Just found out about recumbents..need to know more...

hi all...

i've recently been to a bike show in my city where first saw one these
things.

it looked pretty cool, and i'm considering getting one but i'm a
little worried about a few things.

i currentl use TREK 7500 for my commuting, it a carries heavy load of
a 15" latptio bag, bike cover, a 1.5 meter chain and clothing bag, all
in a tatonka bag (2 massive side panniers). 13 kg total, i don't know
if the bents can handle it.

the only firm in israel which sells bend is
http://www.challengebikes.com/

have you heard about them..

the last time i got something isoteric was a bike with an electric
motor, the warrnanty was only half a year and even this was not
honoured as the motor died a couple of months (was senstive to shocks,
when i jumped from sidewalk to the road) are the bents also fragile?

are the bents really faster then regualr bikes, i'm 6'3 173 pounds. i
can each around 30 kph normally on my trek, and 45 maximum (with
baggage_, i was told i can reach 40-50 kph normal speed in a bent and
90-100 kph maximum.

is it really harder to climb with them (i only travel in the city, i
barely have to stand on my bikes when climbing).

last but least, riding a bike in the roads of israel is considred
rather dangerous, i don't know about bents.

what do u think?

"Elhanan Maayan" wrote in message
om...
[...]
last but least, riding a bike in the roads of israel is considred
rather dangerous, i don't know about bents.

what do u think?

My God almighty! Riding any kind of a bike on the roads in Israel is
positively suicidal. Don't you know those Arab Muslim *******s are trying to
kill you? If you want to ride a bicycle, you had best think about emigrating
to America. The only kind of vehicle I would want to be in in Israel is a
tank - and I would always shoot first and ask questions later.

Death to the Muslim foe! And g.d. ****ing France all the way to hell and
back while we are at it. And God bless Israel, the only civilized state in
the entire Middle East!

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 02:38:03 -0700, Elhanan Maayan wrote:


i've recently been to a bike show in my city where first saw one these
things.

Suggest you start reading this web site, devoted to
recumbent bikes and trikes:

http://www.bentrideronline.com

It has an excellent message board and a buyers' guide
which surveys many of the bents available.

Have fun.
--
================================================== =======================
Bob Parnass, AJ9S GNU/Linux User http://parnass.com

"Bob Parnass" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 02:38:03 -0700, Elhanan Maayan wrote:


i've recently been to a bike show in my city where first saw one these
things.

Suggest you start reading this web site, devoted to
recumbent bikes and trikes:

http://www.bentrideronline.com

It has an excellent message board and a buyers' guide
which surveys many of the bents available.

Have fun.

Elhanan is not going to have any fun cycling in Israel. He is going to get
himself killed. Most areas of the world are not suited for cycling because
of cultural and other anomalies (like constant warfare and civil unrest).
America and Western Europe are peculiar in this regard for being more or
less civilized and so are suitable for cycling. Most of the rest of the
world, including Israel, is not. It is not even safe to cycle in the cities
of Israel, but it is suicidal to venture forth on the roads outside of the
cities. Elhanan should completely forget about cycling. Maybe someday his
children will be able to do something so simple which we in the West take
for granted, but it is not for him, not now and not in Israel.

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Elhanan Maayan wrote:

i currentl use TREK 7500 for my commuting, it a carries heavy load of
a 15" latptio bag, bike cover, a 1.5 meter chain and clothing bag, all
in a tatonka bag (2 massive side panniers). 13 kg total, i don't know
if the bents can handle it.

There's 'bents and there's 'bents. Just as you wouldn't try and hang 13
extra Kg on the back of a featherweight upright racer, so it would be
silly to do the same on a minimalist racing recumbent, but a design
aimed at loading should take it easily. I know for certain that mine
would handle that no problem.

the only firm in israel which sells bend is
http://www.challengebikes.com/

have you heard about them..

Yes, one of the Dutch "Big 3" along with Optima and M5.

are the bents also fragile?

Again the case that some will be, others won't. It isn't any more
generic than it is with upright bikes, you take them on a case by case
basis.

are the bents really faster then regualr bikes, i'm 6'3 173 pounds. i
can each around 30 kph normally on my trek, and 45 maximum (with
baggage_, i was told i can reach 40-50 kph normal speed in a bent and
90-100 kph maximum.

Again the case that some will be, others won't. It isn't any more
generic than it is with upright bikes, you take them on a case by case
basis. If you get something like a Challenge Fujin or Taifun then
there's a good chance you'll be quicker. But there are plenty which
won't be any faster. Mine (an HP Velotechnik Streetmachine GT) is no
faster than my old upright tourer, but being an order of magnitude more
comfortable and giving me a head-up view of where I'm going makes it
more enjoyable for me to ride, so I don't really care. I didn't buy it
go fast.

is it really harder to climb with them (i only travel in the city, i
barely have to stand on my bikes when climbing).

All else being equal they're generally heavier, so that makes climbing
harder. But harder does not mean "can't climb". I regularly climb 150m
(vertical distance, not horizontal!) hills on mine, and have done so
with full touring/camping gear on board. As long as you have suitable
gears you can get up hills.

last but least, riding a bike in the roads of israel is considred
rather dangerous, i don't know about bents.

They're not intrinsically worse than uprights. The braking tends to be
better, and if you hit something you don't fly over the handlebars. You
hit things feet first, not head first.

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/

(Elhanan Maayan) wrote in message . com...
hi all...

i've recently been to a bike show in my city where first saw one these
things.

it looked pretty cool, and i'm considering getting one but i'm a
little worried about a few things.

i currentl use TREK 7500 for my commuting, it a carries heavy load of
a 15" latptio bag, bike cover, a 1.5 meter chain and clothing bag, all
in a tatonka bag (2 massive side panniers). 13 kg total, i don't know
if the bents can handle it.


Sure, no problem. I know one guy who weighs close to 280 pounds and
had ridden his Easy Racer recumbent across the United States- in 28
days. Mine's fine with a small touring load (about 25 pounds) and me
in the seat- I weigh 220 pounds nowadays.

the only firm in israel which sells bend is
http://www.challengebikes.com/

have you heard about them..


They build good bikes. I haven't seen many of them here in the U.S.,
but they're popular in Europe. Bentrideronline is your best source of
information.

the last time i got something isoteric was a bike with an electric
motor, the warrnanty was only half a year and even this was not
honoured as the motor died a couple of months (was senstive to shocks,
when i jumped from sidewalk to the road) are the bents also fragile?


It depends on the bike. If you buy an ultralight bike and then go
jumping off of curbs, you can expect it to break. Challenge builds a
range of bikes- from lightweight racers to heavy-duty tourers. I think
you would want something from the touring side.

are the bents really faster then regualr bikes, i'm 6'3 173 pounds. i
can each around 30 kph normally on my trek, and 45 maximum (with
baggage_, i was told i can reach 40-50 kph normal speed in a bent and
90-100 kph maximum.


Well, I'm you height, but about 50 pounds heavier. At first I was
slower than my upright, but the muscles adjusted and I was soon a
little faster. I doubt that you'll be 30% faster on a recumbent,
though- I find that speed claims fro recumbents are often inflated.
Faster and more comfortable, certainly- but not by that margin.

is it really harder to climb with them (i only travel in the city, i
barely have to stand on my bikes when climbing).


If you rarely stand, then you'll be fine. Recumbents require more gear
shifting than uprights, but you'll quickly adjust.

last but least, riding a bike in the roads of israel is considred
rather dangerous, i don't know about bents.

what do u think?

Riding a bike anywhere is dangerous, so it's up to you to make
judgements. I used to ride throughout Los Angeles and never had a
problem.

Jeff

"Jeff Wills" wrote in message
om...
(Elhanan Maayan) wrote in message
. com...
[...]
last but least, riding a bike in the roads of israel is considred
rather dangerous, i don't know about bents.

what do u think?

Riding a bike anywhere is dangerous, so it's up to you to make
judgements. I used to ride throughout Los Angeles and never had a
problem.

I don't believe there are as yet any Muslim terrorists trying to blow you up
on the streets of Los Angeles, but maybe if Kerry wins that will soon be the
case since he believes that terrorists are nothing but a nuisance and we can
revert to police action to handle them - which is all that Clinton ever did
about it also. However, right now, Israel is not Los Angeles, and it is
indeed extremely dangerous to go out on a bike there. Jeff needs to get up
to speed on what is happening in the world.

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Elhanan,

You have just woken our resident Troll
You can take anything he says and be
certain it is WRONG

No more shrub - Nov 2 2004,
USAians of course



Edward Dolan wrote:

"Elhanan Maayan" wrote in message
om...
[...]

last but least, riding a bike in the roads of israel is considred
rather dangerous, i don't know about bents.

what do u think?


My God almighty! Riding any kind of a bike on the roads in Israel is
positively suicidal. Don't you know those Arab Muslim *******s are trying to
kill you? If you want to ride a bicycle, you had best think about emigrating
to America. The only kind of vehicle I would want to be in in Israel is a
tank - and I would always shoot first and ask questions later.

Death to the Muslim foe! And g.d. ****ing France all the way to hell and
back while we are at it. And God bless Israel, the only civilized state in
the entire Middle East!

"GOD" wrote in message
news:Joibd.25045$kz3.19355@fed1read02...
Elhanan,

You have just woken our resident Troll
You can take anything he says and be
certain it is WRONG

No more shrub - Nov 2 2004,
USAians of course

Another idiot top poster!

You want to take seriously anything someone says who posts under the moniker
GOD, go right ahead. He is crazy as a loon of course and ought to be taken
out and stoned to death to spare the rest of us his idiocies.

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota


Edward Dolan wrote:

"Elhanan Maayan" wrote in message
om...
[...]

last but least, riding a bike in the roads of israel is considred
rather dangerous, i don't know about bents.

what do u think?


My God almighty! Riding any kind of a bike on the roads in Israel is
positively suicidal. Don't you know those Arab Muslim *******s are trying
to kill you? If you want to ride a bicycle, you had best think about
emigrating to America. The only kind of vehicle I would want to be in in
Israel is a tank - and I would always shoot first and ask questions
later.

Death to the Muslim foe! And g.d. ****ing France all the way to hell and
back while we are at it. And God bless Israel, the only civilized state
in the entire Middle East!

"Edward Dolan" wrote in message ...
Jeff needs to get up
to speed on what is happening in the world.

Let's see- I was born in Holland. I've traveled through most of North
America, plus Taiwan, Germany and France. My dad's currently in China
and my little sister's in Yemen...

Yes, Ed, I know what's happening in the world.

Jeff