[QUOTE=OakLeaf;661351]Itself, I know you mentioned a recumbent when I first got hurt, but I really can't understand how that wouldn't aggravate back issues. I can't climb in the saddle at all because of the torque at L3-4. Once you can extend your hip joint farther (as I can when I stand to climb), you can let the leg muscles do the work, not your back. Sitting, just sitting without torquing the low back, is really hard on the back. Most people I know with back issues need to sit more upright on their bikes (at least temporarily) - not more bent at the hip.

Oakleaf,

Most folks who go to a recumbent who have had back problems like I have, consistently find that a more reclined position, around 30 degrees, is the most comfortable. It is incredible important on a bent, just as it is on a DF bike, to set the seat distance to the crank properly, so that there is no hip overextension.