How Many Recumbents Have You Actually Seen on the Road?

[Scoosh]

Lots of them around in Edinburgh, partly because we have the excellent Laid Back Bikes in the city.

Regularly see trikes, bikes (low- and high-riders) and occasionally a velomobile. The velomobile is based on the far side of the city from me, so usually only see it at our annual Pedal On Parliament (which I haven't attended since lockdown ).
Also used to have 2 or 3 on the Audax events around here – before I got my own.

I ride a Nazca Fuego ... and wish I had changed it for an ICE B2 when it was available for sale up here a few years ago. I had a ride on it and liked it and had almost convinced myself to go for it ... but then Dave Gardiner (Mr Laid Back Bikes) was riding my Fuego and said he thought the Fuego was one of the best "bents " ever, so I changed my mind.

I recently sold my old Citröen Berlingo which was brilliant for the Fuego, as, with the middle rear seat removed, the whole bike could roll straight in, with the front wheel resting in the middle seat footwell, with still enough room for the front chainring and pedals to be out of the way for driving. I could open the tailgate, load bike in, lash it down etc in about 3-4 minutes. Magic !
Change of vehicle to a smaller Skoda Yeti has reduced my 'stick-it-in-the-car-and-go-somewhere-for-a-ride' options.

 

[palinurus]

Fairly frequently, but a BHPC member lives on my commute route so it's usually him.

Otherwise I have seen a couple of others but it's less than an annual occurrence I'd guess.

 

[viniga]

Spotted 2 this morning! First, I've seen in ages tho looks like they were touring.

 

[Alex321]

Only seen a few, but did see one yesterday near the start of my ride. A group of 5 cyclists, only one of whom was on a recumbent.

 

[Aristotle Kristatos]

I ride a Nazca Fuego ... and wish I had changed it for an ICE B2 when it was available for sale up here a few years ago. I had a ride on it and liked it and had almost convinced myself to go for it ... but then Dave Gardiner (Mr Laid Back Bikes) was riding my Fuego and said he thought the Fuego was one of the best "bents " ever, so I changed my mind.

How much would you pay for an ICE bike?

 

[Scoosh]

How much would you pay for an ICE bike?

Dunno – would need to see and (preferably) test it.

 

[Badger_Boom]

I see one regularly around York.

A friend has one and I know he rides it often but I've never actually seen him on it.

 

[MontyVeda]

I see a fair few groups of cyclists going past my flat on weekends and bank holidays and the occasional 'bent' rider... so maybe a handful each year, i guess

 

[Aristotle Kristatos]

Dunno – would need to see and (preferably) test it.

I'll have an ask of a friend who may have one .he's useless at replying but I'll message him anyway

 

[simongt]

Pretty rare in this neck of the woods, although one of the TCV volunteers has one which he rides occasionally.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

About 5 regularly round here. Plus let dispel the myth of bents and hills and slow. Load of nonsense.

 

[TC99]

In the 1990's there were a lot more about. Not seen one for fifteen years now. They look efficient but lethal.

 

[StuAff]

Not counting riding buds (numerous bents have made appearances on FNRttCs)…lots. Mostly trikes. Two velomobiles- a Quatrevelo on a road I fairly frequently visit (vicinity of Micheldever Station, north of Winchester), plus a GoOne on the IOW Randonnee- in the UK, on the continent a couple of Quests (one in NL, one in Angers), plus a WAW in Normandy.

 

[iluvmybike]

How many recumbents have you actually seen on the road?
I read posts from recumbent riders from time to time but unless you are involved in BHPV racing or similar it’s possible that unless you have one in your garage you might never have seen another one on the road while out riding.

Before I ever thought about riding a recumbent myself I used to see a two wheeler being ridden quite quickly from time to time on the A556 Northwich bypass while taking my lad to school around 2005-2008. I remember thinking at the time, I wouldn’t mind having a go on one of those.

When I acquired the Linear in 2020 my son remembered that, so it shows that random sightings can kindle interest a long time later. Curiously, I met that rider in another context after I’d been riding the Linear for a while.

A few years earlier I was riding a motorbike on Dalefords Lane between Sandiway and Whitegate when a bright yellow enclosed contraption, with just the rider’s head visible, whizzed by in the opposite direction. I immediately thought at the time, from its small size, “Pedal power! How cool is that!” I know now that it was a velomobile.

April 2020 while out on my touring bike heading towards Sandiway on Norley Road I spotted an unidentified tadpole trike and trailer as it turned off as I approached from the opposite direction. I was going downhill at the time, didn’t turn off and follow.

September 2020. While going uphill on the Linear, spotted an unidentified SWB recumbent bike going down in the opposite direction. The rider just had time to shout, “Hey! Another one!” before disappearing.

Summer of 2022 while taking the car for a wash I spotted a tadpole triker sitting at a town centre traffic lights with an inane grin on his face. I recognised that grin, being a recumbentist.

April 2023. On the Monsal Trail on a Brompton. Many walkers and cyclists about. Amongst them, coming the other way, someone on an unknown SWB recumbent bike, who flashed past in the opposite direction.

3 bikes, 3 trikes, one of which was a velomobile.

I see one out every time I ride - cos I have one - tadpole type! There are at least two others that are local and I know of other recumbent riders slightly further afield - but we are a rarer species in the cycling world

 

[rydabent]

I ride at least 20 miles every other day. I almost never fail to see a bent or a trike on these rides. Trikes in particular as they are getting more and more popular.