Recumbent Cycling
You may have seen recumbent bicycles before and maybe you have wondered why people are using this kind of bikes. I want to give a short introduction here in this lense. There is a wide variety of models available. There are recumbent bicycles and tricycles. Some are fully faired, these are called velomobiles. The constructions vary from everyday recumbents where you sit almost upright to lowracers where you lie a few inches above the ground. Riding recumbent bikes is a lot of fun and wherever you have the chance to try one you should do it.
What is a Recumbent Bicycle?
And why do people use it?
A recumbent bicycle is a bike where you can sit in a relaxed (usually reclined) position on a comfortable seat. Unlike on a standard bicycle the seat on a recumbent is comfortable at all speeds.Some recumbents can be faster than conventional bikes because of better aerodynamics. If the pedals are higher than the seat, the legs are in front of the body and the frontal area is smaller resulting in less air resistance. The faster you go the higher is the advantage. You will especially notice this when going downhill. Aerodynamics can be even better with the use of streamlined fairings and wheel covers.
You will need some time to get used to a recumbent bicycle before you will notice any speed advantage. The muscles are used in a different way than on a normal bike and need to be developed. You may also need to change your pedaling technique, especially when going uphill. If you are used to it, hill climbing with a recumbent will be no problem.There are a lot of different models available. They are built for different purposes like racing, touring, recreational riding and commuting. They may differ in seat height, wheel size, frame materials and type of steering.
Apart from comfort and speed, riding recumbents is a lot of fun. More information about recumbent bikes can be found at the sites linked below.
Recent Posts on my Recumbent Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBooks about Recumbent Bicycles and Parts
The Recumbent Bicycle
Amazon Price: $21.95 (as of 07/09/2008)
The Bicycle Wheel 3rd Edition
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 07/09/2008)
Links to Websites about Recumbent Cycling
If you have (or know) a website or blog about recumbent bikes feel free to add it here. Please keep the links focused to the topic.
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Recumbent Cycling
Articles and resources about recumbent cycling.1 point
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Recumbent Cyclist News
RCN is the #1 print publication for recumbent bicy more...0 points
#4
Recumbent Bicycles on eBay
In auctions like on eBay it is always possible to find a jewel for a very low price. For bicycles I recommend to carefully examine them and if possible make a test ride before buying. That is often not possible with goods sold on eBay, so be careful. If you know what you want and you find a reliable seller it is OK to buy on eBay. The products below have been found by the search functions on eBay. I don't know the sellers and the products, so please take it as a hint what is available but not as a personal recommendation.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Blog Posts from Google
- Recumbent Bike
- My husband and I want a recumbent exercise bike and we've done a lot of searching online and we've g...
- recumbent ride on the water front trail
- I needed a long ride so I took the trike and went out to whitby on the water front trail, and video'...
- The Stationary Recumbent Exercise Bike Gives The Best Aerobic Workout
- Soon after its launch the Breadman Supreme TR2200C was the winner of the Good Housekeeping ?Good B...
- Abe's of Maine - $200 Instant Rebate on Proform PFEX44277 ...
- Expires: 21-Jul-08.
Recumbent Cycling Videos
These are videos found on YouTube featuring recumbent bicycles. They are not made by me but I think it is good to have them here. You can vote for the videos and add your own if you like.
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Velomobile, human powered vehicle, recumbent bike 0 points
#2
Descent from Akgol Lake, Turkey on a recumbent bicycle 0 points
#3
Vision R44 Recumbent Bicycle - My Cousin takes a spin. 0 points
#4
Making a PYTHON (recumbent bike) in a single day! 0 points
Guestbook and Feedback
If you like this lens or want to add anything, please leave a comment.
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HerbWitch
Great site! Posted February 03, 2008 |
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JuliaSm
Well done! 5* Posted November 07, 2007 |
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FreaksOnBikesVarietyStore
Excellent Lense. I love my recumbent. I have the BikeE and love it. We also have the tandem BikeE. Just a great ride! 5 stars - keep on sharing .... Jeanne Posted July 01, 2007 |
