Legacy (Standard) Road Bike Cyclists: We are Coming for You

And that’s a good thing, because you may not realize it now, but you will be a lot happier and safer on a Cruzbike. Depending on the Cruzbike model you choose, you may also be a lot faster.

Cruzbike Co-Founder, Jim Parker, MD, shares a message to Legacy (Traditional Frame) Road Cyclists.

 But first, a little Cruzbike history... when Cruzbike began designing and selling bicycles in 2006, we faced a lot of resistance from inside the recumbent industry. People were skeptical of a front-wheel-drive bicycle, when virtually all other production bikes were rear-wheel drive, including all the major brands of recumbent bicycles. But Cruzbike had the secret-sauce... a patented drive system unlike anything on the market that allowed our bikes to go faster and climb better than any other recumbent. Fast-forward 16 years and the dust has settled on the recumbent wars; Cruzbike won. Cruzbike’s domination of the two-wheel recumbent market began in earnest in 2013, when Maria Parker won the Race Across America riding a Cruzbike Vendetta. Then in 2020, Cruzbike won the “Battle of the Brands” at Bike Sebring, a popular race in Florida that draws recumbent racers from all over the world. Since Cruzbike arrived on the scene, many major manufacturers of two-wheel recumbent bicycles have either closed, sold their assets to a dealer, or down-sized, making only a handful of bikes per year. Cruzbike is going strong, with sales records year-after-year. 

Cruzbike’s fanatical fans won the two-wheel recumbent market niche by using their bikes to set records, win races, and just have more fun than everyone else. Our bikes aren’t just fast, but also practical, easy to carry, and easy to work on because they use the same stock components as standard bikes, including a short drive chain.

Now that Cruzbike has won the recumbent bicycle niche, we are moving on to the larger battleground, the road bike market.   Again, we are facing tough resistance. You’ve heard the term legacy – defined as denoting or relating to software or hardware that has been superseded but is difficult to replace because of its wide use. Cruzbike has superseded the traditional road bike in every important measure, the public just hasn’t realized it yet... nor has USA Cycling or the UCI, but in time, they will.

Something this good can’t stay hidden under a basket. Who would not prefer to ride a bike that was more comfortable, faster, and a lot less likely to break their neck? Let’s take a closer look at why a Cruzbike is better than your legacy road bike. You’ll want to be able to recite these reasons to your friends when they hear that you’ve gone over “to the dark side” of cycling.

Safety and Health

• A Cruzbike/rider has a lower Center-of-Gravity than a road bike/rider. Therefore you are much less likely to flip forward onto your head, neck, or shoulder.  How many cyclists do you know who have broken their collar bones?
• On a Cruzbike, your feet lead the way, not your head. It’s much better to run into something with your feet than your head. Unfortunately, many people are seriously injured each year on road bikes simply by running into parked cars and other stationary objects.
• On a Cruzbike, you are always facing forward, with a great view of your environment. Road bike riders are often facing down at the pavement in order to go fast in the aero-tuck position... or they are craning their necks, which can be very painful and cause muscle fatigue (and eventually Shermer’s neck) .
• On a Cruzbike, your weight is distributed across the huge surface area of a wide seat and backrest, rather than a tiny saddle, narrow handlebar, and pedals. This eliminates pain points in the pelvis, wrists, and shoulders.
• Let’s talk briefly about ED (and for the ladies, genital numbness). It’s scientifically proven to happen commonly on road bikes. All that pressure on the perineum where the pudendal nerve runs through a shallow groove. Some people have fortunate anatomy that protects the nerve. Many people don’t and are at risk. Enough said.

Performance

• You will be more aerodynamic on a Cruzbike V20c than you will be on any road bike, even an excruciatingly uncomfortable $15,000 TT bike. It’s all about your frontal surface area and drag coefficient. This translates to more speed from less power. Period.
• Everybody knows that recumbents can’t climb hills. Don’t believe everybody. Cruzbike’s unique patented drive system allows the upper body to assist when climbing a hill, very much like what happens on a legacy road bike when you get out of the saddle and lean the frame side-to-side. No other recumbent can do this. Learn to master the Cruzbike and then climb hills fearlessly.

There you go. If you want more ammunition to calm your cycling companions when they object to your new bike, check out our records page, read our blogs, and meet our customers on our forum or through social media. Not only will you be glad you made the switch, you’ll wish you did it sooner. There are thousands of us who have already switched. Come join our community. Whether you want to race, chase KOMs on Strava, take long cycling adventures, or just ride around town, Cruzbike has a road bike for you.  Take a look at our bicycles here and reach out with any questions.