Not to me. Actually I thought it was incidental that the guy who made the initial challenge rode a recumbent. I've read similar comments from folks who rode triangle frames, so I didn't take his comments to be recumbent-specific.
Yes, but with these types of posts (regardless of who started the post) it's like discussing politics or religion. You won't change anyone's mind. Even if there is some proof on your side, they will have some proof on their side as well. Bent riders feel one way and upright riders feel another way about bikes and riding in general, so why make a big deal out of it and turn any thread into "bicycle wars?" Someone did the same thing on the Recumbent Forum and it's probably around 6 pages (last time I looked) and they are still bickering over who is right. You're not going to get a democrat to agree 100% with a republican and you aren't going to to get a bent rider to agree 100% with an upright rider, and visa-versa. I must admit that some of the posts are amusing, but to keep the same thing going for three or more pages doesn't make sense to me because the guy on the bent hasn't sold it and ran out and bought a conventional bike and I don't think a bent is in your near future. Just saying.....