[Bent] Commenting on "The pleasures of recumbent vs. diamond framebike riding"

[JOHN TETZ]

Hi Juels 

>Reading recumbent blogs, one often senses a hostility to the upright biking world. 
.....I have a totally different feeling. I introduced the upright crowd to a P-38 back in 1989. 
The only folks that would come over and look at it were the D riders and asked a few questions. The C and B riders would only glance over. The A riders didn't even look over at it. 

And out on the road they hated it. 

Then a few years later I showed up with a small engine assist. You should have heard the comments. Wow. 
These guys can go on 50 mile rides but they use their cars to run errands around town. 

I eventually gave up riding with them. 

As for now days,  the local bike shop puts on a 30 mile spring and fall ride. All up right guys in their 20s 30s and a few in their middle 40s. I have shown up with my streamliner and no one comes over to look at it never mind asked questions. 

On the ride which has some amount of hills I pretty much pass them, no fly by them, and they catch me on a 9.5% grade. After that I pass them on a 55 mph down grade and basically don't see them unless I stop and wait. I always get to the finish first. 

You would think that after seeing that kind of performance there would be questions. Nope. One or maybe two guys asked a few lame questions . The rest completely ignored the vehicle and that I am in my mid 70s. 

These guys must be really threatened. 

John Tetz 
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