Recumbents

[bonj2]

I was out last night for a ride around south hertfordshire (http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Borehamwood_to_Shenley_and_Bushey_Loop-Cycle-Route-3683.html - nice 1hr ride with 270m of climbing) and passed a chap on a recumbent, coming up a reasonable hill at pace. Got a friendly wave.

Is it anyone on here? Has anyone tried a recumbent and is visibility to cars not a massive problem? I understand why it's quicker on the flat but how do they not just tip backwards on a steep hill with all the weight over the back?

Recumbents are pretty expensive, but you can try them out. Look up a place called D-Tek in cambridgeshire, for about a tenner or twenty quid the guy there will let you try out a large range of recumbent bikes and trikes.
I had got it into my head that I really wanted one (n+1 syndrome), and I went there and tried them out, but I found them to be, in my opinion, quite shoot. The price you pay in terms of having difficult handling doesn't seem to be reimbursed in the form of faster speed - they didn't seem faster than normal bikes at all, in fact some seemed slower, especially the trikes.
The low down, above-seat-steering ones feel VERY twitchy and hard to steer, the USS ones inspire slightly more confidence, but it still feels like it's got a mind of its own.

 

[sunnyjim]

Why on earth would anyone on any form of cycle want to sneak up the inside of big trucks at junctions? It's a stupidly dangerous thing to do as it can easily get you killed.

I take it that the nipping under artic trailers is humour . I hope it's humour!
And the spuds!

I suppose you wouldn't approve of unhitching caravans for fun in queues either then?

<serious face>
No, these were not intended as serious suggestions. I apologise to the OP if he is killed attempting them. Otherwise, a recumbent should be no problem in traffic. <serious>

 

[wafflycat]

Sort of echoing what Lee says. On my bent trike I am slower than when on my upright, but that's because it's a bit heavier. And it's a trike built for day-long comfort in the seat as it's a touring model rather than a racing model. Saying that, it's still the steed I'd keep if I had to get rid of all cycles bar one. And that's as much as I love my Bianchis. The 'bent trike is the all-rounder and it is certainly more stable on icy roads than the upright two-wheelers.

And don't forget, there are recumbents built for speed which enable a cyclist to go far, far faster than any cyclist on an upright. Isn't the current record over 80mph... and the recumbent hour record, equivalent to 'The Hour' is over 54 miles, which is faster than a 'normal' bike.

 

[wafflycat]

I suppose you wouldn't approve of unhitching caravans for fun in queues either then?

<serious face>
No, these were not intended as serious suggestions. I apologise to the OP if he is killed attempting them. Otherwise, a recumbent should be no problem in traffic. <serious>

Yea, I guessed you were being humorous.

The only reason I interjected with faux seriousness was that there are cyclists out there who do go up the inside of HGVs at junctions, which as we know is exceedingly dangerous as people continue to be killed in that way.

 

[bonj2]

You use different muscles on a trike

I've heard that excuse before.

I think on the trike it probably was faster than I thought, it just SEEMED slow.
I was expecting the closeness to the ground to make it seem like your'e going faster than you are, but in fact the opposite is the case.

 

[Archie_tect]

I suppose you wouldn't approve of unhitching caravans for fun in queues either then?

Made me laugh... brilliant!

 

[classic33]

I've heard that excuse before.

I think on the trike it probably was faster than I thought, it just SEEMED slow.
I was expecting the closeness to the ground to make it seem like your'e going faster than you are, but in fact the opposite is the case.

Perception of speed is one thing, actual speed is another.
You will go slower when you first try one out because you will be unfamilar with the bike/trike. Learning all over again.

Get noticed more on four wheels & pedal power a lot more than on two & pedal power. Maybe its the fact that drivers don't know how to deal with you on one of these that causes them to give you more room.

On the different muscles used, think how much weight you are placing on the arms when on a conventional bike as opposed to the recumbent. Giv the muscles that are being used more longer to get used to it & you'll find it gets easier.

 

[bonj2]

When we get some evidence that you've actually been on a recumbent, or even on an upwrong, then we'll give some weight to your opinions...

well i've been on the ones at D-Tek. Paid that fella who runs it Kevin I think his name was £20 for a try out day. None since then.
Don't know what evidence I can produce, or is needed come to that.

The other problem of recumbents is availability - most of them look as if they have been produced by some random guy in his shed. Probably because they actually have.
they just smell like the sort of thing that there is only one of in the world, and there are no spare parts for at all.

 

[Arch]

they just smell like the sort of thing that there is only one of in the world, and there are no spare parts for at all.

How do you think that guy in the shed builds them up? Using parts he's bought. Home builders don't tend to machine their own rear mechs and stuff. The frame may be unique. All the bits and bobs that make it a bike or trike will be as standard as on any bike. And of course on any manufactured machine, the parts will be available from the maunfacturer anyway. (Trice are excellent, I was on holiday with a chap in France, who broke an axle, and he rang them and they sent one out by courier to arrive at our next hotel the next day, so he didn't lose more than a day cycling. Mind you, fitting it, or rather getting the broken bit out, was fun, with a borrowed French Black and Decker drill and a bit made of cheese metal... But I digress).

I'm also not sure about the OP's question about the centre of gravity? I don't think it is any further back on most than an upright bike. Certainly not on a tadpole trike, with two wheels at the front...

 

[byegad]

My experience is the exact opposite.

Mine too. More room, smiles and getting wave out at junctions on a bent. Carved up, ignored and sneers on a DF.

 

[byegad]

I sometimes find the trike a bit wide to sneak up the inside of big trucks at junctions, but being so low it's easy to just nip underneath artic trailers to the outside lane.

Very good! You can also creep under big 4x4s and hang on to get a free ride.

 

[Tynan]

I'll go up the inside of an HGV if I know the road, the truck is stopped, there's enough room and it's not about to start and I have an escape route (the pavement)

if you didn't in London it's going to take a looong time to get there

 

[Nigeyy]

I have a recumbent in my stable of bikes.

First, I will also add that I perceive that people really do notice you and not just see you -there's a difference there. Personally, on less busy roads I do feel more visible.

However I've only used my recumbent once in heavy traffic and city riding, and I think any noticeability factor is much reduced -in fact so much so, I resolved that my 'bent riding would be restricted to non-urban situations. Now that's not to say it's not safe doing urban commuting on a recumbent, just my personal take of it.

Yep, they cost more, though I think the argument they use non-standard parts is a little weak -assuming a frame retains integrity, it's really only the seat and stem that may be more of a custom nature; all the drive chain/wheels are made up of standard components. Recumbents also do not allow you to stand on pedals and are less responsive -but really like most things you do adapt and what you gain can easily outstrip these disadvantages (have you ridden a street luge in such comfort?). Sadly, and for some very strange reason to me, I have encountered other *cyclists* who seem to react to a recumbent much like some unpleasant car drivers react to regular diamond framed cyclists. That, I just don't get at all!

One last point: by the very nature of recumbents being so very different, I think there is a real issue that anyone who is completely new to recumbents might not fully appreciate or adapt to a recumbent in a short time period.

I also feel duty bound to add I do not have a beard nor study advanced mathematics

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

Saw my first tandem recumbent & upright mix last week. Down in Newlyn, near Penzance. Didn’t know such bikes even existed – link to similar one here - http://www.pbwbikes.com/popup_image.php/pID/36?osCsid=1bb5d2f75ac82d9785050b01a4c0c270


Looks like fun!!!

 

[betty swollocks]

Saw my first tandem recumbent & upright mix last week. Down in Newlyn, near Penzance. Didn’t know such bikes even existed – link to similar one here - http://www.pbwbikes.com/popup_image.php/pID/36?osCsid=1bb5d2f75ac82d9785050b01a4c0c270


Looks like fun!!!

Saw one in Coldstream a couple of weeks ago:-