Why REVERSE GEAR is different…
At our booth at Recumbent Cycle-Con, we had many people ask the questions:
Why do I need to wear recumbent clothing?
What makes your clothing different from other cycle clothing?
My first response is: “We have reengineered our clothing for COMFORT.”
Yes, you can cycle in any clothing. I have seen people wearing business suits and footwear ranging from flip-flops to work boots to high-heels. But how comfortable is that for long rides?
Depending on how long you will be on your cycle and/or the purpose of your trip, there are definite comfort considerations.
If you will be riding for a few hours, you will want clothing made in technical fabrics that wick away the moisture and keep you comfortable, not wet and soggy.
All of our clothing is designed in technical fabrics such as
“Quick-Dry”, “Airlite” and “Lycra“.
If you are on an outing you may also have a need to carry valuables with you such as credit cards, money, cell phones, cameras, etc. If you stop to eat or shop, you will want those to accompany you, rather than stay on your cycle in vulnerable places such as panniers or bicycle-bags.
Travelling long distances, whether touring or training, you may also want sustenance along the route. These should be handy when you need them. At the RCC show, I took on the challenge of seeing how many packages of energy food (bars, gummies, etc.) I could get in a pocket.
We succeeded in getting 13 in each pocket of a ladies small jersey. That should sustain you for a considerable distance. (Let us know how many you carry?)
Pockets are required where they are most comfortable for your body shape or size. Generally in a recumbent position, these pockets should be accessible to you - either on the side or front of your jersey.
Whether food or valuables are being carried, or both, you don’t want to lose them. Cyclists, that we surveyed, told us that 60% had lost something while riding. So all REVERSE GEAR pockets are zipped to ensure that you won’t lose items. Providing you do up the zip of course ;o)
In the reclined position, your jersey will sit differently than in a roll-down cycling or stand-up position. Clothing sits against your body and often rides up as well. Extra length in the back (e.g. the traditional tail of cycling clothing) pulls the clothing further up the throat.
To eliminate that “choking” feeling, REVERSE GEAR has not only eliminated all tails, but has now also cut necklines and collars lower and broadened the shoulders. These adaptations have been made for greater COMFORT in the recumbent experience.
Our shorts have the unique ‘bent-liner TM.
You could ride in shorts without a liner (maybe because you have removed the chamois) but you may find the seams sit in uncomfortable positions or chafe.
Cycling shorts are intentionally created with multiple seams/sections to make them more comfortable and flexible while moving. They are made in high-quality spandex to provide support and warmth to your muscles in action.
The REVERSE GEAR ‘bent-liner TM has been constructed in a very soft, non-bulky absorbent fabric to absorb moisture. The position of the liner in the crotch and down the legs is there to prevent chafing in those areas.
We recommend wearing Lycra shorts for three primary reasons:
for comfort, to provide better support to your muscles, and to prevent insects crawling or flying up your legs. (For those who do not believe it happens, read about the experience of others in our earlier blog entry.)
Our ‘longs’ are also unique because of the weather-resistant panels on the front and the back.
The front panels will keep your legs warmer and drier in the recumbent position, as your legs are exposed to the elements more in the laid-back seat.
The back panels on the other hand will keep you drier and warmer as by resisting the splash and cold from the road, which you are closer to, especially in a trike.
REVERSE GEAR has also designed many other features into its clothing…
Safety - Through the use of highly visible colors and/or contrasts, our clothing is noticed while you are riding.
Convenience - Large zippers on the over-pants make them easy to take on and off over shoes. They also have zipped pockets for carrying keys and/or credit cards.
Easy to get into - REVERSE GEAR has introduced the first full-zip short and long sleeve jersey.
Stylish - REVERSE GEAR also has many styles with the same functionality of its other jerseys that can be worn at the markets, restaurants and other day activities - see the Cafe Ole / Citrus Market or the Hollywood / Jarrah lines for versatility as well as good looks.
Reverse Gear sponsors Ride Ataxia Dallas
Reverse Gear is proud to be a sponsor of the Ride Ataxia Dallas 2011. You can ride 6, 10, 25 or 50 miles on well marked routes in Dallas area this weekend to support Fredreichs Ataxia Reserach Alliance.
Watch for our friends from the Texas Catrike team. Len Ashby of Reverse Gear will be riding with the team.
Win an LRT jersey at HOT rally
Easy Street Recumbents is once again holding the Heart of Texas Catrike Rally in Austin Texas on April 8 - 10, 2011.
Registration is limited to 30 participants so sign-up early by contacting jane @ easystreetrecumbents.com or by talking to Mike at the shop at 5555 N. Lamar Blvd - #C105 or by calling 512-453-0438.
One of the great prizes at the rally with be the new Jazzed about Triking jersey, based on the original art of Louisiana artist Vergie Banks. We are “jazzed about triking” ourselves and REVERSE GEAR is proud to sponsor events which bring together other tricyclists.
Congratulations to first HPRA event participants
The first HPRA event of 2011 was sponsored by Reverse Gear. It was held at Brian Piccolo Park in Florida on February 26 and 27. The races went well and it was reported that everyone had fun. They had 25 racers attend and about 30 spectators each day. A number prizes were given out at the final dinner. Congratulation to Chris and Shari who received REVERSE GEAR merchandise for their participation. REVERSE GEAR thanks the organizers for their effort in this successful season-starter.
Reverse Gear sponsors first 2011 HPRA event
Reverse Gear is sponsoring the 2011 HPRA Florida Challenge at Brian Piccolo Park - 9501 Sheridan Street, Pembroke Pines, Florida on February 26 and 27, 2011. The race weekend is one week after the Sebring 12/24 hour race and one week before the Catrike Rally.
This the first HPRA race of the 2011 season. There will be two full days of racing.
For anyone not racing on Saturday, Atlantic Bicycle has organized a group ride. The ride will be approximately 20 miles at a moderate pace.
This event will offer prizes (including a REVERSE GEAR cycling jersey and a pair of recumbent cycling shorts), displays and the opportunity to meet other recumbent enthusiasts and see an excellent variety of human powered machines and their engines.
“on the road” in Texas and Arizona
This winter REVERSE GEAR has been on the trails and highways in the south for our second year.
Our first visits were in Kansas to RANS and several bike shops.
The next destination was Texas for November and December. Unfortunately we suffered some health issues this winter, so we have not spent as much time on the recumbents as we had planned. However, our favorite cycling experiences in that state were in Dallas and in San Antonio (with the River City Bent Riders). We did make it as far south as Brownsville and as far west as El Paso.
As the weather got cooler, we headed west and spent January and February in Arizona.
We visited the following bike shops during winter 2010-2011:
City Cyclist, Fort Worth TX
Daniel Boone Cycles, Houston TX
Easy Street Recumbents, Austin TX
Hill Country Bicycle Works, Fredericksburg & Kerrville TX
Planetary Cycles, Houston TX
Plano Cycling, Plano TX
Richardson Bike Mart, Richardson TX
Ajo Bikes, Tucson AZ
Southwest Bikes, Peoria AZ
Sun Cyclery, Phoenix AZ
We are staying in AZ to avoid the snow for a few more weeks, and then heading back to Canada in March, with an expected arrival of early April.
We hope to see you on the road, Judi & Len
Complete Roads
‘Complete roads’ is a term coined to describe roads which are designed to safely and conveniently accommodate public transportation, private vehicles, cycles and pedestrians. You may not know of too many of them, but judging from what we heard they are definitely on every transportation planner’s agenda. Influential legislators are also jumping on the bandwagon.
We were fortunate to be invited to a recent presentation from Bike Texas and the Adventure Cycling Association in San Antonio – one of some seven or eight such presentations across Texas. Both organizations are advocates for cycling, but instead of the usual litany of problems with which we are all too familiar, the speakers focused on some very positive actions taking place locally, state-wide, nationally and internationally to recognize the growing demand for bike-friendly and bike-safe corridors – for commuting, recreation and vacation travel.
The local audience was proud to hear that San Antonio was recently awarded the Bronze medal from the League of American Bicyclists. This will give further impetus to the bold plans the local bike planner is developing for council approval before the next local election. It will also undoubtedly provoke reaction in Austin and other Texas cities eager to be competitive for what is increasingly being recognized as a significant draw for affluent tourists. While still a small part of the $6.5 billion ‘tourism’ spend, cycling is growing rapidly in response to several societal vacation trends: active; sustainable, experiential and back to basics. Tax-payer funding for cycling activity is currently miniscule, although some very impressive outcomes are apparent. Increasingly, however, legislators are realizing the wide range of benefits which safe cycling brings to local and broader-based communities: improved public health, reduced traffic flows – requiring less new roads, better air quality and increased tourist – and tax– revenues.
Beyond municipal activity, however, the good news was that the states and federal governments are collaborating, not just on standards, although they are important, but also on inter-connectivity of cycling corridors, both on-road and off-road to eventually create routes analogous to the Interstate Highway system for vehicles. This is a trend which is increasingly making it possible to cycle across states, and across the country.
Jim Sayer of Adventure Cycling Association spoke of the more than 40,000 miles of routes now mapped for cyclists for over-night, week-long or extended tours. One of many such routes throughout the country is the Sierra Cascades trail, running from the Canadian to the Mexican borders. Like most of these trails it also features lots of less adventurous loops of shorter duration. Adventure Cycling’s four cartographers are continually revising and improving their maps using the latest technology and input from local and national sources as the infrastructure moves from concept to planning to implementation.
Visit www.adventurecycling.org to find out about their advocacy, their route maps and the other services they provide. It’s a member-funded organization, so give serious consideration to joining up and encouraging your bike buddies to follow suit. Your voices get heard at three levels of government. Beats paying taxes!
Season’s Greetings from Reverse Gear
Wishing you, your friends, families and loved ones all the best for the holiday season and for 2011, Judi and Len
River City Bent Riders
If you live anywhere near San Antonio TX, you will want to check out River City Bent Riders.
This cycling club was started in June 2010 by Jorge Tijerina and is growing. It’s obvious that Jorge is passionate about recumbent cycling. As soon as we arrived in San Antonio, Jorge called to see if we wanted to ride. We met him for lunch at the Blue Star Brewing Company and he took us on the riverfront trail to the Missions. What a great welcome to the city for us and to Texas hospitality.
Jorge’s organizational skills, gained in many years as a logistics officer in the military, are also apparent in what he has already done for this young club. He has:
- created a list of local rides in San Antonio TX and near-by locations
- mapped the rides using internet mapping software (there are already 20 routes)
- ridden the rides by car or bike to make sure they are safe
- talked to local police and sheriffs to determine safety issues related to the routes
- created a website
- promoted the club on numerous other sites like BROL or recumbents.com
- contacted local bike shops to publicize club rides
- convinced the local parks organization to create a video about safe riding on the trails
- published a regular newsletter, and
- acquired team jerseys.
His enthusiasm is contagious. He has a great sense of humor and will make you comfortable when you come out and join the club - whether you are a local or you have come from far-away like we did. He also shares his wealth of knowledge about San Antonio, gained from living in the area since he was a child.
RIDE #1 with RCBR:
We rode the Shertz morning ride on Saturday, December 11th and will join this enthusiastic group again on December 18th.
If you can make out to a ride, just want more information about the club, or if you want to be added to River City Bent Riders membership, contact Jorge directly… at [email protected]
The RCBR website has a lot of useful information about recumbent riding too.
Ride #2 with RCBR:
December 18th was a clear but cold morning so Judi was in full gear including her weather-resistant RG Woolybutt tights, a down jacket and gloves. She joined the group at 9 am to ride the 19 mi/30 km route called San Jose to Blue Wing. She managed to stay with the group until they reached the San Juan Mission. But - photography took priority over riding and she stopped to take a few photos. She stopped again at Mission Espada to take some more. By then the rest of the riders were miles ahead. So she rode the rest of the trip solo. The route was well mapped out and travelled along quiet country roads that were relatively flat. Overall it was a most enjoyable ride and our appreciation goes out to Jorge for organizing it and for inviting us to join them.
If you live in San Antonio, or are visiting, definitely check out this group via their RCBR website or contact Jorge directly at [email protected]
RG Newsletter - December 2010
Our Holiday Gift to you
We are offering all of our jerseys at 20% off until December 26th.
Order now and get it under the tree in time for Christmas.
Introducing 3 new unique REVERSE GEAR jerseys
The Cool-back is a mesh-backed jersey for those who want to stay cooler on the recumbent seat. This jersey is in response to a customer request - we heard ya!
The Chevron is for people who want side pockets - but with zips so they don’t lose their valuables while riding. We designed a large pocket in the side panel and zipped it, because we learned from our survey of recumbent riders that 60% had lost something from open pockets. This jersey also has body-mapping with Airlite in the arm panels to keep you cooler.
The Jazzed about Triking jersey is the first in a new series of wearable art. This one was designed by Vergie Banks famous for her series of little red tricycle paintings - www.littleredtricycle.com
Did you know
…that Reverse Gear has designed more than 25 tops - all suitable for recumbent cyclists?
That means something for everyone - men or women:
- club-fit cycle jerseys
- casual polo shirts - suitable for the cycle or the market
- regular or plus sizes
- sleeveless, short-sleeve, long-sleeve
- zipped side or front pockets to store valuables
- high-visibility vests with mesh-back for comfort
- a new series of wearable art
- some jerseys now come in unisex styling - so you can both wear the same jersey.
Our pants are different too
The shorts are 8-panel with a unique soft and absorbent ‘bent-liner (TM) to keep you drier and prevent chafing in the legs as well as crotch.
The longs have weather-resistant panels on both front and back to keep you warmer from wind and from moisture off the road.
It’s easier to find what you want
…and to shop faster on the new REVERSE GEAR website - launched this week.
We love to hear from you
…so please send us your comments on products or website design, suggestions for new products, or photos of you riding in REVERSE GEAR to put on our site.
Ride with us
We are currently on a western tour to recumbent shops and rallies. We are in Texas for the rest of December. Then on to New Mexico and Arizona for January and into California for February.Our schedule is posted / updated (as it changes) on the FIND US page of our blog. If we are in your area and you have a favorite ride you want to share with us, please send us an email.
A special thanx to all of you for your continued support of REVERSE GEAR in 2010 and for the past three years.
Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Season with family and friends,
- Judi and Len