Recumbent Bicycles

Host:
Ann Morrow
Guests:
Jonathan Garcia - Rose City Recumbent Cycles
Links:
Rosecityrecumbentcycles.com
portlandbicyclingclub.com/

[@Rottingboards]

30 years of recumbent riding...LOVE them. Bacchetta Giro and Carbon!

[@Paddystyx]

Great interview. Thank you.

[@kenmooreski]

Great overview of the what, how, and why of recumbent bikes and trikes from a knowledgeable and low-key rider/designer/builder/Shop owner.

[@TrikeSquadron]

Great interview and guest! I know this was more of an overview, and the focus of this guest was more of recumbent two wheel bikes. It would be great to see another episode some day with a focus on the trike and velomobile areas of recumbents as well.

[@rdkuless]

Bikes are going to be critical when everything switches to Electric vehicles.. Rose City Recumbent Cycles on 37th and Powell has some of the nicest bikes and trikes on the market...And they can all have an electric motor package installed. Many don't think about how they will commute to work when they have hills en-route.. The Motor is not needed in most flat terrain, and the fact that Portland has multiple hills will be the difference between walking your bike to work, and riding your bike to work. Jonathan and Robert have designed a unique ebike called Roselandia.. It has the best components: disc brakes, high end components, integrated mid-drives that give torque for the hills, and it is suitable for most terrains. it also has a small storage feature: Stand up on rear wheel and rear rack. This is important.. The 20" Schwalbe tires make it very agile. AAA+++ for the design.. Jonathan and Robert are truly gifted designers and avid rider. Hopefully soon, they will organize some tours (possibly overnight with camp fires..:)

[@annmorrow3805]

Thanks to all of you for your comments. Insightful and valid. I really appreciate your input. I hope to double back to this topic and have made note of your suggestions.

[@markthomasson5077]

Shame they did not discuss handlebar types in detail

[@rdkuless]

Ann.. The hand sign to stop is to put the open hand downward.. That is not possible on a recumbent trike.. Your hand would drag the ground or the visual sight-line would be impeded by panniers.. What is the proper hand signal for a recumbent trike?

[@sitoudien9816]

The question not asked is how to convince an upright rider to buy a recumbent. It's the chicken and the egg.

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

Generally the upright rider is limited to upright bikes by peer pressure and will only change if they have body troubles that force them to change. Major bicycle magazines do not look at recumbents as any type of alternative and what do cyclists hear about recumbents? low to the ground ,,can't be seen in traffic , dangerous , and all by people who do not ride them? I find it interesting in all the time I rode diamond frame bikes I seldom heard anything positive about the bent , and now that I ride bents only and lead rides for the VBMG , I get to see people riding their bikes and accepting discomfort as if this is a normal prerequisite for riding!

[@curtvaughan2836]

@@brucewmclaughlin9072 The "body troubles" you mention is the overwhelming motivation for switching to recumbent riding. Once a person gets over 50 or so, joint stiffness and arthritis tend to creep in, making the bent-over position on uprights more stressful to neck, back, and wrists. This is why I began riding recumbents when I was in my mid-50s (now I'm 70). I've always ridden SWB 'bents (had a Rans V-Rex, then a Barcroft Virginia Ti). I no longer have the Rans, but still have my aging Barcroft (both brands are now defunct). I'm hoping to get a "tried and true" Lightning P38 soon, as it's been around for 30+ years and is a good design. I still have a vintage Klein and a contemporary Transition mountain bike, as well as a Phoenix Bike Wrx Cruz crank forward (Phoenix inherited the Rans crank forward line). Probably put more miles on my crank forward than any of the others. Anyway, as you get older, you'll generally either give up cycling or turn to non-upright designs if you want to keep riding. The aging populace (folks my age, now in their 60s and 70s) is largely turning to recumbent trikes, which are easier to balance but generally slower than two-wheelers. I still prefer two-wheelers.

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

So where do I find UFR bars and price thereof? My new to me 2005 Rans Rocket could benefit from a better steering system.