Rob Bernstein of Boca Raton enjoys his recumbent bike on A1A in Delray Beach.
Kurtis Boggs/The Coastal Star
By Paula Detwiller
You’ve seen them cruising down A1A — laid back, pumping the pedals, surveying the road ahead.
They seem very relaxed, these recumbent bicyclists. Almost too relaxed. And have you noticed that satisfied look on their faces? It’s a look that says, “I’m totally comfortable. My back is supported, my neck isn’t straining, my crotch isn’t chafing — and I’m getting a good workout, just like my racing-bike friends.”
“Comfort is the No, 1 reason people choose recumbent bikes over traditional bikes,” says Joshua Beatty. He owns Atlantic Bicycle in Margate, the only recumbent bicycle dealer and repair shop in South Florida.
Styles vary, but all recumbent bikes have good ergonomics: a wide seat, a backrest (some with lumbar support), and handlebars mounted at a comfortable height for steering and resting your hands. You can even get handlebars mounted under the seat, so you can steer and brake without having to lift your arms.
But before you conclude that these bikes were designed for the soft and lazy, listen to this.
“Recumbent bikes are the fastest bikes, even though people don’t realize that,” Beatty says. “They were outlawed in 1914 for racing because they have an aerodynamic advantage.”
And how. About four years ago, Sam Whittingham, a recumbent rider from Canada, set the world speed record for human-powered vehicles: 82 miles an hour.
Regular riders
You’re not likely to see Whittingham whizzing down A1A. But you might see Ron Bernstein. He rides his recumbent bike 60 miles every Saturday and Sunday, starting at his home in Boca Raton. Thirty miles up the highway, 30 miles back.
Bernstein’s been riding a recumbent bicycle since his early 20s. He’s now 53. Was it speed that attracted him? No, it was comfort. And safety.
“When I was a sophomore at the University of Arizona, I was riding down a mountain pass on a regular racing bike,” Bernstein says. “I hit a pothole and went right over the handlebars. Well, the next weekend I was limping around at a street fair, and there was a guy there showing recumbent bikes. I said, ‘OK, here’s an alternative.’ ”
Retired electronics engineer David Kraker, 78, of Delray Beach, was also looking for an alternative after years of riding his racing bike.
“I began to experience a lot of neck pain, probably due to arthritis,” he says. “I thought I was going to have to give up bicycling. But I bought a used recumbent bike and I’ve been riding it for about seven years now.”
His friend Linda Leeds, 65, of West Palm Beach, switched to a reclining-style bike after developing arthritis in her hands.
“Riding my upright bike put too much pressure on my hands and wrists, leaning forward on the handlebars,” she says.
Low view, high price
Recumbent riders say they love the open view you get when sitting back instead of hunching over (“You see more scenery going by”). But they warn that a rear-view mirror is a must. And for riding in traffic, a warning flag is recommended; recumbent riders sit lower to the ground and may not be immediately visible to drivers.
With the average price of a recumbent road bike running about $1,500, careful selection is key, says bike shop owner Beatty.
“What I like to tell people is that the recumbent picks the rider. We’re all built differently and there are different bottom-bracket heights, different seat angles, and different ways people sit,” he says.
Beatty says if you maintain your recumbent bike, it can last for 20 to 30 years.
That sounds good to Kraker. “I plan to ride as long as I can,” he says, “and the engineering of this bike is going to help me do that.”
Paula Detwiller is a freelance writer and lifelong fitness junkie. Find her at www.pdwrites.com.
Where to see recumbent bike racing
What: The 2013 Florida Challenge, sponsored by the Human Powered Race Association.
Spectators can see a variety of recumbent bikes while racers compete for cash prizes.
When: Feb. 23- 24
Where: The velodrome at Brian Piccolo Park
9501 Sheridan St., Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
Admission: Free
For more information: www.recumbents.com/wisil/calendar.asp
Where to buy
Since recumbent bicyclists make up just 3 percent of the bike-riding population, there’s not a big market for retailers. Here’s the only place in South Florida to test-ride, purchase, or service a two-wheeled recumbent bike:
Atlantic Bicycle
4980 W. Atlantic Blvd.
Margate, FL 33063
(954) 971-9590
For online purchases, try:
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