Dismounting - or how to get out of a low recumbent

This letter (repeated verbatim below) by Tom Culver appeared in an
issue of The British Human Power Club newsletter in 1998.

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Police statements always used to describe persons dismounting their
motorcars or cycles and indeed very often still do. It has a wonderful
Victorian ring about it, doesn’t it? Well, this is about dismounting
a Windcheetah or similar very low recumbent.

For those of my age (the end of my fifth decade) and physique ( 15
stone - should be 13) it is not an easy thing to do. It is easy enough
to get into. You just get fairly low and in the right position and
drop - rather like a full stall landing in an aeroplane (only those
old enough to appreciate this advice will understand that, I fear.)
But I have worked out a method that makes it very much easier and is
easy to do with a little practise, albeit bystanders find it a bit
startling. When you want to stop you simply put your feet to the
ground when going slowly and jam on the brake. Inertia will throw you
onto your feet. It is so much easier than clambering out. It works
when barely moving - I can get enough speed across my small sitting
room to do it comfortably.

This method should only be used on machines with a joy-stick or fold
forward handlebars - it might work with underseat steering, I’ve
never tried it.
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Any comments on this method? - I can see a possible drawback if you
get the timing wrong or slip off the brakes and you bend your legs in
all the wrong places.



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