Recumbent Newz Wheelz Newsletter July 2003Vol. 1 No. 1July 2003 Issue Copyright © 2003 Alan W. Jarrett mailto: Alan@recumbent-bikes-truth-for-you.com.
Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to your friends. However, I do ask that you keep it intact and forward it in it's entirety.
---------------------- NEWZWORTHY ---------------------- Steve McGuire sets a new record for the National 24 Hour Challenge held in Iowa City, Iowa. A record of 383.6 miles in 24 hours, and that was including by Steve’s estimate 90 minutes off the trike for stops. Of 370 entries Steve placed 15th overall. There were 20 other two-wheel recumbents, and Steve finished ahead of them. Whoop it up out there and let the DF world know that recumbent bikes and trikes are contenders.
----------------------------- http:www.recycledrecumbent.com
There are some great photos of the TE Clone. Plans are also available at http://www.recumbent-bikes-truth-for-you.com/dirt-cheap-recumbent.html . Click on the **FREE** to download the PDF files. This is the section where you want to look for homebuilder forums or discussion lists that will be a huge help if you are building your own bike. Need parts or supplies? Post a question to mailto:Alan@recumbent-bikes-truth-for-you.com.
RNW: Can you ride a new bent to purely enjoy it, or do you automatically start to do a mental ride report?
Jose: I absolutely ride for the joy of it. I don't "need" to ride a bent as I don't have any physical problems which could prevent me from riding a regular upright. But once I had a taste of riding a recumbent, there was no going back to the torture saddle. And, no... I don't automatically start to work on a report on all of the bikes I enjoy riding. For example, I've never done a review of my Tailwind, which happens to be one of my favorite all around bikes. The same goes for the Wishbone RT, which I rode for almost two years. RNW: If BROL had never happened, what would be different?
Jose: I think that if Bryan and I had dropped the recumbent ball, some other bent nut (like you) would be doing exactly what we've been doing for a few years. The one thing that I'm sure would be different is simply "me". I would be different if BROL had not happened. BROL has definitely been a education for me.
RNW: What do you see as the biggest challenge in this industry?
Jose: I don't see one but many challenges. Price, of course, but I think that high prices are a side effect of other problems. Bent riders are still perceived as "geeks" or somehow "handicapped" by far too many folks. Changing that perception is not gonna be easy and the solution to that is not one but many. I also like to think that ezines like yours and BROL's and local recumbent groups are also part of the solution but time will tell. RNW: What will it take to get more streamliners/streetliners in Florida?
Jose: An act of GOD or some other extraterrestrial force! RNW: Since auto racing helps to popularize cars, will recumbent racing help to popularize bents?
Jose: Yes! But again, as I suggested previously, recumbent racing is only one of many possible solutions to our popularity handicap. Some may argue that recumbent racing is a double edge sword but hey, it is a risk worth taking. Our recumbent races are a lot of fun but most folks just haven't had a chance to experience them and instead choose to feel "intimidated" by the whole concept. Though racing among ourselves can help a little, kicking a few upright butts in a "regular" or conventional race would go a bit further. Here again is the challenge. The racing rules of the conventional world rule us out and thus, we haven't had the chance to match a real athlete (you know, as opposed to an old fart like me) against an upright bike cyclist. RNW: What would you say is the biggest change recumbents have made in your life? Why? Jose: How 'bout saving my life for starters? A few years ago, I was in such bad shape, I was not only depressed, I was actually refused a life insurance policy!!! Can you imagine what went through my head when I could not get life insurance because of my weight and my blood chemistries? I had to do something cuz I wasn't ready to give up, in spite of soooo many years of inactivity. Recumbency succeeded where everything else failed. You see, for me, recumbent riding is NOT exercising. It is just plain fun. The health benefits are simply a great side effect. RNW: Will trikes ever take over from two wheelers? What about Velomobiles? Jose: Oh no! I really don't think that will happen though they really are a lot of fun to ride. As my friend Mark Cooper recently said: "Riding a trike is like having a personal amusement park!" They do have a place and I happen to love them too but I really can't see that in our future. Again, I think there are a bunch of reasons for this. Trikes are more complex to design and build. The fast ones and the stable ones need to be really low to be practical. But in our bike unfriendly city or suburban environment, being so low as to be invisible is not a good thing. They are heavier than a two-wheeler (well for the most part, that is) and don't climb as well or as fast as a two-wheeler. This may all change in the far distant future. I mean, things like exclusive bike lanes may be a part of every highway a few hundred years from now, making triking in the USA a more pragmatic alternative but I don't think I'll see this in my life time.
RNW: How do you spread the word about recumbents?
Jose: Though I'm no longer a "BROL partner", I will continue to contribute to the ezine as much as my crazy personal life will permit. I'll be doing reviews which I hope are useful to some and will quite possibly be doing a monthly column, provided I don't bore the world w/ my BS. On the local level, I guess it is not too pretentious to say that I founded our local recumbent nut group. I’m very happy to say that our group is quite active and I sure hope it continues to grow strong. By the way, you can see our site at and look for the link to the "South Florida Recumbent Riders."
There you have it. You can't be much more of a "normal" person than Jose. Check out his site to see the ex "couch potato!" Thanks Jose. Bonking, a condition that occurs when the body does not get enough of what it needs during exercise, is no joke. Remember the female marathon runner who staggered towards the finish like a falling down drunk? Remember that image? She bonked! Sure a Marathon is an extreme event, but she was an extreme athlete! Imagine if you are not an extreme athlete, and participate in a 60 mile ride. Without the needed fuel, bonking could be a reality. Water or a sports drink by themselves are not enough. Bananas, peanut butter, oranges, are all great sources of energy and protein. OK, so you don’t pack a lunch. At the very least, besides liquid, a homemade energy bar or two should be included.
One quick fix is called Road Putty! The honey and peanut butter are two of the best sources of energy, and not just the “sugar blitz” you get from some of the store bought stuff. This gives sustained energy, and is extremely easy to make.
Recipes that you can make will be included in each issue of RNW. Send me your favorite if you have one and we’ll add it. http://www.bentrideronline.com/FAQ Any question you have that is not answered there, send it to me at: mailto:Alan@recumbent-bikes-truth-for-you.com.
One of the really great things about riding a recumbent is the pure pleasure of it. Yeah, you may sweat a little, but you sure couldn’t compare that with work! The real deal is it sort of takes you back to when life was a little more simple. Remember those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer that Nat King Cole sang about. Yeah, I know that sort of dates me, but that’s just it. That sounds like the things I used to hear my Dad talk about. I thought things were kinda boring pre driver’s license days, so I couldn’t imagine things being more enjoyable before my time. But I remember taking many long bike rides. I had the very first Schwinn Racer in my home town, with the three speed Bendix gears, thin tires, hand brakes and lightweight frame. This was the primary source of transportation for the next six years. It was all because of a paper route. Every morning, seven days a week, that bike was out there taking me on my route. Dad had to use the station wagon when it was raining real bad or it when the wind chill put it around 30 degrees below. But for just about everything else it was those two wheels. Then the drivers license came, and it’s like the bike never existed. The only time I was on that bike for the next three years was as a senior in High School for the traditional senior 24 hour bicycle relay marathon. We set a record that year that I don’t think was ever broken. But the point is, it took 35 years before I got on a bike again. There was hand ball for several years, racquetball for 18 years, walking for 3 years with a few other things mixed in. Those activities were great for exercise. But nothing beats taking in the scenic beauty of a country road, horses, cows, pastures, the smell of freshly cut hay on a cool and sunny day. Or even on a hot day. Better yet, I get great exercise that is good for me. And I get to do this by myself, or with a bunch of others who enjoy it as much as I do. The point is, it all takes me back to those rides over 35 years ago, and the joy I had forgotten. How many things can you still do that are good for you, and make you feel young again? The larger picture is what’s going on in this country with a lack of exercise and the epidemic of obesity. Could the recumbent be a realistic solution? Who knows. Even for those who can’t balance on a bike there are recumbent trikes. There are also tandems. All the diet plans and fat burner pills in the world simply won’t take the place of exercise. Will a bent make you skinny? That would probably be stretchin’ it a bit. It can sure help you be healthier and that’s a fact. Recumbents are recommended for people with back problems who can’t ride a diamond frame bike anymore. If you’re reading this, I’m probably “preachin’ to the choir!” But on the chance that you were just curious about these different looking bikes, or some friend gave you a link to this newsletter, I wouldn’t want to miss the chance to get you excited enough to check one out. Take a chance. You just might be able to say the same thing Jose did. It might save your life.
---------------------- How about getting paid to do something you enjoy? What if it was something you already do, and don't get paid for? Imagine that you would do it even if you didn't get paid. Yeah...just imagine that! OK! OK! I’m gettin' there. If you could tell people about something you're passionate about, without trying to sell anything, wouldn't that sound to good to be true? How hard would it be to write about your favorite subject, the same way you would talk to someone? All you do is speak the words and write them. I know, it sounds hard doesn't it? Saying words, and then typing them on the little keyboard so they show up on the pretty monitor. Yep! That will definitely make your mouth pucker and your forehead wrinkle. You probably have this image of words floating around like butterflies in the air as you try to catch them and put them in the monitor. What if there was a way to do this in a step by step fashion that all made sense? Well, this is where Ken Envoy and "Make Your Knowledge Sell!" come into the picture. Ken shows you how to take advantage of the things you love and enjoy. Let him explain how you know stuff others don't. Plain and simple. Things you take for granted because you've done them for a long time. Maybe you know how to make "killer" bread just by using the yeast that floats around in the air we breathe everyday. Do you know how to make a camera out of a shoebox? SBI! can show you step by step how to take that information and create an income without selling a single thing. Make money without selling! You have to like that! Click on this link http://myks.sitesell.com/Alan1-html10.html
and check it out. Crashing at 70 MPH last year in the Mango, pilot Rob English did show the Kingsbury design has tons of merit. Those in the know say the leaning forward riding position, coupled with a design that was to short for that speed may have added to the lack of control that caused the crash. The Bambeano showed no such handling issues, but there is no report it approached anything close to the top speed of the Mango. The Cos II is raising the bar with some new high tech changes. The Coslinger Team claims the design specs ballpark the likely speed at 85 MPH. And it will be the latest attempt of the Videocam guidance system to prove it's worth. Lost video and a crash last year left the practical benefit of the no bubble canopy just a little bit in question. Can you believe there is only one American that has gone over 70 mph? Matt Weaver is the man! So far he is the only one to have achieved a speed in excess of 78 mph in a video guided HPV. He's hard at work on a design that has yet to be tested on the track. In an message I received from Matt just before posting the newsletter he wrote, "I've been "rebuilding" the Virtual Edge. I'm going back to the "original" name - "Cutting Edge II." I actually have a "2000" bike started in 2000, but untouched since then. The 1992 Kyle Edge first, now the 1995 Cutting Edge II, and then perhaps the newer designs. One bike at a time it seems. Each is a tremendous undertaking. I will likely run the Cutting Edge II this year, and perhaps the Kyle Edge as well. Last year I didn't get one good run in on the Kyle Edge. Very disappointing. One exciting run was on target for 85 to 86 MPH. Up to 74 MPH was quite effortless by mile 2.5, and then a rear flat. All other runs had complications. Even my "2nd place" run was after coasting down from 75.5 MPH about a mile out. I was pushing against a rubbing tire and literally going 15-MPH slower during the acceleration, than on the "fast" run. With the chain return off it's idler, it was grinding a right angle groove on the steel idler boss."
The only person to date that has beaten Matt is pro-racer Sam Whittingham of Canada. At each event Matt has raised the bar, and Sam has answered the challenge. So far Sam has been THE man in all the previous WHPSC events. With two worthy U.S. contenders, maybe we'll see that record brought to the U.S. for the first time since the begining of the WHPSC.
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