Hills on a recumbent

[Tim O]

A friend of mine and I have decided we would like to give recumbents a go. He's undecided yet as to whether to go for a two wheeler or a trike. I am pretty certain I would go for two wheels. We're both 67. I've done a lot of searching and I'm still worried about just one thing: hills. We live on the Isle of Wight which, as any of you will know who have ever cycled here (perhaps on the randonee), is very hilly. I've always been useless on hills even in my time trialling and racing days (a 100 years ago)!

I would really value any thoughts you have on recumbents and hills. I'm assuming, on a two wheeler, you can get a really low, granny gear (far lower than I've got on my Specialized road bike)? Any advice on makes and models? I'm not particularly concerned about touring - something that might just be able to carry enough for a day or an overnight at most. I suppose my main question is, I don't want to have to get off and push but I don't mind how slowly I go up. I'm looking for encouragement! Doable on the Island (on a 2 wheel 'bent)?

Many thanks.

 

[Pale Rider]

I have no practical experience of recumbents, but can give you a bit of encouragement until those that do post.

When I volunteered at the Barnard Castle control of the London Edinburgh London audax, the first UK based rider to arrive from London was on a recumbent.

He was fifth into the control.

The first four guys - all Europeans - were hardcore distance men, but the recumbent rider was only about 15 minutes behind and they left together.

It proves recumbents are capable machines and can 'compete' with uprights.

 

[classic33]

Three wheels allow you to go as slow as you want, without the fear of falling over.
How low a gear are you looking for. Getting up roads at 40 degrees on four wheels & pedal power, at present easily enough.

ICE springs to mind for a trike.

 

[andytheflyer]

Hi Tim,

I came to a 'bent 2 wheeler last autumn. TW Bents Amigo, 2006 vintage. 20" front, 26" rear, 52/42/30 front rings, 11-34 cassette.

My average over the last 500 miles has been about 2 to 2.5mph slower than my Giant Defy road bike, and about the same as my Ridgeback hybrid. They are definitely slower uphill, but my max speed is consistently a bit higher than the max on my road bike, over the same general roads.

These are similar to the Nazca Fuego I think.

I'm 60 and no lightweight, but I've found (after considerable tweaking to get it the way I want it) it to be very comfortable, quite exhilarating downhill, and although it seems slow when you are spinning away uphill, it really does make up for it both on the flat and downhill, because the drag from wind resistance is much less than on an upright. To date, I can get up any of the hills I can get up on my road bike. The challenge is going slowly and still feeling in control, the slower you go the wobblier you get - and a 2 wheeler will spit you off - but it's not far to fall! I can now ride uphill at 2mph, whereas when I started 5mph was plenty slow enough. I can easily now bimble along in traffic at 2mph and feel in control. It's all about practice and learning to ride a bike all over again. The trike would be easier, but heavier and slower.

They take some getting used to - after 500 miles I'm beginning to feel at home on it. Even been shopping on it - but in the early weeks I thought I'd never get the hang of it. Now I'm wondering what bike to do the Way of the Roses on this year - 'bent, hybrid or road bike?

Give one a go! You won't know until you try one!

Andy

 

[stuee147]

i have a trike and i find it great for up hills there are hills that i always walked up with standard bikes but iv been able to ride up on my trike mainly because even at 2 or 3mph there is no chance of me falling so all my energy and thought just has peadeling to think about and as i have done on some big hills i can stop put the brake on and have a rest half way up if i need to.
i have said before on other threads that to be honest i dont find recumbents much different to standard bikes when it comes down to effort you need to get up hills its just eisier to put the power in with a recumbent and you will end up with mussels you didnt even know you had after riding a recumbent for a day lol

 

[steveindenmark]

Tim, if you look at any recumbent advertising film, you will probably not see them going uphills. They are alwayszzooming downhills.

That is because recumbents are not very exciting uphills. You basically just relax and spin.

 

[CopperBrompton]

+1 for just twiddle your way up on a trike. Granny gear, and go as slow as you like. Up Ditchling Beacon, I was overtaken by several pedestrians, but I was one of the few to cycle all the way up.

 

[windmiller]

Are recumbents slower uphills - well yes and no.
During 2009/12 Ive cycled on a two wheel recumbent many 40/60 mile hilly routes with other DF riders who were quite competitive and heard the phrase " who said recumbents can't climb?" from them more than a few times. Firstly dodgy knees aside, spinning like a dervish is not the most economic way to tackle steep short hills. Even longer monsters can be attacked at speed and it is surprising how far up the hill you can get before you need to hit the zen zone spinning gears.

A fully laden trike on a multi day camping adventure will be far less exhausting on the body as a whole than its conventional diamond framed counterpart whatever the road throws at you.

A two wheeled recumbent requires a higher skill level to ride, beginners will find this tiring at first and people with limited leg power would fare better with 3 wheels.

 

[Ganymede]

Agree with a lot of what's been said. You can give yourself grief in the knees by trying to go up a hill as fast as you would on a road bike - the muscles you use are definitely different and you need to take a while to get used to it, not having the ability to get out of the saddle and use gravity. However the sheer fun and comfort of a 'bent outweigh these things if you persevere. I have to say, I use a hybrid as well and recently did a new route with a beeeeeg hill - I'm planning to try it on the 'bent but I'm glad I got it's measure on the hybrid first!

 

[Tim O]

Thank you all so much for all your replies - that's exactly what I wanted to hear! You've made me think twice about a trike though. I'll just have to give them both a go. I often do a bit of work in London, has anyone had any dealings with 'bikefix'? Or maybe I should call the chap in Ely that people talk well of. I'll let you know what happens on my voyage of discovery. Thanks again for taking the trouble to reply - all very useful.

 

[byegad]

I own three trikes, having owned a two wheel recumbent prior to my first trike. Forget about speed uphill, make sure you have a low enough bottom gear for the biggest hill you are likely to climb when tired at the end of a long day and enjoy the views while spinning up hill. My North Yorks Moors/Yorkshire Dales 'Trail' has a bottom gear of 12" and a top of 84". This gets me up 33% hills, slowly and with an occasional stop. For comparison my 'QNT' has 14-100" gearing and the Kettwiesel 15-94".

I have ridden Durham's 'Big Ride' a few times on both the QNT and the Trail. The 'Big Ride' has a particularly steep section and last time I did the ride a group of roadies passed me on this stretch, they were out of the saddle and breathing hard as they went by. At the top of the climb the same group were laid out on the grass getting there breath back. As I passed them, I had more than enough breath to shout 'Get a move on you lazy lot' I didn't see them again until the end of the ride.

All three of my trikes have descended at 50+mph and that is a real thrill. Tracking well and on the tadpoles (Two front wheels.) very safe as they have two front brakes and will comfortably out-brake any upright bike meaning you can really let the trike go on descents knowing that you can lose a lot of speed very quickly and safely, so long as you don't touch the front brake just after you've stopped!

 

[starhawk]

I bought the standard set up of gears (3x9) and I found that there was enough to go up even steep hills. For me it was enough to go one gear lower than on the mountainbike for most hills. Going on three wheels up is a real relief compared to two wheels, you can go as slow as you like with no wobble at all. But I got annoyed by the slow uphill speed, I don't like to crawl like a caterpiller. So I upgraded my trike to an e-trike, now I can go uphill at almost the same speed as on the flat. With it you can also do the little trick at trafficlights when you outrun even cars, not bad for a 62-years old guy on a trike. The question of a trike or a twowheel recumbent never arised for me, it was the trike, period.

 

[Pale Rider]

I have ridden Durham's 'Big Ride' a few times on both the QNT and the Trail. The 'Big Ride' has a particularly steep section and last time I did the ride a group of roadies passed me on this stretch, they were out of the saddle and breathing hard as they went by. At the top of the climb the same group were laid out on the grass getting there breath back. As I passed them, I had more than enough breath to shout 'Get a move on you lazy lot' I didn't see them again until the end of the ride.

That wouldn't be Iveston Bank would it?

If so, you would have passed me half way up, laid out, trying to get my breath back.

 

[byegad]

That wouldn't be Iveston Bank would it?

If so, you would have passed me half way up, laid out, trying to get my breath back.

Using 12" gearing and take it steady is eventually faster than 30" gearing and half killing yourself. Especially when you get to my age of 21, 21, 21.

 

[classic33]

Thank you all so much for all your replies - that's exactly what I wanted to hear! You've made me think twice about a trike though. I'll just have to give them both a go. I often do a bit of work in London, has anyone had any dealings with 'bikefix'? Or maybe I should call the chap in Ely that people talk well of. I'll let you know what happens on my voyage of discovery. Thanks again for taking the trouble to reply - all very useful.

Travelled down for a test ride if two I was interested in at Bikefix. Got there and neither of the trial cycles were present to try, even though they'd picked the day.
Result was less than impressive, within ten minutes of entering the shop, I was leaving. A wasted journey down for me & a lost sale for them. Later bought one of the two I'd gone down to see from a private seller closer to home.

As for hills on a recumbent. It reduced the staff to tears of laugher when I said I'd be crossing the Pennine on one.