Prone Recumbent?

[dfwx]

Hello... While trike recumbents are attractive, they are not practical
in many applications. My fantasy bike is a prone recumbent, but have
only found one ever build in searching the Internet. It was a simplistic
design of a recumbent UK fan, commented that it was quite fast (as in
very), but that the rider needed to lay higher for better balance.
Recumbents (2 wheelers) as they are look odd to me (beauty in eye of
beholder) - but also having been a cyclists and motorcylists going on 35
years, I do not care for the easy chair recumbent sitting position.
Anyone out there ever hear of or know anything of prone recumbent
bicycles (I suppose prose recumbent is a contradiction in terms but I
think recumbent folks know what I mean.) I invision it with short,
simple turn-down handle bars for the cyclist to pull tight into the
mini-fairing - a small, old cafe-style fairing smoothing air flow just
for cyclist's head, shoulders and arms, and larger rear wheel (36 inch)
with the pedals substantially higher from the ground... With current
materials, weight would seem to likely come in around 40 pounds with
fairing and using steel bike framing for the frame. Obviously it would
be long (ttl 8 feet+) but could telescope down for storage, transporting
and mass transit (or be take-apart). And it would look fast - and
probably be so on the principle of it. The one I read of (UK) was a
50+mph bike on level good pavement and dead air with no fairing and made
just by cutting apart a steel diamond frame and extending it - with a
curved chest platform for the rider to lay on on the frame rail. I can
not find that website, it was green. Any of you know anyone who has
played with or tried to make a prone recumbent 2 wheeler? Diamond frames
have always struck me as a fair study in inefficiency.

Mark



--
>--------------------------<
Posted via cyclingforums.com
http://www.cyclingforums.com

[Warren Berger]

Mark,

No, a prone recumbent is not a contradiction in terms. Recumbent
means lying down. Prone refers to lying on your stomach, supine
refers to lying on your back.

Prone recumbents were first patented in the 1800's. Many have been
built in the last 125 years. A few good examples are shown at:

http://www.geocities.com/rcgilmore3/prone.htm

I actually rode a homebuilt, made from a BMX bike about ten years ago.
A local bike dreamer, like myself had put it together. It was great
fun. I felt like Superman!

Back in the 1980's a prone streamliner was raced quite successfully in
HPV races.

Warren

[Warren Berger]

Mark,

No, a prone recumbent is not a contradiction in terms. Recumbent
means lying down. Prone refers to lying on your stomach, supine
refers to lying on your back.

Prone recumbents were first patented in the 1800's. Many have been
built in the last 125 years. A few good examples are shown at:

http://www.geocities.com/rcgilmore3/prone.htm

I actually rode a homebuilt, made from a BMX bike about ten years ago.
A local bike dreamer, like myself had put it together. It was great
fun. I felt like Superman!

Back in the 1980's a prone streamliner was raced quite successfully in
HPV races.

Warren

[Joshua Goldberg]

One of the key selling points for recumbents has been the safety feature,
re: in an accident your feet and legs get hammered long before your head
does...bent pilots tend to survive crashes whereas DF pilots do not.
To ride bent with your head/chest above your front wheel and guess what
slams the back of the Bus 1st and I would not want to visualize what it
would look like to drop the bent on its' side in a fast turn.
I Just cannot see Bent Luge riding catching on.
------------------------------------------------
"Warren Berger" > wrote in message
om...
> Mark,
>
> No, a prone recumbent is not a contradiction in terms. Recumbent
> means lying down. Prone refers to lying on your stomach, supine
> refers to lying on your back.
>
> Prone recumbents were first patented in the 1800's. Many have been
> built in the last 125 years. A few good examples are shown at:
>
> http://www.geocities.com/rcgilmore3/prone.htm
>
> I actually rode a homebuilt, made from a BMX bike about ten years ago.
> A local bike dreamer, like myself had put it together. It was great
> fun. I felt like Superman!
>
> Back in the 1980's a prone streamliner was raced quite successfully in
> HPV races.
>
> Warren

[Joshua Goldberg]

One of the key selling points for recumbents has been the safety feature,
re: in an accident your feet and legs get hammered long before your head
does...bent pilots tend to survive crashes whereas DF pilots do not.
To ride bent with your head/chest above your front wheel and guess what
slams the back of the Bus 1st and I would not want to visualize what it
would look like to drop the bent on its' side in a fast turn.
I Just cannot see Bent Luge riding catching on.
------------------------------------------------
"Warren Berger" > wrote in message
om...
> Mark,
>
> No, a prone recumbent is not a contradiction in terms. Recumbent
> means lying down. Prone refers to lying on your stomach, supine
> refers to lying on your back.
>
> Prone recumbents were first patented in the 1800's. Many have been
> built in the last 125 years. A few good examples are shown at:
>
> http://www.geocities.com/rcgilmore3/prone.htm
>
> I actually rode a homebuilt, made from a BMX bike about ten years ago.
> A local bike dreamer, like myself had put it together. It was great
> fun. I felt like Superman!
>
> Back in the 1980's a prone streamliner was raced quite successfully in
> HPV races.
>
> Warren

[Ian]

Warren Berger must be edykated coz e writed:

> Mark,
>
> No, a prone recumbent is not a contradiction in terms. Recumbent
> means lying down. Prone refers to lying on your stomach, supine
> refers to lying on your back.
>
> Prone recumbents were first patented in the 1800's. Many have been
> built in the last 125 years. A few good examples are shown at:
>
> http://www.geocities.com/rcgilmore3/prone.htm
>
> I actually rode a homebuilt, made from a BMX bike about ten years ago.
> A local bike dreamer, like myself had put it together. It was great
> fun. I felt like Superman!
>
> Back in the 1980's a prone streamliner was raced quite successfully in
> HPV races.
>
> Warren
One of the things I like about my bent is the knowledge that in a crash, my
feet hit first, and my legs act as shock absorbers, I'm not too keen on the
idea of using my head as a fender, must be a good way of getting abs of
steel though. Wasn't this the design that Boardman was going to use for a
speed record?

Ian

[Ian]

Warren Berger must be edykated coz e writed:

> Mark,
>
> No, a prone recumbent is not a contradiction in terms. Recumbent
> means lying down. Prone refers to lying on your stomach, supine
> refers to lying on your back.
>
> Prone recumbents were first patented in the 1800's. Many have been
> built in the last 125 years. A few good examples are shown at:
>
> http://www.geocities.com/rcgilmore3/prone.htm
>
> I actually rode a homebuilt, made from a BMX bike about ten years ago.
> A local bike dreamer, like myself had put it together. It was great
> fun. I felt like Superman!
>
> Back in the 1980's a prone streamliner was raced quite successfully in
> HPV races.
>
> Warren
One of the things I like about my bent is the knowledge that in a crash, my
feet hit first, and my legs act as shock absorbers, I'm not too keen on the
idea of using my head as a fender, must be a good way of getting abs of
steel though. Wasn't this the design that Boardman was going to use for a
speed record?

Ian

[Ken Kobayashi]

On 27 Jun 2003 08:14:37 -0700, (Warren Berger)
wrote:

>Back in the 1980's a prone streamliner was raced quite successfully in
>HPV races.



Ken Kobayashi

http://solarwww.mtk.nao.ac.jp/kobayashi/personal/

[Ken Kobayashi]

On 27 Jun 2003 08:14:37 -0700, (Warren Berger)
wrote:

>Back in the 1980's a prone streamliner was raced quite successfully in
>HPV races.



Ken Kobayashi

http://solarwww.mtk.nao.ac.jp/kobayashi/personal/

[Mark van Gorkom]

Christopher Jordan wrote:
http://www.encycleopedia.com/index.cfm?whichpage=encProduct.cfm&edID=50

They're very good climbers, but a bit scary going downhill, I'd think.
Now for a 'bent you can flip over from supine to prone whenever a hill
looms...

Mark van Gorkom.

[Mark van Gorkom]

Christopher Jordan wrote:
http://www.encycleopedia.com/index.cfm?whichpage=encProduct.cfm&edID=50

They're very good climbers, but a bit scary going downhill, I'd think.
Now for a 'bent you can flip over from supine to prone whenever a hill
looms...

Mark van Gorkom.

[R.White]

dfwx > wrote in message >...
> Hello... While trike recumbents are attractive, they are not practical
> in many applications. My fantasy bike is a prone recumbent, but have
> only found one ever build in searching the Internet. It was a simplistic
> design of a recumbent UK fan, commented that it was quite fast (as in
> very), but that the rider needed to lay higher for better balance.
> Recumbents (2 wheelers) as they are look odd to me (beauty in eye of
> beholder) - but also having been a cyclists and motorcylists going on 35
> years, I do not care for the easy chair recumbent sitting position.
> Anyone out there ever hear of or know anything of prone recumbent
> bicycles (I suppose prose recumbent is a contradiction in terms but I
> think recumbent folks know what I mean.) I invision it with short,
> simple turn-down handle bars for the cyclist to pull tight into the
> mini-fairing - a small, old cafe-style fairing smoothing air flow just
> for cyclist's head, shoulders and arms, and larger rear wheel (36 inch)
> with the pedals substantially higher from the ground... With current
> materials, weight would seem to likely come in around 40 pounds with
> fairing and using steel bike framing for the frame. Obviously it would
> be long (ttl 8 feet+) but could telescope down for storage, transporting
> and mass transit (or be take-apart). And it would look fast - and
> probably be so on the principle of it. The one I read of (UK) was a
> 50+mph bike on level good pavement and dead air with no fairing and made
> just by cutting apart a steel diamond frame and extending it - with a
> curved chest platform for the rider to lay on on the frame rail. I can
> not find that website, it was green. Any of you know anyone who has
> played with or tried to make a prone recumbent 2 wheeler? Diamond frames
> have always struck me as a fair study in inefficiency.


Like this?

<http://home.t-online.de/home/stephan.auerochs/fullsize/1_117_03.jpg>

[R.White]

dfwx > wrote in message >...
> Hello... While trike recumbents are attractive, they are not practical
> in many applications. My fantasy bike is a prone recumbent, but have
> only found one ever build in searching the Internet. It was a simplistic
> design of a recumbent UK fan, commented that it was quite fast (as in
> very), but that the rider needed to lay higher for better balance.
> Recumbents (2 wheelers) as they are look odd to me (beauty in eye of
> beholder) - but also having been a cyclists and motorcylists going on 35
> years, I do not care for the easy chair recumbent sitting position.
> Anyone out there ever hear of or know anything of prone recumbent
> bicycles (I suppose prose recumbent is a contradiction in terms but I
> think recumbent folks know what I mean.) I invision it with short,
> simple turn-down handle bars for the cyclist to pull tight into the
> mini-fairing - a small, old cafe-style fairing smoothing air flow just
> for cyclist's head, shoulders and arms, and larger rear wheel (36 inch)
> with the pedals substantially higher from the ground... With current
> materials, weight would seem to likely come in around 40 pounds with
> fairing and using steel bike framing for the frame. Obviously it would
> be long (ttl 8 feet+) but could telescope down for storage, transporting
> and mass transit (or be take-apart). And it would look fast - and
> probably be so on the principle of it. The one I read of (UK) was a
> 50+mph bike on level good pavement and dead air with no fairing and made
> just by cutting apart a steel diamond frame and extending it - with a
> curved chest platform for the rider to lay on on the frame rail. I can
> not find that website, it was green. Any of you know anyone who has
> played with or tried to make a prone recumbent 2 wheeler? Diamond frames
> have always struck me as a fair study in inefficiency.


Like this?

<http://home.t-online.de/home/stephan.auerochs/fullsize/1_117_03.jpg>

[S. Delaire \Rotatorrecumbent\]

The few prones I've tried were not comfortable for the long haul. The bent
neck to see down the road for me was the biggest problem.
A person can be trained to ride anything but that doesn't mean that everyone
can ride it. The ones I tried handled odd.
Frontal area can be made no smaller then a low racer which has feet first
safety.
Very few prone bikes get on the podium at the races. Why? Pushing against a
seat back most likely makes more power.
A lot of motorcycles have feet first riding positions. Have you seen Dan
Gurney's Alligator? Fast and looks much safer then a cafe racer position.
To each his own???
Speedy

dfwx wrote:

> Hello... While trike recumbents are attractive, they are not practical
> in many applications. My fantasy bike is a prone recumbent, but have
> only found one ever build in searching the Internet. It was a simplistic
> design of a recumbent UK fan, commented that it was quite fast (as in
> very), but that the rider needed to lay higher for better balance.
> Recumbents (2 wheelers) as they are look odd to me (beauty in eye of
> beholder) - but also having been a cyclists and motorcylists going on 35
> years, I do not care for the easy chair recumbent sitting position.
> Anyone out there ever hear of or know anything of prone recumbent
> bicycles (I suppose prose recumbent is a contradiction in terms but I
> think recumbent folks know what I mean.) I invision it with short,
> simple turn-down handle bars for the cyclist to pull tight into the
> mini-fairing - a small, old cafe-style fairing smoothing air flow just
> for cyclist's head, shoulders and arms, and larger rear wheel (36 inch)
> with the pedals substantially higher from the ground... With current
> materials, weight would seem to likely come in around 40 pounds with
> fairing and using steel bike framing for the frame. Obviously it would
> be long (ttl 8 feet+) but could telescope down for storage, transporting
> and mass transit (or be take-apart). And it would look fast - and
> probably be so on the principle of it. The one I read of (UK) was a
> 50+mph bike on level good pavement and dead air with no fairing and made
> just by cutting apart a steel diamond frame and extending it - with a
> curved chest platform for the rider to lay on on the frame rail. I can
> not find that website, it was green. Any of you know anyone who has
> played with or tried to make a prone recumbent 2 wheeler? Diamond frames
> have always struck me as a fair study in inefficiency.
>
> Mark
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com
> http://www.cyclingforums.com



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[S. Delaire \Rotatorrecumbent\]

The few prones I've tried were not comfortable for the long haul. The bent
neck to see down the road for me was the biggest problem.
A person can be trained to ride anything but that doesn't mean that everyone
can ride it. The ones I tried handled odd.
Frontal area can be made no smaller then a low racer which has feet first
safety.
Very few prone bikes get on the podium at the races. Why? Pushing against a
seat back most likely makes more power.
A lot of motorcycles have feet first riding positions. Have you seen Dan
Gurney's Alligator? Fast and looks much safer then a cafe racer position.
To each his own???
Speedy

dfwx wrote:

> Hello... While trike recumbents are attractive, they are not practical
> in many applications. My fantasy bike is a prone recumbent, but have
> only found one ever build in searching the Internet. It was a simplistic
> design of a recumbent UK fan, commented that it was quite fast (as in
> very), but that the rider needed to lay higher for better balance.
> Recumbents (2 wheelers) as they are look odd to me (beauty in eye of
> beholder) - but also having been a cyclists and motorcylists going on 35
> years, I do not care for the easy chair recumbent sitting position.
> Anyone out there ever hear of or know anything of prone recumbent
> bicycles (I suppose prose recumbent is a contradiction in terms but I
> think recumbent folks know what I mean.) I invision it with short,
> simple turn-down handle bars for the cyclist to pull tight into the
> mini-fairing - a small, old cafe-style fairing smoothing air flow just
> for cyclist's head, shoulders and arms, and larger rear wheel (36 inch)
> with the pedals substantially higher from the ground... With current
> materials, weight would seem to likely come in around 40 pounds with
> fairing and using steel bike framing for the frame. Obviously it would
> be long (ttl 8 feet+) but could telescope down for storage, transporting
> and mass transit (or be take-apart). And it would look fast - and
> probably be so on the principle of it. The one I read of (UK) was a
> 50+mph bike on level good pavement and dead air with no fairing and made
> just by cutting apart a steel diamond frame and extending it - with a
> curved chest platform for the rider to lay on on the frame rail. I can
> not find that website, it was green. Any of you know anyone who has
> played with or tried to make a prone recumbent 2 wheeler? Diamond frames
> have always struck me as a fair study in inefficiency.
>
> Mark
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com
> http://www.cyclingforums.com



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[sethjayson]

> I Just cannot see Bent Luge riding catching on.

> ------------------------------------------------

That'd be bent skeleton. On a luge, you go feet first. And whoohah, is it
fun.

sj

[sethjayson]

> I Just cannot see Bent Luge riding catching on.

> ------------------------------------------------

That'd be bent skeleton. On a luge, you go feet first. And whoohah, is it
fun.

sj