Have You Thought About Getting a Recumbent Bike?

Certainly you've seen folks riding recumbent bikes on the roads and bike trails. Have you ever considered what goes into these bicycles, and what it take to ride them? Here's the lowdown with a lot of tips to keep in mind.

A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. For most riders, the advantage of riding a recumbent is that it is more ergonomic; positioning the riders weight more comfortably by distributing it over several square feet of the back and buttocks. On a traditional upright bicycle, the body weight rests on a few square inches of the sit bones, the feet, and the hands.

With the right equipment and design, recumbent bikes can be used for riding unpaved roads and offroad, just as with conventional mountain bikes. Because of their longer wheelbase and the manner in which the rider is confined to the seat, recumbents are not as easy to use on tight, curving unpaved singletrack. Large-diameter wheels, mountain gearing and off-road specific design have been used since 1999 on the Lightfoot Ranger. Crank-forward designs that facilitate climbing out of the saddle, such as the RANS Dynamik, also can be used off-road.

Highracers are distinguished by using two large wheels (usually two ISO 559 or 26"). This necessitates a higher bottom bracket than on a lowracer so that the rider's legs are above the front wheel, and this in turn requires a higher seat. The seating position may be otherwise identical to that on a lowracer allowing similar aerodynamics. "Racer" in the name implies that this will often be the case, since these bikes strive for speed.

Starting and stopping. Because of the supine position, most recumbents do not allow the rider to push forward with the feet on the ground. This makes for slow starts and requires excellent balance. However, since starting a bicycle by pushing the feet against the ground is probably a poor way to start, this criticism may invalidate itself. Starting a recumbent does not require great strength; it is a matter of balance and a skill which must be learned. It is best to learn from an experienced rider, who can help with a little push at first. Several rides may suffice to become confident enough of one's starting and stopping skills before becoming ready to ride in traffic or perform uphill starts. Recumbent tricycles do not require balancing and hence do not require any special skill in this regard. With many recumbent seats quite low it is often easier to get a foot down onto the ground on stopping than is the case from a conventional bike with the saddle set high for optimum pedaling.

Constant position. While the riding position is comfortable and removes stress from the arms, it cannot easily be varied during a ride (as upright riders might stand for a hill), and some find that bottom brackets at or near hip level produces problems with cold or numb feet. Some riders suffer "recumbent butt," a pain in the gluteal muscles caused by their increased effort while being compressed. This can usually be addressed by adjusting the seat angle and pedal position. In a more reclined position, the weight is spread evenly between the back and buttocks. The rider of a conventional bike can stand up on the pedals to allow his legs to take up the shock of a severe bump in the road. The recumbent rider cannot (although many designs include suspension to alleviate this).

Visibility of the bicycle. In urban traffic, many recumbent bikes are below the eye level of many automobile drivers, although proponents suggest that the relative novelty of the design helps make drivers more conscious of them. Recumbent commuters often add flags, lighting, and reflective material to their bikes and gear to enhance visibility, and many refer to being able to see eye-to-eye with the automobile drivers as an advantage.

Nonstandard design. Recumbents often have radically different shapes from diamond-frame bikes, so conventional bike racks, automobile carriers, accessories, and locks do not fit in the usual ways.