Re: New wide platform spd pedals

On Sun, 1 Sep 2024 09:59:32 -0500, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

On 8/31/2024 8:08 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 8/31/2024 4:07 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:

Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:

On Sat, 31 Aug 2024 08:30:45 -0700, NFN Smith
<worldoff9908@gmail.com>
wrote:
>

Roger Merriman wrote:

Stranely enough, since I have stopped seeking higher
speeds, my
cadence has speeded up a bit, but alas, my legs do not
acommodate high
cadence for very long. I've gone from the low sixties
to the low
seventies
>

Doesn?t sound particularly mashy cadence either low 60?s

>
Is there a difference between riding a recumbent and
riding a
traditional diamond frame?
>
Smith

>
big difference. Try one out. You'll see.
>

>
I’d assume much like traditional diamond framed bikes they
differ
themselves, I’ve only used myself big heavy recumbent
tandem bikes.
>
Do see the semi framed two wheels ones as is a racetrack
and recumbent club
near work!

 
I've done test rides on maybe 6 or 7 various models of
recumbents. I've also had about 6 friends who, for varying
amounts of time, rode recumbents. And for a while, I owned a
low recumbent tricycle that was given to me by a friend. My
impressions:
 
I found two wheel recumbents more difficult to balance than
normal bikes. I think the main reason is lower polar moment
of inertia with respect to the ground. (That's for the
engineers reading this.) A recumbent bike tends to tip
faster, just as a 6" ruler balanced on end tips much faster
than a yardstick balanced on end. (Extending that idea: I've
done test rides on at least two Ordinaries, or high wheel or
"penny farthing" bikes. They were amazingly easy to balance
at almost zero speed.)
 
Long wheelbase recumbents have another balance detriment,
which is slower lateral reactions due to the long wheelbase.
But short wheelbase recumbents may react quicker laterally
than a standard upright bike.
 
I didn't do any serious hill climbing on any recumbent, but
all the friends who rode them claimed they were much slower
uphill. I'm not positive of the reason, besides the typical
weight disadvantage. Since one's back is against the seat,
it seems one should be able to generate more leg force than
on an upright bike, where one's own weight is pretty much
the limit. I suspect the inability to get one's entire body
into the action is a partial explanation, but I don't know
for sure.
 
I think recumbents are at a disadvantage in traffic. A low
bike is much less conspicuous. Many recumbents sport tall
"safety flags" for that reason, but I can't say how much
those might help. The low position also reduces one's view
of surrounding traffic and upcoming hazards.
 
With a recumbent, hauling loads can be more of a problem,
mostly because typical panniers, bags, etc. are not designed
for them. This doesn't need to be the case (one student of
mine rode, in competition, a recumbent that won the IHPVA
"Practical Vehicle" contest one year) but as with almost
anything, custom or low production bags will be much more
expensive than standard issue bags.
 
Most riders seem to feel that recumbents are more
comfortable than upright bikes. That's an advantage.
 
Aerodynamics seem to be a bit better on a recumbent, but not
greatly better. The friend who rode a recumbent most
recently would coast the same speed I would when I was on my
aero bars or in a full tuck. Of course, I'd have to come out
of the tuck to pedal, when he would just resume pedaling.
But some have claimed that the churning of the out-front
cranks and legs imposes extra drag. A partial nose fairing
may help that.
 
I'm told a recumbent is typically much tougher to transport
than a normal bike. (So is our tandem, BTW.) A couple of my
recumbent friends bought vans specifically to haul those bikes.
 
I think a very significant point is that all my mentions of
friends riding recumbents are past tense. I don't know
anyone who rides a recumbent today. Every one of them
eventually decided the disadvantages exceeded the advantages.
 
 

>
+1 to all that, good overview.
>
I might add that when things go awry in traffic, when push
comes to shove, regular bicycles have better, quicker
maneuverability /in extremis/.

Two-wheel, short wheelbase recumbents are pretty quick and
maneuverable.