Recumbent - Are bike clubs friendly to recumbent riders?

Now that I have my new recumbent and I'm ready to ride. In addition to my solo outings I'd like to find some clubs to ride with which brings me to my question.

Are bike clubs generally friendly to recumbent bikers?

Just curious,
HypnoBassMan

Yes...but in Tulsa OK......you can ride anything here...as long as you ride and smile!!

We have a tuesday night social ride for newbies and the members try to drag out every type of bike you can find so the newbies will have a buffet of tastes

Try the club listings at some of the recumbent web sights. There are a lot of bent riders out there... once we all get together we shall rule the world.... ummm never mind, I must have been sniffing the chain cleaner fumes again.

Most of the clubs around here welcome bents, but every club has there SNOBs (Snobs on Nice Bikes) I just dont bother with them.

If you cant find a club, you can always start your own

Well, I just got my first recumbent and I have been out for my first couple of rides on some of our local bike paths. I have not had a chance to get with any clubs yet, but the other bikers on regular bikes seem to be friendlier than when I was riding on my mountain or road bike. There seems to be curiosity factor that makes them smile and wave at me more the the recumbent. Or, perhaps they are laughing!

In any case this is the best bike I have ever ridden on pavement. I love it!

What're you riding?

My ride group (a small one of 7 at most) started with a mix of road, MTB and bent but is now mostly bent (5 out of 7). Just worked out that way.

I don't think a roadie group would mind the occassional bent attendee but not for regular pacelining routines. I neither want nor need that either. I encounter curiosity more than I do derision among roadies.

If the bike club is worth being a member of they will accept you. If they turn their nose up at you, I would not p!$$ on them if they were on fire.

Best response to snobby bike clubs...

I have road with the CTC and have been made welcome on a recumbent.
But remember if riding with uprights you ride at a different pace.On the flat you will be holding back and on the hills spinning the pedals fast.
Also you will find you may get to a cross roads first ,but you will be the last to pull away as the uprights comeon the side ofyou you cant see if its clear to go so you end up weighting untill thay have moved off.

The local club I ride with very occasionally has no problem with bents. I
switch back and forth from DF to bent depending on the terrain and who I
expect to see on the ride. If the route is very hilly or run by a ride leader
who attracts the speedy younger riders I will go DF. Otherwise I go bent.
It just takes a little bit of a hill to blow me off on the bent. More and more I
go bent, and the DF is an afterthought, or an attempt to keep some DF muscles going. Steve