...that’s not what he said.

He said, “...trikes are not very much wider than the handle bars on a DF bike.”

I was just being pedantic, surely you can understand that, Tom.

Equally pedantically, I will point out for the record that I did concede a "yeah" to your point about DF bar widths vs. trike widths.

Mr. Rydabent and Mr. Robnol have each certainly found their own versions of cycling religion. It seemingly distorts what should be an uncontroversial, objective subject (i.e the easily measurable width of things, such as handlebars, people's shoulders, and trikes).

For most motorists, (drivers); bicycles and motorcycles are just toys, don't belong on public roads, roads are for cars.

We've earned it.

I have to agree that trikes, on a whole, are wider than uprights. I don't think that's a particular safety issue. However, every recumbent trike I've seen is lower than the average two wheeled bent, and I think that's critical. The rider is lower and less visible, as well as having less ability to see. Basically, I view anything that reduces the visibility of a bike and rider is a negative thing. I really think visibility is the key factor. A car driver cannot avoid what they do not see, and may not avoid what they see poorly.

My solution for my wife's trike is a tubular aluminum staff ~5 feet high. On the top are four bright lights facing to either side, front, and back. This is in addition to another light facing forward, and two more mounted on her helmet. The staff itself is fabricated from old tent tubing—very strong, stiff enough but still flexible. Even if the driver cannot see the trike or her past the curve of the car body, the lights will be at or near eye level and still visible.

Paranoid? Who? Me? You're darn right I am!

Agree with all of that.

Understood. A former coworker and neighbor expressed a similar thought to me one day. In an economic downturn, '08 maybe, he rather angrily said this was no time for stupid things like riding bikes to work. I was thinking to myself, "dude, you drive a 5 liter Mustang the 0.8 miles from our neighborhood to work, and think riding a bike that distance is frivolous?" But the car culture overcomes logic.

But that's another thread.

You nailed it with the last word of your post - "fun". I have short and long wheel base recumbents, and both recumbent bikes and recumbent trikes. I don't ride recumbents exclusively. They just add some variety to my rides.
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1997 Pearl Lime Green Easy Racers Tour Easy with Zipper Fairing


Crimson Red Lightning Cycle Dynamics P-38 with Zipper Fairing


2009 Sunset Gold TerraTrike Zoomer Elite


Pure White Recycled Recumbent Mach 3


My other recumbents: https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/15450017

Actually they may be safer. As many have pointed out drivers dont know what to make of trikes. Many it seems think they are some handicap machine or a strange wheel chair. As a result when cars pass trikes they go clear over in the other lane most of the time. Drivers dont want their name and picture posted on the front page of the paper as having hit a handicap person. Trike riders dont disabuse drivers of their take on trikes.

Absolutely true, in fact, it can be annoying at times. I was on a ride a couple days ago in the middle of nowhere on a flat, wide road and a car followed a 100' behind for probably a half mile.

I doubt they were ogling my trike from behind as there isn't much to see but guess they were just confused what this thing with a flashing light and a flag on it was.

In extreme cases like that, I pull over and stop. People get the message and go on their way.

Where do you buy these wonderful things at?

The only way to find your answer is to try one.

I bought two Vision R40s from my local Craigslist ads, and another one from eBay listing, but seller is also within 45 miles.

There are more and more listings on eBay for recumbents, but shipping on recumbent bikes can be crazy, especially buying one just by looking at pictures without test riding.

Confused drivers are safer drivers? The same thing applies, to a lesser extent, to two wheeled recumbents. Of course, they have to see you first, which is why ours have lots of lights pointing forward, back, and sides: eight on the trike, six on the standard bent.

I recommend finding the nearest dealer. Shipping gets pricey, as previously mentioned. You can do a lot of research online, but definitely try before you buy. I also recommend starting with a lower end machine for two reasons: they are less expensive; and they tend to be "one size fits most." Higher end bents may need to be sized for the rider (Lightning P-38s for example). There are a lot of recumbents out there, and you'll be happier if you do your homework beforehand.

I started with a Sun Tour Easy, then went to a Sun CZ Sport, and finally to the Lightning P-38, and I'm glad I did it that way, as bents use muscles slightly differently than uprights, and steering is different, even on a trike.

It would help to know where you live & ride.

As others said: try one. Try several. Many times your concept of what is "right" will change after you right a couple different styles. Also, there are many different types of recumbent bikes (not to mention trikes) and buying the "wrong" recumbent can be an unnecessary turn-off.

How are things at Muppet Labs? (Love the avatar!)

Thanks! Turns out I have a trike dealer only 20 minutes from me. But after looking at the p-38 it would seem I prefer that style but it is out of my budget. There is a lot to learn indeed.

My first commercial recumbent was a Lightning P-38. (I had built recumbent trikes for sale a few years earlier.) My test ride was in the hallways of the convention center during a bike dealer convention. It worked great, but it took me a while to save up for the whole machine.

Trikes are great but if you're going to be riding with uprights a SWB like the Lightning is a good match. Talk to that trike shop- there might be a recumbent group near you that you haven't found yet. It's always good to find the range of opinions about different bikes and trikes. I had some preconceptions that I shed when I tried out a RANS Phoenix a couple months ago... and I've been around recumbents for nearly 40 years.

Nothing has exploded... tonight.

This idea that bents and trikes are too low to be seen is nonsense. Drivers avoid running over a dead skunk on the road. Bents and trikes are taller than a dead skunk. Case closed.

I've taken to using a helmet-mounted rear flasher. That way, nobody can believably claim that they didn't see me in front of them. My flasher can bee seen from a half-mile away in bright sun, and further in cloudy weather or shade.

If height mattered, semis would run over cars all the time, and cars would never hit upright cyclists.

I worked up to 25 miles on a mountain bike in singletrack, took some time.
From that 25 mile rides on a road bike were attained faster and 50 mile rides came but with pain in places I did not like.
Then came my Easy racer Tour easy Long wheel base bent, I had to develop slightly different muscle groups and a 50 mile ride was still a workout
but the pain was missing,,,completely

One of the greatest applications for a recumbent is touring. The reason to tour is to see the scenery. Since you sit upright on a bent you have a panoramic view of where you are riding.