BentUpCycles.com has been my mandatory reading since the first day I started working in the bicycle industry. And in 2011, I met Dana for the first time in person in his shop in North Holywood, CA. The funny thing was that his first name is exactly the same as my mom’s, so at first, I thought I would see a woman, and then a big, friendly man appeared in front of me. Different languages can sometimes prepare interesting moments. I admire Dana, especially for his performances during ultra-endurance races and for the enjoyable atmosphere he can create.

What recumbents mean for you?
From a personal perspective, recumbents allow me to ride in comfort, whether that be recreational cycling, racing, touring, or anything else. I grew up on a bike and a recumbent will allow me to continue to enjoy cycling throughout the rest of my life. 

From a business perspective, recumbents allow me to get people back onto bikes (or onto a bike for the first time). Many of my customers have had the same problems that I did. Others have physical and medical conditions that preclude riding a traditional bike.

Can you remember when did you see a recumbent for the first time?
I saw a recumbent for the first time while doing a bicycle tour in 1996 of the Puget Sound. I was already having numbness in my groin from cycling and when two cyclists pulled up to the campground on BikeE’s, I stared and thought “well that just makes sense!” The seed was planted, but it took a few more years to get my first recumbent bike.

What was your first recumbent?
A RANS V-Rex.

Do you prefer trikes or two-wheelers and why?
I prefer two-wheelers. I love carving through turns on a technical descent, and I prefer the speed that performance two-wheelers offer.

Which bike do you ride now?
I currently have four bikes in the regular stable. My two bikes for “training/performance” are the Pelso Brevet and the Bacchetta CT2.0. After 10 years of riding my Carbent HPV high racer, I wanted to try something new. The trike is in the stable right now so I can get some miles on one to be able to credibly compare it to the ICE VTX and Catrike 700. My “daily driver” and mountain trike is an ICE Adventure FS with STEPS 8000 and a Rohloff. I have lots of fun on this trike! Finally, for infrequent rides with the family, I have an AZUB Twin tandem.

What do you think about all the e-assist boom we have around us now? 
Electric assist is just so much fun! It allows rider to go further and faster while still getting a great workout.

Where is your favorite place to ride?
The 200k brevets around Ventura County are beautiful rides, showcasing some of the best scenery in Southern California.

And the most unforgettable ride?
Completing the Furnace Creek 508 solo in 2012 stands out as my greatest personal achievement. Race Across America in 2010 on a 4-man team and my 1200k around Alaska are both close seconds.

How do you think recumbents will evolve in the next 5 or 10 years?
I’m hoping that electric assist becomes more integrated so that they look less like an add-on. You see it on traditional bikes – you hardly realize the electric assist is there! 

What is your other hobby besides recumbents? Do you even consider recumbents as a hobby?
I’m a lifelong cyclist and absolutely consider recumbents a hobby. I also love hiking in the local mountains. I am also an avid Science Fiction reader. I love the classics like Asimov, Heinlein, and more, but also enjoy the more recent writers on my Kindle.I am an amateur baker (I have a loaf of sourdough in the oven now) and look forward to trying to make cold-pressed soap in the not-to-distant future.

AND ONE MORE: 
Anything else you would like to tell our readers? Get out and ride!

Dana Lieberman

Year of birth: 1968
Residence: Valley Village, CA (a suburb of Los Angeles)
Education: BA in Psychology from CSUN, MA in Applied Developmental Psychology from the Claremont Graduate University, Business Certificate from UCLA Graduate School of Management
Job: Owner of Bent Up Cycles
Bike(s): See above
Motto: Not a motto, but rather a favorite quote: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Web: www.bentupcycles.com