How Many Recumbents Have You Actually Seen on the Road?

[Ming the Merciless]

People look at the bike and trike next to each other, and don't think about how much the rider adds to the overall width of a bike. They also tend not to see that the handlebars are just as wide as the track of the paired wheels.

But how many people have said this to you. What sample size are you basing your comments on?

 

[a.twiddler]

Regardless of perceived width, having ridden recumbent bikes and trikes I have observed that other traffic gives you plenty of room. I have no experience of upright trikes but I would imagine that their rarity and "differentness" also causes other vehicle drivers to be wary of them. I've come to accept this phenomenon to the extent that it's a bit of a shock when I get (relatively) close passed on the rare occasions that I ride an upright bicycle.

 

[rydabent]

A large percentage of us that ride trikes find that traffic gives us a wide berth. A lot of drivers think a trike is some sort of handicap device, and dont want their name in the paper as having had hit a handicap person.