Bikewer

I put a flat bar on my homebuilt, mainly because that's what I had. Seems to be OK....

But I noticed that most of the commercial SWB 'bents have radically swept-back bars. Any particular reason for this, or is it just cosmetic?

BlazingPedals

It depends on the intended position of the rider. Flat or angled-down bars work for praying hamster setups, U-Bars or something like Bacchetta bars work better for superman setups.

johntolhurst

Yes, the rider's position dictates what is ergonomically more appropriate. Try this test: hold a broom handle out in front of you with two hands (ala superman) then pull your hands in towards your shoulders. You'll notice how twisted up your wrists become. Also: if you shape up like a boxer your hands and arms will be in a naturally strong position.

That should reveal that there really is no one answer, it all depends on upper body orientation, the direction you are reaching to the bars and the distance away they are.

In most recumbents it might not be all that important because you arms are basically limp, but in the cruzbike FWD where your upper body and arms are part of the action, the ergonomics of the upper body as well as the lower body are very important to producing your maximum power.

Cheers.

Bikewer

I did a lot of fooling around with the semi-completed bike on a trainer, and some dowels and broomsticks to mimic stem/bar placement. Musta hit it pretty well by dumb luck. The bar is at upper-chest level, and my arms hang in what you describe as the "praying hampster" position. (love it...)