First Ride.....

[Manguish]

So, first ride on the sprint 26. A small 8 miler.

First surprise was the amount of room cars actually give you over DF. Amazed. Cars actually stopping behind me to get a clear gap to overtake. Quality.

Secondly, no back or neck (or bum) pain at all. Epic.

One thing that I did suffer (badly) was a massive cramp in my left leg. Never experienced something like it before. Took ages to clear and suffered one home too. Why would this be?

I appreciate I'm using the tops of my legs more now, which is why I was confused why my calf cramped so bad.

Deffo going to take some getting used to.

All in all though, loved it.

 

[starhawk]

It's really amazing how nice car drivers are when confronted with a trike compared to a DF, but don't bother to think about it, just enjoy!
I had a case of cramp in my right leg once on my trike, but that was when I had SPD pedals, now I ride on Terra Trike Strapped Heel Support Pedals and it has not been any case since. I think it may be a combination of using the "Ball of your toe" and the fact that you can actually push harder when you are on a trike then you can on a DF, that would put some pressure on the calf muscle. I got mine on an uphill strech, luckily I got up to the top of the hill with my left leg. With the TTSHS pedals you push with the entire foot instead of just the "ball of the toe".

 

[Pikey]

I'm a relative newcomer to this recumbent business, having only switched to the dark side in October.

I still get the odd cramp, but got a few when I first started, I suppose its just like any other exercise that you need to adapt to. I'm still waiting for my bent legs to fully kick in... Just stretch well after the rides whilst the major muscle groups are adapting to the novel demand.

On the plus side, especially with trikes, drivers have been spookily courteous, I'm never going to get bored of that!

Plus they are just flippin great.

 

[DaddyPaddey]

It takes a surprising amount of time to get your 'bent legs' when switching from a DF. I was told between 6 months and a year to 'retrain' the legs, and thought this was hogwash. Am eating my words as I think it took me 8 months, though I still find steep hills a challenge, back to the other thread of why 'bent manufacurers seem to have to high a gearing set up.

 

[starhawk]

"Bent legs" is a myth, I had no problem at all "adapting" to ride my trike and examinations done has found no ground for the "bent leg" theory

 

[Tigerbiten]

"Bent legs" is a myth, I had no problem at all "adapting" to ride my trike and examinations done has found no ground for the "bent leg" theory

My understanding is you use your muscle groups slightly differently bent vs upwrong.
You rely more on your quads and less on your gluts on a bent.
Hence your legs fatigue quicker until you are bent fit, even if you are upwrong fit.
This is my understanding of "bent legs" .........

 

[DaddyPaddey]

My legs didn't think it a myth! Or perhaps I have mythconstrued the post!