The perfect recumbent?

"JimmyMac" wrote in message
...
On May 21, 1:38 pm, "Edward Dolan" wrote:
[...]
The absence of a mass market means that small manufacturers can indulge
their fantasies. The average recumbent buyer will not know anything about
recumbents and will assume, like you, that the recumbent manufacturers
know
what they are doing. But they don't. It is why most recumbent
manufacturers
go out of business after a few years.
[...]

More theoretcal nonsense.

How many recumbent manufacturers stay in business for at least 20 years?
[...]

My brilliance is beyond your poor powers of perception.

Opinion stated as fact. In using my own words against me you do
nothing more than flatter me. If this is the best you can offer (read
repetition rather than a valid argument), this says more about your
alleged brilliance than you own self-serving accolades.

Repetition is the basis of all learning.

I suggest you stick
to computers and leave the serious business of recumbent bicycle design to
a
genius like me.

You design recumbents??? Hope I beat Tom Sherman to asking the
question. I know about as much about bicycles as I do about
bicycles. If you know as much about bicycles as you do about
computers, you'd best stick to what librarians know best ... books.

I have every sort of recumbent except for high racers and low racers. I know
what works best for most folks. Here it is again for the slow-witted and the
befuddled:

A MWB with a seat slightly above the crank and with above seat steering is
the perfect recumbent for all of us except racers. See the new Bacchetta
Bellandare for an example of such a bike (although the crank should be
somwhat higher in relation to the seat - the Agio was better in this
respect).

http://www.bacchettabikes.com/recumb...bellandare.htm

The key design feature that matters the most is the relationship of the
crank to the seat. I think a crank about 4 inches below the seat is optimum.
This will maximize power to the pedal as well as give you sufficient seat
lay back for ultimate comfort - the main thing that any recumbent is all
about.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

Edward Dolan wrote:
[...]
The key design feature that matters the most is the relationship of the
crank to the seat. I think a crank about 4 inches below the seat is optimum.
This will maximize power to the pedal as well as give you sufficient seat
lay back for ultimate comfort - the main thing that any recumbent is all
about.[...]

The sadly out of production RANS Tailwind has just this riding position.
The later round-tube models have much superior handling compared to the
first generation, which is easily distinguished by its square section
tubing.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
LOCAL CACTUS EATS CYCLIST - datakoll

In article ,
"Edward Dolan" writes:

A MWB with a seat slightly above the crank and with above seat steering is
the perfect recumbent for all of us except racers

Except for the chair, that pretty much describes diamond-frame bikes.
Especially those Amsterdam[tm] Flat-Foot-Forward city bike thingies.

And y'know what? With age, I'm find it a little more difficult
to swing my leg over the saddle when dismounting. Maybe make a
grunting "Unngggh" noise while doing so. Have to lean the bike
over more in order to extracate myself from the beloved infernal
contraption to which I'm so endeared. And y'know why? I'm
shrinking with age. I'm not as tall as I usta be, and that
chagrines me, no end.

Oh, well. When I reach a certain point, I'll be able to afford
either a recumbent, or a 9mm Browning with which to blow what's
left of my brains out. I haven't yet decided which way to go.
I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.

Actually, I'd rather blow my brains out with a good ol' Colt .45
and military hardball, or maybe, less drastically, lower my saddle
and continue to haunt the streets & highways. Yeah. I'm afraid
you and the world are stuck with me. Might as well make the
best of it.

cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

"Tom_Sherman" wrote in message
...
Edward Dolan wrote:
[...]
The key design feature that matters the most is the relationship of the
crank to the seat. I think a crank about 4 inches below the seat is
optimum. This will maximize power to the pedal as well as give you
sufficient seat lay back for ultimate comfort - the main thing that any
recumbent is all about.[...]

The sadly out of production RANS Tailwind has just this riding position.
The later round-tube models have much superior handling compared to the
first generation, which is easily distinguished by its square section
tubing.

The RANS Tailwind not only got the seat-crank relationship right, but it was
super elegant too. Why these type of recumbents do not sell better than they
do is a mystery to me.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

"Tom Keats" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Edward Dolan" writes:

A MWB with a seat slightly above the crank and with above seat steering
is
the perfect recumbent for all of us except racers

Except for the chair, that pretty much describes diamond-frame bikes.
Especially those Amsterdam[tm] Flat-Foot-Forward city bike thingies.

You are sitting on top of (over) the crank on an upright - which rules out
recumbent comfort. With a recumbent you begin with comfort and then trim for
efficiency. With an upright, it is the reverse of that.
[...]

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

Edward Dolan wrote:
"Tom_Sherman" wrote in message
...
Edward Dolan wrote:
[...]
The key design feature that matters the most is the relationship of the
crank to the seat. I think a crank about 4 inches below the seat is
optimum. This will maximize power to the pedal as well as give you
sufficient seat lay back for ultimate comfort - the main thing that any
recumbent is all about.[...]
The sadly out of production RANS Tailwind has just this riding position.
The later round-tube models have much superior handling compared to the
first generation, which is easily distinguished by its square section
tubing.

The RANS Tailwind not only got the seat-crank relationship right, but it was
super elegant too. Why these type of recumbents do not sell better than they
do is a mystery to me.

Most potential purchasers can not get over the prejudice against smaller
wheels. The RANS Rocket is out of production for the same reason,
despite being a better bicycle than the V-Rex for many riders.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
LOCAL CACTUS EATS CYCLIST - datakoll

Tom Keats wrote:
In article ,
"Edward Dolan" writes:

A MWB with a seat slightly above the crank and with above seat steering is
the perfect recumbent for all of us except racers

Except for the chair, that pretty much describes diamond-frame bikes.
Especially those Amsterdam[tm] Flat-Foot-Forward city bike thingies.

And y'know what? With age, I'm find it a little more difficult
to swing my leg over the saddle when dismounting. Maybe make a
grunting "Unngggh" noise while doing so. Have to lean the bike
over more in order to extracate myself from the beloved infernal
contraption to which I'm so endeared. And y'know why? I'm
shrinking with age. I'm not as tall as I usta be, and that
chagrines me, no end.

Oh, well. When I reach a certain point, I'll be able to afford
either a recumbent, or a 9mm Browning with which to blow what's
left of my brains out. I haven't yet decided which way to go.
I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.

Actually, I'd rather blow my brains out with a good ol' Colt .45
and military hardball, or maybe, less drastically, lower my saddle
and continue to haunt the streets & highways. Yeah. I'm afraid
you and the world are stuck with me. Might as well make the
best of it.

Start scouring the garage sales and secondhand stores for a good quality
mixte frame. I knew an older man who was happy to find a mixte Kabuki
Submariner for the same reason of low step-over height.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
LOCAL CACTUS EATS CYCLIST - datakoll

"Tom_Sherman" wrote in message
...
Edward Dolan wrote:
"Tom_Sherman" wrote in message
...
Edward Dolan wrote:
[...]
The key design feature that matters the most is the relationship of the
crank to the seat. I think a crank about 4 inches below the seat is
optimum. This will maximize power to the pedal as well as give you
sufficient seat lay back for ultimate comfort - the main thing that any
recumbent is all about.[...]

The sadly out of production RANS Tailwind has just this riding position.
The later round-tube models have much superior handling compared to the
first generation, which is easily distinguished by its square section
tubing.

The RANS Tailwind not only got the seat-crank relationship right, but it
was super elegant too. Why these type of recumbents do not sell better
than they do is a mystery to me.

Most potential purchasers can not get over the prejudice against smaller
wheels. The RANS Rocket is out of production for the same reason, despite
being a better bicycle than the V-Rex for many riders.

I think another thing that kicks in is that most of us want a recumbent that
will do long distance touring. Why, I don't know. Most of us will just ride
our recumbents about town on quiet residential streets for a couple of hours
a day at best. The RANS Tailwind is perfect for that.

On one of my week long group tours, there was a fellow that had a Tailwind
with a complete body fairing. This guy was amazingly fast and no one could
catch him when he went all out. So of course small wheels have nothing to do
with not being fast.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

In article ,
Tom_Sherman writes:

Start scouring the garage sales and secondhand stores for a good quality
mixte frame. I knew an older man who was happy to find a mixte Kabuki
Submariner for the same reason of low step-over height.

I've got a true mixte, and it's a beauty. I've previously
described it on RBM. Trouble is, it handles pretty weirdly
with cargo loads. The frame goes all whippy and snake-tail-y.

It's still a good city runabout, though. I should dust it off
and put it through its paces. I built both its 27" wheels on
scrounged Suzue wide-flanged one-piece-forged hubs.

I've also gotta get around to rendering my Raleigh Twenty
streetworthy.

I can still effect a kick-boxer's roundhouse kick.
I don't use it to hurt people, but rather to put sticky-outy
boxes stacked on pallets, in their place. I'm not decrepit yet.
I'm still lithe, lively, slim & limber. So I'm not yet a
recumbent/blow-my-brains-out candidate. I'm just sensing
my mortality. Good ol' denial takes care of that, same
as with debts to various government institutions which can
kiss my hersuit ass.

So every time I swing my leg over my saddle, I derive the
satisfaction of screwing the governments that screw us.


Yeah, I should dig out the ol' Sekine mixte.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

In article ,
"Edward Dolan" writes:

"Tom Keats" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Edward Dolan" writes:

A MWB with a seat slightly above the crank and with above seat steering
is
the perfect recumbent for all of us except racers

Except for the chair, that pretty much describes diamond-frame bikes.
Especially those Amsterdam[tm] Flat-Foot-Forward city bike thingies.

You are sitting on top of (over) the crank on an upright - which rules out
recumbent comfort. With a recumbent you begin with comfort and then trim for
efficiency. With an upright, it is the reverse of that.

No.

Comfort is every bit as much an issue with "uprights" as
it is with your camp chair bikes.

A fat-assed weakling might not be initially comfortable
upon a normal bike. That leads to a couple of choices.

As Yogi Bera said: "When you come to a fork in the road --
take it!"


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca