recumbent efficiency is greatly overstated and ..... mostly hype?

[beemerman]

I bought a Tour Easy recumbent after reading all the blogs about how efficient they were (lower wind resistance and all) and after 3000+ miles have found a few things to be true.

1. If you see a hill....don't go near it.
2. If you need to go across town, through town or near a town....don't go there unless you want to add 30% to your commute time.
3. If you enjoy riding with a group, sharing a pace line, sprinting for city signs, riding with no hands, standing, sitting forward on a saddle, sitting back on a saddle, stretching your torso, looking behind you without a mirror.....the list could go on....but you get the point.
4. To be fair, they are very comfortable which should be a concession as people look down at you and say "on your left"
5. Don't talk to me about land speed records, I don't ride like that and neither do you.

Sorry if I hurt the feelings of die hard recumbent lovers but facts are facts. Tissues?

P.S. I do love riding the thing and can't seem to wipe the smile off my face.

[AlexZ]

Not much to argue with there.....The P.S. sums up why I ride them.
But for a good core workout, a DF is better.

[rodar y rodar]

Interresting. My experience so far is similar, though not exact. With under 1000 bent miles so far, I still have some hope that I`ll get close to my DF speeds and endurance. At 3K, I suppose you`ve already made up most of whatever you`re going to as far as that "bent legs" thing goes.

For me, I find that climbing doesn`t suffer as much as a it seems to for a lot of people, and the headwind/descent thing doesn`t give it as much advantage. That`s likely because my `bent is about as upright as they get- 26/20 SWB with BB at butt level. I can ride no hands for long enough to zip my jacket as long as I keep the little tab in the bottom of the zipper so it doesn`t separate. And I find my particular recumbent LESS comfortable than my touring bike, or roughly equal to my road bike. That comfort thing is the biggest disappointment. As you implied, I also have so much fun riding it that I`m going to hang on to it anyway, and I`m doing my best to rack up as many miles as possible on it this year and see what kind of "equalizing" I can pull off.

And thanks for the post- I really am glad to read it.

EDIT: Traffic is only slightly more annoying on my bent, I can look behind me kinda sorta well now, I`ve never ridden any bike in a pace line or tight formation, so no idea how that would work. I do have a very hard time seeing my RD, which is an extra booger because I have trigger shifters and the gear indicator thingie is broken- good thing I can use the whole width of the cassette in any ring without cross chaining.

[Northwestrider]

+1 to most items, for me after a break in period, I feel I'm overall at my DF bikes average speed. Hills are slower, I do believe my flat speed is slightly better on the bent. Comfort is hugely better. I ride both bents and DF bikes. IMO it is handling at slow speeds that is lacking. I've several thousand miles on it, yet when I get into traffic situations, prefer my DF, on longer rides, its the bent I choose.

[JanMM]

Gee, I really miss being able to stand up.

[rydabent]

As a bent rider for 6 years now, I disagree with most of your point.

Lets pick just one. Our recumbent club had a ride just today. There were mostly bents, but about a half dozen DF riders were along too. There were 3 big long hills, and it was the bents yelling "on your left" going down the hills. I might also add that the DF riders didnt run away from the bents on the climb.

The 2009 RAAM race pretty much destroyed the myth that bents cant climb. The four man team riding RANS recumbents won, and actually increased it lead going up the Rocky Mountains.

[ontcyclist]

A Tour Easy, while being a cushy ride, is the Winnebago of the two-wheeled recumbent world - ponderous everywhere except on the open (and flat) road.

[JanMM]

My commute to work is no slower, and generally faster, on a SWB than it was on hybrids.

[Steamer]

A Tour Easy, while being a cushy ride, is the Winnebago of the two-wheeled recumbent world - ponderous everywhere except on the open (and flat) road.

Precisely. A person who has owned one specific type of bent is trying to paint us all with the same brush. No need to say much more.

[AlexZ]

Precisely. A person who has owned one specific type of bent is trying to paint us all with the same brush. No need to say much more.

Hold on there...I have a GRR, StreetMachine, and Catrike Expedition in addition to 3 DF's a Kestrel MB ad a Canondale tandem....... As I said before, all in all, I agree with the op; They are fun but will never be faster than almost any DF and are definitely slower on the climb .

[jmio]

Not the fastest of the bent family???????????

[Retro Grouch]

I bought a Tour Easy recumbent after reading all the blogs about how efficient they were (lower wind resistance and all) and after 3000+ miles have found a few things to be true.

1. If you see a hill....don't go near it.
2. If you need to go across town, through town or near a town....don't go there unless you want to add 30% to your commute time.
3. If you enjoy riding with a group, sharing a pace line, sprinting for city signs, riding with no hands, standing, sitting forward on a saddle, sitting back on a saddle, stretching your torso, looking behind you without a mirror.....the list could go on....but you get the point.
4. To be fair, they are very comfortable which should be a concession as people look down at you and say "on your left"
5. Don't talk to me about land speed records, I don't ride like that and neither do you.

Sorry if I hurt the feelings of die hard recumbent lovers but facts are facts. Tissues?

P.S. I do love riding the thing and can't seem to wipe the smile off my face.

So basically what you are saying in #1 to #3 is that a screwdriver makes a poor hammer. Then you go on to point out that, for some purposes, a screwdriver is actually superior to a hammer.

That's good! I'll remember that. Thanks.

[Steamer]

Hold on there...I have a GRR, StreetMachine, and Catrike Expedition in addition to 3 DF's a Kestrel MB ad a Canondale tandem....... As I said before, all in all, I agree with the op; They are fun but will never be faster than almost any DF and are definitely slower on the climb .

Ok, but all three of the bents you're mentioning are slow, particularly on hills. The SMGte is a great touring bike, but slow. The Expedtion is sorta fast, for a trike, but fast for a trike is slow for a bike. All of the Cats, like most trikes, suffers from terrible frame flex that makes uphills quite slow. My ICE was actually worse than the Cat's I've tried. I've have test ridden all of these bents.

If someone wants a fast bent look to a Fujin, an M5-CHR, a CA2.0, a Carbent, a MetaPhysic, a socked and faired C-rush, or even maybe just a Musashi, Baron, or Corsa. Those are fast bents. I have test ridden most of those. I agree with the rough assertion that 'bents are slower on hills, but the right 'bent, and with the right training and attitude, those machines give up only very little on the hills, but blow away a DF elsewhere. This is my experience; not saying other's isn't valid. Just trying to point out that the world of bents is so diverse, that you cannot accurately generalize a whole lot.

I should note that I ride in the Allegheny mountains, all of my courses are at least 'mixed'. No entirely flat courses available.

[rodar y rodar]

Oh, my. Lots of varied mileage here- even more varried than the bikes.

But I`m still glad he posted it at the risk of being slammed. I was beginning to wonder if I were the only guy in the history of the world who was slower on a recumbent than on a touring bike of roughly equal weight. And I hope npbody gets TOO awfully serious about the discussion. So far, so good, though that`s subject to change, of course.

[BlazingPedals]

I'll give the OP the nod - recumbent speed isn't always what it's cracked up to be. A TE with a front fairing is maybe barely faster than a good road bike on the flats, but way slower on climbs. That's the problem with 'bents; they're so varied and everyone tries to paint them all with the same brush - including the manufacturers. I still remember Bike-E used to quote recumbent speed records when selling their bikes, even though their products had nothing in common with record-breaking streamliners.

If you expect a recumbent to be fast, it should have the 3 main attributes as follows:
1. Light weight - it should go without saying that a lighter bike will climb better; and climbing makes a big difference even on minimally-hilly courses.
2. Stiff - this is a shortcoming for my Baron, at least for someone of my weight. If I crank up the wattage on a hill, I can just feel it NOT getting to the road. But on the flats it's unbeatable.
3. Aerodynamic - without a fairing. In my book that means laid back, with a high bottom bracket to minimize frontal area. If you have to add a fairing, well, refer to #1 above.

The problem with the 'big three' above is that they're at odds with each other. A laid-back bike will be long, which makes it more susceptible to flex, unless you add more material and make it heavier. So, as in other aspects of engineering, "pick any two" seems to be the case.

[AlexZ]

Ok, but all three of the bents you're mentioning are slow, particularly on hills.

That's the first time I have ever heard anyone say a GRR is slow ! But actually I'll agree......even with a fairing I am about 3mph or so slower on it than on my trusty 40 year old DF ! Unless of course I am riding into a head wind !
And as to trikes, it has little to do with the flex and everything to do with weight and rolling resistance. Notice that I am keeping all of my bents and it isn't without some thought that I picked a LWB, SWB, and trike......I enjoy them as a relaxed, comfortable "ride with a view". But when I want a good workout and don't mind looking at that front tire for a while, I'll take one of the DFs.

As to the likes of a Carbent.....I guess if I was to spend that kind of money just to be a tiny tweak faster, then I would just as well plunk that down on a very fine DF which will leave a Carbent in the dust!!

Ps. Congratulations to beemerman for having the cojones to say what many of us think to a decidedly prejudiced crowd!

[bjjoondo]

Well, yes, I'm slower uphill on my bent but I wasn't a "racer boy" on my DF, after all it was a hybrid. I'm faster on the flats on my bent than on my DF and the bent is just a true blast going downhill! Since, "speed" means little to the wife and I, COMFORT is 100% to the LWB bent over my hybrid set up for rec. riding or touring. For me, I'll take the "beating" by the DF's on the uphill's, just to be able to "look straight ahead", be comfortable and have a SMILE on my face! I'm not sure where your point is heading, the two types of bikes are like comparing, "Apples and Oranges". If you want a FAST Bent, a LWB Tour Easy is NOT, ride a Low, mid, High racer if you want a bent to go fast! I think of my LWB bent as a rec./touring machine, in the realm of a "Surly LongHaulTrucker".

LOL, if your riding a "road bike" DF and you can't kick my butt uphill, time to trade down to a nice hybrid and sell off the "KIT"! Still I bet I'm smiling a lot more than most of the DF'ers I see, with a grimace on their faces, in the long run, to each their own, enjoy what you ride and don't worry trying to prove that someone else's choice isn't the right one for you. Have a most excellent day!

[AlexZ]

Judging by the fact that the OP made one single post and hasn't returned , it would seem he was simply expressing his disappointment about all the hype that convinced him to make the purchase..... Perhaps his expectations were based on erroneous information?!

[rodar y rodar]

Judging by the fact that the OP made one single post and hasn't returned , it would seem he was simply expressing his disappointment about all the hype that convinced him to make the purchase..... Perhaps his expectations were based on erroneous information?!

...or he was the first troll whose post I`ve been happy to see?

Going OT, responses in this thread (except for one) keep implying that TEs are lumbering, slow, and too heavy to be of much use in hill country. It isn`t one of the few bents I`ve had the pleasure to ride personally, but I thought they had a reputation for being "good climbers", and I know they used to hold some of those records that aren`t to be considered for the purposes of this discusion. What gives?

[Retro Grouch]

P.S. I do love riding the thing and can't seem to wipe the smile off my face.

Judging by the fact that the OP made one single post and hasn't returned , it would seem he was simply expressing his disappointment about all the hype that convinced him to make the purchase..... Perhaps his expectations were based on erroneous information?!

Maybe, maybe not.

[philski]

Judging by the fact that the OP made one single post and hasn't returned , it would seem he was simply expressing his disappointment about all the hype that convinced him to make the purchase..... Perhaps his expectations were based on erroneous information?!

And that single post is his only post on his account; likely he made a new account to post this singular message.

Myself, I commute on my recumbent and I am not sure what the complaint is with point #2. I find myself faster on my 'bent and have never had "heel strike" issues with a rear rack/panniers unlike my upright SS / fixie / mountain bike all of which have more aggressive geometries.

Yes, hills are slower on the upside but faster on the downside. Got to integrate the entire ride, not just look at one side of the hill.

philip

[SesameCrunch]

I just switched from a DF to a Cruzbike Silvio. I ride with a PowerTap so I have some numbers. For 60 minute intervals on the flats, I use about 75 watts less power on the Silvio, and go about 1.5-2.0 mph faster. It all depends on what recumbent you're riding. Can't generalize in the way the OP did.

I am still way slower up hills, as I have recently switched and don't have my 'bent legs in shape yet. But I doubt I'll ever climb as fast as I did on my DF. My peak power on the DF is over 1,200 watts. Haven't managed anything over 700W on the 'bent yet. Don't think I'll ever see that.

[craniac]

I have never experienced penile numbness or wrist and neck pain on my recumbent.

That said, it is a 35 lb. EZ1 and I would love to have something lighter and faster at some point.

[himespau]

never having ridden a recumbent (other than a stationary 'bent, which I enjoyed much better than most stationary bikes as it's easier to fit when you're just adjusting one direction), I'm curious why they're not as good going up hills. The longer wheelbase I can see leading to less handling precision, but is the hills just a weight thing or is it something to do with leverage and power you're able to produce? I ask because I'm curious about recumbents and know that (if I had unlimited money - I don't) a recumbent tandem is the most likely way I'd have for being able to get my wife to go riding with me.

[prathmann]

I ask because I'm curious about recumbents and know that (if I had unlimited money - I don't) a recumbent tandem is the most likely way I'd have for being able to get my wife to go riding with me.

If you're comfortable on an upright but she wants a recumbent then the Bilenky Viewpoint would seem to be ideal. Also has the advantages of good visibility for both riders, very easy communication, and relatively compact design for a tandem.
http://www.bilenky.com/viewpnt.html