As a radiologist, I know human anatomy from head-to-toe. A standard bike places too much pressure on several sensitive areas of the body. This becomes more of a problem as we age. I did an exhaustive search of alternate bicycle designs before concluding that the Cruzbike is the best combination of comfort, performance, safety, and ergonomic design.
It also looks cool, goes very fast, and is simply fun to ride. In the photos, note that the hands and wrists are not bearing weight, the back is supported, the head is in a comfortably high and upright position for viewing traffic (without craning the neck), the rider's weight is not centered over the genitals (which can cause pain, numbness, and loss of function), and the laid-back posture creates nearly the same aerodynamic profile as a racer on a standard bicycle in a tuck position.
The standard bicycle position puts the rider at an increased risk of injury in several ways. In contrast, the recumbent Cruzbike design eliminates or reduces these risks. The Cruzbike appeals to bicyclists who want to avoid injury... and those already injured and unable to ride a regular bike without pain.
We've had favorable reports from people with various musculoskeletal problems including old fractures, disk herniations, lower back pain, and arthritis of the shoulder, knee, ankle, wrist, and neck; and from people recovering from surgery such as ACL reconstruction or spinal fusion.
Read my Saddle Injuries page where I answer some questions about the health aspects of bicycle riding and discuss what the latest research is telling us.
Jim Parker, M.D., co-founder of Cruzbike
