Recumbents

[steveindenmark]

I have had 2 recumbents. An ICE trike and a Bachetta Giro 26 which is a 2 wheeler.

It takes a while to get recumbent legs. I could not match my road bike speed on either recumbent. The trike is a PIA to transport and store.

Both were engineered very well.

Going uphill was slowed than a DF.

If you want to buy one borrow, beg or hire one first. Dont just buy one without trying it for a few days first. You could be throwing money away and they are not easy to sell on.

Steve

 

[Tigerbiten]

Just out of curiosity: how are recumbents at getting you up long hills? Are they easier or harder than uprights?

You use less muscle groups on a bent so your maximum power is lower plus you cannot get out of the saddle to rest muscle groups so you fatigue quicker. This is the reason you need to build up bent legs.

But above around 8 mph, your wind resistance is lower on a good 2 wheel bent.
So if you can keep above 8-10 mph a good 2 wheel bent is quicker.
And a velomobile is even quicker due to being even more aerodynamic.

A trike is a different story.
As there is no minimum speed on one you can gear down as low as you like.
Normal is around 15", mine's only 9.5" which makes even 25% slopes easy.
So as long as you can keep traction on the back wheel/s, you can pedal up anything easily.
Plus restarting on a hill is as easy as start pedaling while letting the brakes off.
Think MTB speeds uphill and road bike speeds down, so you're not quick but it's more relaxed.

 

[Leno]

I love recumbents. The only problem I have with them is, the ones I want aren't sold locally.

 

[GrasB]

Sounds interesting and being more comfortable sounds good,
I will test drive one as u suggest first before thinking of getting one,
Are they pricey for one to start off with. . .

not all that cheap no
at a long shot you ever done any welding before?
Cheers Ed

However, they do hold their value much better than uprights. I've chopped & changed several times but I've only lost about £300, most of that was from selling a 'bent I bought new all the others have been second hand.

 

[GrasB]

You use less muscle groups on a bent so your maximum power is lower

Er.. no! After 18 months of training equally on DF & 'bents my maximum power was within 1-2% on each platform & higher on both than my maximum from 18 months previous.

plus you cannot get out of the saddle to rest muscle groups so you fatigue quicker.

But you can bridge which does exactly the same thing, shifting the muscle loads about in the utilised muscle groups.

This is the reason you need to build up bent legs.

No, the reason you need to build up your 'bent legs is because you're using the muscle groups in different proportions. You also need to build up some tendon strength around the knee area. In addition to this if you radically change your riding position you'll need to regain your 'bent legs as again you've changed the load proportions of the muscle groups.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I've never ridden a 'bent, but I'd love to see them allowed in pro time trials.

 

[ianrauk]

I've never ridden a 'bent, but I'd love to see them allowed in pro time trials.

Records would be broken left, right and centre.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Records would be broken left, right and centre.

It would also generate a huge amount of public interest. I've never understood why the UCI on the one hand claim to want to make the sport (and cycling in general) more popular and on the other do everything they can to ensure bicycle technology stays as close to that of the 1960s as they can keep it.

 

[GrasB]

It would also generate a huge amount of public interest. I've never understood why the UCI on the one hand claim to want to make the sport (and cycling in general) more popular and on the other do everything they can to ensure bicycle technology stays as close to that of the 1960s as they can keep it.

The UCI banned recumbents in 1934 .. little early for the 60's

 

[Vapin' Joe]

The UCI banned recumbents in 1934 .. little early for the 60's

Aye, but the current lot seem to regard anything that Merckx didn't ride as heresy. Although it's beginning to change under Cookson, at long last.

 

[benb]

Why can't they just run recumbents as a separate discipline?

 

[steveindenmark]

Anyone who is interested in buying a recumbent should contact DTek in Little Thetford. It's worth travelling to see them, as Kevin is *the* expert on everything recumbent. And he won't pressure you into buying...

Just don't take a credit card with you.

You can also hire recumbents from him to try out.

They banned recumbents from races because they were too fast.

 

[benb]

They banned recumbents from races because they were too fast.

I understand that, but I don't see why the UCI can't run recumbent races as a separate discipline.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

They banned recumbents from races because they were too fast.

And the purpose of a race being to go as fast as you can...

 

[steveindenmark]

And the purpose of a race being to go as fast as you can...

They must have thought that the recumbents had an unfair advantage. I dont think there would be enough demand for recumbent races on a large scale. But the do have their own racing diary in mainland Europe.