Recumbent - A different term for recumbent?

In another thread, the question of the word "recumbent" to describe the bicycles we love came up.

It is argueably a bad name. Nerdy and scientific, it doesn't call to mind any use as do comfort bikes, mountain bikes, racing bikes, cruisers. Is there a name that might better describe the recumbent and promote its acceptance?

"Speedbike" might help. Good luck changing anything.

Friends are always refering to mine as "that 'sit down' bike'' that you have...
of course that is not good either. Maybe the casual bike, the comfortable bike, the aerodynamic bike...
peace

Yellowbike used to call them 'horizontals' as opposed to 'uprights.'

How bout a "recliner" or "lazyboy"

I'm not good at forum searches, but I know this issue has been brought up before on virtually every recumbent forum there is. Nothing ever gets resolved because nobody can come up with a new term that everyone likes. I agree that "recumbent" is bad, but I haven't been able to improve on it, either. Still waiting for that new, good idea!

lawn-chair bike

I think Low-Racer has a lot of appeal though that refers to a sub-set of recumbent.

Well when someone doesn't know what I'm on about I call them "energy bikes". It always rings a bell because there is a race down here called the "Energy Breakthrough". So in conclusion, a totally pointless name for anyone outside of my area :lol:

I posted a "Recumbent Name Competition" on a forum other then this forum. After about four weeks and 50 or so names the name Recumbent won, hands down. Renaming the Recumbent hasn't worked yet.

Recomfortable bike.

How about 'sleeper' because of the position and the fact that most people don't think much of 'bent riders, even though they are usually very fast

My abusive in-laws call mine a "gay" bike or an "old man" bike, but I actually dont think these are that funny, well kinda funny but not totally Ha Ha Funny. :) Actualy my wife thought that they could increase sales by throwing in a vasectamy with every recumbent purchase. Now that is funny.
Cheers

How about "velo-voiture" (French for bike car). It could be abbreviated to Vee squared.

I like the velo idea; although, it probably couldn't be used because of the fact that velo usually brings up visions of full faired bikes in time trials.

How about this term:

AeroBike

I think that AeroBike is a great term in that it truly describes what the recumbent is aobut without bringing up visions of people with back problems. There could be several terms for AeroBike. Trikes could be called AeroBike cubed (as in the mathematical term as raised to the power of 3). Lowracers would still keep their designation as AeroBike Lowracers. That would make sure there wasn't any confusion between the different types of AeroBikes errr Recumbents that is ;-)

"How about this term:

AeroBike"



I like it!!!!

AeroEaseBike? Have to get the comfort in there somewhere. :)

What if we call them 'kick backs' or 'KBs' since you're just kickin' back, man.

How about 'xbike' for 'extreme bike' since they are seen as extreme by most casual observers, and since nowadays, putting 'x' in front of everything makes it instantly cool.

Another idea is 'rbike' which is a shortened version of 'recumbent bike', or 'repose' bike.

I dunno, that's a tough one.

"Speedbike" might help.

I like it.

Most of the people around here that have seen my Gold Rush say, "that's really a cool bike." Bike's cool, but the rider......................well,.............................I guess that's another subject.

What's wrong with "Recumbent"?
Reminds me of "Recumbent Nudes" of bygone days.
So you want to bring it up to date?
"Naked Lady"
or....
OK maybe not a good track to go down

I think it is a mistake to try to refer to all bents by one name -- this is not done with DF's.

The only people who refer to DF's are bent riders or people who are comparing them to bents. No one says "diamond frame (or safety) bike for sale". They call it a mountain bike, a racing bike, a cross bike, a cruiser, etc. The bike is referred to by what it is good for.

Just as people ride DF's for different reasons, they ride bents for different reasons. I have a different type of ride in mind when I go out on my tadpole trike than I do when I'm on my highracer. These bikes really don't have that much in common -- a highracer really has more in common with a racing bike than it does a with a trike.

I think it is a mistake to try to refer to all bents by one name -- this is not done with DF's.



LOL! You just did!!! Actually, all uprights, in all their variations, come under the heading of "safety bikes."


Germans and Dutch call them "liegerads" which means lying-down bikes. Just doesn't sound the same in English, does it? "Liegerad" sounds much cooler than "lying-down bike" or "recumbent" (which means "reclined" and could refer to anything that's reclined.) To more accurately describe the genre, which includes many less-reclined models, "Sitzenrads" would be better, but that doesn't roll off the tongue as well. A two-syllable word would be best.

I think it is a mistake to try to refer to all bents by one name -- this is not done with DF's.We don't. There are LWB, SWB, hi-racer, low-racer, 26/26, 26/20, etc. etc. etc. There are more subgroups of bents than there are subgroups of uprights.

'Fredmobile'


jus' saying :D

LOL! You just did!!! Actually, all uprights, in all their variations, come under the heading of "safety bikes."

You missed my qualifying sentence


The only people who refer to DF's are bent riders or people who are comparing them to bents.

It is true that all DF's are classified as "safety bikes" but only geeks know that (almost everyone on BF is a geek in my eyes). If you brought up the top of "safety bikes" with a regular person, you'd most likely have to explain what you were referring to.

Besides, the bents are mechanically and geometrically more diverse than the DF's anyway. The subgroups that SoonerBent mentions are a much better way to refer to the bikes. If someone doesn't know what a term means, that can always be explained.

Edzo: The only problem with "Fredmobile" is that I think that some people might infer that there are four wheels. Also, most things that that end in "mobile" propel themselves..... :p

In another thread, the question of the word "recumbent" to describe the bicycles we love came up.

It is argueably a bad name. Nerdy and scientific, it doesn't call to mind any use as do comfort bikes, mountain bikes, racing bikes, cruisers. Is there a name that might better describe the recumbent and promote its acceptance?

I'm fine with recumbent. If you want to be more purpose specific just add another word to it:

- racing recumbent = racing bike
- touring recumbent = touring bike
- cruiser recumbent = cruiser
- comfort recumbent = comfort bike

When people talk to me about my bents more than 50% know they are called recumbents. The name is out there so no point confusing people with a new name. And lets face it if you start calling it something else the only people who will use the new terminology are people who read internet forums like this - not the guy selling you a diet pepsi at the 7-11.

------And lets face it if you start calling it something else the only people who will use the new terminology are people who read internet forums like this - not the guy selling you a diet pepsi at the 7-11. ---

Way,
And as a new trike owner you recumbent guys sure do have alot of hang-ups about what others are thinking about you or in this case calling you. Sure I understand you want an equal share of the market and blah blah blah, but dang, just let it come around as it surely will. As fuel becomes more expensive Im sure the next generation will find the "recumbent" a huge improvment for cycling as a means of transportation.
I personally think the main problem with recumbents is advertising. Just try and find some pics of people riding bents that arent old, hairy, nerdy or baggy, it isnt easy. After pouring over bent sights I finnaly found a site that had regular and even 'cool' people throughout thier site. I cant remember what the site name was but it was a low bent with no handle bars and some sort of center pivot point steering. Anyway In this case its not - what is in a name - but -what is in the ride and -who is on it.

I think the term "kickback" is just great, personally. I like KB, but those initials usually make me think of something else.

i agree i like "kickback" but as was said earlier you would have to much trouble renaming it, the term recumbent has been around for ages

I personally think the main problem with recumbents is advertising. Just try and find some pics of people riding bents that arent old, hairy, nerdy or baggy, it isnt easy. After pouring over bent sights I finnaly found a site that had regular and even 'cool' people throughout thier site. I cant remember what the site name was but it was a low bent with no handle bars and some sort of center pivot point steering. Anyway In this case its not - what is in a name - but -what is in the ride and -who is on it.
Bacchetta (http://www.bacchettabikes.com/recumbents/index.html) also isn't too bad. Lighting (http://www.lightningbikes.com) has a low tech site, but many of their pictures are quite good and also feature women (http://www.lightningbikes.com/p38.htm).

Challenge bikes (http://www.challenge-recumbents.com/) has great pics all over their site. Challenge also has the coolest bikes IMO.

My friends at work call it my "Bike-o-lounger"
I just call it a God send.