Some tips for new recumbent riders, in my humble opinion. Others, please feel free to add your own -- however, please don't turn this thread into a discussion of the merits of a particular tip, unless somebody's just WRONG....
Equipment / repair / safety:
* ALWAYS wear a helmet, and protective eyewear of some sort. You're not in control of your own destiny regarding other objects... Also, get a mirror of some sort, either helmet mounted or otherwise. It's important to know what's coming up behind you, and when... and using a mirror on a recumbent is VERY easy, you sit at a good viewing angle to see what's behind you.
* Take the time to go to a bike shop to take a basic maintenance course, and TAKE YOUR BIKE WITH YOU. A bicycle (even a recumbent) is a relatively simple machine, and understanding how it works and why will only help your overall confidence and self-reliance. And don't let them tell you, 'Oh, I don't know about recumbents, they're different" – whether or not they sold it to you, they should be responsible enough to teach you the basics of mechanical operation, since the shifting derailleurs (those things that shift the chain position between gears) are the same as a "regular" bike, and changing a flat is changing a flat. And make sure they show you how to remove and reinstall the REAR wheel, as to how best to deal with the rear derailleur, chain, and gearing cassette. There are also good Internet sites, such as Park Tools.
* Carry a tool kit, containing a hand pump (or CO2), tire levers, and a spare tube or two, in some sort of pack... because flats happen. Self-sufficiency is important, and will also earn you respect from your fellow riders. And trikes have one more tire than the rest of us! Also carry a "tire boot" (ask your bike shop) piece, in case of a major tire blowout or cut. Of course, if you're a "weight weenie," you could always try to convince one of your minions to carry your tool kit FOR you….
* LEARN how to change a flat, with YOUR tool kit. Don't wait until you have a flat to try it -- go ahead and deflate a "good" tire, take it apart, and put it back together! Learn by doing. There are many Internet sites with decent step by step instructions, besides what your bike shop might show you. One example website is:
http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/fixflat.html * Consider using tires with a "puncture proof" layer in them -- the slight extra weight will be negligible for the extra peace of mind...
* Put at least one bright flasher on the back, for visibility -- and a decent flag, if you're so inclined, or if you ride a trike. Trikes really ARE low to the ground, relatively speaking, and you WANT to be noticed...
* Learn the "rules of the road," from reading up on the topic elsewhere. There are many Internet sources with excellent information.
Clothing/shoes: * The "spandex" fabric that typical cycling clothing is made from is made that way for a couple reasons – 1) to allow sweat to evaporate much more quickly than from cotton fabric, and 2) to help prevent chafing (OK, #3 is the better to embarrass your children with). If you're doing rides of any significant length (20 miles or more) or exertion, cotton is NOT what you want to be wearing.
* Consider bright colors – visibility to car drivers is of prime importance. You WANT to be noticed.
* A sweatband or something similar will help greatly in keeping sweat from dripping into your eyes. Look into the "Halo" or "SweatGutr" products, etc... Also, avoid getting sunscreen in the eyes – it stings like heck.
* You don't need a "chamois" pad in your pants/shorts. This allows you the freedom to find less expensive stuff (but NOT cotton!). However, you might WANT a pad in the winter, to fend off cold breezes…
* Consider getting "clipless" pedals and shoes of some sort (SPD, Bebop, Frogs, etc.). This will help with your pedaling efficiency, especially when climbing. "Leg suck" isn't as much of a danger on a non-trike recumbent, since you sit further off the ground and the bike frame doesn't extend perpendicular to your direction of travel – but without being attached to the pedals, your feet may still slip off occasionally due to bumps or tiredness. It will make starting and stopping more complicated initially, but PRACTICE clipping and unclipping for a little while, in a parking lot or somewhere, and eventually it will become instinctual. Adjust the spring tension low, so it's easy to "pop" out of the pedal.
IMPORTANT TRIKE NOTE – STRONGLY consider getting "clipless" pedals and shoes of some sort (SPD, Bebop, Frogs, etc.). Since there are no balance issues, you never have to worry about unclipping rapidly at a stop and falling over. The other VERY important factor in this is that it will prevent your feet from inadvertently slipping off the pedals when you hit a bump, or are tired -- which, when/if it happens, can result in what they call "leg suck" -- your foot hits the ground, and is dragged backwards, under the frame, and you have yourself a broken ankle or leg... NASTY injury... and easily preventable.
* Gloves are somewhat optional (except in winter!). You don't need much in the way of special "padding" that most cycling gloves offer, since you're not putting significant pressure on your wrists/hands. Most 'bent riders wear thin gloves, simply as insurance in case of a skidout/crash, to protect the hands from scrapes.
Short Glossary – helpful list of acronyms or words you might hear or see * 'bent – i.e., "recumbent"
* RBENT – Us! Recumbent Bicycle Enthusiasts of North Texas
* DF – stands for "diamond frame," meaning a "regular (nonrecumbent) bike." Also referred to as "upright," "upwrong," "asshatchet,"
or other terms.
* SWB/LWB/CLWB/Hiracer/Lowracer -- Terms referring to styles of recumbent bikes – see
http://www.recumbentblog.com/recumbent-types/ http://www.texbent.com/bikes/types.html * Bonk – when you suddenly run out of energy, like a distance runner "hitting the wall." Can happen on rides anywhere from 20 miles to 400 miles or more.
* OSS/ASS/USS – refers to design of handlebar (
Over,
Above,
Under) steering relative to the seat.
* LBS – your "local bike shop"
* CF – carbon frame bike
* SPD/Frog/Bebop/etc. – types of "clipless" pedal systems
* Clipless – a pedal/shoe attachment system, that seems strangely misnamed.
* "Hold your line" – usually refers to making a turn, where you want to stay the same distance from the curb or edge of the road all the way through the turn, so as to not "cut off" a person riding next to you or just behind you. Can also refer to avoiding excessive wobbling while trying to ride straight.
* HHH – The Hotter 'n Hell Hundred, the annual bike rally held in Wichita Falls in August. A popular rally, with over 12,000 participants.
* Draft / drafting – closely following the rider in front of you, to get a break from the headwinds or to just have less wind resistance when riding fast. A "DF" rider will have trouble drafting a recumbent, since the DF rider is much higher up than the 'bent rider. They hate that….
* Recumbent grin -- you'll understand.....
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Finally, do you want to be able to read more than you ever wanted to know about any bicycle-related topic you can think of (and more)? Do an Internet search for "Sheldon Brown", or just go to:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/articles.html Be safe, ride what you like, and like what you ride!
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TIPS FOR NEW RIDERS (Read 9901 times)
