He seemed surprised when I mentioned that I was still working through some self-image issues stemming from my perception of recumbents as the final resort of fat, old, broken down, pocket-protector-wearing engineers and ham radio operators.
"I was shocked to see recumbents in the pages of your publication. Since when did it become the magazine for people who sit in chairs while riding with little stick-on mirrors on their helmets? I guess it's not the end of the world, but I'm sure Style Man is ashamed."
Tom Spehar; Dulith, MN. (Reader mail, Bicycling, June 2006)
"You're kidding!" he said. "I always thought recumbents were cool."
"Yeah, but you're an engineer, aren't you."
But here's the thing: after yesterday morning's ride, I'm on the cusp of not giving a flip whether my 'bent and I are or are not considered cool.
Ride report
For the first time this year, I joined a group of about two dozen cyclists for what has been dubbed the Plano East ride. For the first time ever, I took my new recumbent.I've always enjoyed the Plano East ride and the core group of people who frequent it, but this time I was out to answer some questions for myself:
- Could I still ride with a group?
- Could I keep up?
- How would I handle starting from the various up-grades and busy intersections?
- Could I still climb Dump Hill without making the rest of the group wait while I finished my climb?
The blow-by-blow
Riding with the group. The drafting dynamic was a bit different, but I'm probably the only one who noticed. As we were riding single file down a two-lane road, it appeared to me that some of the riders were struggling against the wind. My recumbent sits pretty tall compared to some designs, but it's still tougher for an upright cyclist to draft off me than another upright cyclist. So, when there was room, I tried to ride alongside the draft line (it wasn't really a "paceline") instead of screwing up the draft for the riders following. This was enlightening, as well, because it told me that my recumbent really is that much more efficient than an upright bike, aerodynamically.After about 30 miles of this, I saw one of my friends go off the back of the draft line. When I looked over at her, she was looking a bit grey, so I asked if she was okay.
"I'm whipped," she gasped.
I was surprised. She's a very strong rider who's usually at the front, doing long pulls. She was gassed; I'd been riding out in the wind all morning and felt like I was out for a cruise around the neighborhood.
Keeping up. This ride sometimes splits up with some of the fire eaters going off on their own to hammer, but it's essentially a social ride that usually in the high 13-14 mph range. Yesterday, we averaged 14.8 mph and I never had a problem keeping up. In fact, there were times when I was sitting on the back and wishing the folks in front of me would pick up the pace a bit.
Getting started. There were a couple times when I had a little trouble at intersections. I'm still not 100% comfortable with starting, and riders tend to crowd too close, eager to be at the front of the pack when the light turned green. I think this was mostly psychological, because as soon as I worried that I might wobble into another rider on take-off, I did. Every other start was smooth and straight.
Dump Hill. This is a great "climb" (as we in the Texas flatlands reckon such things) for hill intervals. Steep, maybe 150 yards, it's the one I always tried to hammer on my upright bike, so I was eager to find out how much slower I'd be on the recumbent. The answer, it seems, is "I won't".
I started the climb at the rear of the group, not wanting to get in the way of faster climbers. I hit the base running, spinning, downshifting as my cadence started to lag. As I bore down on a rider in front of me, I didn't want to give up any momentum, so I pulled off to the left and passed him. Then I passed another. And another. Puffing, breathing in time with my decreasing cadence, I kept downshifting until I hit my largest cog. I was nearly to the top and, rather than risk a blown shift to my granny ring under load, I powered on. Once on the flat, I eased back and continued on to the regroup point, where only half a dozen of the group were waiting.
I had passed 3/4 of the group on the climb, and it didn't feel much different from when I'd done it on my Trek. So I guess there's something to the Corsa's reputation as a "hill eater", after all. It's a Good Thing™.
Up the fashion. All I know is I rode 37.38 miles yesterday, and at the end of it my neck felt no worse than if I'd sat in a chair all day, watching TV. No groin numbness. No hand numbness. My legs are a bit sore this morning, but I think I'd have been a bit disappointed if they hadn't been.
I'm 'bent.
10 comments:
Your shifting comment raised a question I had after the 150. As I noted, the new bike performed very well, but there were two cases where I literally shifted the chain off the bike -- I assume doing something vaguely similar to what you resisted doing -- going from the middle ring to the smallest one up front.
I gather it's not a good idea to be doing that under full tension, but is the dropped chain a sign something needs to be adjusted, a case of me performing the shift inexpertly, or just the breaks (which work fine, thankyouverymuch, rimshot)?
I think it's great you're able to get out there and do what you love to do, no matter what pose you have to strike to do it. The aerodynamic and back support arguments in favor of recumbents have always struck me as pretty danged obvious. If I'd had more time and self-esteem, I probably would have picked one, too. Wait a minute, that didn't quite come out right, better edit it... oops! :-)
Bret: The front derailler generally has more problems shifting under load, especially when going from smaller to larger rings. As you might imagine, this is due to the larger distance the chain must be moved. It's easily remedied by momentarily "soft pedaling" when up-shifting, in much the same way as you momentarily get off the gas and depressing the clutch when shifting gears with a manual transmission.
I guess you could have thrown the chain because of shifting under load, but it's also likely that you need to have your high and/or low limits fine tuned. These are the small screws on the derailler, usually marked "H" and "L", which limit how far the derailler cage will move (and thus prevent it lifting the chain entirely off the largest ring and into the street or off the smallest and into the frame).
The rear derailler isn't typically as sensitive about shifting under load, but the low limit is particularly important. As you can imagine, shifting the chain off the largest cog and into the spokes would be a Bad Thing™.
Unless you found yourself a particularly bad bike shop, their shop should be happy to check your limits and make adjustments without charge, in light of your having just bought it. You should also take the bike back after about a month to have the derailler adjustments checked, as the cables will stretch and cause imprecise shifting.
Glad to hear you are doing well on your new "ride".
Thanks for the insight on the shifting. Yes, the bike shop I bought it from is quite helpful, and asked me to bring it back in after the MS to do just that, as well as check everything out.
I've gone out for a few casual rides in the last week, and I do like the new machine a lot.
Am currently trying to generate interest in a family excursion on the San Antone-Corpus MS150. It's the reverse of the Houston/Austin run; almost 600 feet net downhill.
Great read. I've only just returned to cycling since April, and on a recumbent (though a long frame, very different from that radical-looking thing you are wheeling), and while I am only just getting my first hundred miles on it, the one thing I've noticed is that reactions when people see me out on it are almost universally positive--of the 'wow, how cool' sort. Hope to gain sufficient proficiency (and confidence) to join you on a ride soon....
Anonymous: So you're still liking it, yeah? That's great! What sort of distance are you up to now?
Be ready, because once Turtle and I get back from our trip and your shift changes, I'm going to be tapping you for a riding companion.
Meanwhile, an anecdote that may amuse you: Remember how I've said that certain by-products of my creativity and avocation have been MIA since the move to the new house? Something pinged off my brain last evening, and it occurred to me that if some of the more proficiently-rendered examples were still in storage above the garage, it might be a good idea to find them and bring them down before another season of kiln-like temperatures came around.
In the attic. Bedroom closet. Office closet. Doghouse. Unopened boxes, clear containers, unwrapping unidentifiable objects in tissue paper (some more than once). I turned the place upside down, but the two specimens I was most interested in rescuing were the only ones I couldn't find.
Obviously, I had kept them aside in a very safe place—which, not coincidentally, is how I tend to lose things.
I finally found them in one of the first places I'd looked, in a tin box in a carrying case. The first of the three objects in the tin box was a "wolf in sheep's clothing" and led me to believe the contents had "gone to the dogs", and I didn't unwrap the other two.
Which, two hours later, turned out to be the ones I was looking for.
Maybe it's a trick of the camera but those wheels look HUGE in the pic... Nice ride, indeed...
Paul
No... you know what looks huge in the picture? My big white thighs.
I knew I should have put on my bike shorts for the picture...
GREAT write up Mr. Foo! I've posted and linked your story at my site. www.ezbiker.com
Ken aka EZ Biker :-)
PS: Watch those STORMS!!!
Foo,
I have been riding a Strada for 2 years now and have just built a new Corsa. When you are in a paceline, look for shorter riders. The shorter riders can get a draft of of you if they are willing to get on the drops and get close to you. The group that I ride with has learned this and when we get in recumbent friendly terrain they actually shoo me to the front of the line!
Post a Comment