Tēm ShermĒn °_° wrote:
On 1/6/2011 2:08 PM, aka Tom Paterson wrote:
[...]
What is it about recumbent riding, anyhow?[...]
1. Comfort
2. Lower aerodynamic drag (on a bike designed for performance)
3. Demonstrates the ability of the rider to ignore derision from the
ignorant.
You forgot another 5 entries for "Comfort"...
I have nice saddles that fit me well on my wedgies and I don't find I
get saddle sore too badly, but the real difference for me is for my
hands, arms, shoulders and neck. Those wouldn't be problems on a bike
with a bolt-upright riding position, but with #2, lower drag in mind, I
wouldn't want to tour all day on one of those!
On the touring front (my 'bent is a tourer and that's what I use it for)
another plus is that done right a 'bent will take luggage better. On
mine (an HPVel Streetmachine GT) I can get the real weight between the
wheels and under me where the only effect on the handling is gluing me
to the road better. Banana bags (as made by Radical and now Ortlieb and
others) are bigger and easier to pack than trad panniers, and /much/
better for long items like tent poles.
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/