How Many Recumbents Have You Owned?

[Psamathe]

Just one. Decided to get one during early stages of Covid so couldn't get out to see in real world, couldn't test ride anything so spent time double checking ideas, discussing with others and retailer, chose, ordered, waited got it and been very happy with my choice. I'd never even sat in a recumbent before collecting my new one.

And after 12 000 miles I'd make pretty much the same choices again. Only significant change was I ordered/purchased with danglies on rear and after a few years started discussing Rohloff options but ICE always somewhat negative and talked me out of it. Then repeated discussing and suddenly ICE were positive, we came up with a touring configuration that kept low gears (and within Rohloff warranty conditions) and it's fantastic.

So were I to buy again I'd buy same but with Rohloff but when I originally purchased it was expensive anyway so I'd never have added the significant extra cost for the hub.

Ian

 

[grldtnr]

Just one. Decided to get one during early stages of Covid so couldn't get out to see in real world, couldn't test ride anything so spent time double checking ideas, discussing with others and retailer, chose, ordered, waited got it and been very happy with my choice. I'd never even sat in a recumbent before collecting my new one.

And after 12 000 miles I'd make pretty much the same choices again. Only significant change was I ordered/purchased with danglies on rear and after a few years started discussing Rohloff options but ICE always somewhat negative and talked me out of it. Then repeated discussing and suddenly ICE were positive, we came up with a touring configuration that kept low gears (and within Rohloff warranty conditions) and it's fantastic.

So were I to buy again I'd buy same but with Rohloff but when I originally purchased it was expensive anyway so I'd never have added the significant extra cost for the hub.

Ian

I figure IGR Hubs like the Rohlhoff are a good idea for 'bents, but I plumped for dual drive hubs , it's a compromise but much cheaper than the expensive Rolhoff.
I have an 11 spd. Alfine knocking around which might find it's way into my Optima Rider ,as the Sachs/ SRAM bits are hard to obtain now, depends if I can fix the gear cables, I'll need to drag it out to tinker, being built from Stainless steel it won't rust, but it handles like a pig in a mud bath !
Conversion of its plain bearing to cassette bearings may cure that, but the rear suspension akes it hop about all over

 

[a.twiddler]

I only really discovered the dual drive concept when I bought the Linear. I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking that the hub gear was something of a dinosaur. Since then I've come to like the idea. The Linear has a Sachs 3 X 7 with a toggle chain, basically a Sachs Torpedo with a driver adapted to take a Shimano type cassette. In the early days I'd expected the hub gear to disintegrate at any minute but I've come to trust it now. With a drop of engine oil down the toggle hole every few months the "greased for life" set up continues to work. Unlike the Sturmey Archer 3 speed on my Brompton which makes all sorts of alarming noises at random, it's virtually silent. There's a similar, SRAM, 3 X 8 on the Spirit which despite dire warnings of the fragility of its plastic "click box" should I catch it on anything hasn't given trouble either.

Disadvantages mainly relate to ease or otherwise of getting the wheel off in the middle of nowhere, and getting it back on again.

I didn't really have problems with being in the wrong gear with various derailleur set ups over the years before I discovered recumbents -perhaps just a matter of familiarity? With my recent 90 odd mile ride on the Rans I realised that I'd adapted to the straightforward fully derailleur set up on it with no embarassing moments from being stuck in a too-high gear. Maybe just a case of familiarity again? Though it feels quite different to my other bikes, so maybe that helps.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Derailleur gears and recumbent is fine. Not had a problem yet.

 

[PaulM]

I figure IGR Hubs like the Rohlhoff are a good idea for 'bents, but I plumped for dual drive hubs , it's a compromise but much cheaper than the expensive Rolhoff.
I have an 11 spd. Alfine knocking around which might find it's way into my Optima Rider ,as the Sachs/ SRAM bits are hard to obtain now, depends if I can fix the gear cables, I'll need to drag it out to tinker, being built from Stainless steel it won't rust, but it handles like a pig in a mud bath !
Conversion of its plain bearing to cassette bearings may cure that, but the rear suspension akes it hop about all over

A dual drive shift is about two cogs of a well-spaced cassette, I didn't find it much of an advantage. The main advantage is it shifts quickly and more reliably than an FD.

 

[PaulM]

Bikes: HPV Spirit, HPV Grasshopper, Bacchetta Bellandare, Bacchetta Giro 20/26, Metabikes MetaPhysic 20/26, RANS Stratus XP, Nazca Paseo, AZUB Origami, Lightning P-38, Bacchetta Bella. What did I learn? It's all about the rider. The Stratus XP was the quickest. Why? Because I could produce the most power on it and because it rolled the best. I also learnt I don't get on with tiller steering. The P-38 was as disappointment for me even though it only weighed around 26lbs with rack, guards and kick stand.

My stable is now one trike, one SWB, one LWB. They each have pros and cons. The SWB is train friendly, the trike is car friendly, the LWB is probably the best at covering distance in the least time. I think each example I have is close to optimal for me so I might tinker a bit but I'm unlikely to gain much by changing any of them.

 

[grldtnr]

A dual drive shift is about two cogs of a well-spaced cassette, I didn't find it much of an advantage. The main advantage is it shifts quickly and more reliably than an FD.

I am referring to the Sachs/ SRAM or Sturmey hubs, a combined hub gear / cassette hub, pairs a 3 SPD gear with 7/8/9 derailleur gears, the Sturmey is less fiddly to adjust and more reliable than the Sachs/ SRAM unit.
I concede it may be less efficient and heavier, but probably less than the expensive Rolhoff

 

[PaulM]

I am referring to the Sachs/ SRAM or Sturmey hubs, a combined hub gear / cassette hub, pairs a 3 SPD gear with 7/8/9 derailleur gears, the Sturmey is less fiddly to adjust and more reliable than the Sachs/ SRAM unit.
I concede it may be less efficient and heavier, but probably less than the expensive Rolhoff

Yes, I had one on my Nazca. The hub gives 177% gear range I think as 75:100:133 ratios. I didn't find a 25% downshift when stationary to be that big an advantage, but I was impressed by the speed of shift compared to an FD.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I had a Ryan Vanguard back in the 1990s, but was badly advised on how to set it up (too great a distance between seat and pedals) so I swapped it for a Pashley APB. Then a couple of years ago I bought an early Velotechnik Speedmachine which I couldn't get on with at all (tiller steering), so that went too. I was given an M5 SWB bike which I stripped down with the intention of rebuilding it but I never did: I eventually gave it away as a frame and a box of bits having never ridden it. Finally, I bought an Optima Dragon back in 2023, which I sold last year only to buy it back again a few months ago.

 

[BoldonLad]

Only the one:

My wife's health condition means she can no longer ride a solo bicycle, so, we bought a Semi-recumbent Tandem. Great fun, and it means we can continue our cycling together: However, it has made a rather large hole in my bank balance!

 

[grldtnr]

I am curious about these semi - bents, assuming the pilot sits at the back, the Stoker takes no part in the steering, how does the stoker affect things?
Now I am attempting to learn to ride a Peer Gynt, it's early days at the moment, but I do find the front wheel stuck way out front a bit of putting, to honest I haven't really ridden it much, ,but once I take it past the wobbly stage and ride at a sensible pace things might settle down, at the moment I am just circuits and bumps, with one or two bumps when i've lost it, but I am getting to know it's foibles like turning in and leaning when cornering needs a bit of trail braking and speed.
Stopping is a whole different matter, let alone hill starts.
Wish I stuck out for MWLB bent now.

 

[a.twiddler]

Only the one:

My wife's health condition means she can no longer ride a solo bicycle, so, we bought a Semi-recumbent Tandem. Great fun, and it means we can continue our cycling together: However, it has made a rather large hole in my bank balance!

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It must be a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand a convivial experience, as you can talk easily, and the stoker gets a great view of the road instead of the back of the pilot's head. On the other hand it must take a great deal of trust to sit out there in front with no control of the brakes or steering while you're hurtling down some long hill, seeing your impending doom possibly rushing at you and wondering if an ejector seat might have been a good option.

Like everything, enjoying it enough to make you ride it until it's all second nature is the thing. It must be an incredible conversation starter. What's rarer than a recumbent bike? A recumbent tandem bike!

 

[Always Cross]

One thing I was told when starting off on a recumbent bike. Try not to look at the front wheel but look forward as that should make i easier.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

One thing I was told when starting off on a recumbent bike. Try not to look at the front wheel but look forward as that should make i easier.

True of any bike

 

[BoldonLad]

One thing I was told when starting off on a recumbent bike. Try not to look at the front wheel but look forward as that should make i easier.

True. I recall being told similar when learning to ride a motorcycle. More recently, I was told that again when we went for a “trial run” on the Hase Pino we recently bought.