Commuting with recumbants

[STEEKER]

HI , I have some questions about recumbents as I am intrested in switching over to riding one since I watched a dude drive one in a critical mass ride, I am asuming that a two wheel recumbant is faster than a three wheel (trike)? and besides a carbon fiber recumbent what kind would be the fastest and handel better for every day commuting to work with one sometimes two saddel bags on city streets and bike trails and for long rides on day's off , how they handel in the rain and wind plus heavy winds broadside winds and on hills ,how is the braking and balance plus the steering and could you pull a trailer and how comfortable are they on the back and backside?, I ride all year round in Toronto so are recumbents ok to use in the winter too in the slush and snow ? and I was told and read that a rebike is very fast was told they are great deal But I also got laughs when asked about them.. thanks :)

[jeff-o]

The . is your friend.

And about the rebike... all those posts by Mookie about his rebike are a joke, do not believe them.

Have you ridden a regular bike through Toronto streets? A recumbent, especially one with large wheels, should behave about the same. On hills it might be slower, but I'll bet you won't feel as tired after commuting to work.

[BlazingPedals]

If you want a bent for commuting and touring, get a TourEasy EX or a Recumboni and put fenders on it. It'll take panniers and pull a trailer just fine. If you want a bike for winter, get something cheap, like a Huffy or Trek ;) . Bents don't do well in slippery conditions, and you really don't want to ruin 3 chains at a time by riding in salty winter slush. My bents don't get ridden in the winter. I like them too much to do that to them.

[squeaker]

how they handel in the rain and wind plus heavy winds broadside winds and on hills
Hi, I'm new to 2-wheeled recumbents (9 days and counting with a Challenge Mistral): as the whole steering/balance thing is different to a DF bike, gusty sidewinds can prove 'interesting', but as your reflexes develop I'd expect a 'bent to be easier than a DF as the centre of pressure is lower to the ground (where the wind strength is less, and the toppling moment will be less too).

[Paul L.]

I do 25 miles a morning into work through the Phoenix Metro area on a high racer. Works pretty good for me. I like it because it is fast, and it is high so my eyes are level with the drivers eyes. I find a seatbag makes me much more aero than I was when I had to use a pannier on my upright.

[erik forsgren]

HI , I have some questions about recumbents as I am intrested in switching over to riding one since I watched a dude drive one in a critical mass ride, I am asuming that a two wheel recumbant is faster than a three wheel (trike)? and besides a carbon fiber recumbent what kind would be the fastest and handel better for every day commuting to work with one sometimes two saddel bags on city streets and bike trails and for long rides on day's off , how they handel in the rain and wind plus heavy winds broadside winds and on hills ,how is the braking and balance plus the steering and could you pull a trailer and how comfortable are they on the back and backside?, I ride all year round in Toronto so are recumbents ok to use in the winter too in the slush and snow ? and I was told and read that a rebike is very fast was told they are great deal But I also got laughs when asked about them.. thanks :)Hello I have ridden my recumbents for three years now and I can tell you that the only occasion when I didn't commute was when there was a hurricane of 40 m/second. Normally a recumbent especially a lowracer is much more stable in strong wind. As for hillclimbing it might be difficult for a beginner, but with daily training you will reach upright standard after only a year. As for me I commute every day every season and I particularly like wintercycling as you don't have to sweat so much-lying down in "a couch" you will get much warmer on a recumbent. I live in north of Sweden so I think the climate is similar to that of Toronto. As for choice of recumbent I would say that a Bacchetta Giro or a Challenge Seiran are good options.

[nualle]

I was in Toronto last year and rode my tadpole trike all winter with no problems. Stop by Urbane Cyclist (Queen & John), look at the bents, and have a chat with Carey Chen there. He can help you figure out what'll suit what you want.

My trike was great. All three wheels bear enough weight that I didn't have any slippage problems. My wife, on her long-wheelbase 2-wheeler found that the unweighted front wheel sometimes skittered over fresh snow rather than cutting through. (I imagine SWBs have less of that.) However, whenever she felt unstable, her feet were already near the ground so it didn't end up being much of an issue.

BTW: I second BlazingPedals' fenders idea. I thought they were optional. I learned better.