Recumbents - why not more popular ?

[Alan B]

Due to rising fuel costs, and middle age spread. I've been looking to change from car to bike for my 18 mile commute, and have been looking at the options.

The choice has been influenced by my current bad back, and hence I have looked at recumbents, something like a HP Velotechnik Streetmachine seemed to fit the bill.

But retailers are even less common than eBike ones, so very difficult to arrange test rides, but more importantly there seems to be a massive image problem. When talking to my work collegues, and even the wife, the usual feedback is along the lines of "they're weird" or "aren't they for the disabled".

Such a shame when they seem to offer many advantages.

The other drawback for me is the two long hills I have to climb, and I don't want to crawl up in a low gear, or arrive at work in a bath of sweat.

A recumbent with electric assist appears very rare, and would probably be very expensive, so not really an option.

So looks like I'll be taking the conventional eBike route, but just wondered if others had faced this dilemma.

cheers,

Alan

 

[clv101]

I've never really understood why recumbents aren't more popular. I guess they are a bit more expensive and a little less manoeuvrable around town. But on the open road they really come into their own.

I practically like the look of MetaBikes (http://www.meta-bikes.com/). Recumbents are pretty standard so I'd imagine there'd be no problem adding an electric kit.

 

[eddieo]

With a bike at least in a city you can cut through traffic easily, get past obstacles and mount the pavement for safety if necessary....also you are relatively visible? you can tap on the window of a troublesome car driver and look down on him? better then looking up like a kid in a buggy IMO I just dont get them at all, not in an urban environment anyway.....

 

[Mussels]

I've had some near misses with them, they just aren't visible enough even when I'm on a pushbike.
I almost hit on a while back on Tower bridge, we were overtaking in opposite directions so on a collision course in the middle of the road. Almost at the last minute I noticed this strange light floating about 6" off the floor, not great for riding in traffic.

 

[clv101]

I've had some near misses with them, they just aren't visible enough even when I'm on a pushbike.
I almost hit on a while back on Tower bridge, we were overtaking in opposite directions so on a collision course in the middle of the road. Almost at the last minute I noticed this strange light floating about 6" off the floor, not great for riding in traffic.

That's what's nice about the MetaBikes (I've no connection to the company at all!), they are higher than traditional recumbents. I agree they aren't as suited to the urban environment as conventional bikes.

 

[Alan B]

Valid points about visibility, although as clv101 states many of the models are higher, with 26" wheels, so not a massive difference.

I can understand the concerns in the city about manoeuverability, and I understand uphill starts can be tricky.

My commute however is nearly all rural, with only two junctions to pass through, the bigger issue (i think) is the hill climbing and average speed (don't want to prolong the commuting times too much).

 

[piotrmacheta]

I have 2 and they are great and I find that drivers give me more room particularly on the trike (HPV scorpion fs). I've electified them both as they are a bit slower than normal bikes but oh so comfortable.
I use my trike every day and do the shopping and runs out up to about 50 miles. Apart from slightly weak legs after the ride nothing else hurt.
Yes they are heavier (15kg) than a normal bike (12kg) but they are perfect for electric conversion. The 2 wheeled ones are abit harder to master and I still can't feed past cars as when you go slowly they become a bit tricky to keep upright but I have the 20" wheels which makes it harder anyway.
I love them and often get people shouting that they love my bike but I also get the beeps and laughs.
They are expensive but I'm worth it!

 

[Orraman]

Recumbents - why not more popular ?

Ignorance?
Meant in the old-fashioned way, lack of personal knowledge for the main part.

Many years ago when I tried out a Windcheater tricycle the chap said "Careful, it drifts on the corners." In ignorance I didn't take any notice till I started drifting on a corner, what exhilaration!

I bought a Peer Gynt long wheelbase recumbent with the seat about 2 feet higher and, for me, a more comfortable upright (safer?) position for more thrust at a lower cadence.
With a rear swinging arm and the front wheel so far out front that it didn't need suspension to provide comfort this thing would shift with little effort. When a car pulled across in front of me it was so much nicer to arrest my forward motion with my foot against the wing rather than windmilling over his bonnet.

Years later and not so strong, I tried a Curie motor for the back wheel and later a mid-mounted Double Freewheel Cyclone motor .
Because the Cyclone drives through the gears hill climbing is not a problem but a wide gear range is a requirement, once snuggled down in your comfy chair the urge to move out is hard to resist.

How you would deal with your concerns about the wimps and nay-sayers I can't help but I tow a lightweight trailer offset somewhat to the outboard with lights front and rear, which the motor pulls quite nicely.

Dave

 

[NRG]

I wonder what ever happened to this from 2007:

YouTube - Switchbike - www.freshcreation.com

 

[jbond]

Would love a 'bent and I'd definitely electrify it. I actually built a no-weld recumbent a couple of years ago. Enough to discover that hills are a problem. Not because it's that much harder but because you expect to be able to ride faster up them. An electric assist would neatly solve that problem. The other problem is that the good ones are seriously expensive and there are very few on the 2nd hand market. And finally, I want a long wheelbase like a Tour-easy.

But, and it's a big but, a lot of my riding is on bridlepaths and such like. That may only be 15% of a ride but riding a 'bent off road and getting it over styles and through kissing gates is awkward to say the least.

 

[Kalkhoff USA]

These people are doing great work with electric recumbents: EcoSpeed, Worlds Best Electric Assist

 

[theskip1]

i spent last summer making my own semi bent from three second hand bikes and an ebike kit total cost approx £700, i also did not think a full reumbent a wise choice and apart from a few wobbles at the start have not regreted it. the diference in comfort is amazing and apart from that i find that drivers tend to be more aware, and of course your head is in a more natral position so i have better periferal vision.
here it is on 1st outing- YouTube - bent for comfort 2

 

[Orraman]

theskip1
It is no mean feat to design and make a recumbent whatever materials are used and I admire you for it.
However as you find ~~

"the difference in comfort is amazing and apart from that i find that drivers tend to be more aware, and of course your head is in a more natral position so i have better periferal vision."

I am genuinely interested in why you say ~~

"i also did not think a full reumbent a wise choice"

Dave

 

[Mussels]

i spent last summer making my own semi bent from three second hand bikes and an ebike kit total cost approx £700, i also did not think a full reumbent a wise choice and apart from a few wobbles at the start have not regreted it. the diference in comfort is amazing and apart from that i find that drivers tend to be more aware, and of course your head is in a more natral position so i have better periferal vision.
here it is on 1st outing- YouTube - bent for comfort 2

That's very similar to an e-bike launched in the UK about 18 months ago, it wasn't well recieved at all. My reservations about it were that it was too long and the huge rear wheel would make it difficult and expensive for tyres. It was noticably bigger than yours I think.

 

[theskip1]

theskip1
It is no mean feat to design and make a recumbent whatever materials are used and I admire you for it.
However as you find ~~

"the difference in comfort is amazing and apart from that i find that drivers tend to be more aware, and of course your head is in a more natral position so i have better periferal vision."

I am genuinely interested in why you say ~~

"i also did not think a full reumbent a wise choice"

Dave

for the reasons that most people have "safety" they are far to low to be safe.

 

[theskip1]

That's very similar to an e-bike launched in the UK about 18 months ago, it wasn't well recieved at all. My reservations about it were that it was too long and the huge rear wheel would make it difficult and expensive for tyres. It was noticably bigger than yours I think.

those big tyres were bought for two reasons.
1. this is not one of your "get it as light as poss." bikes because i did not worry to much about weight as it was designed mainly for comfort not speed and i needed as much rubber on the road as possible for braking, hence the disks front and back.
2. becuse of reason one i needed tryes that would last longer than standard ones and these spread the load over a wider footprint and so less wear.

 

[clv101]

for the reasons that most people have "safety" they are far to low to be safe.

Recumbents don't have to be low though?

MetaBikes

What are the issues with recumbents based on 26" or 700c wheels at conventional spacings?

 

[Mussels]

Recumbents don't have to be low though?

MetaBikes

What are the issues with recumbents based on 26" or 700c wheels at conventional spacings?

Standard recumbents are a niche product with dedicated users, they must be quite adventurous so why have I never seen one that high? They are hard to control at low speed and I imagine that a high CofG makes it much worse.

 

[theskip1]

Standard recumbents are a niche product with dedicated users, they must be quite adventurous so why have I never seen one that high? They are hard to control at low speed and I imagine that a high CofG makes it much worse.

i think a sitting possition is more natral. and gives better all round vision.
also i like to have my feet as near to the ground as possible, more chance of "stepping off " (if your quick enough) in an accident