Originally Posted by
TourEasyTom
I looked closer and found it is a Powercam Crankset. Took a little getting used to but getting more comfortable with it. One thing I have noticed, and not sure if it's a gearing issue, but the Tour Easy, even in low gear, is very hard to pedal uphill, when compared with my upright. Is it normal for recumbents to be harder to pedal uphill, since I don't have the benefit of my body weight helping push down on the pedals?
Thanks
Holy Crap! A Powercam crank? Those are incredibly rare. If yours is intact, I would suggest you have a good bike shop remove it so you can preserve it for future generations. Then you can replace it with a more modern triple crank with more appropriate gearing. The gearing on the Powercam crank was very high due to the "cam" arrangement attached to the bottom bracket.
Here's info on the Powercam:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/PowrCam_main.htm
As you found, recumbents tend to be harder going up hill than uprights. It's better to gear down, spin the pedals, and winch yourself up the hill. Mashing big gears doesn't get you there any faster, and it tends to beat up your knees.