Q. What IS that thing ?!?
A. Well, it's called a 'recumbent' bicycle. The word recumbent refers to the seated position; many enthusiasts have also taken to calling them 'bents'. They usually have two wheels although some have three. They are most often powered by pedaling with your legs, but some bents are hand powered, some are both hand and foot powered.
Q. Are they comfortable?
A. They are very comfortable. Recumbents seats are larger and you actually sit in the seat. You aren't perched on top of a narrow saddle which can tend to cause numbness and chafing. The handlebars are either above the seat at shoulder level, or below the seat at a position where your arms hang down naturally. This combination creates a comfortable ride making long distance riding free from neck strain, saddle sores, and wrist pain.
Q. Are they difficult to ride?
A. No. It may take you a little time to get used to the feel and handling of the bike. There are variations in handling just as there are in uprights- some are fast, twitchy racing models and others are smooth, stable touring models. Be forewarned though, recumbents use different muscles, so even if you are a very fit upright rider, you will experience difficulty climbing hills until you develop the new muscle groups.
Q. Do they "do" hills?
A. Yes, they do "do" hills. Some people think that because you can't stand on the pedals, that you can't ride up hills. Recumbents do tend to be slower going up hills, but as long as you keep pedaling the bike keeps moving. Depending on how steep a hill you're climbing, you may want a low granny gear ( and a good set of lungs), which will enable you to spin your way to the top. Usually you can keep up with some of the upright riders, and if any time was lost climbing, you will make up for it on the downhills and flat ground.
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Q. Have recumbents been around a while or are they a recent invention?
A. Recumbents have been around since the mid 1800's with the Macmillan Velocipede and the Challand Recumbent.
In 1933 Charles Mochet built a supine recumbent named the "Velocar". Between the years of 1933 and 1938 pro racer Francois Faure, while riding the Velocar, set several speed records for both the mile and kilometer. In Paris on July 7, 1933, FrancisFaure broke the 20 year-old hour record of 44.247 km. by going 45.055 km.
Unfortunately Faure's hour record created a controversy amongst the Union Cycliste Internationale (U.C.I.), the governing body for bicycle races. The controversy was based on whether the Velocar was a bicycle and whether the time records were legal. In February 1934, the U.C.I. decided against Faure's record and banned all recumbents and aerodynamic devices from racing.
That is the reason why recumbents have not gained popularity in the racing scene, and why they have not been mass produced by bike manufacturers. For over a century since the introduction of the Rover Safety Cycle, built in England in 1884, the design of the basic diamond frame bicycle has hardly changed.
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