Patrick,
Please describe the course on which you are making the comparison (in your second post, 4/19) of recumbent bike speed vs. upright bike speed. I've found that the course terrain matters a lot. If the course does not include significant hillclimbs, I've found that I'm faster on the recumbent bikes. If the course is 20 miles long and include a 2 mile-long climb at 6% grade, I will definitely be faster on an upright bike since so much time will be spent climbing. If the course is flat but includes lots of stop signs, I will be faster on the upright bike since I can accelerate so much faster. Some bikes that I own are ungainly (poor turning ability) with poor visibility (looking between my knees), and these bikes, though extremely fast, are only good for certain courses (few cars, no sharp turns, no stopping...). For fastest overall speeds, I would like to have a stable of bikes and be able to switch between them as the course terrain changes.