Originally Posted by
BlazingPedals
I think the contention is, on a longer ride the upper body strain of an upright has an additional 'wearing' effect. Without it, the recumbent rider will tend to feel less beat-up at the end of a ride. With it, the rider may wear out a little bit sooner. The difference in exertion isn't going to translate directly into a speed increase/decrease. Most recumbenteurs will agree that the difference in aerodynamics and overall comfort make the biggest difference in how far or fast they can ride.
Sorry, I know it's usually bad form to quote oneself. But I wanted to amplify on this.
Since an upright rider only knows riding uprights, that's their standard for measurement. So, to them, there's not an issue. It's not really accurate to say they'll wear out faster, even though from our perspective that's the case. Like a audiophile who has never heard stereo, they don't recognize the problem. (It's all high-fidelity sound, right?) By contrast, most recumbent riders started on uprights and moved to recumbents. So, with experience, the difference is obvious to us. (Whoa! The guitar is coming from the right, just like it was on the stage!)