bonj said:
What's a "DF" when it's at home? Please understand that not everybody understand your jargon, contrary to what you may like to believe.
A DF is diamond frame. The term upwrong is an alternative.
But the point is if I'm on my normal bike, I can be seen over most normal-height cars, possibly with the exception of 4x4s. A recumbent can't even be the other side of the bonnet of a car.
So you never ride where there are vans, lorries or buses then?
Most recumbents are visible to a competent and awake driver. My Street Machine, Linear and Catrike are all higher than many sports cars- are they a liability in the same way?
Visibility is not an issue providing you ride sensibly, as with any bike, don't put yourself where you can't be seen.
Well if a certain move is possible on an upright bike but not on a recumbent, then surely that's one reason the upright bike is better?! I didn't know that was a problem of recumbents, but thanks for pointing that out.
You have missed the point. In competent hands a recumbent will do anything a DF can, the suggestion is that if you are worried about making it through the gap on
ANY bike you should query the wisdom of the move. I apply no different rules on my Trike, Brompton, Street Machine, Airnimal mountain or touring bikes.
But surely the fact that it needs to be a trike in the first place is due to the fact it's less stable? Why else has it got 3 wheels rather than 2?
Because its fun!
It doesn't "need" to be a trike - In the same way as you get motorcycles with different formats, each has its own advantages. A trike with hydraulic front brakes downhill at 60 mph is more fun that any two wheeled bike at the same speed!
Are we suggesting that the existence of three wheeled motorcycles proves that two wheeled ones are unsafe - after all why else would three wheeled ones exist?
Horses for courses.
So what about the fact that more blood pressure is required to pump oxygenated blood to the horizontal legs, as opposed to being helped by gravity?
Surely by this argument - riding an upright bike requires more blood pressure to pump oxygenated blood to the heart, lungs and brain as they are higher?
The body adapts, and will increase the efficiency of the vessels. Arguably a benefit in cardiovascular fitness.
Er.. no they don't. I've never seen one and I've been to quite a few gyms. They might have them in your particular poncy part of London. And anyway in gyms, they have things that are deliberately engineered to be difficult to give you a workout.
The point is that exercise bikes etc are supposed to make you work. Strange that most fitness equipment and manafacturers have apparently got this so wrong!
You quote Wikipedia. Look at the list of Exercise manafacturers they list - All have recumbents - simply because they have advantages.
Wikipedia - Exercise Cycle
In fact 4 chosen at random have recumbents listed before "ordinary" models
As for poncy parts of London - I have never needed to go to a gym. Cycling does all I need in the way of fitness, but then again commuting from Portsmouth to London would probably be overkill
The way I read it on wikipedia was that you need to lock your hip into the seat to generate the same power output that you would be able to achieve on an upright bike anyway, but if you think you know better - fair enough...
Both occur. I certainly only "lock" when pushing above 30. Most riding is simply comfortably seated. It certainly isn't necessary - think of it as standing on the pedals.
Fairly basic gyms then
Now the TPT is probably one of the places I would imagine is a good place to enjoy one - as you can see the scenery and it doesn't matter if you fall off, and it's a nice relaxed ride in the country without the urge for it to become physically strenuous exercise.
Just as it would be on any bike....... The advantage is that with less strain on neck, arms and wrists you can travel further for the same effort and in more comfort.
And I can't quite work out why your'e wearing a helmet in that picture, I'm presuming there was some road riding involved aswell...
Off road riding such as this where the speeds are low, loose surfaces prevail and there is a chance of being
"boardmanned" are were the performance characteristics of a helmet are best suited.
Add to this the decreased impact due to falling from a lower height and there is a possible benefit.
On road riding a helmet is less likely to benefit and I do not always wear one.
Is there such a thing as a ....
downhill recumbent?
Yes Several!
Anyone who has ridden a trike down a fire road or similar will know what I mean, There are also the Haluzak and "Crankit" models:
Finally - to illustrate Arch's point. I believe that Recumbents actually outsell tandems most years!