Recumbent - why?

Followed one yesterday that was rattling along at 30mph with what looked like little effort.

That’s why.

Also good for folk with mobility issues.

My son rides a 3 wheeled recumbent, he has cerebral palsy & would never be able to balance on 2 wheels

I'd like to get a recumbent as I have knackered wrists that are always painful riding despite trying lots of different set ups. Loaned an old one for a week and it was great fun. They just cost too much for me.

I had a Burrows “Speedy” recumbent 3 wheeler for a while. Loved the idea  a “safe” recumbent  he designed it so racing recumbent wannabes could train on the road

a 2 wheel recumbent is pretty hard to be safe on

It was kinda fun but still felt dangerous on the road. Very low - out of drivers eyeline so you needed a serial and flag which was very draggy. Only ever ride it in Richmond Park and still had a few close calls.

My biggest disappointment was it used an entirely different pedal dynamics. So on bike fitness didn’t translate and vice versa.

Not sure I’d ride one in the UK but in Netherlands they are everywhere. Ideal terrain as no big hills and the amazing cycle path network means they are safe and not breathing exhaust all the time - and they really move!

The funniest thing is watching a train of HPVs thunder by ( the fully faired recumbents) touching 50mph on the flat with not much effort but a lot of faith!

Bumped into a few people doing Dunwich Dynamo on them and got chatting.

As stated above, they absolutely fly along on the flat. And they're apparently very ergonomic, you can ride all day without a bad back or a sore arse etc.

But yeah, somewhat terrifying when  having to share the road with UK drivers.

Bumped into a few people doing Dunwich Dynamo on them and got chatting.

DD always has a load of recumbent-ists, I guess it's safe for them in such surroundings. I remember coming into Dunwich one year on the interminable flat section through the dunes and trying to keep up with one and he just pulled away effortlessly.

My Dad used to have one; he'd effectively been "sold" it as a solution to his bad back but he very rarely used it. It felt very unsafe on roads so he tended to drive to places to ride it and then it'd be stymied by any sort of anti-motorbike barriers etc on cycle paths. It was an incredibly unwieldy thing to try and transport, lift or carry plus everything about it was so specialist that it cost a fortune and would invariably only be available from very limited sources.

Just check out 'velomobile' for fully faired and crazy fast pedal machines... YouTube has a crazy Finn who rides his through snow and ice, and has even tried an eVeloMobile...

Never really seen any in the wild until a couple of weeks ago, then was passed by one on the road riding over the to woods. Riding back from the woods saw an even more 'why?' machine - a tandem with a trad set up for the stoker but a recumbent setup on the front for the steerer.

Was it STW's favourite Sam Pilgrim?

Never really seen any in the wild until a couple of weeks ago, then was passed by one on the road riding over the to woods. Riding back from the woods saw an even more ‘why?’ machine – a tandem with a trad set up for the stoker but a recumbent setup on the front for the steerer

@colournoise - a friend and his wife have one of those.

She can't sit on a normal bike saddle due to medical issues, so it means they can ride together.

Also means both of you can see ahead (unlike a normal tandem) and it's easier to chat as you're sitting over/under each other.

Riding back from the woods saw an even more ‘why?’ machine – a tandem with a trad set up for the stoker but a recumbent setup on the front for the steerer.

good aero and good for disabilities as the pilot is in the upright seat  Recombent front seat gets an independent freewheel.  Hase Pino

Totally get the reasons why they exist. Just looked super weird.

Afaik, recumbents are particularly thrilling to ride downhill, through the twisties.

Something to do with the lower centre-of-gravity and g-forces😉

Riding back from the woods saw an even more ‘why?’ machine

Wasn't these guys, was it?

Bought my trike when I lost the use of an arm after an accident. I always wanted one and it brings a huge smile every time I ride it. It’s not as fast as my road bikes (extra wheel and not very aero) but that’s not the point. velomobiles are something else. Much faster thanks to aero,  but very expensive. I’d like a Sinner Mango please. And don’t worry about visibility. The WTF response gets you plenty of room. And phone videos out the windows of cars.

Afaik, recumbents are particularly thrilling to ride downhill, through the twisties.

above 50km/hr I tend to think of myself as a passenger!

that Sam pilgrim video is on a BikeE. This was a relatively cheap populist attempt at making recumbents accessible about 29 years ago. They are decent machines and the semi-position with pedals out front is very comfortable.

i saw a tandem touring around NZ. the pilot was a recumbent and the stoker a normal bike. from my brief view, it looked like the stoker’s sweat would drip onto the pilots head.

My mate regularly rides one, has back problems on a upright bike. Trouble is no one can join him on a ride as he's too quick on it! He upgraded to a lovely carbon fibre model with normal sized wheels, disc brakes etc. Needs about 3 normal chains though. It looks good or maybe I'm just getting used to seeing it.

My biggest disappointment was it used an entirely different pedal dynamics. So on bike fitness didn’t translate and vice versa.

I’ve only ridden them briefly and thought I was doing something wrong as “it’s just pedalling” but that makes sense now.

<p>You can get tandem recumbents! A family friend is very involved in the scene and regularly goes to Nevada for the speed champs!</p>

Had a go on an HPV with most of its fairing removed at Silverstone circuit. It wasn't like riding a bike at all, wobbled up the road for about 200m. until I got the hang of it. It was fun in weird sort of way, very much unlike cycling. Turning circle of  a barge, felt very low, even though it was quite an upright position. Didn't want to ride it anywhere near a proper road, and even the slight rise into some of the back corners on the circuit were harder work than they would've been on a regular bike.

Few folk on the Friday Night Ride to the Coast have them.

The recumbent/normal tandem is my favourite.

The super low laid back ones are aero, but there are other kinds that are less so.  I did a ride on my FiL's upright 2 wheel one and I couldn't get it to go over 18mph in a flat out sprint.

I fancy one connected to a smart trainer for Zwift with a table for my laptop. I could exercise and work all day!

There are a few recumbent tandem options. Haze Pino is the most well known with a recumbent stoker out front and a conventional captain sat at the rear. This design has been also used by Bikenky cycle works and more recently the Circe Morpheus. Very popular with a less able stoker. Some of the gearing options means the stoker doesn’t need to pedal all the time. The Circe converts to a cargo bike too.

Then there is the Rans screamer tandem and Azub, where both riders are in a semi-recumbent position (pedals lower than hips). This design tends to be rather long because the feet are out front. Longest of all are recumbent trikes. And finally there is a back-to-back position where the stoker faces backwards. Never seen one in the flesh. Some homebuilt.

Velomobiles are more of an acquired taste, faster on the flat due to amazing aerodynamics, expensive due to limited production. Everything is custom. I’d like one, but not sure it would get the use.

And yes, there is a thing as “bent legs” it uses slightly different muscles and puts weight in a different place on your bottom. Takes a little while to adjust. And of course, hills need spinning skills because you can’t just stand up on the pedals. You can press into the seat, but you won’t get as much force through the pedals.

I'm pretty sure this is the one my mate has, he'll overtake chain gangs on it.

Didn’t want to ride it anywhere near a proper road

I think this is how beginners feel on a regular bike until they get used to it too, once you get used to a recumbent it's... like riding a bike.

Two local friends have them. They're relatively high up, rather than low to the ground, so probably only 8" lower head height than me on a normal bike - so they're no less visable than any normal bike. Riding with them I notice they often get more room when cars pass, cars slowing up more etc as drivers are a little more intrigued/unsure about that they are, which is no bad thing.

They absolutely fly downhill. Super comfortable, friend says he can just get on it and do a 100mile ride even if done little riding that year as the position and seating are so comfortable...to the point that he's dozed off while pedalling before.

Total disaster off-road though!

And don’t worry about visibility. The WTF response gets you plenty of room.

Yeah, this is what I found when I owned a short wheel base 2 wheeler many years ago. Normal bikes just blend into the background, hence SMIDSY moments, everyone takes a second look at recumbents. Honestly the number of people who knew me and would say later,

"I saw you out on that recumbent the other day, it's very low, aren't you worried you'll not be spotted?"

Nobody ever says they see me on a normal bike.

My brother owns a few, regular commuter on his M5 carbon and him and his wife take this tandem one camping

I've had White Van Man hit the opposite side of the road kerb giving me so much room. Visibility is just not an issue. I also have three lights and a flag, the flag is for Mrs TiRed. I was contemplating a fairing for the trike to aid aero. Changing from 3x Marathon plus to 3x Durano added 1.5 mph to the average speed. The above is Catrike Villager (original not later version) with fixed position, relatively upright, aluminium frame and 14 kilos. Running a 3x9 with close ratio ultegra rear block, because the original SRAM had very wide range and some huge gaps. Shifters are reversed because I was only able to use my left arm when I bought it for commuting. In truth the vehicle insurance from my assailant paid for it as I said it was necessary for travel to work. And it was.

For people to notice you they have to actually see you. I'd be far too worried about existing below the line of sight of a lorry or truck. And subsequently being rolled over rather than flung onto a bonnet.

I was told that fallowing a cycling accident that shatter the top of my humorus that I may never ride a 'normal' bike again as the shoulder movement may be too restricted. A 'bent was looking like the only real possibility but after a lot of hard work & surgery I was able to sling my leg over an MTB again so didn't need to get one.

It was a close run thing for quite a while though.

For people to notice you they have to actually see you. I’d be far too worried about existing below the line of sight of a lorry or truck. And subsequently being rolled over rather than flung onto a bonnet.

My brother has one (a tadpole format trike).  He says that if they look, because they are unusual people seem to notice / give more room than a normal bike.  If they don't look neither is going to be seen.   Transporting it seems to be a pita - although he's had a couple of people think its a wheel chair so perhaps you can use blue badge spaces!