Has anyoner here ever been on a recumbent bicycle?
I've been toying with the idea of getting one for awhile but the price of them while not knowing how I will take to it makes it hard to pull the trigger. Anyone have any advice, first hand experience, or knowledge of them?
Resistance Adjustment and Pre-Programmed Workouts...
Resistance is the name of the game on recumbent bikes. And being able to quickly and easily fine-tune your recumbent’s resistance level to get a challenging yet achievable workout is going to keep you coming back for more. Additionally, many recumbent bike displays allow you to control pre-programmed workouts and some are even paired with a heart-rate monitor to give you a cardio workout that is dictated by your target heart rate level. A variety of resistance levels and pre-programmed workouts will keep you challenged and coming back for more.
Ahh you're talking about exercise bikes. I've been thinking about a regular one for travel. One of the touring models that can handle a pretty decent load of gear for weekend or more. I always liked bike riding but my knees and back can't handle the long trips like they used to.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at February 19, 2017 1:10 PM MST
I probably wouldn't. I think it's going to come down to finding a used one that fits the purpose I want it for if I ever do. Though that could be tricky since not many are out there and what I gathered you kinda have to be fitted to them.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at February 19, 2017 4:59 PM MST
I'm referring to stationary. Sorry, I wrongly assumed. I have seen only a couple of recumbents out and about. I hope you find one that is a good fit for you. :)
I never understood why anybody would want to ride such a thing. You need your face pointing the way you are going, and that hopefully is not toward the sky. You need the strong muscles plus your weight to provide motive power, and a recumbent bike does not apply weight to the pedals. So you are wearing your legs out and don't know what's in front of you.
And if you get knocked off? You go down elbows first, never a good idea.
Actually the position is better for endurance and steady power. You're actually in better position to utilize your leg muscles and instead of your weight are able to push with more of your body muscles. It's a more efficient position for long distance and is less exhausting. You work harder on a regular bike. I just wonder how the balancing is. And you don't look up on them. It's like sitting in a chair. You're in a look forward position more so than on a regular bicycle which puts you in the position of looking at the ground unless you are looking up. You're assertion that you are working harder and wearing yourself out more is a false assumption. It's the opposite.
It's a completely different feeling on a recumbent bike than a regular one and for me, not in a good way. Balance wasn't an issue starting out but it did become an issue when I had to stop suddenly. The general take away for me was that I didn't feel as if I had the kind of control over it that I have on a regular bike. The thought of having to ride it on a busy road made me extremely nervous. Then again, it just could be I was used to regular bikes, this was just a bit different and, given enough time, I might have adjusted perfectly well to it. I will add that I didn't find it any better on the knees but I did like the back support. There are few different styles now so there may be one out there that I might find comfortable to use. I guess as stated above, you will have to test drive one (or more) before making an investment.
That's the part I kinda been wondering about and what I mean by balance. Seems like a fast break or hard turn to avoid something could get pretty squirrelly. I kinda get the impression that it's more of a steady go kinda design and the expense of agility. Though what I would want for is wide low use roads.
It has been a long while but I remember renting one in Washington, DC for a few hours. The ride was great except for one thing. Traffic was light because it was a Sunday but I was almost run over three times in the span of three city blocks. A public bus behind me almost did me in. The bus driver actually flagged down a police car and reported me as a danger to traffic.
tom jackson 