Recumbent Question
 

I'm just curious as to how the Recumbent is in comfort for your legs compared to a Hybrid or Comfort Bike.

Rich

A lot depends on the recumbent, but they are all going to use different muscles, or use them differently. I'm not sure what you mean by leg comfort though. Comfort is in the butt. Seriously...what are you finding to be uncomfortable in your legs?

And anything is more comfortable in the butt than a comfort bike for anything over 10 miles.

I've never gotten sore legs on my bent. Maybe a little wobbly(sp?) after a long ride for a bit.

I was just wondering if having your legs more out in front of you would tend to make your legs a bit more tired when peddling. Do you find that your balance is as good as sitting more upright and my other questions is big tire on the back and small on the front vs 2 big tires.

Thanks

Rich

Putting pressure on the pedals, or better yet, using clipless you aren't going to feel like you are holding your legs up. A lot depends on the 'bent design. Some are more laid back than others, some are higher than others, short wheel base, long wheel base, etc..

You need to ride some different styles of recumbents and see what you might like or what you might be able to adapt to. They can be very different so there are no easy answers.

If you get a trike, you will be in heaven. There's no need to balance at all, so not only is it (nearly) impossible to fall off, but you don't have to use any of your strength to stay balanced.

It's true that recumbents use different muscles (I went through these growing pains when I rented one for a week). But after a while, it doesn't feel any worse than riding a regular bike.

The great thing about a trike, aside from stability, is that you never have to clip out until you arrive at your destination. It's easy to rest your legs by letting them relax; the clips hold you in!

There is nothing like the feeling of a nice 'bent. Just nothing like it.

As for balance my experience is it took a little while to get as balanced as i was on the upright but you figure it took you a while to get the balance right when you first learned on an upright too huh? Just a different way of balancing thats all.

No. Pedaling a lot will tire your legs regardless of position but my legs probably tire less quickly in a relaxing, reclined position. Reclining in an easy chair is more relaxing than sitting upright on a barstool don't you think?


It looks harder to balance on your back, but with a little practice, my own ability to balance while reclined was no more difficult than doing so in an upright position. While I can't wheelstand, I can maintain balance while barely moving along behind pedestrians. I feel more stable because of the vastly lower center of gravity. In fact, after having ridden a recumbent for an extended period, when I return to riding a regular bike I sometimes suffer some momentary anxiety due to the exposed, elevated postion. It feels top-heavy riding this way and I'm more aware of how vulnerable I am to an "endo" incident.


This depends on personal preference. Dual 26-inch recumbents generally place your body higher off the ground (with a higher center of gravity, if this matters to you) but the big wheels are probably more road-worthy in being able to handle rougher surface conditions, driveways, potholes, etc. There's also the advantage of a single tire size instead of stocking two different tires and tubes. A 20-inch front, however, will keep the bottom bracket lower, hence making it easier to start and stop, which is especially important if you are of shorter stature.

Just ride some different bents and make your own conclusions.

It depends on the recumbent, the rider and the conditioning.

Recumbents can be painful on your knees at first, especially if you mash the pedals instead of spinning. I was told my recumbent would have my legs tired after about 5 miles unless I got clipless pedals. I still don't have clipless pedals and don't notice any tiring from holding my feet up, unless I'm going up a very very long long steep steep hill. I'm afraid to try the clipless.

If you are worried about holding your feet up and getting tired then look for a recumbent that either has your feet level wtih your seat or lower.

As for the wheels, mine has a 16 inch front wheel because I'm a small person and have a small bike. I don't see too much disadvantage, unless I'm headed toward a big bump, like a driveway that has a 2 inch curb or something sharp like that. Otherwise I find on my upright things are pretty bumpy, too.

You use different muscles on a recumbent. More hamstrings. I rode my regular bike today after 8 months of recumbent riding. I'm strong on the backs of my legs and weak on the front. It's good to do both, I think.

My own experience is that after riding a bent for 30 miles, I feel no different than when I walked to my bike and first sat down.

On an upright after 30 miles I walk funny and have to stretch my back, neck, shoulders, wrists, and legs.

I love my upright bike but it's for racing only. Any relaxing/touring/fun is all recumbent, all the time.