Frequently Answered Questions
What is that thing, anyway?
It's called a recumbent bicycle (or 'bent when we want to say it fast). The
term "recumbent" implies reclined, or laid back. Think of it as
pedaling a lounge chair along the road.
Is that hard to ride?
Actually, no. Granted, it's different in both balance and muscle use,
but most folks take to it readily. The comfort is the reason, and the
comfort is wonderful! It IS hard to ride without smiling, though!
How much did that cost?
We used to figure on about twice the cost of a similarly-equipped
conventional bike. The costs have come down in the last several years, as companies figured out
better ways of doing things and the market improved. Now, it is common to
find a solid recumbent for about the same money one would spend on a
comparably-equipped conventional performance bike. There are some great
deals to be had, too. Sun
Bicycles makes the EZ-1, which sells for about $550.
Where can I get one of my own?
The best (and only multi-line) recumbent dealer in the Louisville Kentucky area is
Scheller's Fitness and Cycling. Some of the other dealers in the area
carry one brand or another, primarily the Sun
EZ-1 Super Cruiser and its siblings, but nobody else is likely to
carry as many brands as Scheller's (no prizes for guessing why). There are other shops in the region,
of course. Links to some of them are here.
Why do you ride that?
In short, because it is much more comfortable. Because the bikes are
more comfortable, we are happy to ride longer and more often, gleaning more
benefit physically and emotionally, AND getting more out of the investment we
make in ourselves (as represented by the money spent on the bike purchase and
the accessories we enjoy having on our bikes).
Many folks take to riding a recumbent bicycle because of some injury or
compromise in their physical condition. Arthritic shoulders, neck
injuries, some back injuries, and wrist/hand problems have all been cited as
reason to ride a recumbent. All of these are valid reasons, but the best
reason of all is to simply have a comfortable bicycle to ride. Some of us
even like to go fast.
Where do you ride that?
We ride anywhere the roads take us. These are primarily road bicycles,
for use on pavement, although there are some built for off-road use. Country
roads, city roads, parks, rail-trails, and neighborhoods are all popular places
to ride a bicycle, and recumbents are no different.
How can I find you folks to ride with you?
Our group rides are open to anyone who would like to find out more about
riding a recumbent bicycle. We ride on the second Sunday and last Saturday
of each month. The Sunday rides typically start in front of the basketball
courts at Seneca Park at nine in the morning, and the Saturday rides typically
start at Sixth and Magnolia at eight in the morning. Contact us for
directions, or for atypical start places/times.
What about drivers? Can they see you?
Happily, we find that we get more room from motorists on recumbent bicycles than
we did on conventional bikes. Whatever is going through their minds, they
must be seeing us, or they would not give us so much room.
Why don't more people ride cool bikes like that?
First, a bit of history: In the 1930s, François Fauvre, a
middle-of-the-pack racer, rode a bike called the Velocar, built by Charles
Mochet. When he and the bike started setting new
records, the other competitors started claiming it had an unfair advantage, and
pressured the UCI to ban recumbents from competition, a ban that remains in
effect to this day (albeit disguised as some esoteric irrelevant rule).
As a result, few folks considered recumbents again until
the 1970s, during a search for alternative transportation modes due to the
"oil crisis." Because much of the "reinvention" of
recumbent bikes was done by folks like David Gordon Wilson, a professor at MIT,
some consider bents to be "nerd rides," but those who know the truth just grin and
ride comfortably for hours and hours, or days and days.
Any more thoughts?
Yes, indeed! One of the most frequent comments we hear from folks as we
ride past is one or another variation on, "Cool bike!!" People
smile when they see us. The world needs more smiles!!
Copyright © 2000 Tom Armstrong. All rights reserved.
Revised: July 23, 2004
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Louisville's Relaxed Recumbent Riders' Group
