The Recumbent Bicycle!

This is the only book about a huge, amazing side of bicycling: the world of recumbents!

This is a fixed-price listing, so "Buy it now!"

DETAILS: This 3rd edition is printed on coated paper and includes a 12-page color section. It's 192 pages, with hundreds of photos. $21.95 list. But it's on sale here, direct, for just $19.95. Size: 7.5"x9"; paperback; 200+ photos; ISBN 189259059X.

DESCRIPTION: Written by Gunnar Fehlau and published by Out Your Back Door Press, this book covers the history, science, design, racing, touring, construction and resources for recumbents...and much more.

NOTE: I offer rare'n'nifty items on eBay as a way to draw attention to and support http://OutYourBackDoor.com, my equally rare'n'nifty website of independent outdoor culture. Check out its 1000+ free articles on indie outdoor action!

Here's the cover:



Anyone interested in, or considering buying a recumbent would do well to read this book. It explains the many widely-differing features of a recumbent and how each aspect affects the riding experience. Recumbents serve such a wide range of needs that it is best to be educated before shopping and test-riding. And after a test-ride session, being able to read up on the why's and wherefore's and culture behind what one just experienced...is priceless. The education that this book offers will cement and situate what you discover when you first start shopping and test-riding...making the whole experience much more "digestible." There's more variety among recumbents than any other type of bike! --Which makes education more critical.

Recumbents are the bike-type about which there is the most curiosity and misinformation. Yet there are also wonderful benefits to these bikes that aren't always obvious. So those who are interested often have to do a lot of "tire kicking" until they sort out their needs. Kids are especially fascinated! Lastly, these bikes tend to be more expensive. All these factors mean that a book is a GREAT entrance to this scene.

This book is not just for beginners: the experienced enthusiast will find in-depth background info to give perspective and insight. It makes a great way to educate your friends as to the facts about recumbents (i.e., recumbents are not more dangerous because they're lower; however, an urban rider might benefit from a taller recumbent).

Thousands of copies have been sold. There are dozens of rave reviews out there in the bike media and on Amazon.

Click here to see the back cover.

Here's a sample page-spread from the color section:



Click here to see larger 9"x14" version of color spread, 150kb, and here to see a sample text spread.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface 1

What is a Recumbent, Anyway? 2

 

1 / History and Stories

The Long Journey of the Recumbent Bicycle 4

Georges and Charles Mochet 9

Other European Producers of the 1930s 15

Why Did the Recumbent Disappear? 18

Paul Rinkowski 19

Wilson, Kyle and the IHPVA 23

Faster, Faster...HPV Races and Records 25

1980s Street-Savvy R&D 28

More Speed! 30

"Gold Rush" versus "Cutting Edge" 34

Innovation & Integration 35

Recent Racing Action 37

 

2 / On Parade with the Recumbent

Everyday Use and City Traffic 41

On Tour, on a Recumbent 44

 

3 / Recumbent Bicycle Sport

Types of HPV Races 54

Distinctions Between HPV and UCI Racing 59

Recent Records in HPV and Recumbent Racing 64

 

4 / The Physics & Biomechanics of Recumbents

Resistances 66

Aerodynamics in Theory 67

System Vibrations 81

Braking 82

Cornering 83

Recumbent Biomechanics & Fit 83

 

5 / Basics of Recumbent Design

A Showcase of Philosophy in Design 91

Profiles of 8 Bikes of Basic Types 94

Basic Design Principles 98

Wheelbase 98

Handling Quality: Trail 101

Fork and Frame Flex and Ride Comfort 103

Wheel size 104

Steering 106

Seat and Pedal Position 111

Center of Gravity 115

Chain Routing and Power Transmission 117

Front Wheel Drive 120

Alternative Drive Options 121

Chain Protection 123

Frame Adjustment 123

Storing Luggage and Cargo 124

Tandems 125

Recumbents and the Auxiliary Engine 126

Braze-ons: Finishing Touches 126

Wheels 128

Cockpit and Handlebar Set-up 129

Derailleurs, Gearing, and Brakes 130

Ultralight Racing Designs 133

Suspension 134

Clothing 139

Designing a Fairing 140

Cloth Fairings & Bodysocks 143

Foam Rubber Fairings 145

Hard Plastic Fairings 145

Detailing a Fairing 148

Racing Fairings 150

Planning a Fairing Shape 150

 

6 / Building Bicycles and Fairings

Materials 157

Processing Techniques 158

First Steps in Frame-building... 160

Do-it-yourself Fairings 162

 

Appendix / Recumbent Resources

Afterword: "At Long Last"... 169

A World of Manufacturers 170

Recumbent Dealers 176

Accessories 180

Associations 180

Publications, Books, CDs 181

Websites for Plans, Kits & More! 183

Glossary 184

Acknowledgements 186

 

Index 187

 ***

Here's a special treat for your enjoyment --- an infopost from the OYB homepage!

Tour Divide and Great Divide Race --- a refreshing new breed of "big" bike race!

A GDR racer.

It's no secret that scandals in the Tour de France have soured fans on the "big" side of sport. Well, there's a new kind of event on the scene that revives the freshness of amateur racing---while keeping a grand scale of achievement. Welcome the "Tour Divide" and its cohort the "Great Divide Race."

The TD and GDR are mt-bike races that run the length of the Continental Divide each June. The winners of these events take 15-20 days to ride 2500-2700 miles entirely UNSUPPORTED on dirt trails and roads. And, except for a couple stretches, it's not only all-dirt but all-MOUNTAINS. Racers deal with snowy passes, wild animals and mostly friendly people. Fans along the way host riders for dinner or offer a place to sleep. Mountain towns have favorite bike shops for pit stops. Pie Town offers a mean pie.

The rules, overhead and flow of these races are simple. I don't even think there's an entry fee. Both events are extreme---with riders doing 200-mile dirt days---yet they keep a human scale---with riders stopping to help others. The self-supported aspect lets people blow you away with their achievement but keeps them from biting off more than they can chew. The whole concept has worked out great so far...with much more to come! In truth, there's no other form of racing that you can say that about!

These are young events. Fans get to watch new things happen each year. This year John Nobile won the GDR using fairings. Organizer Matthew Lee won the first edition of his TD. 

Racers use payphones along the way to give news and timelines about how they're doing. The organizers put this info up on a blog. Fans watch the race unfold each day. They listen in to the calls via podcasts, or just read the text. The racer reports are often funny. You can relate to them. It's a nice change of pace compared to pro sport!

Men, women, young and old mix it up together. They ride together or on their own as they like. One year Kent Peterson, a singlespeed racer, rode from Seattle to the start. 

For news, info and discussion of the TD and GDR:

http://www.tourdivide.org/

http://www.greatdividerace.com 

Here's a direct link to the OYB posts: http://www.outyourbackdoor.com/list_articles.php?catid=2

ENJOY! And thanks for stopping by my listing, JP