psychling
Well-Known Member
balance issue
In response to Eric Winn's post (below):
The riding characteristics of a recumbent vs a DF that Dan Fallon describes In a 300k brevet from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon on his blog along a dangerous route section is interesting but I'm curious if Dan was riding one of his Cruzbikes or one of his other recumbents and if the Cruzbike FWD, MBB configuration makes this issue easier to deal with?
I've linked Dan's complete post above. Below is the part of his blog post I'm referring to. How would the Vendetta handle this vs the Silvio? Quest? Sofrider? Any significant differences between bikes when gusting cross winds are involved?
"This section is difficult for any recumbent bike. Add to it the 3 - 5% incline and a gusting 20 mph wind from the west and it is more than difficult; it is potentially lethal.
The upright bike has far more balance capability than the bent. The upright rider can get out of the saddle and rock the bike back and forth with minimum of difficulty in order to ride a straight line.
The bent rider doesn't have that option. By design the recumbent bike and the rider are one unit. Under difficult conditions the bent rider has to be far more careful of road conditions, weather conditions and crosswinds."
This also brings my Motorcycle Safety Foundation training to mind where they train you in maneuvering around obstacles where one of the key points is to not focus on what is immediately in front of you but focus through the path you need to take, e.g. focus more on the exit out of a curve in front of you instead of the entrance to that curve. Does this apply in Dan's scenario and more generally woud following this technique help mitigate some of the wobbles that new Cruzbike riders experience?
-Eric
Eric ...
A 30 mph cross wind is going to push a bicycle and rider sideways, no matter what platform (upright or 2 wheel bent). The rider can `focus through on the path you need to take' all s/he wants but that won't inhibit the laws of physics. Whether on an uphill, flat or downhill crosswinds have to be respected.
I've observed in the last few months a few cyclists (upright and 2 wheel bent) getting seduced into the `thrill' of fast descents and then `reduced' to mortal collections of road rash and broken bikes.
It wouldn't have mattered if I had ridden a Cruzbike or any other recumbent.
As I mentioned in the section you quoted, there is a difference between how a cyclist can handle crosswinds (not to mention `ribbed' roads on a screaming descent):
The upright bike has far more balance capability than the bent. The upright rider can get out of the saddle and rock the bike back and forth with minimum of difficulty in order to ride a straight line.
The bent rider doesn't have that option. By design the recumbent bike and the rider are one unit. Under difficult conditions the bent rider has to be far more careful of road conditions, weather conditions and crosswinds.
.
In response to Eric Winn's post (below):
The riding characteristics of a recumbent vs a DF that Dan Fallon describes In a 300k brevet from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon on his blog along a dangerous route section is interesting but I'm curious if Dan was riding one of his Cruzbikes or one of his other recumbents and if the Cruzbike FWD, MBB configuration makes this issue easier to deal with?
I've linked Dan's complete post above. Below is the part of his blog post I'm referring to. How would the Vendetta handle this vs the Silvio? Quest? Sofrider? Any significant differences between bikes when gusting cross winds are involved?
"This section is difficult for any recumbent bike. Add to it the 3 - 5% incline and a gusting 20 mph wind from the west and it is more than difficult; it is potentially lethal.
The upright bike has far more balance capability than the bent. The upright rider can get out of the saddle and rock the bike back and forth with minimum of difficulty in order to ride a straight line.
The bent rider doesn't have that option. By design the recumbent bike and the rider are one unit. Under difficult conditions the bent rider has to be far more careful of road conditions, weather conditions and crosswinds."
This also brings my Motorcycle Safety Foundation training to mind where they train you in maneuvering around obstacles where one of the key points is to not focus on what is immediately in front of you but focus through the path you need to take, e.g. focus more on the exit out of a curve in front of you instead of the entrance to that curve. Does this apply in Dan's scenario and more generally woud following this technique help mitigate some of the wobbles that new Cruzbike riders experience?
-Eric
Eric ...
A 30 mph cross wind is going to push a bicycle and rider sideways, no matter what platform (upright or 2 wheel bent). The rider can `focus through on the path you need to take' all s/he wants but that won't inhibit the laws of physics. Whether on an uphill, flat or downhill crosswinds have to be respected.
I've observed in the last few months a few cyclists (upright and 2 wheel bent) getting seduced into the `thrill' of fast descents and then `reduced' to mortal collections of road rash and broken bikes.
It wouldn't have mattered if I had ridden a Cruzbike or any other recumbent.
As I mentioned in the section you quoted, there is a difference between how a cyclist can handle crosswinds (not to mention `ribbed' roads on a screaming descent):
The upright bike has far more balance capability than the bent. The upright rider can get out of the saddle and rock the bike back and forth with minimum of difficulty in order to ride a straight line.
The bent rider doesn't have that option. By design the recumbent bike and the rider are one unit. Under difficult conditions the bent rider has to be far more careful of road conditions, weather conditions and crosswinds.
.
