h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have been a bent rider since the early eighties. It is wonderful that I can keep up with my more fit rider friends. There is no better way to ride.

I wonder about Irish weather? Isn't it rather wet, and dont you get more rain in a bent position?

Living on the West coast of America my weathe is much drier.
dim26trav

Hello there dim26trav!

I first saw an article about recumbents in a magazine around 1981; they were unbelievably expensive then but I knew I would get one eventually, and I finally did in February 2000, when a friend of my son's spotted a second-hand PDQ in London and nabbed it for me.

Parts of Ireland are quite wet but the east coast (I live in Dublin) is nice and dry most of the time--over the last year I have only had one or two soakings. I have heard that it can also be rainy or at least foggy on the coasts of Washington Oregon and California?

An upright bike can shed rain off a cape better, it is true, while a bent has your legs out catching the drops; though the most awkward thing is that your coat can form a puddle in the middle of your chest if you don't take care to prevent it! A good coat and high quality rain trousers do the job for me, and I can keep them in my permanent bag behind the seat.

I agree (as you see from my Entry) that there is no better way to ride. For me the comfort factor is the big recommendation. I have recently done a 1400-mile tour on the continent with my brother; he rides a Maxam Reveille that he bought in Tucson, Arizona, a big long unwieldy heavy thing, but he loves it for its comfort. Neither of us suffered any saddle sore or strain anywhere, and we are both grandfathers!

Yes the state of Oregon averages 40 inches per year which is where I live. I've been off the bike though due to a knee injury for a long time. It is such a pain to even lift my leg so riding is out for me.
Where I live there are plenty of bike paths, Oregon is very bicycle friendly. There lots of recumbents around here.

My bike which is not made anymore (they went out of business) was about eight feet long! It turned like a truck, and the chain broke multiple times(it was about 10 feet long). When it worked it was a dream. I knew people who averaged 200 miles a week and even though I was just an occasional rider, I could keep up with them. It irritated them no end.

If there was some way to manufacture these bikes with more efficiency they could be sold at reasonable prices. My next one will be a short wheel base with handles under, feet and gears out front. there are plenty of models now tro choose from. The problem with the manufacturing is that each bike needs to be built somewhat to the framesize of the rider, and that is difficult to do on any massive scale for efficiency. Without some form of making the bike at the shop, each bike must be custom ordered.

Yep, we get about 30-40" in Dublin, though it's more like 55 out west in Galway & Limerick, 110 on the mountains in Connemara and Kerry.

My bike, a PDQ, fits all sizes -- the pedal mounting slides forward and back. See one at http://home.arcor.de/zoxed/pdq_intro.html

My next bike will be similar but with the controls under the bar not above it. It may look even stranger but leaves greater turning ability, and requires greater balance
.http://www.recumbent.com/recumbents.html

This site has a variety of types but includes the under the bar controls also.

Some of those look very appealing; to me the most appealing ones are the ones that look most like PDQs! Is that loyalty or what? I have heard that the moulded seats are not as comfortable as webbing; at least, I have no complaints about my webbing seat, it's cool and comfy.

I'd expect that the turning circle is determined by how near your front wheel goes to your pedals, rather than under-or-over steering. I can hit my front wheel with a heel if I turn excessively; but such a tight turn is never needed in my experience. OK, I sometimes do three-point back-and-forth manoeuvres in traffic or among pedestrias. No problem.

I saw a German make (Kitewessel?) of tandem where the front rider is recumbent and the back one is upright. Advantages -- both have a good view, and their heads are close enough to converse. Should be a powerful beast too!

The problem as I see it is that as the handle bars are over head they must be move a great deal to affect a turn, and a tight turn could be impossible. The bike I used to have took forever to make a turn it was so long, that is why I would want the other type that is all.

My brother's is like that, nothing to do with under or ovr, just the long wheel base. The PDQ is twitchy, like a restless stallion! A nudge of a finger and I'm going in a different direction!

I'll keep that in mind when I get the money ready for my new bike. However soon that maybe.

Thanks