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Many people resist bicycle commuting because of the daily distance involved, cargo to carry, or the discomfort of riding the standard upright “diamond frame” (DF). All of these problem can be overcome with electric motor assists for any bicycle, capacious new trailers on the market, and the recumbent and “crank forward” bikes.
There are various electric motor designs: two of the most reliable are made by BionX and Ecospeed. They help you up the hills, can increase speed on the flats, augment hauling power, have selective levels of power assist, and even complete console “dashboards.” Bicycle trailers are made to haul everything from children to small boats.
The recumbent and crank-forward bikes totally eliminate the neck strain, wrist numbness, and aching crotch suffered by many riders on DF bikes on lengthy rides. It's another wonder that more people don't ride them.
Every cycling speed record has been set by recumbent bikes, because they enjoy a huge advantage against the main bane of cyclists (aside from steep hills) — headwind. I ride a CLWB (Compact Long Wheelbase) cruiser around town, which reminds me of my liberating Schwinn Stingray as a kid: low-slung, big comfy seat, crank forward, chopper bars. It's a blast to ride. So why aren't competitive racers riding recumbents?
Because they were effectively outlawed from races by the French UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) in 1934, after a second-tier racer, Francis Faure, entered a contest on his recumbent, designed by Charles Mochet. At the start of the race, the elite riders ridiculed him as if he were riding another “dandy horse.”
“Faure, you must be tired and want to go to take a nap on that thing. Why don't you sit up upright and pedal like a man?,” they said.
Faure didn't have a rear-view mirror on his bike, but after a few miles that's the only way he would have seen his competitors — in his dust.
The UCI decision was based on emphasizing the performance of the rider over the machine — and the interests of established upright bike manufacturers against the revolutionary new recumbent. They lobbied the UCI hard, and ever since the more aggressively posing, “masculine” upright has dominated over the more “feminine” recumbent position, which is considered “odd” looking by many. That, of course, is only a case of habit and conditioning. Had the UCI not made its monopolistic decision, we might all be riding recumbents today and consider diamond frames odd.
Rans and Bachetta are two of the leading American makers of recumbent bikes, with a host of smaller scale entrepreneurs producing interesting new designs.
A Montana company, Lightfoot, has a whole line with lightweight fairings and canopies for weather protection.
A company in Colorado Springs, Angletech Cycles, offers a wide selection of customized bikes and accessories, from entry-level to titanium-frame performance models over $6,000.
An Australian company, Cruzbike, has produced an FWD recumbent with full suspension. Then there are recumbent “trucks,” trikes, high-racers, low-racers, hand-cycles, tandems and the modern “velomobile” in races sponsored by the HPVA (Human Powered Vehicle Association).
The Canadian Automobile Association estimated the cost savings of owning and operating a bicycle vs. a car: an additional $5,000-$6,000 per year could be spent elsewhere. An electrically assisted bike can travel well over 1,000 miles for the cost of a $4 gallon of gas. The latest lightweight lithium-ion batteries have long life spans, operate well in the cold, and are incredibly cheap to recharge (in about 3 hours, for pennies), especially if solar charging is used.
Fortunately, Grand Junction is a near ideal city for biking: relatively flat terrain, dry climate, and abundant bike lanes and trails. So what's to lose in switching more of your transportation to the humble bicycle? You'll live longer and healthier, have more money to spend, and may even help save the planet in the bargain.
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“Bicycle liberation: Part 1” ran in the July 22 edition of the Free Press. Catch up online at gjfreepress.com or visit the Free Press office at 145 N. Fourth St. for a back issue.
Travis Kelly is a web/graphic designer, writer and cartoonist in Grand Junction. See his work or contact him at www.traviskelly.com.
There are various electric motor designs: two of the most reliable are made by BionX and Ecospeed. They help you up the hills, can increase speed on the flats, augment hauling power, have selective levels of power assist, and even complete console “dashboards.” Bicycle trailers are made to haul everything from children to small boats.
The recumbent and crank-forward bikes totally eliminate the neck strain, wrist numbness, and aching crotch suffered by many riders on DF bikes on lengthy rides. It's another wonder that more people don't ride them.
Every cycling speed record has been set by recumbent bikes, because they enjoy a huge advantage against the main bane of cyclists (aside from steep hills) — headwind. I ride a CLWB (Compact Long Wheelbase) cruiser around town, which reminds me of my liberating Schwinn Stingray as a kid: low-slung, big comfy seat, crank forward, chopper bars. It's a blast to ride. So why aren't competitive racers riding recumbents?
Because they were effectively outlawed from races by the French UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) in 1934, after a second-tier racer, Francis Faure, entered a contest on his recumbent, designed by Charles Mochet. At the start of the race, the elite riders ridiculed him as if he were riding another “dandy horse.”
“Faure, you must be tired and want to go to take a nap on that thing. Why don't you sit up upright and pedal like a man?,” they said.
Faure didn't have a rear-view mirror on his bike, but after a few miles that's the only way he would have seen his competitors — in his dust.
The UCI decision was based on emphasizing the performance of the rider over the machine — and the interests of established upright bike manufacturers against the revolutionary new recumbent. They lobbied the UCI hard, and ever since the more aggressively posing, “masculine” upright has dominated over the more “feminine” recumbent position, which is considered “odd” looking by many. That, of course, is only a case of habit and conditioning. Had the UCI not made its monopolistic decision, we might all be riding recumbents today and consider diamond frames odd.
Rans and Bachetta are two of the leading American makers of recumbent bikes, with a host of smaller scale entrepreneurs producing interesting new designs.
A Montana company, Lightfoot, has a whole line with lightweight fairings and canopies for weather protection.
A company in Colorado Springs, Angletech Cycles, offers a wide selection of customized bikes and accessories, from entry-level to titanium-frame performance models over $6,000.
An Australian company, Cruzbike, has produced an FWD recumbent with full suspension. Then there are recumbent “trucks,” trikes, high-racers, low-racers, hand-cycles, tandems and the modern “velomobile” in races sponsored by the HPVA (Human Powered Vehicle Association).
The Canadian Automobile Association estimated the cost savings of owning and operating a bicycle vs. a car: an additional $5,000-$6,000 per year could be spent elsewhere. An electrically assisted bike can travel well over 1,000 miles for the cost of a $4 gallon of gas. The latest lightweight lithium-ion batteries have long life spans, operate well in the cold, and are incredibly cheap to recharge (in about 3 hours, for pennies), especially if solar charging is used.
Fortunately, Grand Junction is a near ideal city for biking: relatively flat terrain, dry climate, and abundant bike lanes and trails. So what's to lose in switching more of your transportation to the humble bicycle? You'll live longer and healthier, have more money to spend, and may even help save the planet in the bargain.
---------------------------------------
“Bicycle liberation: Part 1” ran in the July 22 edition of the Free Press. Catch up online at gjfreepress.com or visit the Free Press office at 145 N. Fourth St. for a back issue.
Travis Kelly is a web/graphic designer, writer and cartoonist in Grand Junction. See his work or contact him at www.traviskelly.com.
