10 January 2011

Is it just me? Or do all Canberrans hate recumbent cyclists?

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I was cycling to work on Friday minding my own business when I was overtaken by a man on a recumbent cycle.

Suddenly I had an overwhelming urge to push him over, I don’t know the cyclist nor have I previously given recumbent bikes more than pitying grin, I’m unsure where this spite came from.

Then I thought maybe it’s not just me who thinks this way. Tell me Rioters is it wrong to have this feeling?

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kylieonwheels6:11 pm 16 Jan 11

Everglade said :

I hate all cyclists. Doesn’t matter what sort of bike, anyone who wears those disgusting lycra costumes is an idiot. Simple as that.

You enjoying that burden, Everglade? I’m the one that waves at you, smiling, in case you’re wondering.

georgesgenitals said :

deye said :

As for off road use, you can get ones that are suited to that purpose.

You can really get recumbents for offroad use? That’s awesome!

It would take a special type of person to ride one, methinks. One who’s not afraid to mung a rock or find an axle-deep gully with the front wheel at 30km/h.

I did like that quad bike some couple used to ride across the US or something like that. But I just kept thinking of how many times they had to lug that massive thing over an impassably rutted trail or shove it through a narrow gap between shrubberies.

They are a weird Canberran thing that’s for sure – and always ridden by bearded blokes who are very unforgiving of children riding bikes. They remind me of men who work in model train shops – again very unfriendly towards children.

In contrast to the other decidedly Canberra oddity which is 20-something-year old males who work at Questacon who think you want to include them in your conversations. Ever so helpful but eerily like over-grown scouts.

georgesgenitals7:59 pm 10 Jan 11

deye said :

troll-sniffer said :

As for the comment about recumbents being more efficient, and I agree some studies have shown that they are supposedly more efficient, how come not one bike race has ever been won by one of these super-efficient machines?

They hold the world speed record for bikes at 132.47 km/h and were banned from international racing in 1934 because of their advantages. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

As for off road use, you can get ones that are suited to that purpose.

I’d be tempted to buy one, but they are too expensive and I wouldn’t get to ride it enough.

You can really get recumbents for offroad use? That’s awesome!

As for the comment about recumbents being more efficient, and I agree some studies have shown that they are supposedly more efficient, how come not one bike race has ever been won by one of these super-efficient machines?

Ahh, Troll sniffer . . . I can answer that one. It’s because they have been outlawed by the UCI for as long as anyone can remember. Although, there was a loophole that did exist for a while that allowed their use in road time trails. Chris Boardman (? . . . I think) and his ‘superman’ position TT bike — used to clutch the world hour record at one stage — put an end to that. They are also a bit ‘weak’ on hills compared to a ‘traditional’ machine, so a ‘savvy’ race / TT organiser might, say, make sure a route had sufficient ‘undulage’ (or just lots of bergs) in it.

I can still remember when a Gold Rush (a Californian designed faired recumbent) held the top speed record of 68 MILES per hour (taken over two 1/8 th mile passes). Not even juiced up Eastern Bloc track sprinters could get anywhere near that sort of speed in flying 200M times on a good, spruce, indoor velodrome (and i’m talking blokes with peak power outputs in the region of 1300 – 1400 watts . . . considerable neddies for a human being).

troll-sniffer said :

As for the comment about recumbents being more efficient, and I agree some studies have shown that they are supposedly more efficient, how come not one bike race has ever been won by one of these super-efficient machines?

They hold the world speed record for bikes at 132.47 km/h and were banned from international racing in 1934 because of their advantages. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

As for off road use, you can get ones that are suited to that purpose.

I’d be tempted to buy one, but they are too expensive and I wouldn’t get to ride it enough.

Disinformation3:13 pm 10 Jan 11

troll-sniffer said :

As for the comment about recumbents being more efficient, and I agree some studies have shown that they are supposedly more efficient, how come not one bike race has ever been won by one of these super-efficient machines?

All top speed, duration and distance records for bicycles are held by recumbents. They are banned from competing with conventional bicycles by the rules of international competition. In the last few years, several distance, speed and duration events have pitted recumbents against upright cyclists.
In any event where drag makes a bigger difference than agility, recumbents pwn uprights convincingly. It’s not like you couldn’t use google to find the information if you looked….

Disinformation3:07 pm 10 Jan 11

Recumbents are lots of fun, but lack the all around practicality of a diamond frame cycle. They’re the sports cars of the bike world and as such are most at home on a racetrack. The average person can easily ride a diamond frame bike, but needs a warning or two and a bit of time to ride a recumbent as easily. It’s entertaining to watch people fall over in turns, if they can intitiate them, or as they come to a stop because they are used to being able to balance at far lower speeds on a conventional bicycle.

Being as that a significant amount of bike accidents are where drivers dismiss cyclists as “traffic” due to them “not being cars or trucks”, the unusual appearance of a recumbent works in their favour.
They get noticed.

It’s not like the average recument rider is leaping off the gutter onto the road in an unanticipated manoever. They don’t ride on bike trails in the hills or fight the sk8ers at the local skatepark. They’re just enthusiasts who like their rides to be something different. But if you’re enthused about trying to push them over, I’d encourage you to go about it.

Eventually, you’ll encounter one of the two very capable martial artists that ride recumbents in the ACT. I expect that they’ll quickly dampen your enthusiasm for such a pastime.

Its just you. I love my electric assist red (cause it goes fast) recumbent. Sorry I overtook you so fast I did not notice your “pitying grin”.

I hate all cyclists. Doesn’t matter what sort of bike, anyone who wears those disgusting lycra costumes is an idiot. Simple as that.

They are the SMART cars of the bike world, and exist to cause raucous laughter as they go past.

I saw a lycra-clad recumbent cyclist on Adelaide Ave.

I have to admit, they look like fun, and they probably are more efficient, but they come with a bunch of fairly significant downsides (cost, unwieldy-ness, complexity etc).

I love whipping the bike around corners, hopping gutters, going off road – can’t do that on a recumbent. But the one major thing I can’t get past is visibility for the rider. On a regular bike you are up pretty high and can see a long way ahead in traffic allowing you to anticipate muppet-like behaviour.

Let me ask this question. What looks more ridiculous: A recumbent cyclist or a lycra clad cyclist on a regular bike?

Hard decision, I know.

I don’t understand recumbent cyclists. random lists a number of advantages to the practice, but surely the loss of visibility and the constant presence of steely death inches from your right ear would act as a deterrent? Is it some kind of adrenaline junkie thing, or are some people just that blissfully unaware of the danger that they’re putting themselves in?

troll-sniffer9:51 am 10 Jan 11

How can any self-respecting upright cyclist admit to being overtaken by a recumbent? Oh, you must have been stopped, or about to pull over to admire the view. there can be no other explanation.

I take it that the cyclist you are referrring to is riding an idiotic looking two wheeled contraption where he looks like he is in constant danger of overbablancing, and certainly doesn’t give the impression of enjoyment. True recumbents, with a tricycle layout, would be a difficult target for a pushover.

Anyway, I agree, I do feel like pushing the twat over. But rather than direct action I mutter something like “must be a banker’ under my breath and give the unsteady sod a wide berth. I also assume he has an old Apple Mac with the B&W screen because that too makes him unique.

As for the comment about recumbents being more efficient, and I agree some studies have shown that they are supposedly more efficient, how come not one bike race has ever been won by one of these super-efficient machines?

“I was cycling to work on Friday minding my own business when I was overtaken by a man on a recumbent cycle. Suddenly I had an overwhelming urge to push him over, […]”

This sounds like the introduction to an existential novel.

I’d ride a recumbent if they weren’t so expensive. It’s entirely possible that they’ve given you a pitying grin right back at seeing you on a bike less efficient, less comfortable, and that may cause male impotence

They also make me think of the ridiculous Sinclair C5 – anybody remember those?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_C5

Whenever I see them on the road I think “that person has a death wish”. I wonder what the statistics are for road accidents involving motor vehicles and recumbent cycles. Even if they are relatively fewer in number I bet the recumbent cyclists are worse off since there is really nowhere for them to go but either smack bang into the body of the vehicle or under it! At least on an upright bike there is a chance to be thrown (bounced?) clear.

The only thing that gives me more shivers is seeing people tow their kids on the road using those bike ‘trailers’. A split second mistake by a driver (i.e. using their mobile phone or something like that) and its bye bye baby.

Holden Caulfield9:14 am 10 Jan 11

Well, I think that recumbents can be very hard to see on the road and therefore it makes the whole motorist-cyclist relationship more difficult than it really needs to be. And, yes, I’ve muttered my distaste at them on more than one occasion, haha.

I expect they’re all part of some not-so-secret bearded club. Probably good for a mulled wine recipe too I’m guessing.

bitzermaloney9:11 am 10 Jan 11

Even other cyclists have an undying urge to push over recumbent cyclists. Freaks!

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