Recumbent - loads up steep hills

How about dismounting and pulling/pushing your recumbent while simultaneously turning the pedals with your hands to get a very heavy load up a very steep hill?

Anyone tried it?

What gearing do you have?

I don't think so; would be difficult to effectively push the bike while 'pedaling' with your hands.

If the load is so heavy you have to get off and push, it's probably too heavy. Either get lower gears or haul less. If the going is really that slow, get more than 2 wheels. Pushing should not be an option as walking is a very inefficient use of energy. It's flexibility over a wide variety of terrain is why it has evolved, but that usefulness has a price in energy consumption. Pedalling is more efficient than in that no part of your leg motion is used to counter forward motion. Walking is combination of accelerating and decelerating each leg in a sequence; the deceleration wastes energy. Moreover, pedalling allows the occasional coasting, even going uphill. No hill is a constant grade. Wherever it levels off, it is possible to coast, saving energy and providing a little rest to the muscles. Walking does not allow this as steps are still required to keep pace with a coasting vehicle.

:)ensen.

Ditto w/ PurplePeople. Pushing is harder than pedaling given low enough gears. Learn to let the gears do the work. Understand about steep hills, but still try to relax your leg muscles rather than pound the pedals. In this case, don't feel the burn. If you are on a fitness ride, w/o weight, that's another story. Slow it up and gear down. It's that or ballast overboard. Better idea would be to pause 1 min. halfway up on a really steep long climb, then continue. Depends on your fitness level and/or intolerance to hot humid weather.

How about dismounting and pulling/pushing your recumbent while simultaneously turning the pedals with your hands to get a very heavy load up a very steep hill?

Anyone tried it?

Wouldn't work- my helmet would bang on the fairing.

I've done a loaded tour that had short stretch of 15-20% grade. I rode it in my bottom gear- 18 gear inches or so, and had no problem except for maintaining balance. My wife (with less load and similar gearing) pushed her bike up the same slope. We went about the same speed, but I rode away while she was remounting her bike.