Easy Riding on a Recumbent
Ever think about trying out a recumbent bike? Recumbent bikes are ones where the rider sits lower and behind the pedals, almost like what you'd get if you cross a chaise lounge with an exercise bike.
Recumbents are good for people who may have back/shoulder problems which makes sitting hunched over a bike in a traditional posture problematic. Also, the recumbent bike typically has a wider, more comfortable seat that is shaped much like a regular chair, which can alleviate any problems a person might have with backside soreness. For all these reasons, a good many recumbent bikes are the preferred choice for cyclists who use them on extended tours.
Here are a couple of videos of recumbents in action:
- Tandem recumbent bike rolling through the woods
- Wild ride on a recumbent through the Alps down Col de Braus to Sospel
Ever ride a recumbent bike? Share your experience with others. Comment below. Or, you can read more about recumbents and other types of non-typical bikes.
Comments
after years of thinking about it and talking about it, I made my own recumbent bike out of two 27″ ten speed racers. Ive put 700 miles on it in 3 months, and I dont ride any of my other bikes anymore.
After riding road bikes for 3 years, I injured my knee and was off the bike for over a year. Before, my wrists, neck, and butt hurt after long rides. When I started riding again, on every ride after about 20 miles the seat I rode before would feel like it was covered with carpet tacks. I switched to a recumbent and all the discomfort has disappeared. I’m building up my “bent legs” at the same time I’m getting my cardio back in shape, and it’s a smoooooooth ride doing it.
From old Schwinn Stingrays to Varsitys to Continentals- with a few European makes in between- that naturally led me to recumbents, which were just beginning to gain popularity in California in 1974. For 6 years I did not want to leave the cycling group (or so I thought, but I actually did NOT leave- which I found out later!), in 1980 I switched to only recumbents. Recumbents are not a weird- freaky- nerdy group; just the opposite: 100% cycling, in a different and more comfortable way; as I found out in my 20s. Now in my older years 27 years later; I still ride and enjoy my recumbent- more laid back than ever- my “Natural High”! Of course, recumbents are no longer my little secret pleasure any more…….
It is often said that recumbents are for cyclists with injuries. That line gets pretty tired after a while. You don’t have to be injured to enjoy comfortable, aerodynamic cycling. I’ve been “recumbent” since I was 25, and have pretty much lost interest in conventional bikes (with a few notable exceptions).
And it need not be an either/or equation. Find a bike store that has recumbents and give one a whirl. You may find yourself adding one to your stable. There are tons of configurations to choose from – cruisers, racers, trikes (yes, trikes!) — you really can find the bike that suits your riding style.
I’d ridden conventional diamond frame bicycles pretty much all my life since I was 8 or 9 years old. But as I got older I rode less and less simply because it was so uncomfortable to ride more than a mile or two. A year ago I bought a recumbent and it’s brought back all the joy of cycling I can remember! I ride now until I’m tired, not until my butt, back, neck, arms, wrists, hands, etc hurt so bad I can’t stand it. I look at my bicycle and see a joy and pleasure, not a pain machine. I know I can’t take it with me, but I’m gonna have it put in the box beside me when I go.
Even better IMHO is the recumbent trike. Extremely comfortable and very stable. I very seldom use my normal road or mountain bike anymore. Riding the trike is so much fun that I use it every chance that I get.
I do some long tours and with a trailer behind it, it is the ultimate touring machine.
Recumbent trikes are fantastic!!!
You don’t have to wait for a bad back or an injury to enjoy a recumbent — and the side benefit is that you can get back on it faster when the inevitable health problems and injuries do happen. I had a “right hook” encounter with an idiot driver (survived it because a recumbent doesn’t throw you head-first over the handlebars) and was off my crutches and on a suitable bike at least a month sooner than my orthopedist would have recommended for a conventional bike. People who have met up with urologists have noticed a similar advantage to riding recumbents.
I got tired of the arse hatchet (yes, I know about proper bike fit, brooks saddles, etc) and tried a recumbent. Every time I think I should go back to a DF I get atop one and say no thanks. I say give a ‘bent or crank forward to every US citizen free of charge and make the roads cycling-friendly. What we end up saving on medical care and car-related social maladies will pay for the program in a few years.