Recumbent - Which SWB Recumebents / Semi Recumbents are best at climbing hills ?

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forestwolf
04-26-10, 12:15 PM
Hello Everyone,

Its me again with another question to all the good folk here, and so I just wanted to ask , whether there were any recommendations any one had for recumbents that fall under swb , or semi categories when it comes to climbing those awful hills.

My preference for steering is ( overseat ? ) ala Tailwind with the peddles under the bar i.e. so below the waist line.

Cheers

FW

BlazingPedals
04-26-10, 01:50 PM
If you're going to stick yourself with the liability of a low bottom bracket, I'd say a V-Rex would be up there. There are better climbers, but they tend to have high bottom brackets and more-closed hip angles.
gcottay
04-26-10, 08:41 PM
Long wheel base recumbents can be a handful to keep steady at low speeds. Depending on the engine (aka the cyclist) that can cause problems on hills.

Whatever you end up riding, do not let climbing discourage you. Unless you are already quite cycling fit fit you will find that hills become shorter and less challenging the more you ride. Especially at the beginning, do not be afraid or ashamed to walk a hill if necessary to get to the top. Every hill you get up under your own power can be scored a victory.

Jeff Wills
04-26-10, 10:12 PM
Long wheel base recumbents can be a handful to keep steady at low speeds. Depending on the engine (aka the cyclist) that can cause problems on hills.

Whatever you end up riding, do not let climbing discourage you. Unless you are already quite cycling fit fit you will find that hills become shorter and less challenging the more you ride. Especially at the beginning, do not be afraid or ashamed to walk a hill if necessary to get to the top. Every hill you get up under your own power can be scored a victory.

My LWB Gold Rush is a piece of cake down to walking speeds (loaded touring, 15+% slope, 18-inch low gear) and beyond 50 mph (different tour, watched in my rear view as the semi got smaller, and smaller...). That being said, I had similar experiences with my SWB Lightning. The Gold Rush is definately less labor-intensive at higher speeds. It's no problem in city traffic, either.