How to Buy a Recumbent Bike for Touring You want choices? Boy, do we have choices!

Imagine sitting back in your most comfortable chair as the mountains and rivers glide by. While your legs move at the effort level of a brisk walk, every muscle above your hips is relaxed, your fingertips occa- sionally flexing to make a steering correction. At the end of the day, you experience almost none of the stiffness and soreness that “regular” cycle- tourists suffer. This is why recumbent cycle tourists are fiercely loyal to their bikes. “I enjoy being comfortable. I enjoy being able to see and experience By John Schubert things,” said Hans van Naerssen, a Philadelphia-area management consult- ant. “Touring means just enjoying getting there, in addition to being there. For me, the real defining quality of a recumbent bike can be the comfort. On a normal , you’re trying to convince yourself that all those hurts don’t exist.” Van Naerssen is an Adventure Cycling Association member, a veteran of numerous long tours over many decades, and owner of single and tandem recumbents since 1996. “I can ride and see a hawk, because I naturally look up and out. I see the clouds,” van Naerssen said. “I see around the corner. I can feel the wind, because I’m sort of upright. That’s part of this experience of getting places and enjoying the moment. “At the end of the day, even with lots of hills, I’m not sore. I’m able to enjoy the moment. That, to me, is the redeeming feature of a recumbent. It’s so much more comfortable.” Recumbent touring is a fabulous way to see the scenery. You will see more of it than on an upright bike, because your head is naturally in a more upright position. The days are less stressful because fewer body muscles are GREG SIPLE GREG The Bike E The Sat R Day 16-inch frame on this pop- inches, and in one extreme case overlap, and a quick visit to your local store wheels help this model fit in a suitcase. Hey, is that enough choice ular model is made (the RANS Stratus XL), 71 is likely to find bikes that contradict these for you? of aluminum. inches. Insiders refer to long- general numbers, or simply fall outside of So far, only two major con- wheelbase recumbents as these categories altogether. That’s the ventional bike companies have “LWB.” Unless, of course, you nature of recumbents. dipped their toes in the recum- use small wheel size to allow And, if you want to have your cake bent market. Trek did, with a rea- you to reduce the wheelbase to and eat it too, recumbents from Burley and sonable-but-not-fantastic design, 50 inches, in which case you Vision can be switched from long wheel- and discontinued it after two have a compact long wheel- base to short wheelbase. years, amid trade press reports base, or “CLWB.” Another choice is where to put the that many in the company didn’t Or you can put the front handlebars. Most recumbents you see have support a recumbent. More wheel behind the pedals, giving handlebars in front of the rider, but a recently, Cannondale has a you a short wheelbase of charming minority have handlebars below option, a large spandex thing you use to Tandem Rider Magazine. These magazines recumbent with many promising design tensed all day long. And you have a guar- around 40 inches, and sometimes less. the seat. (“ASS” (above-seat steering) and increase aerodynamics even more. are absolutely stunning in the amount of features. But other than those two, this is a anteed conversation starter whenever you These bikes are much more maneuverable. “BSS” (below-seat steering), respectively) Recumbent frames can be welded information they present in each issue, by business of little companies. hop into a small cafe. Whether they’re sufficiently stable is a Your wheel diameter can be 16 inch- from steel or aluminum (the conventional the way. I don’t know how many recumbent All that said, picking a bike for recum- matter of personal preference. Say “SWB.” es. Or 26 inches. Or anything in between. way of making a bike), extruded from alu- Different recumbents have different companies there are, and some of the bent touring offers you far more choices Or you can put the front wheel direct- Most recumbents can accommodate minum (as is the enormously successful seats. I’ve sat on dozens of recumbent smaller boutique companies straddle the and significant decisions than picking an ly underneath the ped- Bike E), or, for the well heeled, made from seats, and never found one I didn’t like, but line between hobby and business. Even upright bike. Upright bikes have become als. You then either raise Cannondale The only mainstream manufacturer carbon fiber (the 19-pound dual-suspen- that doesn’t stop the manufacturers from though you’ll be buying your recumbent so standardized that you find yourself dis- the pedal spindle to keep of recumbents. sion Lightning R-84) or Titanium (Easy trying to build even more comfort into from a small firm, many of these compa- cussing the virtues of millimeter-small the pedals clear of the Racers’s TI-Rush). their seats, and designs and features vary nies have proven their staying power and changes, but recumbents have dimensions wheel in sharp turns, or There are recumbent tandems from substantially among the brands. their ability to service a national distribu- that vary by feet. you instruct the rider to makers too numerous to mention; fold- And, for those of you who want to tion chain and customer base. In the brand Moreover, these big choices show no manage this occasional into-a-suitcase recumbents from Bike ride Adventure Cycling’s rugged Great names mentioned in this article, I’ve made sign of becoming standardized. The choic- interference by thinking Friday and Lightning; three-wheel recum- Divide route on a recumbent, the Lightfoot no attempt to mention every worthwhile es have been with us for 20 years now, and ahead (not unlike riding bent trikes from a growing legion of manu- Cycles Ranger is a LWB recumbent company, or every company above a cer- no one choice has proven superior in all an upright bike with toe facturers; and the unique Bilenky View- specifically designed to be tain size. circumstances. Each choice is the right clips that overlap the point tandem, in which the captain rides in good enough over uneven surfaces to do Let’s return to the choices. What choice for some riders. So don’t think you front wheel). These back, in an upright position, while the loaded touring on the Great Divide route choices should you make? can wait until year to see what the bikes can have good stoker rides in front in recumbent position. and similar trails. “There is no right recumbent for marketplace decides. weight distribution and If you need a magazine as your recum- On a more prosaic level, recumbents touring. There is a right recumbent for you The first choice is wheelbase. maneuverability, with bent accessory, the Easy Riders also vary in those minor details that for touring,” said Rick Comar, director of Recumbents can put the front wheel way more stability than pure Recumbent Club chronicles the traveling upright bike riders obsess over: gearing, marketing for Vision Recumbents. Comar out in front of the pedals, resulting in a SWB bikes. “MWB” joys and competitive successes of Easy tire width, number of water bottle bosses, has done 500-plus miles of touring in the steady ride, excellent comfort and lots of recumbents, as these are known, have an aftermarket fairing, the better to make Racers over their 20-plus years. For press and so on. Recumbents vary substantially Washington State mountains, and he places to put panniers and other bags. wheelbases in the 40-to-50-inch range. you aerodynamic and protect you from coverage of all the brands, there’s in the choices they offer for mounting pan- favors his company’s short wheelbase These wheelbases are commonly over 60 You’ll note that these dimensions weather. Some have a “body stocking” Recumbent Cyclist News and Recumbent & niers and other accessories. Model 44. Vision Vice President Grant

16 ADVENTURE CYCLIST APRIL 2002 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST JULY 2002 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 17 Greenspeed Trike The big advantage Bower favors the long wheelbase, full sus- Fender Stratocaster of touring recumbents, ▼ Where to put the handlebars? Most here is stability, says the manufacturer. Who you gonna call? pension Model 54 for his 15,000 miles of it’s the long-wheelbase Easy Racers Tour customers vote for “up where you can see BIKES/FAIRINGS touring. Easy. That bike’s wheelbase has its roots in them,” but think twice before blindly ■ BikeE, 5125 SW Hout Street, Corvallis, OR So with Comar’s apt disclaimer in the cut-up tandem that was designer accepting this advice. I’m partial to below- 97333; (541) 753-9747; www.bikee.com front of us, and knowing that every view- Gardner Martin’s first prototype, back in seat steering (whoops, BSS), which allows ■ Bike Friday, 3364 W 11th Ave, Eugene, OR point can be argued without malice, let’s the 1970s. both arms to be completely relaxed. As you 97402; (800) 777-0258; www.greengear.com explore conventional wisdom: The conventional wisdom is that long cruise down the road, steering and balanc- ▼ ■ , Ltd., 5319 N. Second Wheel size: Most recumbents have wheelbases mean secure, sedate handling. ing require minuscule fingertip muscle St., Philadelphia, PA 19120; 1-800 213-6388; a 16-inch or 20-inch wheel in front, and Your fellow ACA member Rideout effort, and you can easily have one hand www.bilenky.com rear wheels ranging from 20-inch to 700C. put it this way: “My personal preference is free simply resting on your lap. Talk about (There are two different incompatible a long wheelbase for touring,” Rideout relaxed! ■ Cooperative, 4020 Stewart Road, Eugene, OR 97402; (800) 311-5294, wheel sizes both called “20-inch,” so you’ll said. “It just seems a little more relaxed, a However, Rideout has a well-docu- (541) 687-1644; www.burley.com often see these guys make a careful refer- little more forgiving with the front wheel, mented opinion on why above-seat steer- ence to the bead seat diameter.) as far as hitting differences in the pave- ing predominates: while?) The Avatar design became Dick “Having a high crank spindle, spend- ■ Cannondale, 16 Trowbridge Drive, Bethel, “I don’t like 16-inch wheels, which ment. With a short wheelbase, you have a “Above seat steering feels more natu- Ryan’s Vanguard and is now Longbikes’s ing too much time with your feet spinning CT 06801; 1-800-245-3872; www.cannon some recumbents have. I think they lot more weight on that front wheel, and it ral,” Rideout said. “I run into a certain per- Slipstream 2002. Several other makers also above your seat, affects body comfort,” said dale.com should be at least 20 inch. I think it makes can be kind of twitchy.” centage of people who absolutely can’t offer BSS. RANS’s Mark Fischer. (RANS makes ■ Easy Racers Inc., P.O. Box 255-W, Freedom, a big difference,” said Chet Rideout, an If you want to have your cake and eat master under seat steering. At my high ▼ Foot height. One of the more inter- models with a variety of crank heights.) CA 95019; (831) 722-9797; www.easyracers Adventure Cycling member with well over it too, buy a Vision or Burley that converts. school, almost all my students hop on my esting questions you face is your foot “For longer periods of time, the lower .com 3,000 miles of recumbent touring and 20 “At least two of our customers have [BSS] recumbent and ride right away. height in relation to the seat height. The crank spindle is a more natural position. ■ Greenspeed Recumbent Trikes, c/o years of recumbent riding experience. told me that they commute year-round on Maybe 5 percent can’t ride the under seat more beginner-friendly bikes tend to have For a longer distance, that is more desir- Peregrine Bicycle Works, Inc., 11 Commerce Chet, a high school science teacher, the bike as a short wheelbase, and then steering. I don’t know why. My brother the pedals several inches lower than the able.” Ct., #7, Chico, CA 95928; (866) 478-2329, currently rides a Vision R 40, in long- switch it to long wheelbase for their annu- can’t ride one to save his soul. My wife seat, and many people will tell you that’s If this question intrigues you, take a 530-566-9699; www.greenspeedusa.com wheelbase configuration, and his wife, a al vacation tour,” Vision’s Comar said. can’t do it. So she rides the RANS Stratus, the best setup for touring. The seating tape measure to the store. Measure the ■ Lightfoot Cycles, 179 Leavens Road, Darby, RANS Stratus. And the conventional wis- ▼ How many wheels? If the stability which is a real nice recumbent.” position feels natural, and it’s not intimi- crank spindle height above the floor, and MT 59829; (406) 821-4750; www.lightfoot dom is indeed that smaller wheels don’t question of long versus short wheelbase ASS is more aerodynamic than BSS, dating to move your feet from the ground the seat bottom height above the floor, on cycles.com handle bumps as well. leaves you undecided, you can put this because the rider’s arms are within the pro- to these low pedals when you start and every bike you test ride. These measure- ■ Lightning Cycle Dynamics, Inc., 312 Ninth But there are reasons you might want question to rest forever by adding a third file of his/her body. With BSS, the arms stop. ments can help you quantify the “seems to St., Lompoc, CA 93436; 805-736-0700; smaller wheels. One reason is to have a wheel. be easier to get started on” impression as www.lightningbikes.com folder. Small wheels fit into suitcases easier “I believe the greatest advantage of our you do your test riding, so you’ll know if ■ Longbikes, P.O. Box 27, Castle Rock, CO than large wheels, which is one reason trikes is stability,” said Ian Simms, design- The Rans Stratus Comes in the fifth bike of the day was really different 80104; 303-792-2242; www.tandembike.com why Bike Friday’s Bike Sat R Day uses 16- er of the Greenspeed recumbent trike. a wide variety of configurations, from the first bike, or if it was just that inch tires. Another is to gain the benefits “When you have a loaded bike it can be you’d gotten used to the bikes by then. ■ Rans, Inc., 4600 Highway, 183 Alternate, as do many recumbents. of shortening a long wheelbase (excuse me, quite difficult to maintain your balance at And, of course, you’ll want to take into Hays, KS 67601; (785) 625-6346; www.rans .com LWB) bike, as Cannondale did by putting low speed up a steep hill, and I found you account how the bikes handle. But no tape a 16-inch front tire on the dual-suspension use a fair amount of energy just keeping it measure can help you there. ■ Vision Recumbents, ATP, Inc., P.O. Box 249, Cannondale Recumbent, and bringing its balanced. And restarts on hills are harder.” ▼ Pannier mounting. Many of these Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-0249; 877- “CLWB” down to 50 inches. The Greenspeed is major fun to ride. bikes take standard front and rear pan- 433-4273; www.visionrecumbents.com I’ve ridden both these bikes, by the A friend of mine commutes to work on his, niers, but there’s more to it than that. ■ ZZipper Road Fairings, P.O. Box 14, way, and I won’t say I didn’t notice the in the Philadelphia suburbs, and it bright- Recumbents offer more and better options Davenport CA 95017; 888-946-7276, 831- small wheels, but I thought both bikes ens his every morning. You’ll never have to for how you carry your gear, when com- 425-8650; www.zzipper.com were delightful rides. The Sat R Day has lean it up against a tree to unload the pan- pared with upright bikes. MAGAZINES the obvious attraction of going with you in niers, fall by losing your balance, or lack for Here’s why: On a “wedgie,” as recum- ■ Easy Riders Recumbent Club/Magazine, a suitcase, and the Cannondale has a very a conversation piece. Trikes are indeed a bent riders refer to conventional bikes, c/o Laurie Smith, P.O. Box 1688, North Plains, well thought out dual suspension, which viable option. are wider than the body. Hence, ASS has The contrarian view is that higher your rear panniers are almost entirely OR 97133-1688; www.geocities.com/e_r_r_c goes a long way toward mitigating the ▼ Should you buy a Bilenky been the favorite in fully-faired racers. pedals give the designer options in design- behind the rear axle, placing that weight ■ Recumbent & Tandem Rider Magazine, c/o drawbacks of small wheels. The choice is Viewpoint? This bike is clearly in a catego- I suggest you try BSS before you buy ing weight distribution, and that higher outside of the wheelbase of the bike. You Coyne Publishing, P.O. Box 337, San Dimas, yours. ry by itself. Bilenky customers have toured ASS. The recumbent that kick-started the pedals allow ride and handling qualities have to put the panniers that far back CA 91773; www.rtrmag.com ▼ Wheelbase. Long wheelbase is the cross country with front and rear panniers, American recumbent movement in 1980, that lower pedals don’t. Also, they add, the because your flailing heels occupy the ■ Recumbent Cyclist News, PO Box 2048, conventional favorite, but there are excep- and many Viewpoint devotees will gladly MIT Professor David Gordon Wilson’s higher foot position is easily learned. space beside the rear wheel in front of the Port Townsend, WA 98368; www.recum- tions. share their insights with you on Bilenky’s Avatar 2000, was LWB-BSS. (See how you Comfort is another reason some advo- rear axle. bentcyclistnews.com If any recumbent stands out as the web site. get the hang of these acronyms after a cate a lower foot position. For that reason, I keep telling wedgie

18 ADVENTURE CYCLIST JULY 2002 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST JULY 2002 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 19 is particularly enthused about the combination of fairing and body stocking (a spandex cover that meshes with the fairing and you to make an aerodynamic package with- out the complications of a hard shell) “This is another kind of tour- ing. People are riding body stocking bikes,” Martin said. “It’s almost a whole new level of experience. “Once people get the fairing, they don’t want to ride without it. The Zzipper fairing adds 10 percent to your speed. They spandex body The Bilenky Viewpoint This recumbent/conventional hybrid is clearly in a class by itself. stocking adds 15 percent, plus weather protection. We have one riders, you need to put as little weight as Fairings, seldom seen on upright 50-year-old rider riding 140 miles per day possible in those panniers, and put sub- bikes, are an important part of the recum- with this combination.” stantial weight in your front panniers. But bent package, and not just for racing. To most of us at that age, 140 miles on a recumbent, your flailing heels are Although they came out of the recum- per day sounds like a death sentence. But miles away, and you can fill up the space bent’s racing heritage, they add an impor- many recumbent riders say it’s no big deal. between the seat back and the rear axle tant benefit for touring: keeping you warm The bikes are simply that much different with big huge panniers. and dry. from wedgies. “You can have large rear panniers “I like the fairing for longer rides, I promised you choice. Lots of choice. without adversely affecting the handling,” mostly for weather protection,” Vision’s The recumbent industry has delivered. Try said Vision’s Comar. Comar said. “It keeps your feet from get- several brands, be patient with yourself as Indeed, Vision once made a prototype ting cold. The bubble goes right around you learn the new riding position, and set of panniers designed for this purpose, your feet. You don’t need to worry about these rabidly enthusiastic recumbent cycle- but never put them into production. booties to try to keep your feet warm.” tourists will cheerfully welcome you to Perhaps they’ll be spurred into action by He added that the fairing didn’t over- their ranks. the fact that Lightning offers such pan- heat him in the summer. niers, designed to work with Lightning’s Many riders are charmed by the fair- All kidding aside, Technical Editor John Schubert bikes. These panniers have the additional ing’s speed. extends a hearty thank you to all the recumbent fans advantage of aerodynamics. They add “The fairing on one of my previous who called and wrote to help us with this article. Your nothing to the bike’s frontal area, and recumbents, an Infinity, would increase my expertise was downright awesome. smooth out the contours on the side. cruising speed by five mph,” teacher There are other options. Unless you’ll Rideout said. “My speed in headwinds need high ground clearance for off-road increases at least that much.” touring, you can mount your bags very low Five is a lot, and not everyone will on a recumbent bike, to get a low center of report such an increase. Still, Fold Gold gravity and extra-stable handling. Many rider van Naerssen also reported substan- riders put their bags under the seat, some- tial results: “A fairing, according to a cou- times with cutting-edge racks they modify ple of studies, doesn’t kick in until you’re themselves. The writers at Easy Riders going over 12 or 13 mph. At that point, it Recumbent Club Magazine do an awe- does make about a five percent difference,” some job of exchanging designs and ideas van Naerssen said. for carrying gear on recumbents. You can “I can keep up a pace of about 22 mph learn more at www.geocities.com/tourea- with the fairing for four to five miles. And sylover. I’m an ‘old fart.’ I don’t think I can do that And, of course, recumbents can tow without the fairing.” cargo trailers, making panniers irrelevant. Easy Racers Founder Gardner Martin

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