Reclyining Bicycles?

[VEA]

Does anyone else not get them?

I've just followed a chap through the centre of town (I was walking), on the pavement. Pottering along at slower than walking pace. He's is merrily freewheeling along at a snails pace taking up the whole pavement.

I'm not really sure in the point of this post, it annoyed me a bit, I guess I just don't really get the point of them. It wasn't one of the hand pump ones so I'm guessing he wasn't disabled.

[prand]

Recumbent bicycle you mean?

I'm sure I've read a few threads on here about them. They appear to me the preserve of the bearded and eternally strange.

They can go quite fast but don't seem to look good in traffic or climbing steep hills. Hillingdon has a race series I believe. I don't like them really but they are two wheeled (three and four wheels are also available) so they need a bit of fellow cyclist support.

[scubadude]

Do you mean he was on a Recumbent Trike?

Irrespective whether he was disabled or not he should have been on the road where bikes belong :-) Otherwise they can't jump the lights and p*ss off DM readers (just added that for PH balance)

BTW, Recumbents are enormous fun, the trikes are all oversteery like a gokart and the two wheeled ones b*stard fast.

[Disco You]

They're more aero than a normal road bike, so are very fast on the flat and down hills. They're also very comfortable for long distances.

The downsides are that they aren't great up hills, and you will get killed by traffic.

[scubadude]

FWIW The "you'll die in traffic" myth is nonsense.

Short of riding an 8ft unicycle naked with a hi-viz helmet you will never be More visible on a bike than a recumbent, everyone gives you a wide berth assuming you're some sort of disabled person and since they have a unusal shape motorists spot you a mile off (like how you can spot a Rare/exotic car miles ahead on the motorway but can't name all the Hyundia/Kia/Ford "all the same" sh*te boxes in between :-)

[VEA]

Recumbent yes.

3 wheels yes, two at the front, 1 at the back.

It just looks a little odd. I can imagine the uphill thing would be a struggle.

I have seen them in the past with those silly orange flags on, I guess to make them easier to see in traffic.

[scubadude]

VEA said:

3 wheels yes, two at the front, 1 at the back.

Tadpole Trike

VEA said:

I can imagine the uphill thing would be a struggle.

Only because they tend to be heavy (15-30kg) rather than 7-15 like "normal" bikes, they usually have lower low gears to account for this and you can push back against the seat for power, not a struggle as such just slower uphill.

VEA said:

I have seen them in the past with those silly orange flags on, I guess to make them easier to see in traffic.

Yeah, mine came with one, ditched it quikly, was of no benefit and just caused drag and flapping noise... flag used to flap "alot" over 55mph, which was easily achieved on moderate downhill.