I used to bike a few thousand miles per year and once you reach 100 miles in one ride you feel a great sense of accomplishment, I know I did. Good Luck!!!

 

[HsvToolFool]

It looks a little sturdier too...

Oh! That reminds me of why I chose the Catrike brand.

When I first began investigating recumbents, I stumbled across this on-line journal...

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=2312&v=xW

This mother of eight beats thyroid cancer, re-habs from paralysis caused by a car accident,
then pedals a Catrike cross-country from San Dieago, CA to St. Augustine, FL in less than
two months. Incredibly inspirational and worth reading.

It's also the kind of endurance test that sells me on a product.

 

[TomDac]

contrary to my current state of physical fitness, I used to ride a bicycle quite a bit. At one point back in the 90s, I was hoping to do the SF AIDS ride, which is a bike ride from SF to LA in 7 days. I bought a bike and started training.... started out slowly... 10 miles.. then 20, then 30. I'd be wiped out after 30 miles.

I got into pretty good shape doing this and pretty soon I tried a 50 mile ride.. From San Francisco to San Jose. By the end of the ride, my thigh muscles were cramping so bad, I didn't think I was gonna make it.

I trained some more and did a couple more 50 mile rides. The cramping was always there at the end and I just didn't think I could ever do 100 per day for a week, so I became a recreational mountain biker.. Lots of places to ride here in the bay area and there is just something so awesome about being in the middle of nowhere with nothing but you and your bike.

Anyway.. I desperately need to get back on my bike and shed some of this tonnage I've put on.... it sucks being a desk jockey!! grrr.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread.. Good luck on the recumbant.. I've always wanted to try one of those!!


Phenomenal story of that woman on her pink trike...

 

[Tube60]

Awesome!
I wanted to build one in metalshop when I was in high school but didn't have the resources to do it. I'm happy with my Mongoose mountain bike. I bought it last year in May. I was riding 25 miles almost right away after not riding a bicycle since my early 20s, to offer some encouragement to you! I realize the 'bent bikes offer a different workload though.

 

[sleepysurf]

The heck with using your iPod. The layout of that recumbant trike would be perfect for mounting powered speakers over the front wheels, and then using your iPod to stream music to them. You'd be sitting in the "sweet spot" the whole time!

Actually, I've always wanted to "try" a recumbant, but forgot they're also available as trikes! I could keep riding into my 80's with one of those! My wife and I are weekend warriors, riding 20-30+ mi a pop whenever we can. We're training for our first-ever BackRoads bicycling vacation around Martha's Vineyard next month. I told her that if we do well on that one, we'll plan a longer European trip next time!

 

[Kruppy]

This summer at the age of 39, I, along with a couple of my pre-mid life crisis friends, decided to start racing mountian bikes (including a couple of endurace races). We're having a great time. I have a 30 mile round trip commute to work.

Here's my trusty steed, a Giant Anthem 1. It's the best bike I'll probably ever own (thanks Jim).

Ride on!

 

[HsvToolFool]

By the end of the ride, my thigh muscles were cramping so bad,
I didn't think I was gonna make it.

I've never personally experienced severe cramps, but I've read that it's usually caused
by poor nutrition/hydration during the ride. Electrolytes and taurine and all that. Then
again, you may have just pushed past your limits. I dunno. I plan to ride some
"centuries" eventually, so I'll have to learn how to manange nutrition on long trips.

I road 2 hours in a nearby business park this afternoon. It was glorious! I experienced
no discomfort whatsoever before, during, or after the ride. This is a big first for any ride longer
than 30 minutes. I didn't make very good time and will never win any races, but that's hardly
the point. I had two hours of good cardio that was 100% fun.

Anyway.. I desperately need to get back on my bike and shed some of this
tonnage I've put on.... it sucks being a desk jockey!! grrr.

That's exactly where I am now: a desk jockey 60+ pounds too heavy to ride a traditional
diamond-frame bike. I have a Trek "crossover" bike, but I can't ride more than 10 minutes
before my butt, back, and wrists are killing me. It's a catch-22: I need to ride at least
an hour or more per day to lost weight but I'm too heavy. The recumbant trike is my
escape from that dillema.

I wanted to build one in metalshop...

I took a welding class recently, and may try my hand at building a recumbent bicycle
someday. But dual front-wheel trikes like mine are NOT a do-it-yourself project! The front
suspension alone is quite complex. The front wheels have camber, caster, toe-in, and ackerman
just like a car. If you get anything wrong, control suffers and the tires wear quickly due to
scrub. Worse, a "shimmy" may appear at high speeds making the trike dangerous. It's just
not worth the headache.

A dual front-wheel trike is a "tadpole" style while two-rear-wheel types are called "deltas". The
deltas are easier to design and build (and therefore cost less), but are less stable at high
speeds. I live for fast downhill runs and plan to hit 40+ mph on my trike, so a "delta"
model wasn't an option for me.

The layout of that recumbant trike would be perfect for mounting powered speakers
over the front wheels, and then using your iPod to stream music to them.

Some trikers mount small speakers on either side of the headrest facing forward.
Basically, 'phones to skirt local laws about not wearing 'phones on a bike.

However, I don't plan to "pimp my ride" that way because I enjoy natural sounds while
riding. I am riding out in the country, after all. My thread's title is actually a silly play on
SlowGeezer's "This BOSE transport is awesome!" thread. Besides, I don't even own an
MP3 player!

By the way...

Before anyone goes trike or recumbant shopping, prepare yourself for sticker shock.
Catrikes are made in Florida, start around $1,200, and go up to $2,700 for their top model.
This is pretty typical for a quality trike with decent components. Recumbant bikes
cost more than tradtional frame bikes, and trikes cost more than recumbant bikes
due to their complexity.

Trikes are also relatively slow, so if you're competitive or in a hurry then they aren't for you.
A trike's comfort, stability, and weight-hauling advantage comes at the cost of speed.
Today, I puttered along happily at no more than 10 to 15 mph and couldn't quite hit
30 mph or a short downhill. Once I'm in shape, I'll investigate improving my aerodynamics
before I find some big, straight hills to descend. Then I'll probably see 40 mph. YeeHaw!

Now recumbent bicycles on the other hand, are much faster than a diamond-frame
bikes due to aerodynamics. It's not unusual for amatuer riders to maintain 25+ mph for
hours using a racing recumbent. The strong riders can average 30+ mph on long rides.
I have more interest in enjoying the scenery than speed, so I'll probably never get a
racing recumbent.