I was driving to work the other day, and this guys zips by me on one of those recumbant bikes! He was pedaling pretty steady and looked like he was getting a pretty good workout! It also looked like it had gears, so it’s not like those early models that came out a few years ago.
Do any of you guys own one?
How do you like them? Is it a good workout?
What are some of the better brands?
(Note: I’ve owned a STATIONARY recumbant for some years and like the workout…but I’ve never owned one of the “real” recumbant bikes).
i’ve ridden them but never owned one. because you’re so low to the ground you can fly on those. i mean really fly. if you’re strong enough to cruise at say 25 mph, which is pretty strong, you could do 35 on a recumbant- cruising speed. you can hit 70 down hill and with your ass just foot off the road …whooo hoo.
the downside is no leverage. you don’t get a good jump, sprinting is non-existent, and climbing totally sucks. you’re also nearly invisible to cars and have to use one of those gay orange flags which no one notices anyway. that’s my two cents
One thing I have heard from guys that own them is that they say when they go out riding for a few hours they don’t feel the same kind of debilitating soreness they normally would’ve felt if they were on a regular bike. Basically their back doesn’t hurt they still feel like they can go for a round of golf later on in the day. That was how it was explained to me and I didn’t get much more detail than that.
here is an interesting fact:
the land speed record for a fully faired recumbant bike on level ground without being paced(another vehicle breaking the wind) is 81mph for 200meters. sam wittingham i think.
some place out in montana at high elevation.
someday I will get a recumbant, for the sole reason of hauling ass, especailly downhill. i will probally die in it, but it will kick ass.
[quote]KiloSprinter wrote:
someday I will get a recumbant, for the sole reason of hauling ass, especailly downhill. i will probally die in it, but it will kick ass.[/quote]