I was injured at work about 2 years ago, this entire time I've hated how much I now rely on my vehicle. Your video has convinced me to convert my old bicycle and get back my freedom. Thanks a lot.
Excellent, Paul. I've only actually ever seen 1 on the road in the UK, in our European travels we've seen dozens, but that one is a bit special. Hats off to you, another great design.
You have a fantastic optimism and outlook in life is a gift, I've seen some of your videos, great ideas and well put together...mind the knees kid their the only ones you got 👍
Great job Paul, I also ride recumbent EVERYDAY and am older than you. From the looks of watching your cool builds/ride video my guess is that the bent does indeed not fit you correctly and this may be a part of hip/knee issues. Thanks for all the great videos you produce, Better than most of what is on TV.
Thanks Mike. My body build is stiff tendoned, which translates to I should be doing lots more pre stretching before and after a ride, especially on cold days. The pedal reach is good, but the short cranks are not helping much. I need to change it out for one with a longer reach.
Thanks Paul! I always enjoy your videos. This gives me great ideas for a similar build I want to do. Due to back problems I need to do a recumbent and can't see spending $1000's on one.
I buy bikes at Goodwill for ten bucks then cut them up the way I want them, then I go to my local scrap metal yard and buy other metal I need for them for pennies on the dollars bring it back and fabricate what I want and weld it together all though I do have my own welding and fabricating business I guess I'm lucky.
I like this bike and the frame. Looks very comfortable. For a cruiser/exercize bike I think you hit the thing on the head. Like to see you paint it and get rid of the burn marks. This could be a beauty. I made a custom bike frame on paper, a very low recumbant, as in about four inches off the, bottom of frame. I don't weld but I can learn, I know, but I would like to make my design a reality someday. I just posted a video/pictures of my last rebuild. I'm keeping this one, its so cool. I usually give them away. A 1959 Schwinn turned into a City Bomber.
I sure like your designs. Last weekend I built one and will finish it tomorrow. I'm also using a $5 bike from a thrift shop. All that I have to do now is extend the steering, and want a different seat. The seat I have now comes from an old exercise bike, and its too heavy. I want to do a webbed one like on a lawn chair. Isnt bike making a great hobby!!!
Recumbent bikes vary in price. They do sell Adult recumbent trikes. The best bang for the buck is by a brand from Taiwan I believe, named Performer Recumbent. They have a shop on Amazon, run by a bike shop out of the municipality of State College, PA (the home of Penn State). they ship internationally. You can pick up a Performer Recumbent for roughly 1800 bucks. The "big three" trike brands start at 2700 or more for their base models.
Oh yes, very much so. They are comfortable, durable, FAST AS ALL HECK, and great for long distance. Also, if you think about some basic physics, what stops a bike from going uphill is the balance issue. When you lose momentum you fall over. That doesn't happen on trike, you just keep pedaling and the bike holds itself up. GREAT for hills. GREAT for touring.
You might enjoy hanging out at a place like the Artisan's Asylum (in Massachusetts). It's jammed with people from all different manufacturing fields as well as amateurs. They have a table saw, arc welders, spot welders, scroll saw, chop saws, band saws, drill presses, lathes, 2 cnc milling machines (for wood and metal), milling machine, 3d printer, planer, hand power tools, sheet metal jump sheer and bender, and more.
Nice work! Why did your knees blow out? too horizontal on the pedaling? I have a home built similar to that (knee injury) bike and want to know if I should ditch that design. Thanks for your videos, they are an inspiration.
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It is generally true that allowing your knees to fully, or nearly fully extend reduces stress to your knees. I note in your video that your knees are NOT extending. Moving your seat back for greater knee extension will likely help.
I actually picked up a used sun cruiser recumbent cheap am waiting on some shifter parts it needed. .I is very similar layout to yours... I wonder if 20" wheel bikes can keep up with th 26" wheel ones...thanks
Tnx for the vid! Nice, simple design. ...and I am very concerned HOW you blew your knee out on a recumbent! Is that the downside??? +1 .. definitely should have used a rattle can before the photo op!
Hey, nice bikes! I wanted aome advice on building a small recumbent bike seat for a diy recumbent I made from a clown bike. I folds smaller than a Dahon! Is a seat base made of wood and rails attached to it with zip ties a good idea?
So we are currently 3 days from this video's 7th birthday. Since you've made this video, have your knees held up Paul? IF so, are you still riding the bike? Looks like a good design. I bet its a blast to ride on.
i want to make a 3 or 4-wheeled, low-gear pedal-lawnmower. it'll have reel mower blades at the front (like a golf course mower) that can be raised and lowered. it'll have a really short turn radius, and it'll have a series of gears that make it workable even in thick grass. but now that i've given you the idea, if you beat me to it, so be it.
So many stories about guys -- even young guys -- damaging their knees on recumbents. It doesn't make intuitive sense, but I've heard it too many times. What do you think might be about? Surely you've thought about it.
Does anyone know if a tricycle like the schwinn meridian can be modified with a recumbent seat and the long handle bars not sure what they are called. Sorry I’m just learning but trying yo get what I want without so much money. I’m wanting this type of seat for my back support
Long-wheelbase recumbents always have very different front fork angle/rake/trail than upright bikes do. There must be reasons for this, but I can't fathom what they might be. If you can tell me anything, or point me to others who speak on this well, I'd sure appreciate it.
Did your feet slip off the pedals and feet hit the ground and pull your knees up under you.The reason I ask I was building a recumbent, but building some plat form up under the pedals to keep my feet from accidentally hitting the ground and bending my knees up under me, with my knee problems that would cripple me.
Go to my channel jesikebiking and check out my NO WELD recumbent Roadmaster . I joined two bike frames (a 26" and 20" ) with muffler and training wheel brackets and a it's a great ride
I know it's an old thread....just wondering if bents are particularly hard on knees that Paul keeps mentioning them, or does he have other issues contributing to the problem?
Does the longer lower pedaling help you for your knees, my knees is also shot form the kind of work I use to do and do you think if your bike had three sprockets on the front pedaling it would do good on hills?
Yes it would do fine with a triple sprocket up front. I just putt around on the road you see on the video which is very flat. Not sure how your knees would react to a recumbent ride. The recumbent position unfortunately puts more stress on your knees seeing you don't have the ability to climb out of your seat going up hills and gravity actually helps the legs to push down on the pedals some when in the upright position.
nice work!, but i was wondering, having kneeproblems myself,until a therapist told me my saddle was to low, so i didnt strech my legs during cycling, after the adjustment my leg would strech allmost totally when the peddles are in down position, and the discomfort dissapeared, i can see your new bike you keep your legs bent
They're close to what's recommended, but after 4 days of daily use I started to develope a pain in the uppper leg. It was cold during this time and I neglected to do pre and post stretches. I'll change out the cranks for taller ones soon. That and stretching should cure the problem.
The answer is 'YES'. Unlike a traditional bike a recumbent relies solely on your legs, and the knees take a lot more abuse, especially when you're climbing a hill exerting more pleasure than your body weight. Just go on short jaunts and take a week or two to get your knees use to the extra load.
Not sure. There are a lots of different physics going on between an upright and prone pedal stroke. Gravity, blood circulation, the ability or un-ability to 'standing' on your pedals when going up hill etc. Again, no matter what you get, just don't go on a marathon ride the first time out. Ease into it.
You got the write idea, Only it's ugly. Go back to your drowning table and come up with good looking design. I have some designs of my own and I have been designing 2-and 3 wheel bikes for the past 20 years. If you need any help redesigning your bike let me know and I will help you come up with a very good looking frame. (FOR-FREE)
