Is it just me, or does this look profoundly uncomfortable?

Bird of Prey bike takes a new position on cycling

In even a slight crash, many vital organs could be injured.

Forget the crash ... I see vital organ damage just riding it!

Body support looks problematic and there's no way to unweight the "seat" on rough surfaces, but I bet it's fast as feces.

Sure there is. You just have to have abs of steel do to it. Well, you'd probably need decent abs to ride this bike comfortably anyway.

Also, this is a repost of a repost, but I'm too lazy to find the original threads.

Yeah, I guess you're right. Kind of like using one of those "ab wheel" things.

Can you imagine the pressure this puts on the intestines? Imagine, if you will, riding back home from a lovely dinner at a Mexican restaurant.

On a more serious note, since the maintenance of the position of the machine is dependent on arm support, any movement of the arm (for example to reach back to tuck the shirt in or get gloves, sunglasses, water bottle or energy bar) could be catastrophic. The arms must be free to perform other (sometimes emergency) functions. An upright position allows this.
Track racing...that is another story completely.

And with that thought I never, ever want to ride behind one of these bikes regardless of how good looking the woman is on it.

Then again, if you were riding it and someone decided to draft off of you, you pretty much have a fart cannon pointed at their face. As well as a FAM. That's fart assisting mechanism by means of the pressure on the abdomen.

(In all honesty I think this bike is meant to be ridden on your hips, not your stomach.)

I'd have to study her, both on and off the bike, for an extended period.

It is pretty clear the pressure is meant to be on the iliac crests, not the abdomen, but I'm always intrigued by farts, women, bikes and boats, although not necessarily in that order.

The steering issue is obviously critical for anything but time trialing.

Your plan sounds like a credible one, corr. If some overly-curious motorist decides to tail-gate you, that kind of action could take the chrome right off his bumper.

In other news: This talk of the hips (ilia) makes me wonder if the design of the B.O.P. cycle allows for a variable level of conscious hip muscle engagement (on my bike, when my quads are sore, I shift over to use my hips more). I can't tell by looking at it.
I think Retro may have the right idea, by dutifully examining both machine and operator.

The Bird of Prey and crude jokes about the model have been done server times on the various forums. The design is nothing new.

You can pretty much guarantee that anybody with a long beard would never want to ride that thing.

Recumbents I get - those look like they could be comfortable on a long ride. These other things I don't get unless you are trying to set some sort of speed record.

IIRC, Obree was planning to break 100mph on that one (with a fairing of course). Topped out at 56.~25mph less than the record set by the fastest ‘bent streamliner at Battle Mountain that year.


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I have often wondered why such a large proportion of supine recumbent riders are facially hirsute. Perhaps that's because it's too risky to ride prone.

Good luck getting UCI to approve the design for sanctioned events.

As noted, no good way to "stand up" to absorb shock with your legs.

Oh please.

Any men planning on having children might want to avoid this bike. Looks scary.

The funny thing about that Bird of Prey is, I think there is no aero advantage at all over a regular diamond frame with aero bars. In fact, I'd bet money that a wind tunnel would show more drag.

Does that one have a front fender? Look down for a moment, and you could get some nasty road rash.

This takes "planking" to a whole new level... These bikes just look uncomfortable just to ride normally. An accident looks like it will grind away your knees and elbows to powder.

There goes your hopes for a PR on that course.

The Plank Bike! Get 'em while they're hot!

I don't think anyone is trying.

I'm not too sure about that (although you may be right...) Upright riders tend to ignore the fact that their legs are perpendicular to the airflow no matter what position their upper body is in.