1.       If your bike is more comfortable, your clothing should be too!

You ride a ‘bent because the seat is more comfortable. However, the angle of your body changes in this position.  This is why your jersey should be different too. REVERSE GEAR ^TM jerseys have no tails to sit on (eliminating that strangled feeling). We have also cut the neck and shoulders differently so they sit better on your body while ‘sitting back’ and enjoying the ride. 

2.       You don’t ride on a saddle, so you don’t need a thick chamois to protect you

You no longer need to look like you are wearing a diaper. You do however need some special padding in your recumbent shorts.  Our unique ‘bent-liner ^TM covers the seams and extends down the legs too. It not only keeps the shorts from riding up the back but also prevents chafing. The special thin, soft, absorbent fabric used in the ‘bent-liner ^TM keeps you drier in sensitive areas. Comfort is everything on a long - or a short - ride!

3.       Don’t lose things while riding

When you ride, you need to keep your valuables (e.g. keys, money, cell phones, food) close and accessible. If you go to a shop or café, you need to take them with you. Secure - in REVERSE GEAR ^TM zippered pockets, they are right where you need them and can reach them easily. When you leave your cycle, they go with you. And if the pockets are zipped, they cannot fall out. More than 50% of surveyed recumbent riders have lost something from a pocket. Don’t let it happen to you!

4.       Be cool and look good!

All of our recumbent clothing is made from technical sports fabrics.  Some designs use body-mapping with mesh or special non-absorbent technical fabrics. When you work up a sweat these fabrics will either wick it away or allow it to evaporate more easily.  This leaves you more comfortable for hours. Both our standard cycling jerseys and our more relaxed casual line will look better – while you are riding and when you stop for coffee or tea!

5.       Zippers don’t scratch

If you turn a garment inside out you will see that the zippers on the pockets are not visible. This means that you won’t be irritated by them while you are riding. We personally like to go on long rides and want REVERSE GEAR ^TM to be comfortable for the whole day. We don’t ask you to surrender comfort for function.

6.       A variety of styles and sizes for everyone

When we attended cycle rallies and races, we discovered that recumbent riders come in all sizes and shapes.  So we have created a variety of styles, cuts and fits from classic body-hugging jerseys to loose fitting casual tops. We even designed fashionable tops that you can wear to the market or café or just for a walk (see Café Olé and Citrus Market). And some styles come in sleeveless, short-sleeve and long-sleeve. But we did not sacrifice function in any of them. Zippered pockets are featured on all of our tops. Some are on the front (easy to reach) and others are on the side (less visible).  So pick your style / size from XS to XXXL.

7.       Weather resistant features

The recumbent position exposes your legs to the elements differently. Our longs are designed with that in mind. The fronts have panels of special weather-resistant fabrics to keep your legs drier and also warmer in rain and/or wind. But because the recumbent position takes you closer to the road, the back has similar technical qualities to keep your bottom warmer when there is cooler weather or road splash.

 Tell us your reasons for buying REVERSE GEAR ^TM …

While we were travelling in Florida in March we received a call from a young woman asking for help on how to enter a credit card transaction into our shopping cart. When we explained the use of PayPal she informed us that the purchase was not for herself but for the wardrobe department of NBC. She explained that she was trying to purchase a  jersey for a recumbent rider in an upcoming episode that was being filmed the following Friday. Not wanting to delay shipment while we sorted the payment options out, we shipped her a Mulga-3 jersey and a pair of the unique Ironbark shorts immeditaely. A few days later we signed the release forms.

We are no doubt thrilled that someone can/will ride a recumbent on a popular genre show. The exposure will be good for the industry overall. We are even more excited that the rider will be properly attired in a spiffy tri-color recumbent-specific jersey with front zipped pockets and classic lycra shorts for the shoot. We know that shoots can take a long time and we are confident that Phil Abrams who plays Phil Lessing in the show will be comfortable for however long it takes for his ride across our small screens.

The character Phil Lessing has already made his first appearance in Episode Two of the 2010 premiere of Parenthood.

We consider ourselves very fortunate that we had just bought a new TV in early March so that we can now receive the free-to-air post-conversion HDTV signals in our RV. So when Phil graces the screen in bright blue and orange on May 4. 2010 we will actually get to see him. We hope you will too.

Let us know what you think of recumbent riding in mainstream television by posting your comments below.

The following is from the summary of the show provided by NBC:
“Parenthood” is a one‐hour drama inspired by the box‐office comedy hit of the same name about the Braverman family.  The dynamic star‐studded cast includes Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter and Erika Christensen. Executive producers are Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (”A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon”), and Jason Katims (”Friday Night Lights”), who wrote the pilot episode. Emmy winner Thomas Schlamme (”The West Wing”) is the director and executive producer of the pilot. “Parenthood” is from Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios.

Shops we visited (in alphabetical order): 

Bicycle Outfitters - now carries REVERSE Gear
11198 70th Avenue N     Seminole, FL  33772    P: 727-319-2453

Hamptons Edge Trailside Bikes - now carries REVERSE Gear and KangaTek
8294 E. Orange Ave    Floral City, FL   34436     P: 352-419-4809

__________________________________________________

A J Barnes Bicycle Emporium - Fort Myers, FL

Atlantic Bicycle - Margate, FL

Billy’s Bike Shop - Sanibel Island, FL

Bob’s Beach Bicycles - Indialantic, FL

Champion Cycle - Jacksonville Beach, FL

LakeShore Bicycle & Fitness -  Jacksonville, FL

Paradise Bicycles -  Fort Myers, FL

Power-On Cycling - Riverview, FL

Riverside Recumbents - Cocoa, FL

Ryder Bikes - Bradenton, FL

Trike Shoppe - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Village Cycles - The Villages (Lady Lake), FL

Winter Garden Wheel Works - Winter Garden, FL

Reverse Gear Recumbent Jerseys

by Larry Varney
Co-Editor, ‘BentRider Online

It’s that season when many of us begin to ride less. Let’s face it, it’s getting cold out there! So, do we forget about biking? No, this is when we shift our focus to how to make our riding better next season. We upgrade our bikes and trikes, we consider tours to go on, and we evaluate our wardrobe. New shorts and tights? Yes, put them on the list. Jerseys? Oh, possibly - they don’t wear out as fast as shorts. But we sure could use some that are recumbent-specific, with pockets on the front if possible, and definitely not on the rear. And if they can be steed-specific, all the better. And here we have just the thing, to subtly hint to your relatives, partners, co-workers, etc., for that gift you’ve always wanted: a jersey from Reverse Gear.

If you are like me, you’ve been on enough organized rides that you have more than enough bicycling-related t-shirts. Too many, in fact. I hate getting rid of them, because they remind me of events, of people that I met, of bikes and trikes that I rode. But each year I resolve to stop: no more new bicycling-related t-shirts. But: jerseys are a different matter altogether. For practical reasons, a jersey is in some ways better than a t-shirt. Such as: they wick better, they dry quicker, and they tend to have more pockets than a t-shirt. Usually those pockets are in the “wrong” place for many of us - on recumbents, we feel immediately when something is carried in those pockets on our back.  Move them to the sides or the front - make the jersey recumbent-friendly - and we’ll be happy. And that’s what the folks at Reverse Gear have done.

I have to admit, when I visited their website, I expected to see nothing but jerseys for sale - but they have shorts as well, along with unexpected items such as illuminated reflective strips, as well as socks and shorts.  For those of us lucky enough to be in range of dealers that carry their products, great. Otherwise, a shopper-friendly website is a great find.

And that’s how I felt about the jersey I have been reviewing over the past few weeks.  While I am not one of those who wear replica team jerseys, I do like to occasionally “accessorize” with clothing that let others know what I’m riding. So, when I saw that Reverse Gear had a Greenspeed jersey, I decided I wanted to review it.

I really think that other manufacturers are missing a great chance to make their products more “visible” by having clothing with their logos produced.  I suspect that people who see someone having a good time on a bike or trike will notice the brand-specific clothing the rider is wearing, and that makes it likely they will look more closely at that bike or trike.  I can’t say for sure if this is why Greenspeed opted to have Reverse Gear produce this jersey, but I would not be surprised.

Reviewing clothing is difficult in one respect: what can you say about them? Are they comfortable? Do they fit as you expected? Do the colors face in the wash? How about shrinkage?  I am happy to say that the Reverse Gear jersey has performed well in all these tests.  I had been warned that the sizing is more “fitted” than some (they do have a line that is more “casual”), so for those of us who aren’t quite as tapered as we would like to be, go for a size larger. I did, and this jersey fits great.

I have been wearing the jersey in both warm and chilly conditions, as the only top garment and as a part of a layer, and the wicking as been as I want in a quality jersey. Laundering it (as you would expect of polyester, in cool water, and air dry) has shown it to be color-fast and non-shrinking.  The orange is as bright and the fit is as good as the day I unpacked it.

What more can be said about this jersey? It works, it looks nice, and now you can keep those keys in your pocket without jabbing yourself in the back when you ride.  Visit their website, see if a dealer you visit is on the list (if not, suggest to your LBS that they consider it), and see what this Canadian company has that will make your cycling even better.

Reverse Gear Recumbent Jersey

Pros: Pockets in the front, wicks and dries better than a t-shirt
Cons: More expensive than a t-shirt
Price: $99.95 (other jerseys they carry differ in price)
For More Information: http://www.ReversegearInc.com

PS. About the cap: Men Out Riding On Nice Seats.  I am an honorary member. My wife took one look at it, and said it was redundant.

Here’s a useful tip for bicycle grease!

To remove grease, from skin or from your clothing, rub in a dab of toothpaste. Rinse immediately to prevent bleaching. Works wonders!

If you get grease on multiple clothes and need a product for the laundry cycle, we can recommend Caeran stain remover. Judi has been using their products on tough stains for three generations now.

C.A.E.R.A.N Caring And Environmentally Responsible And Nurturing is 100% Canadian. To see their full line of products, please visit www.caeran.com Please reference “Consultant ID# 10-0100-1076″ under special instructions at the Check-out.

If you have any questions about the products, or to place an order directly, e-mail Judi’s daughter 

• Gotta tell you, [the Baobab jersey] it’s by far the BEST and I do mean BEST jersey that I have ever worn… the pockets in the front are a most wanted addition for us ‘bent riders.
  JW - PA
• First thing…They are probably the most comfortable bike clothes…bar none!  The shorts remind me of the early wool shorts I wore way back in the early 70’s.  I love the way both pieces have been sewn…flat seams…no abrasions.  And the way the shorts are cut and sewn make me very happy. I’m no seamstress but they are great!  JA - OR 
• The pink top you were wearing at the Bent-up rally was a sure sell on me. I’ve enjoyed the fit and design. I look forward to sport’n my pink and black coordinates when the warm weather rolls around again.
  LZ - CA
• I love the [Baobab] jersey [won at the Michigan HPV rally 2008] - I wore it during my first Ironman Triathlon last summer (Ironman Louisville - during the bike and run). Very handy to have pockets in the front even when not riding a recumbent!
  SF - MI
• … It’s great to do business with folks who make a quality product and care about their customers.
  DN - ID
• Just wanted to tell you how great the Sport-Tec lightweight socks were. 8 days non-stop over 800 km. Feet felt great! Can’t wait to try the rest of your gear.
  RH - ON
• We are all impressed with the quality of the clothes. Thanks for shipping so promptly.
  JS & JMM – Aube, France
• Many thanks for the follow-up. I ordered [the Baobab jersey] after the review / mention on Bentrider online (”the nicest I’ve ever seen”). Plus I’ve been losing stuff from my non-zipped pockets.
  NT – DC
• Thanks for great customer service!
  DC – NY

Tell us what you think of REVERSE Gear^TM recumbent cycle clothing.

Also see the reviews of individual items in the shopping cart… and add your own.

Wayne Estes has toured over 6,000 miles on a recumbent bicycle. Wayne describes some of the different needs and benefits of recumbent touring, including this description of clothing requirements…

Clothing considerations when touring on a recumbent bike:

• Padded gloves aren’t needed for comfort, but many recumbent riders wear gloves for crash protection.
• Padded shorts aren’t needed for comfort, but many recumbent riders wear spandex shorts to prevent bees and wasps from flying inside their pants. (RG spandex shorts have the padding replaced with a unique RG liner to absorb sweat and prevent chafing.)
• Rear jersey pockets are useless. Front pockets would be useful, though. (Hmmm - he hasn’t heard about RG yet!)
• A recumbent rider is more likely to want a sun visor due to the “heads up” position.
• Recumbent riders get more sun exposure on the “front side” and less sun exposure on the “back side” (you need to apply sunscreen in different places!)
• Recumbent riders don’t need a cycling-specific jacket with a long tail because they aren’t hunched over forward. (Long tails, when sat on, can actually pull on your neck. Note RG tops don’t have any.)
• Rain capes don’t work well on a recumbent.
• Pedal reflectors are useless on a recumbent because they face down.

Source: www.bicycletouring101.com/BikeUprightVersusRecumbent.htm

We didn’t realize that recumbent riders wear form-fitting spandex for the bees and wasps. We just thought they were more modest in a recumbent position and we knew that Lycra has benefits for keeping muscles warmer and hence more supple while riding. But Bill Cook’s story here confirms the need for cycling shorts (or you could just carry his bee-sting solution – in a handy Reverse Gear front pocket, where you can reach it fast when you need it):

In my pre-Lycra recumbent days, I sustained two different bees-up-the-pant leg episodes, both on long-distance rides. Ever since, I’ve worn tight-fitting shorts.

I was stung both times. The swelling and itch lasted a week or more the first time. Since then, I’ve always carried the universal bee-sting remedy: Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer. Make a paste, put on sting, cover with bandage. You’ll barely feel the sting by next day.

Bill Cook, Barcroft Cycles, Falls Church, VA

This has also been our first ever chance to cycle Florida in the winter.  There are some days when we think we picked the wrong winter. Florida has had some of its coldest weather in several decades. In fact it was so cold in mid-January that the water-pipes to the RV froze.  Needless to say it slowed us down.

You kinda wonder why two people who cycled in Canada with goggles and face masks and long underwear would let a little froston the oranges discourage them. Well it’s probably psychological more than anything else. It’s difficult to pull out the winter gear to go for a ride when you think you should be in shorts. You think: “Maybe we can just wait until tomorrow and it will get better”. 

When we did finally get the courage to get out there, we were in Mulga and Wilga instead of Banksia or Belah.

When the weather finally turned to Florida-normal, we have had some awesome experiences cycling:

• Delray Beach
• LOST - Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail
• Fort Myers and Sanibel Island
• Longboat Key and Ana Maria Island
• Pinellas Trail.

In the meantime we have settled for walking beaches and a lot of reading.