Below Steering

I am soon to transfer back to San Diego from New Orleans (where I wouldn't
dare ride!)...I am looking forward to riding again and am considering
purchasing a Recumbent for my commuting to and from work. I've noticed some
have steering below rather than above...seems like it would be difficult to
control in that manner....can anyone comment on the benefits/drawbacks to
below steering? Thanks.
Tony

On Sun, 2 May 2004 12:01:55 -0500, "TheMilligans"
wrote:

I am soon to transfer back to San Diego from New Orleans (where I wouldn't
dare ride!)...I am looking forward to riding again and am considering
purchasing a Recumbent for my commuting to and from work. I've noticed some
have steering below rather than above...seems like it would be difficult to
control in that manner....can anyone comment on the benefits/drawbacks to
below steering? Thanks.
Tony


it is so COMFORTABLE that twice i have nodded off and woken on the
gravel shoulder(!!!)... the topside bars make you hold yr hands like
a squirrel holds its front paws while begging - Ъ×

My inclination is that it is just personal preference. I have heard
recommendations to the effect that one should find a place that
allows extended test drives and choose what you like.

That said, personally, I prefer having the handlebars in front of
me, because that's what I'm used to. I think it gives me
better control.

Henry

My $12 homebuilt recumbent:
http://comptune.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=208#208


"TheMilligans" wrote in message
...
I am soon to transfer back to San Diego from New Orleans (where I wouldn't
dare ride!)...I am looking forward to riding again and am considering
purchasing a Recumbent for my commuting to and from work. I've noticed
some
have steering below rather than above...seems like it would be difficult
to
control in that manner....can anyone comment on the benefits/drawbacks to
below steering? Thanks.
Tony

"Henry" wrote in message
My inclination is that it is just personal preference.

snip

That said, personally, I prefer having the handlebars in front of
me, because that's what I'm used to. I think it gives me
better control.

To prove Henry correct, my personal preference is for Under Seat Steering
(USS). I feel like my arms are in a more natural position and love the way
it feels with nothing but my feet out in front of me. I feel like I'm on a
magic carpet ride. For me, the USS felt natural from the first time I tried
it (which was also my first ride on a bent of any sort)... no adjustment
period at all.

I later bought a second bent (a RANS Vivo) with above seat steering, but
after a year decided to sell it because I never got to the point where the
steering felt as natural as my USS bent.

A drawback to USS steering is that it is less aerodynamic, and some people
think it is more difficult to walk the bike. I'm willing to trade
aerodynamics for what feels right to me. Also, I find it is quite easy to
walk my USS bent. I simply get behind the bike and with both hands on the
seat, tip the bike up on its back wheel and walk it from directly behind the
bike. I preferred this method of walking a bike even with the RANS Vivo.
(Particularly when walking the bike into the house or negotiating other
narrow spaces.)

~ Nanc
1999 Vision R44 USS
2003 Vision R45 USS

ditto for me. USS is best!--

"Nanc" wrote in message
news:Moclc.70339$f_5.15704@lakeread01...
"Henry" wrote in message
My inclination is that it is just personal preference.

snip

That said, personally, I prefer having the handlebars in front of
me, because that's what I'm used to. I think it gives me
better control.

To prove Henry correct, my personal preference is for Under Seat Steering
(USS). I feel like my arms are in a more natural position and love the
way
it feels with nothing but my feet out in front of me. I feel like I'm on
a
magic carpet ride. For me, the USS felt natural from the first time I
tried
it (which was also my first ride on a bent of any sort)... no adjustment
period at all.

I later bought a second bent (a RANS Vivo) with above seat steering, but
after a year decided to sell it because I never got to the point where the
steering felt as natural as my USS bent.

A drawback to USS steering is that it is less aerodynamic, and some people
think it is more difficult to walk the bike. I'm willing to trade
aerodynamics for what feels right to me. Also, I find it is quite easy to
walk my USS bent. I simply get behind the bike and with both hands on the
seat, tip the bike up on its back wheel and walk it from directly behind
the
bike. I preferred this method of walking a bike even with the RANS Vivo.
(Particularly when walking the bike into the house or negotiating other
narrow spaces.)

~ Nanc
1999 Vision R44 USS
2003 Vision R45 USS

Thanks for your inputs, I am really leaning towards the USS models...just
seems to be a more natural location, I'm sure it will take a little getting
used to but in the end I think I'll like it better....
I do notice that many of the USS models have the seat leaning way
back...looks fairly comfortable but it would seem to me that you have to
hold your head up/forward and this would tend to cause some nech
strain....Of course this is just a guess on my part but is that the case?
Thanks again...
Tony

"TheMilligans" wrote in message
...
I am soon to transfer back to San Diego from New Orleans (where I wouldn't
dare ride!)...I am looking forward to riding again and am considering
purchasing a Recumbent for my commuting to and from work. I've noticed
some
have steering below rather than above...seems like it would be difficult
to
control in that manner....can anyone comment on the benefits/drawbacks to
below steering? Thanks.
Tony

On Sun, 2 May 2004 12:01:55 -0500, "TheMilligans"
wrote:

I am soon to transfer back to San Diego from New Orleans (where I wouldn't
dare ride!)...I am looking forward to riding again and am considering
purchasing a Recumbent for my commuting to and from work. I've noticed some
have steering below rather than above...seems like it would be difficult to
control in that manner....can anyone comment on the benefits/drawbacks to
below steering? Thanks.
Tony

My first two bents were ASS (Above Seat Steering). Two homebuilt
models, short wheel base. I then purchased a RANS Tailwind for my wife
(still ASS), but rode it for a while as well. Then I got a good deal
on a used Linear LWB with USS (Under Seat Steering). I loved the way
it felt. It is a more natural, more relaxed position than the "praying
squirrel" position of ASS bikes. I could easily switch between the two
styles, however, depending on what I felt like on a particular day. My
main ride is now a Burley Hepcat SWB with USS. I love this machine as
well.

It really all boils down to personal preference and what you want to
do on your bike. The Linear is a great touring bike. Not a speed
demon, but very comfortable and stable at speeding downhill, but you
had to make an appointment to turn around. The Burley is also very
comfortable, a speed machine that is quite stable at all speeds and
much more agile and maneuverable. Some people never get used to USS.
To them, it just doesn't seem right. You need to find a dealer that
has several models to test ride and go from there.

Landonman

Quoth "TheMilligans" :
| Thanks for your inputs, I am really leaning towards the USS models...just
| seems to be a more natural location, I'm sure it will take a little getting
| used to but in the end I think I'll like it better....

Note that there are different kinds. Mine (Vanguard) is a long
rod that links the left fork crown shoulder to a point on the
handlebars between the left and the center. That point can be
moved, so you can adjust the oversteer. The bars are approximately
straight, so my hands lie palm down, thumb in. On newer Vanguards
the bars turn up, and your palms face inward, thumb up ... but the
brake levers are mounted as usual (topologically speaking), so you
work them kind of backwards with the index finger at the end of
the levers. Wind resistance is probably different, with your arms
raised a bit, and sharp turns may bring the bars to the seat frame
(don't know.) And then there are bars mounted more or less like
ordinary handlebars directly to the fork stem (short wheelbase.)

There are other factors that affect steering a lot more, though
(from what I read anyway, the Vanguard is all I know from experience.)
Height, overall wheelbase and weight distribution relative to wheelbase.
The Vanguard is high, with a low bottom bracket and a long wheelbase,
so I experience a very stable platform at reasonable speeds. At slow
speed, the long wheelbase means I weave pretty far when I'm trying to
steer the bike under myself to stay up. I'm on the tall side, so the
weight is all in the back; would be kind of interesting to know what
would happen to the steering if my legs got a foot shorter and the
weight shifted forward that much. Anyway, I imagine an Tour Easy
would steer a lot more like my Vanguard than a Reynolds Wishbone,
even though the latter is USS.

| I do notice that many of the USS models have the seat leaning way
| back...looks fairly comfortable but it would seem to me that you have to
| hold your head up/forward and this would tend to cause some nech
| strain....Of course this is just a guess on my part but is that the case?

Maybe. Of course you would want to get on a couple of representative
models to see for yourself how it actually feels, particularly before
getting into anything extreme. I wouldn't guess steering above or
below would really correlate with reclining or upright position, in
principle.

Donn

I like USS and ride where I will. You seem rather easily influenced.


"TheMilligans" wrote in message
...
| I am soon to transfer back to San Diego from New Orleans (where I wouldn't
| dare ride!)...I am looking forward to riding again and am considering
| purchasing a Recumbent for my commuting to and from work. I've noticed
some
| have steering below rather than above...seems like it would be difficult
to
| control in that manner....can anyone comment on the benefits/drawbacks to
| below steering? Thanks.
| Tony
|
|

I've owned three bents, two w/ uss and one (a Bikee RX) with ASS. I'm
surprised no one has mentioned the wonderful "weirdness factor" these
bents have in spades, especially a uss swb like a Vision. When I
first saw one of these beasts that factor so intrigued me that I had
to have one! Now, I ride a GS GTO trike (w/USS) which, according to
my wife, is the ultimate weird hpv. I love it!

BTW, the thing that weaned me from uss swb is suddenly realizing that
I was going down a hill at 40 mph on top of an itty-bitty 16" wheel.
That first Blackbent six years ago scared the whee out of me!

BentJay