It has to be because they're very different. My trike has drawn more attention in a week than the rest of my bikes in a year! All nice comments, and a lot of older folks like me stop to talk about it at the coffee shop down the road. Many have never seen one. I kinda have to agree if it weren't for my health problems, I would probably still be on a diamond. I am learning to love this thing. As someone stated at least I can ride again!!!

Chip, I meet nuthin's like you all the time. Dream on, troll!

SP
Bend, OR

Then your alarm clock goes off, you wake up and remember "hey, I have a sense of humor....if I could only get it out from under my thin skin". :lol:

I agree. Recumbents do have certain applications. You missed one of the big ones. Breaking speed records. Witness the recent Battle Mountain HPV Trials. Try going 82+mph on a wedgy. The current record for distance in one hour at the Nissan Proving Track is 55 miles. On a recumbent no less.

try going 82 mph on an open frame recumbent...not saying that a so called wedgy could do it if it had a aero frame encasing the rider...but it could get a bit closer.

a open frame bent is like a road bike...the ones breaking land speed records are not the ones cruising the town chillen in a group ride. they are specifically engineered to go fast and break records...

Again, not saying it's right or wrong, but this explains why bike racers tend to think of recumbents (if they think of them at all) as bicycle-like machines.

The keyword is application. That is what I was responding to. Speed is what started the recumbent revolution. The late Gardnier Martin is the one that started the thing rolling in CA. when he built the Gold Rush to win the Dupont Prize for breaking the 60mph HPV land record. The Gold Rush is now in the Simthsonian as a preservation of that landmark. From that evolved the Gold Rush Replica by Easy Racers (founded by the the late Gardiner Martin) which is now one of the largest selling bents. It is also one of the fastest production bikes and I think one of the most comfortable touring bikes.

Martin and Easy Racers may have been one of the pioneers, but the whole thing was started by Mochet in 1934 with the Velocar which was subsequently banned by the UCI due to its speed. After wallowing in the ditch for decades, the restart began in '76 by Chet Kyle with the IHPVA. The current speed records have been reset again this year.

Sam Whittingham
Top Speed at 82.819 mph, 133.284 kph
One Hour total 56.295 miles, 90.598 km

Barbara Buatois
Top Speed at 75.458 mph, 121.437 kph
One Hour total 52.208 miles, 84.020 km

:)ensen.

Yeah. What he said.

Actually commercial recumbents even predate the Mochet Velocar. The then hour record was beteen by a Velocar in 1933 with a 2nd tier pro and was part of the reason why they were banned by the UCI.

Reading about the Velocar racing in the thirties was intersting and some things haven't changed. Then as now an aerodynamic recumbent was quicker on the flats and downhills than a regular bike and was slower uphills. A recumbent with small wheels was slower than a regular bike on rough roads.

The speeds set by Sam and Barbara are amazing, but both are very fit and strong riders. If you put me in the same bikes I wouldn't come any where close.

The other problem is that if you enjoy the social aspect of riding in a group and pacelines, it requires much more concentration and is harder on a recumbent.

On a recumbent, I tend to not ride in pacelines because I don't need to draft in order to go fast or to fight a headwind. Recumbent groups tend to be more spread out because of this. Relying on others to do the work is my definition of "cheating." If I want to socialize, I ride next to the other bike. Even on an upright, I find it hard to hold a conversation with someone in front of or behind me.

arent you cheating with your super aero position. just sayin.

also, in pro cycling those "others" are paid to be others. and in recreational cycling, everyone i ride with does their share up front...but when it hurts the most on ascents, it doesnt really matter whos up front, everyone is hurting.

the social aspect of riding in a group and pacelines, it requires much more concentration and is harder on a recumbent.[/QUOTE

WHAT????

Is a sub-20 pound bike cheating?

my bike weights 22lbs...

does that put me in the non cheating category or were you just pointing out that the weight is a factor in what separates a TRUE cyclist from another? i mean, in your opinion is a 15lb carbon bike cheating or does the fact that they average 30mph over 5 hours with 10k ft of climbing, neutralize the cheating factor.

anyway my point is that its not jealousy, if i wanted a bent, i would get one...but i dont.

Yeah. I just don't see the jealousy thing. Given the amount of money most racers pour into the sport, they could afford a recumbent if they wanted one. It's indifference, really.

Getting aero isn't cheating anymore than using an aero position on a TT bike; or as a lesser example, getting down on the drops when fighting a headwind. But our advantage in getting more aero is why we're in a different class for racing purposes. Which gets back to the original question. The upper-level racers recognize that 'bents are in a different class, so I see very little animosity there. They are friendly, sometimes even curious. It's the lower-levels and wannabes that treat 'bent riders like lepers. And of course, when I blow by their little pacelines, ringing my bell and waving, it only makes their attitudes worse. I love that! ;)

ha. thats great you can do that. he said that drafting was cheating. do you think that drafting is cheating? i posed a question. i dont think any of its cheating. only in an Ironman is drafting cheating.

Anytime someone makes fun of my recumbent, I just pull a massive wheelie and speed off.

It is still about the application. A 15# bike might help you climb, but witness the 64# recumbent that Fast Freddy rode to set the 55 miles in one hour record at Nissan.

Actually it's more fun rubbing it in while eating ice cream. They won't admit to it, but people riding uprights on the MUP definitely show envy when they see you licking at a cone while moseying along.

:)ensen.

thats the point of my posts. if your setting or training for land speed records...then thats awesome. otherwise everyone else i see is just chillen. cycling is about getting healthy and in shape and suffering and getting an endorphin rush. i ride every ride to try and be faster and better than the ride before.
if thats how you ride your recumbent then awesome. but they arent for me because i dont want to mosey along.
anyway i dont even belong in this section. you guys have a great time enjoying your bents. peace.

I guess the rules are a bit more tolerant here in Sweden. In August of last year while out on a 45 mile ride, I found myself going the wrong way on a cycle race route. Imagine my shock and delight when a bent bike passed me, number and all. He smiled and waved.

Imagine my even greater surprise and joy when further back in a pack of riders there were no less than three more 'bents, two of them ridden by women, and all riders with numbers.

Maybe it wasn't a significant race so they let them in as tokens of good will or something, but they were definitely in the race. All the DF riders were on high end machines. No clue about the 'bents since I'm not familiar with bent bikes, only trikes.