Boomers pushing sales of comfortable recumbent bikes

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The first time Rob Gentry saw a friend riding an odd-looking contraption known as a recumbent bike, he laughed. But not for long.

"After I got done making fun of it," Gentry said, "I found I really liked it."

It wasn't just the comfortable ride Gentry liked, but also the panoramic view and the bike's speed. Now, barely five years after buying his first "bent," Gentry is not only riding recumbent, he's doing a brisk businesses selling recumbents -- and only recumbents -- from his central Pennsylvania bike shop.

More and more baby boomers who want to stay physically active are turning to recumbents to ease the strain on their shoulders, arms, backs and knees. As a consequence, sales are rising for these laid-back bikes -- known as "bents" to those who ride them.

Not that there's a recumbent revolution underway. Recumbent specialists estimate that these bikes make up just 1 percent of bicycle sales; Mike Gamstetter, editor-in-chief of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, said it's probably slightly less than that.

But even those dedicated to their upright touring bikes say they're seeing more recumbents on the road.

"It's definitely been a growing segment of the market, although it's still pretty small," said Mike Deme, editor of Adventure Cyclist, the magazine of the Montana-based Adventure Cycling Association.

Among the benefits of bents:

Comfort. With a full-sized seat in a reclined position, the bikes put far less strain on the tailbone. And because the rider isn't leaning over the handlebars, there is no strain on shoulders, arms, wrists or back.

The view. The rider is reclined with his head up, not leaning over the front of the bike looking down.

Speed. Because of their aerodynamic design, the rider has a much smaller wind profile -- so much smaller that international racing officials banned bents back in 1934.

"They do hold all the speed records," Deme said. "They just fly downhill."

Sam Blevins, 34, bought his first one four years ago after seeing a friend's wife riding one.

"I saw how fast she was going -- a woman who hadn't been on a bicycle in 15 years was keeping up with us, and we were not weak cyclists. I was amazed," said Blevins, who now manages St. Louis Recumbent Bicycles, a recumbent-only store in Maryville, Ill.

Blevins said the biggest obstacle he has to overcome with potential buyers is image. "It just looks weird," he said.

The second hurdle is price. The average price is $1,300, with prices ranging from about $500 up to $7,000 for high-end trikes.