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Q&A and summer wear

I have this customer who asks the sorts of questions I suspect everyone has, but they don’t ask.  Here’s a sample from two of our recent conversations.

On Mar 30, 2017, at 17:20, Robert Matson wrote:

Hi D—-,

I hope you’re well.  Responses below, in-line….
Thank you for your business,
Robert

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Robert Matson
The Innovation Works, Inc.
Tel: (646) 233-1219

D:

On Thu, Mar 30, 2017 at 3:27 PM, D—wrote:
Hi Robert,I hope all is well with you. I have a couple of questions that I wanted to ask which I forgot to bring up when you repaired the handlebars on my Grasshopper. (Thanks again!)

Does it cause extra/undue wear and tear on the brakes or drivetrain to have one foot on the pedal and a brake on at stop lights?

RM:

No.

D:Is moving the pedals backward harmful at all? (For applying lube and also getting the pedals in position before starting to pedal.)

RM:

No.

 

D:

Lastly, is the recumbent more or less subject to wind because of the more aerodynamic design? Is there any rule of thumb for a particular speed or type of wind where it becomes dangerously difficult to control the bike? (I know a big factor here is rider level of skill and there’s no exact reply but am hoping to get your thoughts nonetheless).

RM:

I don’t believe there’s any greater issue for recumbents as opposed to standard frame bikes regarding wind.  In a heavy wind I get blown around equally by both.
On the speed or type of wind question, I want to reply jokingly that I’d be concerned about hurricanes and tornadoes.
Maybe more helpful would be to say that high winds — maybe over 60mph? — are dangerous on bridges.  But I don’t know exactly at what point a wind becomes dangerous on a bridge.  One thought, it isn’t terribly rare to travel at 40mph on a recumbent bike, downhill, in which case the headwind, on a windless day, would be 40mph.
I suppose I think recumbents are less susceptible to winds because they’re closer to the ground, where wind speeds may be lower.
D:
Thanks as always,
D—

 

RM:

No problem.  You ask interesting questions.
Robert

……another day, another set of questions and answers…..

 

 

D:

On Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 1:06 PM, D— wrote:

I’m glad you find my questions interesting! I’m very grateful for your help.

RM:

Here go my best attempts at answers! 🙂 Below, in-line.

Best regards,
Robert

============

Robert Matson
The Innovation Works, Inc.
Tel: (646) 233-1219

 

D:
I do have just a couple more now if you don’t mind. (I’ve been trying to find answers for these on my own but haven’t succeeded much in finding reliable info.)
Is there a rule of thumb for estimating calories burned on a recumbent vs DF? Given that bents are more efficient because of lower wind resistance, I must be burning fewer calories than normal. Is 25% fewer a good ballpark? 30%? I’m wondering what your take is.
RM:
I think that may be true, but I have no idea how to guess at it.
D:
With the design of the GHfx [HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx], it seems like many cyclocomputers won’t work. Are there particular makes or models with which you’ve had success with the sensors for speed, cadence, etc.
RM:
I’ve used the standard brands like CatEye.  Sometimes I have to work a bit to make them fit, but nothing too outrageous.
D:
Lastly, do you have any suggestions on summer wear? I’ve been reading a lot about wool, synthetics, how many layers to wear for sweat, etc. and am unsure which direction to go in. I’m curious if you have any good recommendations for bents in particular as I tend to sweat a ton just walking around during the summer and want to make sure I can keep riding.
RM:
I like these guys’ recumbent-specific bike shorts — Bend It Cycling:
For a top, I often wear a standard “dry fit” running shirt like the Under Armour Tech Fit or Nike Dri Fit.  I also have several cycling jerseys.
I do prefer “high-viz” shirts and Nike and Under Armour have several of those.
D:
Thanks again, and I hope all is well!
D—
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