rydabent

Since the second part of this thread is labled safety, I thot I would post the following for comment.

In 1890 give or take the "safety" bike was invented. It is what we have called the diamond frame bike for more than 100 years. It was called safety because it got rid of the huge wheel of the penney farthling.

Now consider that the LWB recumbent is the true safety bike. You cant be thrown over the handlebars. There is a short distance to fall in the case of a wreck. Your feet arrive at the scene of the accident first, not your head. The weight shift forward without pitching over the handlebars allows for better braking. And sitting upright with 180 degrees view allows you to stay out of trouble.

Flying Merkel

All of this is offset by the lessened visibility of the recumbent. I doubt there is any real-world safety difference between the two styles.

A10K

When considering the safety of a bicycle in a collision with a vehicle, I tend to think the potential energy between the height of the rider and ground level is far overshadowed by the kinetic energy of the impact from a moving petrochemical-powered automobile. Unless someone provides me with solid statistics to suggest otherwise, I'm inclined to agree with FM.

Daves_Not_Here

A DF is safer then a recumbant when you need to sprint uphill to outrun a crazed psychopath who has it out for trolls

I-Like-To-Bike

The lessened visibility of the recumbent in traffic more than offsets the trivial safety advantages claimed by the poster for his hobby horse/bicycle. IMO I suspect the only way that a recumbent rider can be as reasonably safe is to avoid riding in traffic.

AlmostTrick

Recumbents also benefit from the safety advantage of having front airbags... otherwise known as aero-bellies.

Flying Merkel

That's not funny. And I swear that's not me laughing.

RobertHurst

Seems like the vastly decreased maneuverability of a recumbent would be a negative for safety as well.

RobertHurst

Interestingly, those 'safety' bikes were fixed gear/no brakes bikes. DEATHWISH!!

Leebo

How do you bunny hop a stick, pot hole or curb ? Can't ride around all the obstacles. Besides, they are only allowed if you live in Cambridge, home of Harvard and MIT.

rydabent

robert

"vastly decreased maneuverablility"??? I dont think so.

Also the visibility thing is pretty much an old wives tail, which is over come by the strangeness of the bike. Cars actually seem to give me a much wider berth when I am on my recumbents.

GrandaddyBiker

They had 2 brakes. They were called left foot and right foot.

rydabent

leebo

With curb ramps, and trails, I manage quite well avoiding pot holes. I do not ride like a 12 year old.

Harvard and MIT-----------hmmmmm where the really smart people are. That says something about recumbents doesnt it.

You might concider another fact. Almost all bent riders have thousands of miles on DF bikes before we got our bents. Now well over 90% would not go back to DF bikes at all. I know I wont.

Safety is just one of the advantages of riding a bent. Actually a very important one.

RANS Stratus LE
TerraTrike Cruiser

jon c. 

Also the visibility thing is pretty much an old wives tail

Have to say that as a driver I find them much less visible in that I am generally much closer to the bike before I actually see it. I'd love to try one, but I would admit that I'd be scared to ride one in an urban environment.

I-Like-To-Bike

And believe it or don't, those crazy fools rode without you-know-what on their heads.

Notso_fastLane

My 'bent is a swb, but it's pretty much just as maneuverable as my DF.

noisebeam

Upright tricycles are safer yet

GrandaddyBiker

Before I retire back in1993, I worked at a Naval Base. This was a large base. In some areas of the Base private owned cars/trucks were not allowed. However, I could go to the bike shop and check out a Navy issue bike to get around the Base. They had only 2 choices for you to check out, a large heavy Beach cruiser type, single speed with coaster brakes (in Black only) or you could check out a tricycle with a huge basket on the back. Since I often had to carry a briefcase and large plans one day I decide to try the tricycle. I was shocked at how easy that tricycle was to tip over if you tried to go fast on it. After turning that sucker over several times I got to where I only felt safe on the tricycle at walking speeds (5 mph).

So I am not sure the tricycles are safer.

I went back to the bicycle. Since I could keep the same bike check out as long as I wanted to, I put my own basket on front to carry my stuff. However, you were fully reasonable for the bike. If it got stolen they would deduct the price of the bike from your paycheck. It never happen to me but it did happen to some of my coworkers.

Oh, one more thing the Government Issue tricycles came in black only also, just like the bike. Was it Henry Ford that use to say, “You can have any color you want as long as it is black.”?

RobertHurst

Can you do a track stand on it? Can you hop a curb on it? Can you stand on the pedals and hammer up a steep hill or sprint for a light?

RobertHurst

Riding a trike feels a bit like pushing a shopping cart full of canned beans.

CB HI

Similar to the three wheeled versions that we put our youngest kids on these days. It must be driving the anti-fixed gear guys crazy.

CB HI

Did you really type that after calling A&S forum a thread and the many other errors in this thread?

silmarillion

I also ride a Bacchetta Corsa.

I enjoy riding my recumbent on centuries, especially flat ones. But most of the time I ride my CX bike. I definitely don't care to commute on my recumbent, mainly because of the daily climbing I do on my ride. Too much wear and tear on the knees.

I will have to disagree with you on one point though. Most recumbent crashes I have seen, people end up on their butts. I personally know of 2 people who ride recumbents who have broken their hips in crashes. I was lucky. I only had to deal with road rash on my butt-cheek that would stick to my underwear for about 2 weeks. Unfortunately, the area in question was very difficult to successfully bandage, which made it even more pleasant.

I set my personal downhill speed record on that bike. Which was a setup run on a closed course. You simply can't hit speeds over 60 on a DF bike. They begin to wobble once you get around 50. The recumbents lower center of gravity makes them ride more solidly at higher speeds.

Leebo

I would love for you to pedal on some of these "awesome" Boston streets to see if you could avoid potholes. Ride what you like, YRMV. Those college types all have beards and aero bellies, so that's a natural fit. My point on the bunny hopping is that it sometimes gets me out of trouble, not possible on a bent. Over a curb, branch, trash etc.

AlmostTrick

I had a standard adult trike for a short while… had big plans to build it into a wicked chopper with a custom stake bed out back that I never followed through with. Anyway, I quickly mastered riding the thing on two wheels, the front and drive side rear. Could easily go for blocks that way, around turns and all. Never dumped it once.