Re: Trikes:'Bents increasing?

Sharon wrote:
> I disagree, if I may..  On the recent American Lung Association of Washington 
> three day bike ride I was on- about 350 cyclists - two were recumbent - two 
> were recumbent trikes - several upright tandems and the rest all uprights.  
> I was amazed every time I watched the riders on the two recumbents.  They 
> looked strained with the effort to  hold their heads up... or so it appeared 
> to me...   I don't know why so many of the recumbent trike and recumbent 
> manufacturer don't provide head rests to alleviate the apparent strain on the 
> recumbent riders neck......  Annie

Don't like head rests because they interfere with the back of my helmet.
However, you do need a shoulder rest - something behind and between
the shoulder blades. All Greenspeed seats have it - it's just that little
bit of vertical seat at the very top. It's the key to having neck
comfort.

I know this because I built one with insufficient support here and
quickly realised the mistake. A little support made of folded
aluminium sheet, padded with a bit of yoga mat, made all the difference.
Just underlines the necessity of being properly fitted to the
seat - all those times we tell people to go try before they
buy, they might not have that option on the bikes/trikes they
borrow, and get the wrong idea of how it should feel.

On an upright I have to strain to hold my head up the other way,
along with all the other bits that are hurting, and try to breathe
air into my poor old squashed chest. Back on the trike, my back is
straight, my head balanced, and my chest open and clear.
Uprights on a Lung Association ride strike me as the most exquisite 
irony :-)

G.


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