I thought Recumbents Were Fast?

[BSRU]

On my commute this morning I saw my first recumbent, larger and more noticeable than I thought. I was always under the impression because of there design they were faster than uprights, especially a heavy hybrid, but at normal commute speed into a head wind I surprisingly caught and past it easily. It must have been a shock for him to have a commuter with panniers go past as I heard a definite squeal sound. He increased his speed, kept up with me until our paths separated, he may have reclaimed his scalp later I will never know but at the next lights he decided to be an amber gambler, almost RLJ'd, having had plenty of time to stop.
I can only assume he was a newbie and eventually he will be going alot faster than me.

 

[BentMikey]

Not all recumbents are designed to go fast - there's perhaps more variation in types and purposes of recumbent than there are in upright bikes.

 

[XmisterIS]

A bike only goes as fast as its rider can pedal!

 

[wafflycat]

As with any pedal cycle, there's a variety of styles dependent upon the purpose the cycle is designed for. There's out-and-out racing machines, then there's tourers.. etc., then there's two-wheelers, three-wheelers... Add into the mix the differing levels of fitness of the rider. And some people aren't interested in going fast.

 

[BSRU]

It looked like he had shaved legs and cycling shorts on, no sign of any luggage as far as I remember, will check it out the video later.

What made it funny was the piggy type squeal as I went past, he had two mirrors but obviously did not use them.
It looked like it could shift but not in this case hence thinking it was a newbie recumbent.
It is not common for me to see another bicycle on the correct side of the road instead of the pavement.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

As with any pedal cycle, there's a variety of styles dependent upon the purpose the cycle is designed for. There's out-and-out racing machines, then there's tourers.. etc., then there's two-wheelers, three-wheelers... Add into the mix the differing levels of fitness of the rider. And some people aren't interested in going fast.

Eh? Brain cannot compute. How does that work then?

 

[BSRU]

Add into the mix the differing levels of fitness of the rider.

I would have thought a recumbent is something you would progress to from using an upright as you would need more confidence/ability to ride in traffic than on an upright.

 

[wafflycat]

It looked like he had shaved legs and cycling shorts on, no sign of any luggage as far as I remember, will check it out the video later.

What made it funny was the piggy type squeal as I went past, he had two mirrors but obviously did not use them.
It looked like it could shift but not in this case hence thinking it was a newbie recumbent.
It is not common for me to see another bicycle on the correct side of the road instead of the pavement.

Well I have shaved legs & wear cycle shorts when cycling, I also ride my tourer without luggage on it and I don't do fast... be it on road bike, tourer, hybrid or recumbent trike..

 

[wafflycat]

I would have thought a recumbent is something you would progress to from using an upright as you would need more confidence/ability to ride in traffic than on an upright.

You'd be making a massive assumption then, and it wouldn't be necessarily correct. There are as many differing reasons for riding any cycle as there are cycles & cyclists..

I ride my recumbent because it's fun.


And FWIW, riding in traffic on the 'bent I have found to be far, far safer than on an 'upright' as being 'different' drivers tend to spot you and give you more room - at least that's my experience of riding 'uprights' and 'bent on same stretches of road at same times of day, but not at the same time obviously

 

[ianrauk]

I would like to see you cycle with Bent Mikey and/or Arallsopp.... then perhaps that will change your perception of slow Bent cyclists.

 

[BentMikey]

OTOH you could have watched me on Hell of the Ashdown, and laughed! Lots of people passing me, some of whom I'd have utterly slaughtered on the flat.

 

[BSRU]

I would like to see you cycle with Bent Mikey and/or Arallsopp.... then perhaps that will change your perception of slow Bent cyclists.

I have seen Bent Mikey's videos, the only way I would keep up would be to use a tow rope.

You have misread or misunderstood my posts, I have not written that recumbents are slow, my thread is about expecting someone on a fast looking recumbent to be faster, my perception when I first saw it was "don't bother trying to catch up, I'll only get burned". If the guy had not responded to my overtake by increasing his speed it would be different but he did. This is a similar situation to my overtake of a roadie on an expensive road bike, not what I expected.

 

[BSRU]

You'd be making a massive assumption then, and it wouldn't be necessarily correct. There are as many differing reasons for riding any cycle as there are cycles & cyclists..

It is a massive assumption on my part as I stated I have never seen a recumbent in real life let alone travelling in the same direction as one.

And FWIW, riding in traffic on the 'bent I have found to be far, far safer than on an 'upright' as being 'different' drivers tend to spot you and give you more room - at least that's my experience of riding 'uprights' and 'bent on same stretches of road at same times of day, but not at the same time obviously

As I wrote, it was far more noticeable than I imagined although on Swindon's magic roundabout being lower than an upright is a distinct disadvantage.

 

[Origamist]

I was fast - 6mph until I grounded the thing:

 

[Arch]

If the guy had not responded to my overtake by increasing his speed it would be different but he did. This is a similar situation to my overtake of a roadie on an expensive road bike, not what I expected.

So he could keep up, therefore before he was perhaps just enjoying a relaxing ride without going all out for speed? Some of us do do that....

I was overtaken by pretty much everyone else on the road on the Sportive I did on the trike. But that would have happened on my upright too, because I'm not a hugely strong rider. A 'bent is only fast with a fast person on board.

As Waffles said, not everyone on a recumbent has progressed from doing lots of miles on an upright. Some people can't really enjoy cycling miles and miles until they have a recumbent - people with back problems for just one example..