Recumbent

[Arch]

It wouldn't be much good round here as there are lots of hills, in fact even the flat bits are like what they call hills in York. And I like to see over hedges and things..

There have been lots more cycle tourists this year for some reason (no Brits seen so far) and I have never seen a recumbent here.

Despite the fact that a bevy of 9 of us were about 30 km away in June, having ridden from Dieppe...

The thing is, lots of hills may mean the odd slower climb up, but it also means much faster downs! And on a trike, that means really fast! I'm much more secure on my trike than on any bike, so I can just let it roll........

Otherwise, what waffles said, basically.

 

[Arch]

why does nearly everyone who rides a recumbent have a trike, rather than one with two wheels? Is it 'cos the ones with two wheels are more difficult to handle? You'd think cyclists would want to minimise their rolling resistance...

There are plenty of bikes out there, it's perhaps just that the inhabitants of cyclechat tend to have trikes, by coincidence? Although a fair number of recumbent riders are the sort to have more than one vehicle, so may well have bikes AND trikes...

Choosing a vehicle isn't all about rolling resistance and speed you know. If all you cared about was rolling resistance, surely you wouldn't do muntain biking, with those chunkey tires and all that mud? But you enjoy, so you do it... There are plenty of ways in which a trike is 'better' than a bike I think (esp for touring: as slow as you like up hills, a ready made seat for your picninc lunch, very stable, even if heavily laden, perhaps stronger for carrying a load of luggage, able to let rip downhill (that's a question of nerve perhaps, I just know I'll go much faster down a hill on 3 wheels than I dare on 2))

Anyway, define your trike and bike? I suspect a Windcheetah trike is quicker and less resistant than a more upright two wheeler set up for commuting or touring, because it weights sod all and is built for speed.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I had a Ryan Vanguard for a bit. It was comfortable, but I didn't get on with it at all. I'd have another recumbent though, if I could afford one and if I thought the other half wouldn't kill me.

 

[Arch]

And another thing....

If I had the money and the space, I'd have a bike as well as a trike, no doubt - bikes win out a bit in terms of portability (like taking on trains etc)

 

[Rhythm Thief]

And another thing....

If I had the money and the space, I'd have a bike as well as a trike, no doubt - bikes win out a bit in terms of portability (like taking on trains etc)

If I had the money and the space, there'd be no limit to the things I would own.

 

[Andy in Sig]

In answer to the OP, one of the great advantages of recumbents is that it seems almost impossible to get pain around the shoulders and neck as you simply don't have the triangle of stress which you have with a normal bike. Also they make riding into a headwind much easier, offer a more natural head position and better field of view and above all are more fun. For some while I've thought that once a recumbent has featured in a film e.g. James Bond, in a hurry, knocks a tourist off his recumbent and makes his getaway on it, then they will become enormously popular.

 

[asterix]

Despite the fact that a bevy of 9 of us were about 30 km away in June, having ridden from Dieppe...

Oops, I never noticed.. However, I'm not in Limoges itself but 50km to the south, in the foothills of the Massif Central, so you could have been as far as 80km away. What was your nearest point?

 

[Smeggers]

For some while I've thought that once a recumbent has featured in a film e.g. James Bond, in a hurry, knocks a tourist off his recumbent and makes his getaway on it, then they will become enormously popular.

It'll take more than Daniel Craig in his pants to change the nerd-ish image.

 

[Andy in Sig]

For anybody who's interested the Friedrichshafen Bike Exhibition (Fahrradmesse) is coming up at the beginning of September. They usually have an oustide area where you can try recumbents, both bikes and trikes. You can get there easily on Ryanair from Stansted. I think the day for the public is Sun 7th. It's also a good excuse for a weekend getting hammered on the shores of L Konstanz.

 

[Arch]

Oops, I never noticed.. However, I'm not in Limoges itself but 50km to the south, in the foothills of the Massif Central, so you could have been as far as 80km away. What was your nearest point?

Ah, ok, so we'd probably have been too far away to see with the naked eye, even with our flags...

We stopped for a few days in Esse, near Confolons, which is where my friends have a house. We rode down form Dieppe one route and back up on another and I think it took 10-12 days of cycling in all. Absolutely lovely. And if you think French drivers respect cyclists generally, they are even better with recumbents (the WTF? factor Waffles mentioned). Plus we had a lot of smiles, waves and "Allez!" from passers-by...

RT - ok, yes, given enough space and money... I think Concorde would be a first purchase....

 

[tdr1nka]

To add to what Andy in Sig has said about neck and shoulder comfort, recumbent bikes/trikes are also a lot kinder on the knees.

I bought a second hand KMX trike, the only kind of 'bent I could afford, after a knee injury. Riding an upwrong was causing me discomfort after only a few miles.

A couple of months of riding the trike was great physio and my knee healed well enough that riding an upwrong was no longer uncomfortable.

I now have a choice of rides to suit my mood!

 

[Maz]

Are most recumbents 2 or 3 wheeled? How do you stop at lights on a 2-wheeled recumbent?

 

[NickM]

why does nearly everyone who rides a recumbent have a trike...

Six recumbents in our house - only one trike (although the streamliner does have landing gear).

...what waffles said, basically.

What, you mean that bit about it being FUN?

Some people just aren't ready for fun, by the look of it...

 

[NickM]

...I'd have another recumbent though, if I could afford one and if I thought the other half wouldn't kill me.

You really should, you know - I bet it would revive your flagging cycling career

 

[NickM]

Are most recumbents 2 or 3 wheeled? How do you stop at lights on a 2-wheeled recumbent?

Track standing is difficult, so you, er, unclip and put a foot down. Except that I can approach three-quarters of junctions slowly enough to avoid unclipping, and then just go when the coast is clear.