I've never ridden a crank forward bike so can't say to much about them. They look like a type of semi recumbent cruiser. I would guess they would be terrible on hills. Its like going from one extreme to another. The Dutch style bikes with a relaxed 67 degree angles or there about would be a better solution. How much anyone needs to lay it back to get comfortable is individual. It likely also changes with age.

I had a recumbent I sold about 5 years ago after over 4 years of use. I never could get used to the way it handled hills, especially with any kind of load. That may have more to do with the Bike E (now out of business) then recumbents in general. I haven't ridden enough other styles to know. But on top of that it was just not convenient for tooling around in an urban area.

It doesn't surprise me that the issue of pressure of the hands and wrist comes up for discussion quite often. Nearly all bikes sold in the USA are designed for sporty type riding with aggressive angles that throw the rider forward. Add to that the either drop or straight type handlebars and you have a recipe for pain. Contrast that to the European style everyday type bikes with more relaxed angles and swept back handlebars designed for more upright riding. These type bikes take pressure off the upper body. You lose some efficiency but gain comfort. What you get depends on what's important to you. As the years go by comfort has become much more important than gaining a few mph. Being on a bike does not mean having to be uncomfortable. There is no need to suffer.