Oops... "recumbent" The edit feature won't let me edit the title

My 72 year old dad is a serious recumbent rider. He has back issues that prevent him from riding traditional bikes for any distance but he rides 20-60 miles/day on his recumbent just for exercise. And I have no doubt he could easily do a 200k ride if provoked.

Is there any reason why I can't invite him along on a randonneur event? My folks are always coming out to Texas to see their grand kids. I might tell him to bring his bike along next time to do a long ride together.

Yes, of course 'bents are allowed. I think there are a number of bent riders in the DFW area active in rando, in fact.

OK thanks, I thought so but then I didn't remember seeing a single recumbent in the "show us your century bicycle" sticky on the top of this forum, or on any of the randonneuring sites I've looked at.

I guess they hang out in their own forum instead of here.

There are a few "laid back" randos in SiR for sure, and a few in this forum as well I believe. Also have seen them in OR with my own eyes.

Allowed, and not uncommon on LSR events.
Recent brevet:

Closeup detail of the left side:

Actually, I think there were 3 or 4 recumbents, maybe more, on that ride. I'm not sure how many LSR guys/ gals ride them, but it's several.

One of the forum members, Aikigreg, is a recumbent rider and LSR member that rode on this recent brevet.

In general, to do a brevet, he'll likely need to be a member of the local club putting it on, or to do a permanent, he'll need to be a RUSA member. Check into those requirements ahead of time as opposed to just inviting him along.

papawizo rides with SiR and pilots a really kickass 'bent. The thing is crazy lightweight.

I think the rando 'bent riders aren't the kind of 'bent riders that feel a need to be evangelical about it. The biggest 'bent evangelist I've met doesn't even have a bicycle, I thought that was pretty funny.

Here are some pictures I took on the Endless Mountains 1240k last September.

Indeed there are some great bents out there (I love my Carbent). some of their engines are updated Porsche models (Sandy Earl, Michael Wolfe) and some engines are tuned up oldies (myself) but yes recumbents are excellent long distance machines for brevets. They are also welcome at the grand daddy ride of all, Paris Brest Paris. Randos are very welcoming to anyone riding 2 wheels and even 3 wheelers are welcome.
yours truly
pw

Hey, that's Dan B.
https://randanneuring.blogspot.com/

I've read his blog, but I never made that connection before. I stayed up all night volunteering on the EM1240k, so I was almost as bleary as the riders by the time I took those pictures.

In fact, randos seem to be more inclined to ride 'bents than cyclist in general are: at the Rocky Mountain 1200 two years ago, 4 out of 100 starters were on bents (and 100% of us finished, thank you), and on ORR brevets, bents typically make up about 5% of the field. In the world at large, bents account for less than 1% of the cycling population.

SP
Bend, OR

When I rode with the Manitoba randonneurs, there were 2 couples on tandems, 2 bents, and usually about 5-6 of us on single upright bicycles. So the percentage there was up around 20% of riders were on bents.

Here in Victoria (the state in Australia) I don't think I've been to an event yet where there hasn't been at least 1 recumbent.

Throughout my travels and all the randonneuring events I've participated in, I've seen people riding on just about every human-powered machine imaginable ... racing bicycles, touring bicycles, sport touring bicycles, single speeds, fixed gears, old clunkers rescued and restored from the tip, ancient bicycles, brand new bicycles, recumbents of all sorts, recumbent trikes, tandems, tandem recumbents, a "push-me-pull-you" tandem (that was interesting!), a triplet (also interesting!), tricycles (for adults, of course), a kick bike .... and although I haven't seen it and it wasn't a randonneuring event, evidently there's a guy who does the Seattle to Portland on a unicycle.

Many of the "odd" bicycles are ridden by the British ... go to England and see what they're riding on their Audax events!!