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back and forth against something each time I peddle. I don't get blisters anymore. You'll have to take my word for that too. I'm sure you don't want to look up there and see for yourself anyway.

My recumbent is a Vision recumbent. I bought it on eBay. Vision is no longer in business, but Rans makes a bike very much like mine. It isn't a problem that Vision is no longer in business. The frame is different from most bikes, but the shifting mechanisms, peddles, sprockets, brakes and wheels are pretty standard bicycle parts.

The first time I tried to ride my recumbent I tipped over about six times. Starting from a dead stop on a recumbent takes a bit of getting used to. You can't push off with one foot and swing your leg over the seat the way people do on upright bikes. First you sit down on the seat with both feet on the ground. Then you adjust the peddle so that you can push with one foot to get going. You have to push hard enough so that you have enough momentum to lift your other foot off the ground and push the other peddle before you stall and tip over.

Starting out isn't an issue for me any more. I got used to doing it a day or two after getting the bike. It is difficult to start out on a recumbent going up a steep hill. It is much easier to start out on level ground or on a down hill slope.

My recumbent has 21 speeds. I don't have a problem climbing hills, and I think I ride my recumbent at about the same speed that I used to ride my upright bicycle.

One of my neighbors tried out my recumbent a few years ago. That cost him a little more than one thousand dollars because after he tried my bike he purchased a brand new recumbent of his own.

I rented a recumbent bike and tried it out before I purchased mine on eBay. Recumbents come in a variety of styles. You may have a neighbor who would let you try one out or a bike shop anxious to let you take a test drive. There is always the option of renting one and giving it a longer trial. Taking a test drive could end up causing you to spend some money.

I wouldn't ride 500 miles each summer if I had to do it on my upright. I don't have pain when riding my recumbent. As long as I am not in pain I can ride my bike all day long, get up the next morning and ride my bike all day long again. I think recumbents are the way to go especially if you are an old fat guy like me and you have a lot of peddling to do.

My recumbent isn't able to keep me from getting old, but I weigh less than I would weigh if I didn't spend time riding my bike.

Learn more about this author, Brian Birk.
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