On Oct 23, 2006, at 7:57 PM, David Baxter wrote:

> I am looking to make the move from a traditional road bike to
> a `bent', and have a few questions
> 1 - Any suggestions or knowledgeable dealers that have stock and fit
> bikes? I need to find someone who knows their stuff and have bikes I
> can try.
Angle Lake Cyclery.

> 2 - Do any of you commute to downtown Seattle on a recumbent? I am
> concerned about visibility and the ability to go fast quickly. I
> ride along 3rd with buses in the AM and 2nd Avenue with the crazy
> cars in the PM.
I ride through Seattle frequently. As I've gotten comfortable on my
bike, I've had no trouble riding the same routes I took on an
upright, although the way I ride is different. Bents impose a
different style from uprights, in my experience. You can't see over
the traffic or parked cars -- a minus, and it's harder to slide
through narrow spaces -- probably a plus. In general I feel more car-
like and am less tempted to pull bone-headed maneuvers. Compared to
off-the-saddle sprinting, you will almost certainly climb slower.
But with suitably low gears you can climb anything. I climb
Blanchard from Western to 1st, also one block of 15% grade to get
home in West Seattle.

Regarding visibility, I find traffic treats me well so I have little
doubt drivers notice me on a 'bent. If you pick a bike with a
relatively high seat and upright seating angle you will have a good
view of the road and, with some practice, you will be able to twist
around to see what's behind. A helmet or eyeglasses mirror helps a lot.

Acceleration can be quite good. Recumbents use different muscle
groups, so your performance may be disappointing until you are re-
conditioned.

>
> For a bit of background: ... Anyhoo, I am starting to have problems
> with
> my arms and one leg going numb and tingling. The doctor thinks that
> biking is a contributing factor.
In my case, I had a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in my right
leg, and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in lungs) in April. I am
taking Coumadin to suppress further clot formation. This leaves me
vulnerable to bleeding; in particular, popping off my upright and
landing on my head could cause a brain hemorrhage. So I have
switched to recumbents since the odds of an over-the-bars crash are
much lower than on uprights.

I was also searching for more speed & comfort on randonneur rides.
The DVT & PE scrubbed my season this year, but I have hope for the
coming season. I am missing a lot of strength in my right leg and a
fair amount of lung capacity, yet my average speed around the city is
no different from my upright days. My hands, wrists, arms,
shoulders, neck, etc. feel much better.

> I do not want to join the car
> crawl, and have heard that a recumbent might be a good option. I
> have never ridden a 'bent', but have seen a few on the road and they
> look comfy.
They can be. Or not. My rando bike, a Bacchetta Corsa, could be
marketed as "Offers additional speed compared to uprights with no
loss of discomfort". This a great bike for cruising the open road,
but a mouth guard would be a wise accessory when pothole bashing in
Seattle. IMO, for city riding you need a 'bent with full
suspension. YMMV. My city bike is an HP Velotechnik Spirit. (BTW
for commuting, the HP Velo bikes have well-integrated luggage and
lighting systems. I think of them as complete bikes.)

I think there is more variation in handling and ride characteristics
among recumbents than there is in uprights. Try as many as you can.

Beware of two 'bent-novice hazards: 1. Pushing too hard climbing.
You can exert more pedal force on a 'bent than on an upright, and
this is a sure way to mess up your knees. If you find this
happening, lower the gearing. 2. Overextension. There is a tendency
to set the pedals too far away on a 'bent. Let someone like Dale at
Angle Lake set up the bike, and work on getting used to it before you
make changes.

Bill Gobie