Recumbent - 26" wheel vs 700

I really enjoy the comfort of my new bent, but it isn't quite fast enuff. On a club ride I could not keep up with even some unathletic uprights. Especially on the hills. So when I got home I put my 700x32 wheel from my wedgie on the bent, which worked fine except for the brake. I went around the block a few times and definetly felt speedier. The seat raised .75 inch, which I could not feel made any difference on the bike. But fitting a new brake will be a challenge (it has Sram linear pulls). Any body have any advice?

Were the tyres any different?
With a good high-pressure slick, 26" wheels have pretty much similar rolling resistance to a 700c touring wheel at the same pressure.
Before you start to re-engineer your bent, try out the best slicks you can find.

The tire is a slick, 100 psi 26x1.50 IRC Metro Duro. But I measured the diameter and it is actually only 25", compared to an actual 26" on my in-town cruiser. The smaller diameter changes the gear range from it's supposed 26-123 to an actual 25-118. If I had a 700 wheel it would be 27-128, a significant difference (10" on the hi gear). But your right about re-engineering the bike. First I am going to work on my cadence, and perhaps change the tire to an actual 26". After all, I bought this bike, a LWB, because of it's stabilty, and possibly for some touring. The SWB's that I test rode felt so unstable to me that I knew that I coudn't expect myself to go fast on them. I have only put on about 100 miles on the LWB (it's been raining this week :( ) but in time maybe I will become ready for the SWB.

Originally posted by Pat O'Malley
I really enjoy the comfort of my new bent, but it isn't quite fast enuff.
I have heard the same thing from racers who are slower on a bent lowrider than their wedgies.

I am not suprised by this, Pat. A whole new set of muscles must be developed.

This does not mean you will be faster than on an upright, but unless some racers become full-time recumbent riders (not likely, since recumbents are still disallowed in most racing), no one will know the true payoff of speed do to less wind resistance.

The first recumbent ever raced (in France) won, even though the rider was in a lesser category. Since then, wedgies have dominated, since recumbents were banned from racing.

If it's merely a question of gear inches, why not just install a slightly bigger chainring?

Pete's right about the muscles too. Give it time and practice.

Regarding the stability of swb bikes: if they are like any other two wheeled vehicle, stability increases the faster you go.

I'm convienced or it may be an illusion that the larger the rear drive wheel the speeder you could be. I also think if the front wheel is also larger 24" or 26" you well also find this somewhat more stabler at higher speeds.

As for brakes try installing a hub brake common in Europe or a disk brake.

I had a hub brake installed on my 1994 Haluzak as I found that side pull caliper or the V-brakes could not brake me as well as this does now, even in rain.