Do recumbents climb hills well? Yes, though depending on your riding style, your speeds can range from a bit slower to even faster than on an upright, depending on the bike and rider (not all recumbents are created equal). Climbing on a recumbent requires a different technique, you must gear down and spin. Developing and maintaining an efficient spin takes practice and conditioning, once mastered you can climb with ease and in total comfort.
Are they safe? Recumbents are safer due to their lower center of gravity. In the unfortunate event of crash situation, the rider goes down to the side absorbing the impact with the hip an leg rather than flying over the handlebars and absorbing the impact on you head and shoulder. Straight ahead vision is also better on a recumbent, however, rear view mirrors are necessary for proper rearward vision.
Can recumbents be seen in traffic? Recumbents with a higher seating position may be better suited for riding in traffic than some of the lower racing designs. It is recommended to use proper safety devices such as flags, bright clothing and reflective material. Recumbent bicycles are different, futuristic and they get noticed. Many riders feel they get more respect from motorists while on their recumbents.
Are they faster? Yes, in many cases. Recumbents hold all of the human powered speed records. The primary benefit is the aerodynamic efficiency from the low profile into the wind. The Easy Racer Gold Rush rests in the Smithsonian for breaking 65 mph and winning the DuPont prize. If you are interested in performance, buy a performance bike. They are usually skinny tires with above-seat steering and have fairing options designed for the bike. Watch for manufacturers who have race teams, victories and records. Some manufacturers offer "performance models" but do not really have a race team, active racers nor have they won any races. These are usually deluxe high-end performance-oriented models.
Why are recumbents such a rare sight? Space age technology? New type of bicycle? Not really, recumbent bicycle's actually go back as far as the mid-late 1800's with the Macmillan Velocopede and the Challand Recumbent. In the 1930's a series of events took place that changed bicycling history. A French second category professional track cyclist named Francois Faure rode the Velocar, a two wheeled recumbent bicycle designed and built by Charles Mochet, to record-shattering speeds, breaking both the mile and kilometer records of the day. This created a storm of controversy within the United Cycliste International (U.C.I.), bicycle racing's governing body. The debate centered on whether or not the Velocar was a bicycle and if the record was legal.
In 1934 they ruled against the Mochet-Faure record, banning recumbent bicycles and aerodynamic devices from racing. Were U.C.I. members worried that the recumbent bicycle would displace the conventional design? Did they realize this would freeze bicycle and human-powered vehicle development for the next forty years? This is why bicycles of today look very similar to the Starley and Sutton Safety (upright/ conventional) of 1885. Just think where bicycle technology would be today if the U.C.I. had voted in favor of recumbents.
Recumbent development was fairly quiet until the late 1970's. At that time, the human-power revolution was starting up on both the East coast by David Gordon Wilson, designer of the Avatar, and on the west coast by Chester Kyle. These pioneers recognized the need for further development of human-powered vehicles and founded the IHPVA. The first modern commercial designs came in the early 1980's with the Avatar, HyperCycle, Rans, Lightning and Easy Racers.
Viva Recumbency!www.recumbentcyclistnews.com
RCN Editor and Publisher Robert Bryant got his start writing a recumbent bicycle column in 1988. In the Summer of 1990 Robert founded "Recumbent Cyclist News," and in six years, RCN has become the respected recumbent-info source in the world today.
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