Here is an article published in the Contra Costa Times
Posted on Thu, Nov. 23, 2006
Avid bicyclist wheels, deals bikes that promote comfort Recumbent bikes offer pedal-forward design, seats that tilt back, recline
By Rowena Coetsee
STAFF WRITER
BRENTWOOD - At first glance the tangerine-colored bicycle with the backward sloping crossbar resembles a 1950s-era cruiser.
But look a little closer.
It lacks the traditional balloon tires, weighs less, has many more than one gear, and riders don't brake by pedaling backward.
Hop on, says Nanda Holz, who began distributing for a Kansas-based bicycle manufacturer 15 months ago.
His visitor leans back in the seat that easily accommodates even ample derrieres and sends the recumbent bicycle skimming over the blacktop.
A quick spin around the storage unit where the Brentwood bike distributor does business conveys more than any explanation of physics.
Whoo-whee! The widely spaced wheels make for an unequivocally smoother ride than that of conventional bike.
And that's just one difference of the decidedly unconventional bicycles that the 32-year-old mechanical engineer sells when he's not designing telecommunications equipment.
Wanting to start a business on the side, Holz tapped into his enjoyment of two-wheeled machines.
Although he had been an avid motorcyclist for years, his interest in the hobby waned after a wipe-out at the bottom of the Sunol Grade four years ago.
But Holz also was a avid bicyclist and he needed a comfortable model to cope with the aches and pains he had after the accident.
Upon discovering that recumbent bicycles fit the bill, Holz bought four in short order.
These days he's one of only two dealerships to his knowledge in East County that sell recumbent bicycles.
Sales of this design account for a mere sliver of the national market: The approximately 60,000 models that sold in 2005 comprised about 2 percent of all bicycle sales, according to Wisconsin industry consultant Jay Townley, who surveys the market annually.
Nonetheless, he says this niche product gradually is becoming more popular as the country's senior population continues to grow.
What's the connection?
Consider what recumbent bicycles do for the body, Townley said.
For starters, the seats tilt back and include a back rest.
Instead of being directly under the feet, the crank is positioned so far forward that the rider's legs are parallel to the ground when fully extended.
And because riders are leaning back instead of hunched over the handlebars, they not only have a better view of the road but avoid straining their neck to look forward.
The position also significantly reduces the pressure that those on road bikes exert on their wrists.
"It's like doing a constant push-up," Holz said. "It's not a real comfortable position to be in for any length of time."
The bicycle's geometry also alleviates stress on joints in the lower body because riders aren't bringing their entire weight to bear on their knees and ankles when they push down on the pedals.
In addition, the seat on a recumbent bicycle is cushioned and much wider than that of a typical racing bike.
Distributing someone's weight over a larger area translates into a more comfortable ride, Holz said, and that, in turn, enables him or her to ride farther.
"Think of an average 200-pound male and put him on the surface of a (racing bike) seat -- it's going to hurt, there's no way of getting around it," he said.
And Baby Boomers are even more susceptible to the punishment road bikes can deliver, Townley said.
But aging adults who happen to be bike enthusiasts also tend to be more affluent than the general population and can afford recumbent bicycle prices, Townley said.
Those that Holz sells retail from $995 all the way up to $5,550 -- and more if they're tandems.
His recumbents tend to draw curious stares from adults and enthusiastic reactions from children.
"They're always the first ones to give you a thumbs-up," Holz said. "It's cool, it's sick, it's bad. They totally get it. They're being open-minded."
The aerodynamic design gives riders a big edge in races, even against serious road warriors.
"You can smoke 'em on the flats," Holz said. "I can play with these guys that ride every weekend and have all the spandex -- the Lance wannabees -- and I can put the hurt on them."
And that's what Baby Boomers like --being able to outpace younger cyclists without the pain, said Townley, a 63-year-old recumbent bicycle owner.
"I don't have to ride the training distances that I did when I was younger ... but I can go just as fast or faster than I did on my road bike," he said.
Less obviously different are the hybrids, so-called "crank-forward" models that incorporate aspects of both the recumbent and traditional bicycle design.
The crank-forward models comprise about 80 percent of his inventory because they afford advantages the recumbents don't: They are easier to pedal up hills, weigh around 4 to 5 pounds less, are shorter and thus easier to store or put on a
bike rack, and are safer in traffic because the rider is seated higher.
Crank-forwards also are far less expensive than their recumbent cousins.
Apart from establishing a presence on the Internet and wearing a jersey with the company logo when he goes on bike rides, Holz puts little effort into marketing his product.
He prefers to wait for customers to come to him -- and they're starting to.
So far Holz has sold 47 bikes, including his first overseas deal earlier this year to a man in Australia.
"If you have something people want you shouldn't have to sell it. You're just the pipeline, making it available," he said.
Reach Rowena Coetsee at 925-779-7141 or
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