what's the maximum speed on recumbents?

[da_shimano_05]

I don't own recumbents, but i'd like to know how fast they can go (Maximum speed on Flat straight road).

[BlazingPedals]

As with any bike, it depends on both the specific bike and the engine. There is no "Maximum speed" that I can quote you, only how fast *I* have gone on *my* recumbent; and that will be faster than some and slower than others.

If you want to know how fast cyclists on this list have gone, try this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=68054), otherwise the question as asked is unanswerable.

[da_shimano_05]

what's your fastest you've gone? on flat.

[da_shimano_05]

thank you.

[da_shimano_05]

what gear ratio do you use for top speed? (chain ring Teeth and Cassette teeth sizes)

[lowracer1]

58/11

43.5mph on flat road no wind

[jbonus]

Bents are hard to catch!

[jeff-o]

The human-powered land speed record of 80mph (ish) was set using a fully-enclosed (faired) recumbent. Is that fast enough?

[jim-bob]

What's the highest you've bunnyhopped your recumbent?

[lowracer1]

3 feet over a curb............are you happy now?

[jim-bob]

3 feet over a curb............are you happy now?

Of course I'm happy now!

Video, please.

[lowracer1]

sorry ya just had to be there

[jim-bob]

sorry ya just had to be there

Still happy, but disappointed.

[aikigreg]

What might be a better question is, what is the fastest speed you've SUSTAINED for a mile on flat roads? For me (and I'm still a bent newbie and still building up leg strength) the answer is that over flat or a slight uphill, I can sustain 25mph for a couple miles with no problem. I expect that to be 28-30mph for 4-5 miles within 6 months or so.

[Paul L.]

I can sustain 29-30 for 3 or 4 miles. Hoping to extend that in the coming months.

[alanbikehouston]

I can sustain 29-30 for 3 or 4 miles. Hoping to extend that in the coming months.

Most of the riders I see on 'bents on my local bike trail are over thirty, many over age fifty. And many of those riders can cruise for long distances at 25 mph and sometimes 30 mph. Although I'm in pretty good condition for the average AARP member, my "upright" bike and I can't stay with these guys for long.

[jeff-o]

Oh, BTW, I was wrong about the land speed record. It's actually only 68mph, but it was still set using a recumbent.

[BlazingPedals]

Oh, BTW, I was wrong about the land speed record. It's actually only 68mph, but it was still set using a recumbent.
No, you were right about the higher speed. The current record is 81.00 mph (http://www.ihpva.org/hpva/hpvarec7.html#nom01) , set by Sam Whittingham at Battle Mountain, piloting the Varna Diablo II, which is a streamliner. Under record rules, no help is allowed beyond help launching, attempts must be done with no wind, and the 6-7 mile course leading to the timing trap cannot have more than 1/4% grade, IIRC.

A bit closer to reality, I'll be 50 next month. I can pull about 27 mph, with bursts of 30+, for 10 or 15 miles at a time. I have no fairing, not even a tailbox.

[Brian]

There's a bloke here down under that's hit 97km/h on his Greenspeed tandem trike. I think we need one of those.

[paulw]

There's a bloke here down under that's hit 97km/h on his Greenspeed tandem trike. I think we need one of those.

It's not the trike that's fast - it's the weight of two riders and a steep hill.

I've hit 85 kph downhill on my MR Swiftlet and been airborn at 75 kph when I hit a bump. I think the maximum speed depends on how fearless you are....and I'm not! I was braking in the mountains at 70 kph and a kid on a BMX flew past......

I feel a lot safer at 70 kph on my trike than on my P-38. That's not logical - a blowout on either would probably dump me off.

Paul W

[Brian]

I suppose that if you've got the nerves of steel, a recumbent provides an aerodynamic advantage that allows you to go faster than a traditional bike could go under the same circumstances.

[sbhikes]

I only go about 18mph on flats. But I'm no racing geek and that's just me tooling along. I haven't measured yet, but I think I go about 14 on my mountain bike.

I think it's better to buy a recumbent for distance than for speed. I could ride all day long on a recumbent. Only a couple hours on a regular bike. Therefore, over time I can go much faster on a recumbent because I can cram a few days worth of DF miles into one day.

[funbun]

Isn't there is a terminal velocity for all objects?

[jeff-o]

Isn't there is a terminal velocity for all objects?

Yes, and you'd reach it if you tried skydiving on your bike. Though I have no idea why you'd do that, the landing would be a beast...

[erik forsgren]

I think all this talk about speed is somewhat uninteresting. A far more interesting question on recumbents is how far can you go without being exhausted. In terms of length I think a recumbent surpass any known DF model. If I were to participate in Race across America I would choose a recumbent not because of better speed but because of better ergonomy. In other words the main reason for using a recumbent is that you use your strength of body more effectively and more economically

[funbun]

Agreed.

During the last winter olympics I watched the speed skating. There was a big difference between the American racers and the Norwegian racers. The American speed racers thought, "How fast can I go?" The Norwegian racers thought, "How long can I go."

Bents are about long distance riding. I don't understand why people use a DF at RAAM The speeds guys reach at Battle Mountain every year are amazing, but for me it's the distance. When riding my MTB around town I always think to myself, "I could ride all day on this thing if my crotch didn't feel like grated cheese."