Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 5, 2009 at 3:48pm

That is quite a killer commute. I guess aprox. 40 mile RT?
I would suggest looking into Damen > Augusta > Prairie Path. It probably goes to far north for you, but it is a paved path for the most part. Once you get on to Augusta, your route actually becomes part of the Grand Illinois Trail and there are directional signs galore.
Since this is new territory for you, I strongly suggest you do a dry run on a weekend day
Duppie

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Permalink Reply by Mark Anderson on July 6, 2009 at 10:04am

Thanks for replies guys.

It is a killer commute, but it's probably only going to be 3 days a week and evening traffic is 1-hour plus. I need to drop quite a few pounds, so I'm hoping I can ride it in 1.5 hours and that's my workout done for the day.

I figure in a recumbent trike/quad (just ordered), it's going to be a lot easier on the body than a regular upright (I'm a big guy)

Regards

Mark

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 6, 2009 at 10:16am

I missed where you said you ordered a recumbent. I personally would not ride a recumbent in city traffic. Due to the lower nature of the bike, I am always afraid that a driver will not see me.
But then again, only you can decide what is an acceptable safety risk for you
Duppie

Mark Anderson said:

Thanks for replies guys.
It is a killer commute, but it's probably only going to be 3 days a week and evening traffic is 1-hour plus. I need to drop quite a few pounds, so I'm hoping I can ride it in 1.5 hours and that's my workout done for the day.
I figure in a recumbent trike/quad (just ordered), it's going to be a lot easier on the body than a regular upright (I'm a big guy)

Regards

Mark

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Permalink Reply by Mark Anderson on July 6, 2009 at 10:47am

I have a flag. Will something high viz on back too

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Permalink Reply by vxla on July 6, 2009 at 3:03pm

The problem here is a recumbent; have you thought about also investing in an upright bike? You could easily do Metra UP-W reverse commute to Villa Park, work your way to Ardmore, and take it south into Hells Revenge (Oakbrook). At least it's a good option to have in case you don't want to ride the whole way, there or back. And since you're a reverse commuter, you'll be able to use the option.

Other than that, I'd take Diversey west to Sayre. Sayre south into Oak Park. Continue south to Augusta, then Augusta west to Franklin. Franklin south Madison. Madison west to Van Buren (just past the at-grade rail crossing). Turn left (south) and follow Van Buren to the east spur to the IPP.

Stay on the IPP (not the Grand Illinois) to Ardmore, then take it south.

Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 6, 2009 at 3:36pm

No problem. I just state my opinion. As said, it's ultimately up to OP to determine whether this is safe or not.
To make an analogy to your comment: I see dozens of cyclists run red lights daily without problems. That does not make me believe it's a safe thing to do. :)
Duppie

h3 said:

Duppie said:

I missed where you said you ordered a recumbent. I personally would not ride a recumbent in city traffic. Due to the lower nature of the bike, I am always afraid that a driver will not see me.
But then again, only you can decide what is an acceptable safety risk for you
Duppie

Mark Anderson said:

Thanks for replies guys.
It is a killer commute, but it's probably only going to be 3 days a week and evening traffic is 1-hour plus. I need to drop quite a few pounds, so I'm hoping I can ride it in 1.5 hours and that's my workout done for the day.
I figure in a recumbent trike/quad (just ordered), it's going to be a lot easier on the body than a regular upright (I'm a big guy)

Regards

Mark

Sorry if it seems like I'm always picking on you, duppie, but I gotta weigh in on this one too-- I've met several cyclists who have done monster commutes for years on recumbents without problems.
If not being seen is the main concern, wouldn't a flag or maybe a colorful pinwheel or wind-sock like I've seen on some recumbents solve that problem?

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Permalink Reply by Mark Anderson on July 6, 2009 at 3:37pm

Thanks for the reply and the suggestions. I do have an upright, but really don't want to ride it that distance or mess about with trains. That said, I do want to be able to do the longer rides (kind of forcing myself into it: leisurly ride to work, so I'm not sweating profusely when I arrive and a work out on the way home). One of the the reasons I bought the recumbent, was to be able to do longer rides comfortably (commute and leisure). I'm not too worried about riding the recumbent in traffic and will probably leave early to miss worst of it (my work hours are pretty flexible.)

From talking to other riders with recumbent trikes/quads, they say they feel safer because they are much more visible that a skinny upright bike and because they're unusual, auto drivers tend to perk up and pay attention just because of the novelty factor. I'll see how it goes for a week or two. If it does turn out to be bad, I may well do as you suggest with the train. Given it;s a reverse commute I'm not affected by the 7am-9am ban (or whatever it is).


Regards

Mark

vxla said:

The problem here is a recumbent; have you thought about also investing in an upright bike? You could easily do Metra UP-W reverse commute to Villa Park, work your way to Ardmore, and take it south into Hells Revenge (Oakbrook). At least it's a good option to have in case you don't want to ride the whole way, there or back. And since you're a reverse commuter, you'll be able to use the option.

Other than that, I'd take Diversey west to Sayre. Sayre south into Oak Park. Continue south to Augusta, then Augusta west to Franklin. Franklin south Madison. Madison west to Van Buren (just past the at-grade rail crossing). Turn left (south) and follow Van Buren to the east spur to the IPP.

Stay on the IPP (not the Grand Illinois) to Ardmore, then take it south.

Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Todd Allen on July 6, 2009 at 5:40pm

I've ridden even lower recumbents all over the city and countryside and it isn't a problem if you take sensible precautions (good lighting, a flag, rear view mirror(s) and ride as if nobody sees you).

I have several recumbents and they do shine on long rides where conventional bikes can be a pain in the ass, wrists, neck, etc. But that is assuming you have a good fit on the recumbent and you are acclimated to it. If you don't get it adjusted right it can be even worse than an upright as your ability to change positions and pressure points is typically more limited.

Also, realize that your are getting a heavy bike and with four wheels you will experience more rolling friction, especially on bad pavement or gravel. The net result will likely cost you 10+% of the speed you could sustain on a quality road bike. There are recumbents which are faster than conventional bicycles but I'm fairly certain the Terratrike quad isn't one of them.

Another consideration is that you will likely get more road dirt, dust & splash on you than you get on a conventional bike. This due to being low and adjacent to your own wheels. This can be handled through appropriate clothing and perhaps fenders

Your choice could work out very well, but you really should take some time to 'grow' in to a long commute. If you jump right into a long ride such as you have planned, especially when you are under time pressure for arrival you are courting trouble and discomfort. Do as much recreational riding as you can first and gradually build up your distance.

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Permalink Reply by MM2000 on July 7, 2009 at 2:29am

You said where the beginning of the commute is, but where in Oakbrook does it end? I can't really help you with great ideas on getting to DuPage, but after that it's no problem. Oakbrook has a good, paved bike path that can be used to get to many areas, and there is a new trail being worked on that would be useful in getting from the Prairie Path south to Oakbrook. Ardmore borders the Villa Park Metra station on the west, but may not be the best route depending on where you're headed. 31st may be further south too, but now I'm guessing. While I can understand the idea of the comfort of a trike, the extra width will have to be concidered when planning the route(s). I would make a couple weekend trips in the next month to test out routes that look good.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Anderson on July 7, 2009 at 1:06pm

Hey Todd

Thanks for the reply and the insights into recumbent riding. I'll definitely will break it in. I will have at least one month plus to get used to it and plan to do some long recreational rides. It may well take me until next spring to get up to those distances. If it does, I'll do the upright/metra route until then (unless I cave and take the car!)

Right now, we haven't even found the office. (I'm trying to get one East of 294, but there's not too much around there (compared to Oak Brook)). I work for a European company too, so I do my most important work early in the day (when I can get hold of people in UK). This means I could leave home at 5:00-5:30 and ride leisurely (missing a lot of the traffic), then leave about 3. Unless I have a specific appointment, my hours are pretty flexible, and I generally don't have time pressures to worry about w.r.t. office hours.

I've ordered a flag and was going to put at least two of those flashing red LED's at top of seat back. I need to wait until the quad arrives next week to see what I can do about mirrors. The seat height (with height extender) is 13", so I'm only actually a few inches lower than many car drivers.

I'm going to on my own as far as adjustments go, as it's a custom model from Utah Trikes, so couldn't buy from local LBS. Any tips?

Regards

mark


Todd Allen said:

I've ridden even lower recumbents all over the city and countryside and it isn't a problem if you take sensible precautions (good lighting, a flag, rear view mirror(s) and ride as if nobody sees you).

I have several recumbents and they do shine on long rides where conventional bikes can be a pain in the ass, wrists, neck, etc. But that is assuming you have a good fit on the recumbent and you are acclimated to it. If you don't get it adjusted right it can be even worse than an upright as your ability to change positions and pressure points is typically more limited.

Also, realize that your are getting a heavy bike and with four wheels you will experience more rolling friction, especially on bad pavement or gravel. The net result will likely cost you 10+% of the speed you could sustain on a quality road bike. There are recumbents which are faster than conventional bicycles but I'm fairly certain the Terratrike quad isn't one of them.

Another consideration is that you will likely get more road dirt, dust & splash on you than you get on a conventional bike. This due to being low and adjacent to your own wheels. This can be handled through appropriate clothing and perhaps fenders

Your choice could work out very well, but you really should take some time to 'grow' in to a long commute. If you jump right into a long ride such as you have planned, especially when you are under time pressure for arrival you are courting trouble and discomfort. Do as much recreational riding as you can first and gradually build up your distance.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Anderson on July 7, 2009 at 1:08pm

Thanks Brian

Doing my bit for the environment too!

Brian Kennedy said:

I'm glad you recognize biking for its health benefits, among others. You are taking the first crucial steps that so few people are willing to do. I wish you success in your journey toward better health and many joyful commutes.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Anderson on July 7, 2009 at 1:18pm

Thanks for the reply MM2000

We haven't actually chosen the office location yet. The very earliest we'd move is end of July, but could be more like end of Aug. We're pretty sure it's going to be Westchester/Oak Brook. I looked at a few places in Westchester today. Being East of 294 would obviously be good for me.

Where can I find details of the paved bike paths in Oak Brook? (Waiting for my maps book to arrive) and still finding my way around the online maps.

Alos, where can I find details on the "new trail being worked on that would be useful in getting from the Prairie Path south to Oakbrook"

Regards

Mark

MM2000 said:

You said where the beginning of the commute is, but where in Oakbrook does it end? I can't really help you with great ideas on getting to DuPage, but after that it's no problem. Oakbrook has a good, paved bike path that can be used to get to many areas, and there is a new trail being worked on that would be useful in getting from the Prairie Path south to Oakbrook. Ardmore borders the Villa Park Metra station on the west, but may not be the best route depending on where you're headed. 31st may be further south too, but now I'm guessing. While I can understand the idea of the comfort of a trike, the extra width will have to be concidered when planning the route(s). I would make a couple weekend trips in the next month to test out routes that look good.

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