Umm...How Do You Guys Walk Your 'Bent?

I mean, if you have USS...do you hold onto the seat? But then how do
you steer??

Also, what's with the Wikipedia caution about "a risk of heel strike on
many models, and a phenomenon known as 'leg suck', where a foot touches
the ground and the bike runs forward over the contact point, causing
ligament damage, makes the use of clipless pedals strongly
advisable...some riders suffer 'recumbent butt', a pain in the gluteal
muscles caused by their working harder while being compressed."

"NYC XYZ" wrote in message
ups.com...
I mean, if you have USS...do you hold onto the seat? But then how do
you steer??

Also, what's with the Wikipedia caution about "a risk of heel strike on
many models, and a phenomenon known as 'leg suck', where a foot touches
the ground and the bike runs forward over the contact point, causing
ligament damage, makes the use of clipless pedals strongly
advisable...some riders suffer 'recumbent butt', a pain in the gluteal
muscles caused by their working harder while being compressed."

Lean the bike one way or t'other and the front wheel soon complies.

I've never run into heel strike or leg suck, but then have used SPDs
forever. Nor have I had recumbent butt, except after 5 or 6 hours on the
bike (or office) seat.
__________________________________
The universe may be as grand as they say
but it wouldn't be missed if it didn't exist (ph)
http://gisjoe.com

NYC XYZ wrote:
I mean, if you have USS...do you hold onto the seat? But then how do
you steer??

Same way as walking a DF, holding it by the saddle. You just lean the
bike to steer it. Doesn't work so well with lowracers because they're
so, well, low! But the Streetmachine is just as easy to walk as a DF IME.

Also, what's with the Wikipedia caution about "a risk of heel strike on
many models

Heel hits the front wheel during sharp turning. Not entirely dissimilar
to a toe hitting the front wheel of a DF bike during sharp turning.
It's largely model dependent, I've never experienced it yet on a 'bent,
my toes would interface the front wheel fender on my old DF tourer though...

and a phenomenon known as 'leg suck', where a foot touches
the ground and the bike runs forward over the contact point, causing
ligament damage

Again, largely model dependent. You'd have to try something pretty
contrived to manage that on a lowracer, I never found it a problem on
the Orbit Crystal I learned on before changing to clipless, and when I'm
rolling over bumpy trails downhill on the Streetmachine and want to be
unclipped in case of a Naughtiness I usually run with one foot hovering,
and it's never seemed to be in any danger of "suck".

makes the use of clipless pedals strongly
advisable...

Never mind avoiding legsuck, use clipless to improve both comfort and
efficiency. On any model with a relatively high bottom bracket (i.e.,
most of the ones you've been looking at) it means you never have to hold
your feet up, and as with most bikes if you're attached to the pedals
then you'll get more power through them. Verging on no-brainer to use
clipless if you're planning any sort of distances.

some riders suffer 'recumbent butt', a pain in the gluteal
muscles caused by their working harder while being compressed."

Mostly a problem of a relatively upright seat where all the weight is on
your butt and you can't get out of the seat. By spreading more weight
onto your back with a more reclined angle it becomes pretty much a
non-issue IME.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Joseph Muller" wrote in news:70e33$43cd21bf$cf700ed9
:

"NYC XYZ" wrote in message
ups.com...
I mean, if you have USS...do you hold onto the seat? But then how do
you steer??



How about walking through doors, as in reaching way out in front of you to
open the knob and still holding onto the bike. This problem is even worse
when you have security doors to go through where you have to swipe an ID
card through a reader next to the door. Also how do you trigger the sensor
in the pavement to open an automatic gate. The frame on my bent is so much
higher off the ground than my DF I can't leave work without following a car
out.

Thanks Kirk.