Originally Posted by texasphil
Let's take a hypothetical 10m commute with hills, throw in one small steep hill. Is a rec practical. Can it commute like a reg urban or road bike? Does your backside sweat more and can they handle road hazards like potholes and rough surfaces.
Strong disagreement on one point here: recumbents absolutely suck on rough, dicey surfaces. (no flames please (or go ahead, if you must) -- I love recumbents (and I'm not just saying that) -- but I also believe in honesty and full disclosure, and in not painting a distortedly rosy picture, especially when it could quite literally be a dangerous distortion as well.)
I've done it, and I've talked with a lot of other riders who have also tried it. They (recumbents) are not even close to a mountain bike over potholes and rough surfaces. You are much, much more likely to go down (trikes excepted).
They aren't so great up steep hills either. (Some will dispute this, but go ahead and test ride both, up a steep hill, and see what you think.) With an upright bike you can stand.
With an upright, you can also stand up and off the saddle going over bumps, and absorb the bumps with your legs. You can use a lot body English to recover and to balance.
Otherwise, recumbents can be great.
Originally Posted by texasphil
Does your backside sweat more and can they handle road hazards like potholes and rough surfaces.
Yes, even with mesh your backside sweats more. The seat is also wider, with larger contact areas, and it is hotter. (Some seats are better than others, but none are equal to an upright in this regard.)
There is a lot more air circulation with an upright.
Originally Posted by texasphil
Can it commute like a reg urban or road bike?
No. Not quite. They are different.
You can do it, yes. But they are different.
Why not take some test rides, and compare for yourself?