Recumbent Bicycle / Bike-E

My doctor had told me that half of my stress was due to the fact that I wasn't exercising on a regular basis.  Let's face it; I am never going to exercise on a regular basis.  It's boring.  It takes time from more important things, like watching TV.  It isn't fun.  It makes me tired.

Okay, so people will tell you that it actually boosts your energy level, it's healthy, blah, blah, blah.  Fine.  So what can I do?  Exercise and me just don't mix.  You won't find me at the gym lifting weights, or doing Stairmaster exercises.   I am like the rest of Americans, 10-20 pounds overweight with a short attention span.

The only thing you might ever catch me doing that might be misconstrued as exercise is either swimming or bike riding.  I started to think that maybe if I would bike ride more often, that might count as the exercise I needed.  However, I find that once I start riding a bike my ass gets either numb or sore, and my neck and shoulders hurt from crouching down.  I figured there had to be a better way.

Doing some research, I found out all I could on recumbent bikes.  These bikes are the ones where you are sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you and you are pedaling.  The seats are more comfortable, and you neck and shoulders are saved from hunching over.  The drawback is that they are more expensive.

So, I went on a mission to find the least expensive of these bikes, which a few years ago was the Bike-E.  The company has since gone out of business, but I was able to negotiate the price down to $250 for a brand new one.  The Bike-E is a solid bike, constructed very well, with the handlebars above the frame like a chopper motorcycle, opposed to the typical recumbent where the steering mechanism is below your seat.

Of course you look like a dork riding one, but who cares?  They are fun to ride, and because of your relaxed position, I find I can ride much longer with more ease.   Climbing hills is more difficult because you can't use gravity to your advantage with your legs; your muscles are what pull you over the hill.  However, with proper gearing and time, any obstacle can be overcome.

Reactions to the bike are almost favorable, with kids yelling out how cool they think it is.  I have only heard a few negative comments from jerks in the park, but that is amusing as well.  Anyone who has ever tried one will almost always say how better a recumbent is to a "normal" bike.  Recumbents' have been around just as long as traditional bikes, they just never became popular.

So, after riding the bike for awhile, I noticed my legs got stronger and my stress level stayed the same.  I did have a bit more fun, though, so there is a positive outcome of exercising more.  I also tended to ride around the park more often, which can only be a good thing, being out in the open.

When we got our greyhound, she wanted to run a bit, and we don't have a fenced in backyard.  I tried running with her, but of course being out of shape doesn't help.  I couldn't run as fast as she wanted, and once I fell and hurt myself pretty badly.  I remember watching a show on Animal Planet where a guy rode his bike and had his dog run along side him.  I tried it, and it worked!   I think being in the recumbent helps tremendously because I am lower to the ground, so I have an equal level to the dog.  I am also able to push my dog to the side if she is getting out of control and about to collide with me.  It's great fun, and I can get more exercise packed into her outings than simply walking alone.

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