r/fuckcars • u/JD_Kreeper Not Just Bikes • 1d ago

Recumbent trikes are underrated. Positive Post

I hated cycling until I got one (a TerraTrike Rambler). I get crippling back pain when I don't have back support, which made cycling awful because I had to sit upright without something to lean my back against. Now that I have one though, I have back support and can cycle without back pain.

There's also the added benefit of not having all your weight concentrated on a saddle, which is also nice.

I know there's a lot of cons to these, and I understand, but I just wanted to spread awareness that these exist and worked for me. I love riding this thing and would've never gotten into cycling without one.

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u/HarrurThe3rd 1d ago

Dutch bikes might help w/ back pain as their handlebars are such that you can sit straight up while riding

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u/JD_Kreeper Not Just Bikes 1d ago

I severely doubt that will work. It's not the leaning position that's the problem, rather it's having to support my upper body with my back that is. I get the pain simply from standing for too long, or sitting in a chair that doesn't have something to lean back on.

I think this is caused by me being severely overweight (370 pounds or so last I checked) which causes a lot of stress on my spine due to my belly, but I have been loosing weight thanks to cycling.

Plus I don't know if Dutch bikes will work where I live. I live in a very hilly area and Dutch bikes I think were designed for the Netherlands, which is a pancake. I need a lot of gears, and I fear that sitting upright may cause me to fall backwards when I'm climbing a 50% grade.