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| Recumbent Bicycles - Why? |
By:
Andreas Stiasny |
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Why are some people riding recumbent bicycles? The bikes look a little bit strange and are usually more expensive than conventional bicycles. What is the reason to use them?
The most important reason is comfort. The seat of a recumbent bike is much more comfortable than any standard bicycle saddle. You can sit in a relaxed position and don't need to support part of your weight with your hands, arms, and shoulders. When taking a break from riding a long distance, people riding conventional bicycles usually get off the bike immediately and walk a few steps or sit on a bench. Recumbent riders often just stop and stay in their comfortable recumbent bike seat.
The seat is comfortable at different speeds. On an upright bike the weight on the saddle depends on the speed. If you put more force on the pedals, the weight on the saddle decreases and vice versa. That means the saddle is most uncomfortable at low speeds. On a recumbent bike you can cruise at low speed or go as fast as you can and will always enjoy a comfortable seat.
Some recumbents can be faster than conventional bikes because of better aerodynamics. If the pedals are higher than the seat, the legs are in front of the body and the frontal area is smaller resulting in less air resistance. The faster you go the higher is the advantage. You will especially notice this when going downhill. Because of the low center of gravity recumbent bikes can be handled very easy at high speeds.
You should not expect to be immediately faster after converting from a conventional bike to a recumbent. Different muscles are needed that have to be developed. You may also need to change your pedaling technique, especially when going uphill. You can not stand up on the pedals and work with your weight. Uphill on a recumbent you have to use a low gear and a high cadence.
There are a lot of different models for different purposes like touring, racing, recreational riding or commuting. It is possible to use fairings on some models. That way the air resistance can be decreased further and the rider is protected from rain and cold weather.
These are some of the reasons why somebody would ride a recumbent bicycle. But apart from all that riding recumbents is a lot of fun!
There is no thing without disadvantage. For recumbent bicycles this would be the price and the visibility of lower models in heavy traffic. Recumbents are more expensive than standard bikes. The main reason for this are the lower quantities that get produced. If you are riding a model with low seat in traffic you should always use a signal flag.
The first recumbent bicycles appeared in the 1890s. They gained some popularity until 1934 when they were banned from official races by the UCI (the international cycling sports association). At that moment they lost most of the public interest. Only some individualists made further development. After the founding of the International Human Powered Vehicles Association (IHPVA) in the year 1976 popularity started to rise again.
About the author
Andreas Stiasny has several years of experience in riding recumbent bicycles and recumbent tricycles. You can find more information about recumbent bikes at http://recumbent-cycling.com . |
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