Just as an aside, in RAAM regular recumbents (if there is such a thing) race in the same class as the DF bikes. HPV's race in the "open" division.

I thought it would be really nice to look at the year that the recumbent record was set, 2005. That way it's the same course with the same weather conditions with the fastest recumbent team, one of the faster DF teams and just for fun I'll throw in the Kern Wheelman (DF) team that came in an hour after ALS Bacchetta. Team ALS Bacchetta finished in 6d 03hrs 26mins. A respectable time and good enough for third place to Beaver Creek who finished in 5d 18hrs 15mins. That's ten hours off the record pace. I'll pick the time stations with five of the highest climbing totals and see how they matched up. Feel free to go to the RAAM website and look up the times for the rest of the race if you want. It's all there.

..........................ALS Bacchetta...... Beaver Creek...... Kern Wheelmen
.........................Average speed.... Average speed ......Average speed
TS7 Prescott AZ....... 15.91.................. 19.59...................... 17.78
TS14 Cortez, CO...... 17.67 ..................21.42...................... 18.69
TS17 South Fork, CO 14.76 ..................16.63...................... 16.43
TS49 Gormania, WV . 15.27 ..................16.8........................ 16.00
TS50 La Vale, MD .......17.32 .................19.66...................... 16.21

I really have no problems with recumbents. They are what they are. They are very fast down hill and in the flats soley because they have an aerodynamic advantage. Thats it. They have no mechanical advantage and maybe a slight disadvantage climbing. Not because of weight but most probably because it is more difficult to move around on a recumbent and utilize different muscle groups like you can on a DF. It's not a big deal, that's just what it is. The problem I have is when people try to make them out to be more than they are. Why can't we be happy with the fact that they are great bikes to ride?