Just noticed that a BikeJournaler I'm familiar with named "Woodog" just bought a used Corsa from BROL classifieds...  His first 'bent purchase, so the Woodog has gone bent!!!!!!!

He works at a college bookstore....   no answers yet as to why he made the switch!
 
PB

Quote from FooRider on Aug 29^th, 2007, 7:26pm:

 
A WKU cycling jersey?? Foo,I'll be nice. There are several jokes I could make,but because I like you,I'll leave it alone. What is a Hilltopper anyway??

That goofy red mutt of a mascot is a good look for WKU.  Classes? You actually attneded?? Can't ya just feel my love?!!!

heh... thanks for the invite. I've spoken with Foo in the past and yes, I'm at WKU, work at the bookstore here. ....  
 
but right now, I'm gonna run on home. It's the first week of classes and I don't get to ride the Corsa that became mine this past weekend. I'm at work from 7a.m. till 9p.m. until this weekend.  
 
later y'all.... but I"ll be back.
 
woo

Heh - I'm from Lexington.

Okay, here's the reason. I've been riding like a nut for the past four years, and i started because my health was lousy. I weighed nearly 300 pounds and the cholesterol level was nearly 400 points!  
 
Diet, exercise, and ditching the car got the weight down to 190 and the cholesterol down to 157 without drugs.  
 
I started riding with my old '85 Nashbar japanese road bike, and in Late October 2005 dropped some coins on a quality road bike, a 2004 Lemond Zurich. Sweet machine. Riding with my bike club was my recreation of choice, and I really racked up the miles, cracking 9,000+ in 2006 and becoming one of my clubs strongest riders.  Problem, though, was that the Zurich, the Nashbar, the Sekai (another Jap cromoly bike), the Xtracycle (my utilitarian bike), and just about any other DF bike i've been on will hurt me on longer rides. Hurt me on the trainer where i would develop technique for the coming season.  
 
Last year on RAGBRAI I saw lots of bents. I had never seen one before then. Interesting machines. Then I started reading about how comfortable they could be. Then I started hearing about performance recumbents. All the while ending each day with sore wrists, neck pains, 'shrinkage'.
 
This year on RAGBRAI i took my xtracycle and hauled my guitar across IA. I also developed severe groin numbness (same as last year on the Zurich that i took). I was impotent for 3 weeks. NOT GOOD.  
 
I like riding long miles, but riding my bike should not mean I beat myself up.  
 
I have spent nearly 500 dollars on saddles, stems, seat posts and handlebars and even a pro fitting to get comfortable on my Zurich. I also test rode Specialized, Raleigh, Trek madone, Giant... briefly considered having a custom bike built... but then decided hey, i think recumbents can satisfy my need for speed and bust a lung type workouts as well as being kind to my ever aging parts.  
 
I lurked at BROL and BACCHETTA forums. I decided on the Corsa because a rider named Beertruck took me and DecafBeanBoy on a brisk jaunt and I learned about speed. They just made sense. So I made the decision to get one and get good on one.  
 
It is my first recumbent. Now I see that there are utilitarian trikes that I can use to haul groceries, and even RANS has developed a bent that can handle an xtracycle, a truly amazing utilitarian device.  
 
From the few miles I've done so far I couldn't be happier. I'm going to be easy on myself until the muscle groups and handling skills develop a bit more, then investigate training techniques over the winter.  
 
so there. Woo's bent.  
 
will I abandon the DF bikes? Let's just say I'll ride the bikes I have the most fun on. If that includes the DF, fine. If not, fine.  
 
As an analogy I have a 1959 Gibson J-50 acoustic guitar. Beautiful with an incredible action and something of a collector's item. I also have a 1972 Aria Pro II acoustic guitar, a Japanese guitar that was an almost - mid - level instrument when it was made. Guitar afficianados turn up their nose at the Aria but are very interested in the Gibson.  
 
But the Aria sounds sweeter. Plays sweeter. Stays in Tune.  
 
Guess which one I play?  
 
Woo

Awesome.  I'll be interested to hear what you think of the new ride in terms of speed comparison in the next 6 months.
 
Also, We have an HPV race every year in Xenia, Ohio That I'll be attending for sure.  It's a great way to see/ride a lot of bikes and just have some fun.  You should come!