Laid Back: Aging boomers discover appeal of recumbent bikes

Tag : Aluminum Door

By Janet Cromley
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Published: July 15, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- We are careening down a residential street in LongBeach, Calif., stretched out like Olympic lugers, eye-level with aLabrador retriever racing alongside. Nestled in a tandem recumbentbike, Jonathan Dietch and I sail past carefully trimmed lawns andexuberantly-flowering Monet gardens, over a carpet of jacarandapetals -- a blur of purple below.
People on the street stop and stare; some holler and cheer.
"When I'm on my recumbent, people wave and say, Hi,'" yells Dietch,my driver and brakeman, over his shoulder. "Even the transientswave at me." He takes a turn, and we sail past a line of parkedcars -- door handles at eye level, but he's not worried. Driversnotice this bike.
Dietch, a 50-year-old tax accountant with MacGyver-like tendencies,is taking me for a ride on a sweet machine, a candy-blueGreenspeed, GTT 5F recumbent, hand-built in Australia, with acustom Da Vinci drive train. This last detail is important becauseit gives me, sitting behind Dietch, the ability to stop pedalingwhile he soldiers on. Technically, it is a trike, because it has athird wheel, which boosts stability. Dietch provides the steeringand braking from his position in front.
I'm along for the ride to find out if recumbents are finallypositioned for the growth spurt that enthusiasts -- iconoclasts all-- have stubbornly predicted, decade after decade. A demographicshift might at last just make that happen. Turns out that ridinglow in a reclined position takes the pressure off aging backs,necks and wrists -- a perfect prescription for aging boomers, whoare also more likely than most to have the cash to buy these bikes.
Our ride is feeling very tranquil and Norman Rockwell-ish until atrash truck comes roaring alongside, reminding us that with oneill-considered move we could be smashed like cicadas on theasphalt.
Indeed, some believe that recumbents' chief attraction -- ridinglow, in a reclined position -- also makes them harder for motoriststo see and thus unsafe. Recumbent enthusiasts say that, to thecontrary, cars and trucks notice recumbents because of theirnovelty and give them a wide berth to compensate. "Not like a roadbike," Dietch said. "When I'm on a road bike, I'm invisible. It'slike I don't exist."
Three miles into the ride, my legs are feeling a light burn, butI'm comfortable and relaxed. There's none of the familiar tensionin the neck that comes with riding a regular bicycle. We pass ateam of cyclists stopped by the side of the path. They wave andappear to appraise our gear as we sail by.
The bike has 36 speeds and rides like butter. It should, with astarting price of $8,000. Recumbents can start at about $600, butmost buyers will spend more than $1,000.
Dietch, who has ridden racing and mountain bikes off and on since1971, bought his first recumbent, a Bacchetta Aero, in 2004. "I wasso surprised at its versatility, speed and fun that it became myprimary mode of cycling," he said. He still rides road racing,fixed-gear and tandem bikes, as well as racing recumbents.
Recumbents are a class of bicycle so quirky that sports-researchcompanies don't generally track them, said Megan Tompkins, theeditor of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News , a business-to-business publication for the bicycle industry.
Maybe 1 percent of bicycles sold are recumbents, she estimated. Butanecdotally, sales are notching upward.
"Business has been growing steadily over the last 10 years, andit's starting to pick up," said Randy Schlitter, the founder ofRans, of Kansas, a major seller of recumbents. It sold about 5,000cycles last year, according to Schlitter, who started buildingrecumbents in his sister's basement in 1973.
Business started slowly, Schlitter said, but "after 30 years of thumping the bibleof recumbency, we've got tens of thousands of bikes out there now."Major retailers have taken notice. "Wal-Mart has knocked on ourdoors a couple of times," he said.
Rans bikes range from about $1,000 to $7,000 -- a hefty price tag.But that hasn't stopped brisk sales. Recumbent riders are willingto shell out cash for quality, Schlitter said.
In the Triad, some shops can order recumbent bikes, but only two --Neighborhood Transportation, at 6802 Shallowford Road inLewisville, and Sports Authority, 1935 Hampton Inn Court --regularly stock them. Neighborhood Transportation generally hasfive or six models of the two-wheeled variety, and eight or nine ofthe three-wheelers. Sports Authority generally has four or fivemodels available.
"We pretty much specialize in recumbent bikes," said Bruce Herman,the owner of Neighborhood Transportation. "They're probably themost comfortable way you can ride a bike."
He has customized recumbent bikes for people with various medicalconditions, including back problems, hip replacements, kneereplacements and balance problems.
Marilyn Austin, 68, of Leisure World in Seal Beach, Calif., was aU.S. Cycling Federation women's national time trial champion in herage group in 1986, but neck and wrist problems prompted a switch toa recumbent 13 years ago. Today, she goes everywhere on herrecumbent Lightning P-38, including on trips to Ireland, Italy andNew Zealand.
She goes fast: 15 to 18 mph on the flat and more than 35 mphdownhill. But she rides it for the comfort. "You sit in it like achair, there's no pressure on anything, and nothing gets tiredexcept your legs." Ready to buy? Here are some pointers to keep in mind
By Janet Cromley
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Itching to buy a recumbent? Here are some pointers:
The Recumbent Bicycle by Gunnar Fehlau, from Out Your Backdoor Press, third edition,2006, provides a comprehensive overview of recumbents.
Do you dream of touring across the country, riding with a localcycling club or poking around the neighborhood with your kids? Thiswill help determine the type of recumbent that will work best foryou:
□ Long wheelbase recumbents are stretched out, with the frontwheel positioned in front of the pedals. These bikes are generallyknown for stability and comfort. They make excellent touring bikesand provide a good view of the road but tend to weigh a little morethan other styles and have a larger turning radius.
□ The compact long (aka medium) wheelbase recumbents areshorter than the long wheelbase recumbents and have smaller wheels,but the front wheel is still out in front of the cranks. With thisstyle, riders get some of the advantages of the long wheelbasewithout feeling as if they're riding a boat. These bikes are moremaneuverable but less stable than the long wheelbase bike and lookmore like a regular bike.
□ Short wheelbase recumbents have the pedals in front of thefront wheel and because of the shorter length, are generally verysporty and nimble. They are easier to store and transport and tendto be lighter. But they are less stable at high speeds and harderto ride. The feet are up high, which can take time to get used to.
Most recumbents are made of chromoly steel, aluminum or -- at thehigh end -- titanium and carbon fiber. Chromoly or aluminum willwork fine for most riders. Chromoly provides a softer ride and isvery strong; aluminum is lighter.
Bikes generally start at $600 but can go over $10,000 for ahigh-end tandem. Higher prices buy better-quality materials, betterparts and finish, superior workmanship and lighter weight.