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The day West bid goodbye to his racing bicycle and bought his first recumbent was a happy one. Gone were the sore wrists, neck and rear end that plagued him when he would do a 100-mile ride on a conventional
bicycle.
West was drawn to recumbent bicycles not only because long, intense rides on road bikes were becoming less and less enjoyable, but he also was curious. Ed and his wife, Mary Ellen, now own three recumbents — including one tandem.
Ed is glad he took the time to find out about them.
“Once I started riding a recumbent, I really enjoyed it,” West said. “And I’ve never looked back.”
In fact, West has made his recumbent a big part of his everyday life.
On any given day, you might see him riding to or from his job at Dairyland Power. You might see him and Mary Ellen riding their tandem recumbent. On a given weekend, you might see them riding to Trempealeau, Wis.
West simply enjoys having the opportunity to ride. But he also is staying physically active.
“It takes more effort to go up hills than with an ordinary bike,” West said. “But it is a good workout.”
And, it’s well worth the effort to learn how to ride a recumbent, West said.
“It (riding a recumbent) is a little odd the first time you do it. I had always ridden a bike looking down at the road,” West said. “But it took me about five minutes to get used to riding it.”
Considering West has been an avid recumbent rider for going on four years now, it’s safe to say he’s comfortable.
“I can’t imagine ever going back to an upright bike,” West said.
Kirk Bey can be reached at (608) 791-8414, or at kbey@lacrossetribune.com
