Wider Acceptance

NeaL

Guru

I just saw the latest blog post about how recumbent racers are going to a different overall placement standing, separate from diamond frame riders, in a race out in California, when previously overall standings had literally meant "overall."

This got me thinking about this forum thread about gaining wider acceptance and the topic of Cruzbikes for kids, which bazzawill and I had touched upon. I really think that the best way is to take a longterm approach to gaining wider acceptance and try to figure out how to get as many kids as possible riding Cruzbikes. Maybe something through public schools? Scouting programs? Urban youth activities? I'm not sure, but it seems there ought to be some economically simple way to swell the numbers by introducing future bike-buying grownups to recumbents when they're much younger.

When I was teaching myself how to ride and finally got myself successfully going on my Sofrider, it was in the solitude of empty parking lots or rural driveways. Yesterday was my first effort at riding around other people on a one-mile, paved, circular bike/walk/jog path. Two people asked me about the bike, and I had ridden only two miles. I reached more people by riding in public than I think had reacted to any of my posts about Cruzbike on social media.
I wish I had a spare of whichever model is easiest to learn on (I don't think that would be the Sofrider, at least not mine at the moment) so I can have the curious onlookers try it out.

It sucks that recumbents are treated the way they are but that's not going to change until our voices are closer to being the majority.
 

Opik

Well-Known Member
I think wider accptance can come from the wider Audience, the general population, not the UCI or ITU people, as they have narrow rules that they follow religiously already.

I mean, A bent will almost always get a reaction from people : WTF, WTH, Weird, Cool, Lazy, relaxing, thumbs up (happened today), etc. This is where you can stop and have a chat, particularly if you are stopping and going slow. Just saying this is a recumbent, very comfortable, can be very fast, holds records, there are trikes where you don't need to balance, an so on so on.

And then, ride them in places that defy the usual logic. Ride them uphills (Sydney is quite hilly). Ride them in busy traffic (morning commute are almost always a chaos).

Last, to have more people seeing and knowing there is a bent, Whenever I have a lunch, I will almost always go through Eastern Avenue at University of Sydney, which is where most people gather, so they can see me riding a bent.

First is the general people must see people riding a bent, and as a 30ish healthy thin guy who wear usual clothes, it helps to break the stigma of lazy, beer belly, old man and also the racing wannabe MAMILs.

2nd is try to talk and answer their questions regarding the bent, even let them trying it

I think we're too hard focusing on getting UCI recognition while forgetting General population acceptance itself will make UCI and ITU recognition not needed. IOC would probably Accept WHPVA as the peak cycling body in olympics, remember, bents/velos are faster in TT an T2, an as olympics is about faster, higher, and stronger : hendiatris Citius, Altius, Fortius, if UCI and ITU only lets slow bikes race, isn't it crashing with Olympic motto itself?
 

Opik

Well-Known Member
2nd thing is lawsuits.

As already explained in this site, There are Neck, wrist, back and butt pain, plus genital pain which can lead to ED and that poor Paralympic cycling incident. So first is the health reason, which may also prevent many good riders, who are perfectly fine on bent, race, as the upright bike is too painful for them.

Then there is also a discrimination issue, which I sure have many example cases.

But can the UCI and ITU be sued based on health and discrimination claims? I had this disease because I was forced to race on these wedgies. I am discriminated and cannot go to social rides (Yes, some group rides say no to bents) and races.

Would b interesting if that happens
 

Robert Holler

Administrator
Staff member
Groups like the UCI etc will continue to just change the rules to their liking - further making them irrelevant in the larger view of the actual public. These things already suffer from the "dozens of fans" syndrome. Regular people wanting to ride bikes are not paying attention to their rules - they ride to commute and ride for fun. Racing has its place for sure, but its been pretty clear they have no intention of being inclusive.
 

Opik

Well-Known Member
Groups like the UCI etc will continue to just change the rules to their liking - further making them irrelevant in the larger view of the actual public. These things already suffer from the "dozens of fans" syndrome. Regular people wanting to ride bikes are not paying attention to their rules - they ride to commute and ride for fun. Racing has its place for sure, but its been pretty clear they have no intention of being inclusive.

The problem is UCI and ITU have brainwashed their members and most of the cycling/triathlon fan. ANd this extends to the media channels too. Cycling Youtube, facebook, sites, etc will all keep silent about recumbents and BMX/trials (good thing BMX/trials has a big following and is seen as radical and cool as they do tricks that are much harder than MTBers, but BMX/trial bikes are just as cheap as they are (the most expensive is 1500ish https://www.tresna.co.uk/blog/expensive-bmx-bikes.htm) and not much can be made of the bike as its really the rider that matters).

For a general population, the name cycling itself is misleading them, because when they google cycling, it always point out to road cycling. MTB, BMX, trials, Artistic, recuments, HPVs are down the list. This really screens people from knowing what other form of cycling is. and in a place where "cyclists" are, they are usually rough people going fast, an ridicule people for their own cycling. Had a friend telling a story of how her relaxed dutch style bike with panniers and choosing to wear usual clothes were wrong,

Its hard to change peoples mind like that, especially if they also ridicule people who cycle differently. Go with the general population and talk to them about it. And our best bet is the cargo bike, ever heard of Armadillo cargo bike? That bike is a recumbent and was at the forefront of many delivery companies as it has big capacity, an it is also comfortable to do long rides...deliveries


Nothing wrong with the focus on speed which Bachetta, M5 and Cruzbike plus velomobile companies are working on. But it is also important to take lessons from Charles Mochet himself. how he made velocar for the love of his son as little Georges can't use a usual bicycle, because in all events in history, mothers will first say no. He also designed the velocar to be a practical vehicle, not only going fast, remember this clip


a relaxed bike with huge amount of luggage space (and in modern times it was also found to have aerodynamic effect)

The velocar built by Mochet also had many variations and were sold as day to day transport vehicles, as cars were rare and expensive, with some having little motors, affordable to your low to mid class family.
mochet-le-velocar-1925-web1_e8aed2e015a27728bcd2f957b178b4e8.jpg


Relaxed, have huge luggage space, practical as day to day transport, and also Safety (there is no need to balance on the velocars and you have feet forward rather than head forward). This should always be kept in mind, this is what the general population want, they don't care too much about speed ( that will come later after they discovered it is also fast)

History should also be told, as we should be fair
1. The first one who put fairings to a bike is probably Étienne Bunau-Varilla, raced in 1913, banned in 1914
2. The first bent is probably Fautenil Vélociped made in France in 1893 (CMIIW)
3. Charles Mochet probably made the first velomobile in 1925, the 4 wheeled velocar (interesting to note he made a faired bent before an unfaired one)
4. Mochet also made a racing velomobile with francis Faure as the rider. On March 5, 1939, Faure rode 50.537 kilometers in one hour
56881428_2203078229757375_6064661952741769216_n.jpg


It is remarkable that now history just shows us the way. and velomobiles as the future of transport were already there in a930-1950s.
 

McWheels

Off the long run
And then there was the Sinclair C5. That went well... Oddly popular in the Netherlands still, though.

Overall, the brick wall is slowly being chipped away with many foreheads on it. Can't help but think we need at least a chisel though. And explosives.
 

Opik

Well-Known Member
My previous post shows Evelyn Hamilton ( the famous british cyclist for her records in long distance and antics at WWII) on a recumbent. That could be a talking point regarding conncting feminism, heroics, and war to a recumbent.

And as Ineos will replace Sky, apparently they sponsored a velomobile development in 2015, ARION1 which smashed British records
 

Opik

Well-Known Member
Today I did a ride around Sydney's Royal easter Show, and many say WTH, cool bike, etc." and they have a rather big crow, one guard even asked me how long I learned to ride the bike. Years? nope, just a month

TO start gain wider acceptance, people need to see and know about it first, and they will be curious as recumbents have this laying down position. Start by riding recumbents in places where there are many people gathering.

It's also good to erase many misconceptions about recumbents like
1. They cannot ride in busy traffic
2. They cannot climb
3. They are hard to control

--------------------------------
Thre is much buzz around the UCI one hour record right now, but bentors will know the real record is 92.43 km set by Francesco Russo.

This could be the start of conversation or post the link to his youtube video every time someone says something about the one hour record. Ridiculing works here. Victor with all those expensive gear, training and high altitude only got 55.089 km. Meanwhile Russo with his own designed bike and built by him and his team got 92.43 km.
 
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Opik

Well-Known Member
I think it is really important to go to places where people gather, stop when you get a response and talk/let them try.

Just ride in Newcastle, NSW, Australia last saturday and was stopped by a bar guard. He then asked if I had a bad back , which I replied I don't, I ride this thing because it is more comfortable. We then chatted a bit about the bike and other things. I also cycled through some of the pop up markets.

today, I passed a group of boys playing football. Someone said that he wante to try the bike. I then stopped and gave him a try, which he can't. There was another boy who tried and also failed. After that, the eldest one said that's enough and told the boys to let me go as I might some other business. I said bye then go my way.

Good thing is that recumbent bikes takes time to learn, so even someone wants to steal, they just can't pedal it. Cruzbike are also almunium so even it crashes a little it's nothing serious.

We bentors just nee to open up to people, at least acknowledge and reply to people who say something about us and the bike, nodding, waving, a smile, etc.
 
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