Dave Horne Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 How's this for a uncontroversial off topic ... I live in the Netherlands which is an excellent place to live if you like to bike. I recently saw a new design for bikes and had to have one. Most of us probably ride on a 'regular bike'. I would always see a recumbent zoom by me, they have a reputation for being faster than a regular bike, but I could never master riding one. I knew they were in many respects superior to a regular bike, but I didn't like the idea of being so close to the ground. Giant (last year) and a Dutch brand, Gazelle, now offer a new design ... a cross between a recumbent and a regular bike. You sit relaxed and you avoid all of the complaints of a regular bike ... no neck pain, no shoulder tenseness, no numbness in the hands, and your fanny doesn't fall asleep. I ordered the Gazelle (and for those of you in the US and elsewhere, Giant offers five models with one having 21 speeds) and am waiting for it to arrive. I also think these kind of bikes look great. Here's a photo ... http://members.home.nl/davehorne/images/easyglider.jpg No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulliver Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Nah... Ladies bikes... My Giant Allrounder is wa-a-a-y cooler. I am back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phait Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Never did ride a recumbent, but I love mountain biking. Currently I own a Mongoose Rockadile SX - brand name, but lower priced/quality mountain bike. Needs a few replacements/tuneup though.. But I'd love to have a Cannondale: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/03/images/f800_spec_03.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 9, 2003 Author Share Posted September 9, 2003 Here's a link to the Giant site. They have a little movie about this design ... Giant bike No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pim Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Very nice fietsje! I used to ride an American bike; a Cannondale red SM800. Injuries caused by riding too fanatical prevent me to ride nowadays... So I bought a Triumph motorcycle My Music I always wondered what happened after the fade out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Looks cool. It seems to take care of my biggest complaint. When you stop, you can still sit on the seat and your feet can comfortably reach the ground. Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 That's cool. Note the spring suspension under the saddle. If you were considering a recumbent, this is in my opinion a better choice. It's easier to get off. Looks like same wheels as a 'Bike Friday.' I am a bike fanatic. I love cycling; I ride all the time. Cannondale caad5 with campagnolo chorus/centaur mix. Gios [italian] Compact Pro with campy chorus/racing t - triple, lugged steel,kind of retro. Commute to work a couple of days a week. Giant is a good company, 'Once'Spanish racing team rides Giants. That's a good bike. Give us a report when you've broken it in! "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 9, 2003 Author Share Posted September 9, 2003 daveloving, the bike I ordered will be used just for trips of less than 10 - 15 miles on average. This model is currently offered only with 8 speeds and is fairly heavy. I'm going to keep it until Gazelle offers more gears and a lighter bike and then I'll trade it in. I'm not expecting this bike to be the answer for all of my biking needs. My wife and I just came back from Switzerland, France and Germany and 8 speeds in not enough for the mountains. My current bike (a Batavus, another Dutch brand) has 24 speeds and I'll trade that in for the model I just ordered when it arrives. I personally think more companies will offer models of this basic recumbent/hybrid design. I really liked the Giant's version with 21 speeds, but the back support of the Gazelle has open mesh which I really like. So, I'll post back, but this bike is more suited for everyday riding and not trips if there are hills involved. Fortunately, Holland is a flat country and as long as we vacation here (until the newer versions are offered), I'll be relatively happy. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Looks terrific for around town. I might even be able to talk my wife into riding one of these. I think she's more the Vespa type though. Enjoy! "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krakit Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 I also like to mountainbike. I have a GT Saddleback 2000. When I see recumbants I get a little jealous too. They look so comfortable. Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulliver Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 ... But its wheels are so smaaaaal... It's a baby's bike! I am back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 9, 2003 Author Share Posted September 9, 2003 I went to my local bike shop today and test rode this model for about an hour. I canceled my order for a new one ... sorry for starting this post (and the other post I recently started as well, you know which one I mean). The bike rides like a sport car, a very heavy sports car. When I test rode this model a week ago or so, I rode a very short distance and it seemed perfectly fine. I was knocked out by the design and liked it immediately. Because of the weight, I could only recommend this bike for city use/short distances ... or for riding long distances on flat ground at a relaxed speed. I will test drive the 21 speed Giant again and either buy that one or wait until these guys reduce the weight. I really think this is a great design, it's just too heavy. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 I checked the web site and found the Revive. While it may be in my price range if I decide to upgrade next year, it does not look as nice as the Gazelle. I could not find the Gazelle on the Giant US site. I probably don't want to look. Keyboard GAS is bad enough. I don't need an attack of bicycle GAS. Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prague Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Originally posted by Gulliver: Nah... Ladies bikes... I prefer a cooler lookin bike: http://www.bikeicons.com/1970%20Schwinn%20Orange%20Krate.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 9, 2003 Author Share Posted September 9, 2003 Rabid / Robert, You won't find Gazelle (or Batavus, another Dutch brand) at any US bike store. These are Dutch brands and only sold here AFAIK. I'm gonna test drive the Giant again. It's such a shame that Gazelle was a tank ... it is a beautiful design. Another lesson learned ... spend some time riding before ordering. I'm good friends with my bike guy and have bought about 7 or so bikes from him (for me and my wife) in the last nine years. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rader Ranch Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 i thought big city Europeans thought of bicycles as more disposable transportation because they inevitably get stolen at least once a year (such that you generally wouldn't consider a very expensive one for daily use)....is this a wrong impression? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 9, 2003 Author Share Posted September 9, 2003 Yea, a lot of people have two bikes, one for everyday/city use and a more expensive one for personal/vacation use. I always use a cable since I've had two bikes stolen in the last year. I've lived here for nine years and if both bikes had been locked with a cable, they wouldn't have been stolen. I now buy insurance when I buy a new bike. According to what I've read in the paper or at a web site, roughly 800,000 bikes get stolen per year here in the Netherlands. That seems like a lot considering the population is 16,000,000. I'll double check that stat. A lot of bikes are stolen by junkies and it's been said and written about that the police don't aggressively pursue this crime. I personally consider bike theft on par with horse stealing. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Originally posted by Dave Horne: I went to my local bike shop today and test rode this model for about an hour. I canceled my order for a new one ... sorry for starting this post (and the other post I recently started as well, you know which one I mean). ....LOL. Don't be sorry about either post. Even good friends and family have arguments. Just don't start any threads on politics or religion. Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmoron13 Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Originally posted by Rabid: Originally posted by Dave Horne: I went to my local bike shop today and test rode this model for about an hour. I canceled my order for a new one ... sorry for starting this post (and the other post I recently started as well, you know which one I mean). ....LOL. Don't be sorry about either post. Even good friends and family have arguments. Just don't start any threads on politics or religion. Robert...or on notions of notions of musicianship and musical literacy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Check out the Giant OCR or TCR. They are regular road bikes with compact geometry - slopeing top tubes. Great paint. They range from quite reasonable in price to quite unreasonable w/ high zoot components. Cool bikes that handle like light sports cars. I'm getting to use my VeloNews tech forum and Roadbike Review forum chops. Pretty neat. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pim Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Originally posted by Dave Horne: It's such a shame that Gazelle was a tank ... Dave, if you loose some weight yourself, the effect is the same if you buy a lighter bike. Cheaper too - every kilo less on a bike costs one Euro more. Every kilo less on yourself saves you lots of Euro's on beer, crips, cake etc. (actualy no kidding!) My Music I always wondered what happened after the fade out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 10, 2003 Author Share Posted September 10, 2003 Pim, for as much as I like the design of the Gazelle, it is a tank, a beautiful tank, but a tank nonetheless. Do me a favor, go to a Gazelle dealer, stand in front of the EasyGlider and pick up the front of the bike by the handlebars .... and report back. I biked from Helvoirt to Den Bosch yesterday, probably about 12 km each way and it was a work out at fast speeds. I had planned to test drive (once again) the Giant version, but it's raining quite hard here in Noord Brabant. How's the weather in Amsterdam? No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Originally posted by Pim: Originally posted by Dave Horne: It's such a shame that Gazelle was a tank ... Dave, if you loose some weight yourself, the effect is the same if you buy a lighter bike. .....Now that was just mean. If you are going to be like that take it to the Music Literacy thread. Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzzz Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Originally posted by Dave Horne: Most of us probably ride on a 'regular bike'. I would always see a recumbent zoom by me, they have a reputation for being faster than a regular bike You sit relaxed and you avoid all of the complaints of a regular bike ... no neck pain, no shoulder tenseness, no numbness in the hands, and your fanny doesn't fall asleep. Two things: 1) I have NEVER been passed by someone riding a recumbant....if you are getting passed by recumbants, maybe you need to pedal faster?? 2) If you are having a lot of neck and shoulder pain, as well as hand and "fanny" numbness, your bike is a seriously poor fit I have ridden thousands of miles without any of those problems, even on rides of 200 Km/day.....but you need to have your bike carefully fit to your body size and riding style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 10, 2003 Author Share Posted September 10, 2003 Marzz, Holland is a flat country and recumbents are faster (all things considered) than typical diamond frame bikes especially on a flat surface. (All of the land speed records are held by recumbents. There was a controversy back in 1933 when a recumbent broke a world's record and a commission decided that a 'bent' was not a bicycle. http://www.ihpva.org/FAQ/ ) My bike is correctly adjusted - I'm a fanatic about that and spend a lot of time with a new bike adjusting everything until it's perfect. (I start with the correct frame size and go from there.) With a normal bike, if you hold your head in a normal, relaxed position, you are looking down to the ground to the area in front of the bike, not directly in front of your bike but close to it. I like to look much further ahead and that places my neck in a less relaxed position. In a recumbent (and in the hybrid I'm looking at), you're in a sitting position and your neck is automatically in the best position. I also have a tendency to tense my shoulder muscles (my fault and not the bike's) and I have to periodically make a conscious effort to relax them. On the tank I rode yesterday, I was in a sitting position and completely relaxed (except for the amount of effort from my legs to move the metal). Numbness in the hands is a common complaint for regular bikers and I'm not alone here. The disadvantages of recumbents - they sit lower to the ground and you have to make yourself be seen for safety reasons (not an issue with the new hybrids though) and they are slower going up hills (though faster going down). I'm not trying to sell you on recumbents, but after doing a little research on them, they have an advantage over regular bikes and I will eventually buy one. I really like the design of the tank I rode yesterday, it is a beautiful bike. I will either buy that 21 speed Giant Revive or wait until there are more choices for this new design. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pim Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Originally posted by Dave Horne: it's raining quite hard here in Noord Brabant. How's the weather in Amsterdam?Gallons of cats and dogs. To give this item a little twist into music: listen to Kraftwerk's "Tour De France" while you ride. Great! (do not use a walkman outside a fietspad - way too dangerous) Is there an American-English word for fietspad? Bicyclepath? My Music I always wondered what happened after the fade out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 10, 2003 Author Share Posted September 10, 2003 'Bike path' would be my choice. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave The Rave Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 Here's the new bike I'm thinking of buying.....what d'ya think? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=49997&item=2430654673 :DTR Cambrian Guitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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