@@Ed-yu3cw That depends. If you are new to recumbents, then it might feel harder to pedal a recumbent because you need little bit different muscle groups than with upright bike. So it needs some practice to get similar power output. But in general any two wheeled recumbent should be faster on flat road compared to a mountain bike with same amount of power output, because recumbents have better aerodynamics. But then if we are talking about mountain biking stuff (jumps and technical terrain and features and stuff), then I guess a mountain bike is easier in any way.
This is exactly what I tell people when they ask me the same question. I was fed up with a sore neck wrists, shoulders, back, and backside. Recumbents rock 🎸🎸. Safe riding.
Ever since I saw an article in the magazine "Mother Earth News" showing how to build a recumbent trike sometime back in the early 80's I wanted one. As a teen back then I didn't have the skills or tools to make one. Now I have my own BikE that I purchased second hand I am still able to ride even though I have 3 slipped disks in my back that make an upright bike impossible for me to ride.
Often concluded all pros and cons of recumbent vs upright I could think of. Recumbent pros: More comfortable.(used to have back pains, now they're gone) Faster.(aerodynamic) Safer.(Better handling because of weight distribution and much shorter break distance. No falling head first over handlebars at full stop) Much more fun to ride. :) Recumbent minor pros: Car drivers let you cross street 3-4 times as often, since they are curious to "What the hell is that?" Much easier to carry stuff while riding, holding camera or ice cream in one hand etc. Recumbent cons: A bit more expensive. Scary to ride in winter some times if the roads are slippery. Much harder to get off the bike fast if you slip. However much less painful from the lower height compared to upright if you do fall. Unwanted attention. Being "abnormal/strange" is terrible to many for some reason. Recumbent preconceptions: Recumbents are only good for long distance/touring: Hell no, they are just as convenient or even more so for every day use going shopping in town or going to work. An AZUB Max has the same wheel distance as any normal bike and hardly takes any more space to get around in towns. I find it way more convenient to go shopping with an AZUB Max compared to my ordinary mountainbike since its just so more comfortable at carrying lots of cargo. Even in my lap if the bags are full, often riding home thinking, no one would ever be able to do this shopping run on an upright bike. Recumbents can't go uphill since you can't stand... Standing does'nt really matter when you have many gears and use SPD pedals to both push and pull the pedals. Service and spare parts are expensive: No, it uses for at least 95% of the bike exact same components as any other bike. The only difference is the shape of the frame and thus the positions of the components.
Recumbent con: They don't fit in the bike rack on the front of the bus. Those racks, at least in Seattle, are designed to hold an upright bike. So a mixed commute (bus and bike) is out. Recumbents are harder to start going up hill from a complete stop. I have to sort of shove the bike as I'm standing over it and hop on and push a stroke. Usually I can do it but it took some training. Falling, Your legs hit first. I've fallen twice at speed and both times twisted my ankle. (one time on each side) But had I fallen on my road bike it could have been a head, or serious arm injury. I also have a much harder time staying upright in slippery conditions on the recumbent. But I've fallen on ice on the road bike, sand on the recumbent. Neither was fun.
@@abhabh6896 it's no problem to just unclip one foot and put it on the ground. However, its more convenient to just hold the traffic light pole with one hand as I do most of the time. :)
Agree with you 100% Saukki! I started riding recumbent bikes in the 1980's. I also had some upright bikes at the time. It didn't take long to realize that my recumbent was much more comfortable than an upright (upwrong) bike. So much better for commuting in winter when you attach a fairing to the front of a recumbent and the best bike for long distances. I eventually sold all of my uprights but I kept my recumbents.
Some years ago I rode a RANS Rocket short wheel base recumbent with dual 20" wheels thousands of miles and enjoyed every one of them! After more than 4 decades of putting up with saddle sores, inflamed prostates , sore wrists, sore neck, etc. it was like a miracle to be able to ride 50 miles and get off the recumbent with no injuries and nothing sore. Recumbents come in all sizes and flavors and there is a style that will meet the meeds of just about every cyclist. Coming from a background of high speed go kart and sports car racing I prefer the short wheel based style as they offer the high performance handling characteristics I favor. They can be a bit tricky to ride at first as they demand full attention from the neophyte. But once you have a few rides under your belt they are a piece of cake. Faster than uprights on the flats and downhills recumbents have a somewhat undeserved reputation for being poor climbers. But this is far less the result of inherent design limitations than it is of people who somehow seems unwilling to match their bikes gearing to the terrain being ridden. I live in a very mountainous region of Maine and if someone told me that the longest section of level road within 50 miles of my house was 200' long I'd probably think they were exaggerating...but only slightly. As equipped from the RANS factory my Rocket was all but unrideable over this hilly terrain. "Dorothy, this is not Kansas!" Apparently because of the small wheel size RANS felt it necessary to equip the bike with a set of rather large chainwheels so as to be able to maintain a respectable cruising speed on the flats. But hills? Forget it! Lance Armstrong would struggle climbing an 8 degree incline with the Rocket's stock gearing! My first attempt at setting the bike up for hilly terrain involved a Shimano 105 triple touring crankset and an 11/32 cassette. Better, but still no banana! Eventually I wound up going with a Shimano Deore mountain bike triple crankset and an 11/34 cassette. I can't recall precisely what this gave me for a low gear but it was somewhere in the very low 20" range. Theoretically this setup would result in a very modest top speed but I was in my mid 60s and thus was a "spinner" not a "grunter." My normal cruising cadence was around 110/120 and for brief periods I could get up into the low 180s. So really the only time I'd be tapped out was on steep downhills and who really needs to go faster than 45 mph on a bicycle?
Thanks for the video, Saukki! Upright bikes were always painful to me: seat, wrists, shoulders, neck, hands... ow! My recumbent trike is super-comfortable, like riding a recliner chair. I was astonished by how much more I enjoy riding because I'm comfortable all the time, and can see so much better. I see more wildlife and it's great for birdwatching because I can see UP so easily, and stop to watch without needing to put a foot down. The natural neck position gives me a HUGE field of view, making it much easier to see traffic and pedestrians. At intersections I can just stop and let autos have the right of way. I ride mostly in a busy city, and drivers notice me FAR more on my trike than on my upright bike. Hey, if drivers can see a cat, beer can, or road stripe, they can see me... if they can't, they shouldn't be driving. But on a recumbent, they NOTICE me far more. There are lots of bicyclists around here but drivers often ignore them. My trike is geared low so I can climb steep hills, go as slow as I want to with no dangerous wobbles, and stop to rest without dismounting. To pedal harder, I push back against the seat. There are a few disadvantages like weight, but the fun factor is SO MUCH more that I can't imagine ever wanting to go back to uprights.
I had upright bikes as a child and collage. Loved riding anywhere. Later years like in my 40’s to now 60’s, the stress on my neck, back and mostly wrists got to where I was worn out after short rides. That’s where these recumbent bikes are great. Now again I can ride for long time without discomfort. Need a few weeks to really feel comfortable, but it’s worth it. And there really cool.
Wow. I don't think I'd leave upright bikes behind but doing some nice touring trips with a velomobile is now definitely on my bucket list. This is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.
Once again, Saukki comes through with the most useful information ever, pertaining to velomobiles, and recumbents. I mean, he just cuts right through the bullshit, and goes into detail, about the things that mean the most. To a real cyclist, this is a gold mine of useful information. That's why I love this channel. For example, no one has ever had the balls to talk about what it's like to fart in a velomobile. As funny as that may sound, it happens, and it is important. It is things like that is what makes this guy special. He tells you all the details, the little things, & the things that matter the most. Looking forward to the next one. Ride safe, my friend.😎👍💯💯💯💯💯
Some may say that Cycling everywhere cyclist>odd person Recombent cyclist>more odd It takes time that oddnes fades away. 150 years ago running was considered odd.😉🧪🧐🥳
@@donaldblankenship8057 That's a problem of small slower mono-track vehicle in a space shared with bigger faster duo-track vehicles, rather than a upright compared to recumbent issue. I still want to try a recumbent, and prefereably one with a mirror.
i got a fat tad trike in the summer of 2017 and went from 230 lbs to 160 lbs in 15 months by triking around the 10.3 km Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver 1000 times. Not a dull moment I might add. worth every penny
Without traffic? Why do you think so? Without hills? Why do you think so? I have been in 5350 meters above sea level with one.... Enough money? Well, there are second hand ones or cheap ones. Nowadays, in time of e-bikes, the price is somehow normal for a bike :-)
@@honza-galla Try to commute through a German town wih it, than you will know what I mean - if you survived... We have also 20% hills here! And lastly, I don't have an E-bike!
Alan Campbell Well, nobody was speakibg anout commuting. That is like if you would want to do commuting on a downhill bike. There are bikes for commuting, there are bikes for downhilling and there are great bikes for long distance expeditions, comfortable weekend rides without any pain or just riding for fun in the countryside. And those are recumbents. 20% uphills, do you have problems with it on an upright bike? I guess so. Same with me on a recumbent, but I can do it as well as you. I have been in 5350 meters on a recumbent...
Sorry, my Milan GT Velomobile was designed and originally built in Germany: Räderwerk GmbH, Hainhölzer Straße 13 / Ecke Nordfelder Reihe 30159 Hannover. They sold plugs to a Canadian kayak maker who made mine. German recumbent dealers: www.bacchettabikes.com/germany/, www.hpvelotechnik.com/index_d.html, hasebikes.com/38-1-Germany.html to name a few. There are a lot of Germans using recumbents in cities and climbing hills. They are scarce but they are out there. Have fun!
@@honza-galla If they are not suitable for commuting, they are not suitable for traffic! That's what I wrote. And no, I do not have issue riding a 20% ramp with any of my bikes.
Hi from Cape Town I have not peddled anything for at least 35 years. Your video and others like yours convinced me that I could try a recumbent There are no recumbent sellers in South Africa so I had to build my own . It took me about 3 days to learn how to ride it once I had finished it and if I had not seen videos like yours I would have given up, but now I am a very happy recumbent rider and even if I could, I would not go back to an upright bike
I think you pretty much nailed the plus points of a bent. Price is always going to put people off though. That and the fear of being stared at by normies ;)
I ride both Diamond Frame bikes and recumbents. Each has their advantages and disadvantages. For climbing, Road bikes. For flat riding Recumbent. I enjoined your channel and became a subscriber..thank you..
When I was a kid, in the 1950's, my friends and I would ride our standard, old, kids bikes, in the woods around our area. We thought we were WEIRD because...who the HELL rides their bike in woods? (But...it was SO much fun!)
I love hills on my tadpole. If I get too tired I can just stop. Generally I just drop into my granny and spin my way up :) And the downside is a blast.
It does take a while to get used to the handling of a recumbent vs the upright bike. However the trade-off of comfort to climbing a hill fast is really not worth it. I get to the top of hills and I am sitting in a comfortable chair all the time I am riding . Riding in the city ? No problem but like any means of transport you need to assume that the driver can not see you even while looking into their beady eyes and they are looking directly at you. Sometimes the neurons just do not connect when one neuron sees the bicycle and runs off to find the other neuron to say there is a bike in front of us . I found that the upright bike has the swoopability function whereas the bent does not , so yes I am a bit limited in dodging cars , but I have grown accustomed to what I ride and swooping is just not required. Hills up I do not walk, hills down , I have disc brakes as it flies downhills and against the wind is so much nicer when you do not have drag on those legs hanging down below you.
Awesome video. I am just now beginning my “research” on recumbents and was intrigued by your comments about the CruzBike as that was one that I was already focusing in on. I was steering my thoughts toward the S40 for my needs but the pricing was higher than I really wanted to invest. However……………….after hearing your comments I will probably figure out a way to test ride one of those to make a decision. Again, awesome informative video!! Thank you
Recumbent, the best bike ever for a good long ride. But going up hill --- Agggggg. not as much fun. You cannot stand on the pedals, makes a huge difference. Great video. I really liked it. Thanks.
I ride a Baccetta Strada bent now for the last ten years and will NEVER go back to a standard upright for anything but a short ride to Aldis to buy grocerys.
The thing that always bothers me with my recumbents is that i need to wear my bicycle shoes to hold me feet comfortable on the pedals. That's why for short distance to the shop or a friend I jump on a upright. I enjoy riding upright a specially in high traffic. I am noticing not much speed diffrence on a upright but the comfort is beyond comparison! That's why I pedal like a mad man on a upright, I want it to be quick and over :))
Very good comprehensive overview. I've used various recumbents in the last 30 years (Roulandt, M5, Challenge). Only one thing not mentioned, which is probably not a problem in Finland, is the gritting of the roads in the winter. In the UK this is bad news for your very long chain. I use an old mountain bike for part of the year. One thing I can add is the acceleration at road junctions is impressive on recumbents (obviously, only as good as your legs are) but compared to my mountain bike, I shoot off.
Hi Saukki, I absolutely agree with you, I have been riding recumbents for 23 years now and I'm still convinced that they are the better bike solution - I started with a Radius Viper that I still payed in DM, and I used this very nice and absolutely practical bicycle for almost 20 years; it has a relatively upright sitting position and it's a "longlayer" as we call ist, i.e. the front wheel is placed in front of the pedals / bottom bracket. This went wonderful until I decided to go down a little closer to the ground and got me a second recumbent: I had always adored the low riders and decided to get a Speed Machine from the producer HP Velotechnik that is situated a few kms from here; and this one really is what it is called, a bicycle to speed up, it runs very much faster than the Viper and it gives you the impression of runnig at high speed even when it's not that fast - but it is not that easy to handle at low speed, I have alredy fallen to the side a few times at low speed, the worst was into a muddy puddle, puh ! And to complete my recumbent mania, I am driving a "recumbent bike car" - this is not a velomobile but it's a little bigger, it's a TWIKE, a very small three wheel electric car, looking a little like the fuselage of a glider; still it has pedals to support th 5 kW electric engine with human power what enables me to combine locomotion and movement in a very pleasant way, it goes up to 85 km/h so I can even use it on the Autobahn and has a range of 120km, so it's perfect for regional mobility, especially if you can't arrive sweated to your appointments but have to be well-dressed. What I'm still missing is a velomobile, I find these small, extremely efficient vehicles very fascinating, enabling a person to drive at 40 - 60 km/h without any other energy than the force of their legs ; I'm still looking for one that is not so expensive and I might have the chance to get an Orca (Flevobike), so I'll see if I can complete my anti-fossil-driving-circus with it soon ! Bodo
I have had many versions of both. Once I rode a SWB recumbent on a 75-mile tour -- no pain at all! Best for long distance. I ride my upright bike around town -- better for traffic and stop-and-go -- or if I'm going to ride many steep hills.
The proper question would be "Why ride an upright bike when you have recumbents available to you." I have been biking to work for 43 years (50 km round trip on average) as well as for pleasure, and the last 32 years have been using a recumbent almost exclusively. I have a Tour Easy by Easy Racer and a Rans V-Rex. With these bikes you get no back pain, no neck pain and none of that pain from riding on those narrow seats for an upright road bike. Also, my bikes are at least 5 to 10 percent faster than upright bike, although now that I am in my mid 60's, that is less evident. The only down side is being about 10 percent slower going up hills. However, don't forget that you also end of going down hills, and you just blow by upright bikes without even peddling. The mechanical parts of the bike are the same as those used in upright bikes, so they are easily accessible. The bikes are somewhat more expensive, but you can be riding the same bike 20 years later and the bike will essentially pay for itself.
Great Video ! Here is another reason why, "Bike Sebring, recumbent rotating paceline" here on TH-cam, Cruzbikes, going fast ! Jim Parker and his wife, owners of Cruzbike... I tried my first bent about three years ago and now I have 5 ! Someday a Velomobile !
You can see less of the scenery because you're low in the tail pipe of a diesel truck, or car (road dust, rain splash). If you have compressed discs, the muscles around the lower lumbar can cramp, or stiffen when sitting for for a long time. Recumbent bikes are lower, so it requires you to twist your spine when exiting the cockpit. The method to resolve neck pain is to set up a tour bike with more upright riding position. Even with safety flags, sun glare, dense fog, or blended city lights increase crash risks during peak hours more so with lowered bikes.
I was considering one for a UK->Spain bicycle ride. But a recumbent bicycle is 5 times more expensive and that's for a cheap one. As a result I'm going to build one myself :D
It takes courage to put recumbent over upright bikes. ;-) Aren't you preaching for own parish? ;-) As recumbent and velomobilerider I totaly agree of course. But can I think of a reason to buy a uprightbike? Yes I can. You mentioned a few good reasons. I think of just short rides in a city. Do some shopping. Moving around in heavy bike and car traffic. OK it's possible with a recumbent. But I think a uprightbike is far more practical and faster. Also parking at a station or elsewhere in a city. I always find somebody 'interested' in my velomobile. When a (cheap) uprightbike is niked I would be shocked at first, but get just to it. If it's my recumbent or velomobile I would cry my eyes out and never get over it. But then again....I try not to visit cities. I avoid them as much as possible. So I seldom ride upride bikes....
The only thing I hate is people taking a seat on my recumbent when it's parked. Dude wtf, this is my bike, not public property, go sit on a bench. Since it takes a bit of practice to ride it I'm not afraid of people stealing it, But it probably helps that my city beater is kinda old and rusty, but then again, it was also pretty damn cheap.
I do agree: in city traffic, the diamond-frame bike is better since your eyes are higher and the shorter wheelbase makes for a more agile vehicle. But for longer rides and cyclotouring, a recumbent is much more comfortable.
I'd love to have a recumbent bike like Azub Max, especially that I love long bicycle tours, but they're exorbitantly expensive. For one such Max I could buy 3 or 4 good quality upright bikes. That's why I really doubt I will ever be able to afford one.
I agree with you. But I for example use my upright bike for commuting to work. That includes about 160m of elevation per direction but is only about 5.5km long my bike weights arrond 9.5kg and comes in handy for that task. Also beeing verry nimble the possibility to take shortcuts up or down a few stairs taking less space and the ability to brake very quickly comes in as a bonus in a 95% urban environment. Shorter inner city or offroad rides is where they are unbeaten.
Interesting, the only time my back doesn't hurt is when I ride my conventional cyclocross frame. Also can't imagine my neck on a bent because I wear trifocals ( and even bifocal riding glasses). Would like to try one sometime but I live in a rural area and there are not many bicyclists here, much less recumbents. Mostly see tricycle recumbents.
The thing ppl miss is that speed equals range. I did 30 miles on my recumbent the first day I owned it. No muscle soreness at all. Averaged 22 mph without trying. With trying, I got 32 mph. Down hill 39.9 mph which begins feeling a bit dodgy on a 24 lb piece of metal and rubber.
Locking the bike in theft-prone areas. With a diamond-frame bike, a U-lock easily locks the rear wheel and the frame against a bench. Add a short cable so nobody steals your front wheel, and you are good for a few minutes. It takes much longer to similarly secure my recumbent.
I had a recumbent bike from about 2007 to 2014, it was a Rans Enduro. I enjoyed it but finally sold it. To be honest, I haven't missed it. It was heavy (35b's) and pretty slow. I took off the 1.95" tires and put on smooth 1.5", and the wheels were 26". That made a great improvement, but the bike was meant to go on dirt roads, hence the stock tires. It takes a bit to get it going from a stop, you have to use the right technique and have the pedal in the correct position. It was difficult to keep it going in a straight line, and impossible to ride it without holding onto the handlebars; they would want to flop over. It also took some time to dial in the correct position of the handlebars and the tilt of the stem. It was really slow going up hills, but it can do it as you are somewhat in a "leg press" position so you can push hard. At first, the seat slid back when I pushed hard, slipping where it was attached to the frame. I had to place a doughnut of old inner tube inside the bracket to keep it from sliding. It can go fast, but you can't keep it up. Going downhill as fast as I could, it wasn't as fast as my regular bicycle. I was able to do 40mph down a somewhat steep hill. I thought with the aerodynamics it would do more. I can say that the seating position is fantastic, you have an excellent view without having to bend your neck. The seat is more comfortable than anything in your house, and it's just a nice place to view the world going by. I think they are great for people with back or neck issues, and people who just want something different. I felt like when I went through an intersection every eye from every car was looking at me; they do attract attention. One other issue is you can't turn and look behind you, you have to have some kind of mirror, probably best attached to the handlebar. I say buy a used one and try it. If it isn't for you, you won't lose too much money. From what I've seen, the tadpole trikes are the way to go these days. You never have to unclip your shoes unless you're getting off the trike!
I've ridden recumbent bicycles now for twenty years and now use bicycle as the my default form of transportation; recently even with a bit of touring ( last durso.org/trip.php ). Pros: Recumbents do what bicycles do best - they ride better than wedgies (aka diamond frame bikes) and carry you and your payload in comfort potentially to great distances. Cons: Walking with a bike or a casual ride about town, curbs, stops, carrying or strapping onto the car or in the train is generally easier with a standard bike. Saukki your excellent video has got me thinking about going a direction purposely avoided. Those beautiful velomobiles are tempting me to get back inside an enclosed vehicle 😲!
The only thing is biking in the city upright bikes I feel allow you to be more agile to avoid unattentive motorists in the usa here where biking is less popular then scandinavia
I have an ICE VTX, and it is different than a two-wheeler recumbent experience. It drives like a racing car, and feels like it the more in fast turns,but most of all I can safely go as slow as I like, and enjoy my surroundings with comfortable and safer balance which I have to think about a two wheeler...or I can hit a whopping 55 k.s per our, on a flat surface, or even hit near 100 K per hour on a long winding downhill...it is a little safer or more. And it is comfortable, long range. I also have a Riese Muller, shocks in the front, and under the seat, 2 wheeler, e-bike for shopping etc, it's great, but now I wish I bought the double battery, and back suspension, just for more fun! I may buy a decent 2 wheeler for fun; know any good brands to look at? I am like yourself, when it comes to riding, I like touring long distances, mostly cruising, I do not ride in races, nor dirt bike either.
For sometime I have been thinking about getting a recumbent bike, all my life I have been sitting and cycling, and now with recument could lay down and cycle! Here in Chicago I very seldom see anybody riding one. Also not readily available to buy, today I saw one here in Springfield in a store, I am making up mind to get it, hopefully I can ride it. I ride my harley and Goldwing easy, I guess I could ride recumbent too!
Upright pros (which in my opinion make them the only choice): In UK you have to push bikes on pavements and if commuting (Worcester) there are many many pavement shortcuts you have to take. If you push a bike then a recumbent would be a massive pain (where do you hold it?) You also have to carry your bike up steps (e.g. by Worcester Cathedral) and my folding bike is easy and small for the winding stone steps. If you commute you often have tiny spaces to keep your bike and a 'bent just would be too big. Therefore: Commuting to and from many UK towns? Get a folding bike which you can push, fold, park, carry and cycle. Oh and you can keep it in the house as it's tiny. Not everyone lives in a forest utopia with no traffic and a double-garage... Bents look great however but I wouldn't like to wait at a dual-carriageway Pelican crossing on one and nip across like I can on my folder. I still want one though but I know I couldn't use one as a weapon-of-transport like my 20" folder. I see them as like microlight aircraft: lovely things but not really for Britain - well commuting anyway.
Very interesting. I find a few other disadvantages of recumbents...if you have a very low center of gravity bike like my homebuilt fwd lowracer, and even my homebuilt Easy Racer it has a very fast "tip" rate, or pendulum rate. This means they respond fast for turns (a great plus) but slip quickly to the ground on ice. I do not use my 'bents' in the winter. I watched enviously your riding your recumbent on those icy roads! Also find that there is an ergonomic advantage to power output on an upright. Lastly because of so many years of refinement, for the price upright are lighter for the price)
My experience on a crus recumbent follows much of what you say as true, yet they have many drawbacks. 1. More expensive, 2. Difficult to climb steep hills. 3. Not allowed on Japanese trains. 3. To wide-long to get through park / bridge barriers 4. Can’t get off seat to reduce shock going down stairs ex. 5. Limited to two panniers 6. Much more work on stomach muscles . 7 limited viewing over walls. 8. Can’t see what front wheel is hitting. 9. More space needed for U turns. 10. Slower start up speed.
That really depends on what type of bent you’re riding. 1) The “more expensive” is highly debatable. Sure there aren’t many “cheap” bents, but the price you pay is similar to other smaller production run bikes and the components are generally higher quality. 2) Difficult to climb steep hills is always true, bent or upright, but in any case the downhill is usually there to make up for the lost speed from the uphill. 3) the train problem is true in elsewhere than in Japan, but it’s not usually the main factor for deciding on a bike. Also, usually with a bit of extra planning you can probably get around that fairly easily. 4) Short wheelbase bikes are pretty good on manoeuvrability and there’s not many barriers I can’t get my bike through that a normal bike would pass. Besides, there’s all those barriers I just ride under without stopping and maybe just cocking my head to the side to clear. 5) It’s fairly common to have a luggage rack on the back wheel on which you can hand two paneers and you’ve still got space on the side of the seat for another two. I’ve been bike touring with my brother on several occasions with the tent and everything I need for two weeks without space to hang it all really being a problem, certainly no worse than an upright. 6) I don’t know where you get the “more work on stomach muscles”. In my experience that’s simply not true on the other hand there’s almost no work on the arms, shoulders, neck. 7) Limited visibility over walls and hedgerows is true, but on the other hand, the natural heads-up position is much better for looking out for pot holes, traffic, pedestrians instead of looking at the 3 meters in front of your wheel and craning your head up every once in a while. 8) not true. As stated above, you’re constantly looking ahead and very few things indeed hit your wheel by surprise or accident. 9) see point above about short wheelbase recumbent. Besides, I might have to do a u-turn once every 50 miles and I can readily do a u-turn on most roads. 10) Bikes with a smaller 26” rear wheel have plenty of acceleration off the start.
Aero advantage only comes in at higher speeds. At lower speeds below 30kph the recumbent has more rolling resistance than road bikes due to the smaller wheels.
I checked the prices of recumbent bikes and found them to be not far off the price of a recumbent trike which I would rather have for stability. Have hip issues from falling off a bike.
When ever I go on a ride I pass up a lot of these guys I have never had one pass me. They seem to be very comfortable especially if you have a huge gut as most of the people I see on these things do.
They are pretty cool, but i like a upright bike for cycling in city traffic. I wish more people used them however, just a little handful around these parts.
I still thoroughly enjoy riding my Vision solo recumbent and living in the south west of England a day's ride - out can easily involve over a 1000m of accumulated climbing! Not bad at 77. Regards Garth
That's not true when it's the same rider going faster. I own a fast road bike, tt bike, and recumbent. The recumbent is the fastest and the road bike is the slowest. Aerodynamics is the biggest factor as speed increases. I was asking if the front chain drive was more efficient basically it went over your head
@@mindciller Bents are faster on the flats and downhills. Aerodynamics. Especially if, on the downhills, you've got big front rings. (And no crosswinds). Faster than uprights. Don't have experience with velos but I'd assume they'd be faster than an unfaired bent. FWD/MBB are twitchy on a very twisty descents.
Why I love my upright road/cyclocrosdbike? Because ist is more active to ride. The feel of the direct connection via the chain to the road. The agile handling, the light weight and the power to accelerate fast are things a bent can notprovide me with. I’ve ridden both.
Well I’m building a KMX trike right now , just did a ride on my upright bike in a fierce headwind I couldn’t help but think I would be a lot more aero and lower to the ground if I had my recumbent built!!😊👍
I own 2 large wheel recumbents , a SWB bent and a LWB bent both with 26” wheels. Built for touring and both have internal geared hubs. They both are very heavy bikes at 20-24 kg each and therefore not very fast bikes. In fact I average 4 km/hr faster speed on any upright I also own. I get tired of hearing this speed reference to recumbents because they are not faster from my experience though they are more comfortable to ride. I do find them harder to navigate in traffic and starting on an incline. There is reduced rear view angle while riding so mirrors are essential both on helmet and on the bike.
Hi Saukki I have a high racer road recumbent and is great to handle and ride I like to hear again all the benefits of driving an open recumbent and a velomobile! I now those recumbent riders are banned through the organization UCI. The recumbent and velomobile riders really don't need there an organization UCI or their "big" money behind. It's of course, possible to make a world racing HPV organization, but it requires a professional organization with opportunities to have world media and television coverage. Visiting Spezi Germersheim in April this year again to test ride velomobiles and else. The new Alpha 7 and the Go-one KS is is a interesting. Another thing! I bought some caps from you last year but some stole one of them, are they so popular:-) I like those caps and will buy another one in spring. Thank you Martinius/Norway.
That is one solution. I would have to leave the state of florida to find a bike friendly city to live in. I always rastionalze that all it would take is one car to do you in if bad luck or a poor decision on my part is a factor, no matter where you live
Why wouldn't you ride a recumbent? Since I got my recumbent, it was love at first sight: the comfort, the fun ride, the view, the range...I've never really cycled outside of the city without it. That said, they're some of the worst kinds of bikes to ride in an urban environment: can't see over traffic, head back rather than forward so it's harder to see around corners and verify safe passage through intersections, can't really turn around to check traffic coming from the back, can't jump over an occasional obstacle, it's maximum width is very low, so it's harder to weave through traffic (e.g. next to 10 cars in a queue waiting for a light), large turning radius even with short wheelbase ones, can't ride hands-free even for a second, much riskier to leave around town unattended because it's much more expensive than a city bike etc.
With a upright bike, that doesn't have any suspension. I still can ride on bumpy road quite comfortable. Cobble stones, or washpoarded gravel road. Because my legs, arms and bent forward back work like suspension, so not that much vibration is transferred to head.. Only if I go wrong speed on some real bad waves of washboard gravel. vision gets blurry and some headache, or can hurt neck... But what if I rode a suspension-less recumbent bicycle? I suspect, my kidneys may get hurt. Also, because I live on a high floor of a building and sometime there have been situations when elevator is not working. I have had to carry bike on stairs. Also yes I don't have enough money to buy recumbent, nor I have a place where to keep it. But it's interesting. And if I had money and place to keep it, of course I would want one. :D
it looks like fun, but I'd have a go on a repugnant in the same way i'd have a go in a sinclair C5, around an empty car park and just to say i'd ridden one. where i live it's very hilly so it'd have to be a 3 wheeler lol, but it would still be a worry that it would give motorists even more of a 'didnt see you' excuse for carelessness. GL
Some recumbent seats are mesh and we use fenders. Saukki's seat is molded carbon fiber. He might get some water on his neck. Fenders, kickstands and helmet mirrors are not embarrassing on recumbents. Nobody bothers you if you have a flag either. It's not as cliquish as road riding. We even mix MTB and road component groups. :-O I haven't ridden wearing padded lycra/spandex shorts in 2 decades. Some recumbents go down stairs. th-cam.com/users/results?search_query=recumbent+stairs. I don't know many roadies who ride up stairs much unless they do trials. I carry my recumbent up and down stairs like a suitcase. Grab frame at balance point and lift. Have fun!
If I may... The beauty of recumbents. My first 'bent (Vision) was convertible short/long and had steering under the seat. I liked long wheel base (LWB). Wife and I got a tandem. I then got a SWB 'fast' Lightning P-38. Much like a road bike for size, turning, touring. I got 'spanked' by two old retired guys on LWB Gold Rush 'bents with fairings and stockings. I was too slow. Bought the LWB Gold Rush w/fairing/stocking and I "need" my van to transport the 7' bike, although it would fit on a bumper rack. LWB has a natural spring like suspension. It's a matter of personal choice- try them both and then try them again. The SWB is great in traffic but so is my LWB if I stay out of trouble and don't split lanes. A LWB with a fairing is 2-3 mph faster BUT a F-40 Lightning is just as fast. Both have upright steering. The other issue would be turning radius but exactly how often do we make a lot of tight turns. Saukki's bike has a high bottom bracket and seat, the Lightning P-38 seat is lower and maybe easier to control at slower speeds(?) and dismount. The P-38 has a 16" front tire. Some like same size tires. My P-38 feels like Darth Vader in the TIE fighter. The Gold Rush is more like a 2019 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. LOL Have fun!
Longer the wheel base ,the better stability at speed , less road shock transmitted through frame , lots of gear to be carried , and recumbent smile lasts a bit longer than the short wheelbase as the swb's will get you moving and the smile is replaced with a gasping apparatus !
Recumbent-very comfortable, awesome aero, great view...can't ride up a curb, climbs like a crippled pig. Recumbents are great, but an upright is more versatile.
This video is the first time I've seen someone riding a two wheeled recumbent in winter, and I was quite pleased to see it, because it showed me that it's possible. Before I purchase a two wheeled recumbent, however, I want to know if anyone is familiar with using studded winter tires (such as Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires) on both the front and rear wheels of a recumbent. If so, what has been your experience with encountering black ice and packed snow while commuting on-road? More specifically, I'm wondering what are the pros and cons of having: A) two 26" wheels, B) a 26" rear wheel and a 20" front wheel, and C) a 700c rear wheel and a 20" front wheel. Also, I need to be mindful of wheel base, as whatever two wheeled recumbent I would eventually purchase would have to properly fit on the bicycle rack on the front of my local bus, which is designed/engineered for the wheelbase of conventional upright bikes, as I want to be "multi-modal", so to speak. Additionally, can any two wheeled recumbent take a fairing (windshield), or only certain types of recumbents? If only certain types, then which types can take fairings? Lastly, what brand of helmet mirror is Saukki using? It looks specific to recumbent riders. I ask all this only because none of my local bike shops sell bents. Thanks for any info or suggestions.
Thanks for your comment! I've been riding in winter for many years, so I guess I know what I'm talking about. You might be interested about my other winter cycling videos. Check this playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLZWUH_85V1ZOBQrS_8v2Yx_gqsyXPUr15.html In my opinion, larger wheels are better in winter. I've ridden Challenge Hurricane with 20" wheels in winter and in my opinion those small wheels are not very good in snow. Don't get a bike with 20" front wheel. You'll just get in trouble with the snow. Back then I also had Marathon Winter studded tyres on both wheels. Ok tyres, but the studds eat their way through the rubber eventually. So some other studded tyres might have longer service life. With recumbent you really want to have winter tyre on both wheels. Nowdays I ride Azub Max with 26" wheels. I've been usin Continental studdless winter tyres, which are good on hard packed snow and can handle occasional black ice. I also use Suomi Tyres studded off-road winter tyres, which have superior grip on ice. Studdless tyres are good on snow and hard packed snow. But on ice studded tyres are of course better. Nevertheles, Continental studdless tyre has suprisingly good traction on ice. But if there's a little bit of loose snow on the ice, then studdless tyres are too slippery and studded tyres are much better. But if there's so much loose snow on the ice that even the studds can't reach to the ice underneath, then it doesn't matter what tyres you have, they all are slippery and you will probably crash. One thing to consider when buying a recumbent for winter riding is to check that the forks have enough room for wide tyres. You really want to have good winter tyres, like Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro. So check that your forks are wide enough for that tyre. For example My Azub Max has very narrow rear fork, so there's not much room for wide tyres. Suomi Tyres Extreme studded winter tyre just fits. I'm not sure if Ice Spiker Pro will fit. I use Zefal Z-Eye mirror on my helmet.
@@TheVelomobileChannel Thank you kindly, Saukki. Your reply was helpful and informative. I appreciate your personal experience and expertise on this topic. I now hope to purchase a gently used, winter-capable, two-wheeled recumbent like yours -- with two 26" wheels, and with front and rear forks wide enough for a pair of stuuded tires, such as Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 26"x2.10" tires, and hopefully with enough clearance wrap-around commuter-style fenders, too. By the way, yesterday I noticed on schwalbetires.com that Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 26"x2.10" is now selling for $80 USD, which is a 50% discount. Ideally, my future recumbent would also safely fit on the front bike rack of my local bus, given that the racks are designed and engineered to hold traditional, upright bikes. I'll need to carefully check the wheelbase of whatever recumbent I may consider purchasing, so as to make sure that the wheelbase isn't too long for the bike racks on my local busses. However, even if the wheelbase is close enough to be compatible, I can foresee the possibility of a problem with the forward part of the recumbent (the triple crank area) sticking out too far from the bus' bike rack, such as beyond the width of the bus itself (even if only by a few inches), which could potentially result in the bus driver denying access to my recumbent. I don't know this yet for a fact but, rather, I can foresee the possibility of such a problem. Therefore, this is another factor for me to consider when purchasing a two-wheeled recumbent similar to yours (the recumbent you were riding in the winter in your video). This next question is asking a lot of you, because you don't know me, but if you're willing, and if you have the time, I respectfully ask you the following: 1) what is the wheelbase of the recumbent you ride on icy roads in winter, whether in metric measurement or not, and 2) if you were to imagine a vertical line going through the center of your front hub (of that same recumbent), and also imagine another vertical line touching the forward-most part of the largest chainring of your crankset, what is the distance between those two vertical lines? These two measurements would help me to determine if a two-wheeled recumbent, such as the one you ride on icy roads in winter, would safely and properly fit on the bike racks on the front of my local busses. And this, in turn, could help me determine if a two-wheeled recumbent is a viable option for me, given that I hope to use a recumbent in a so-called "multi-modal" fashion (sometimes traveling round-trip solely by recumbent, and sometimes traveling one-way by recumbent and then returning by bus, by putting my recumbent on bus' bike rack). Please don't feel obligated to measure your winter recumbent for me, as there are other ways I can find these measurements, but if only if you have the spare time and the inclination, I would surely appreciate it. Thank you kindly. p.s. Back in 1989 I interviewed a Finish artist by the name of Pauli Lukonnen (I hope I spelled his name correctly here) for a newspaper story, taking photos of him and of his beautiful, mystical paintings of woodland spaces, and writing up a news article. His paintings inspire me. Additionally, in 1985-86 there was a terrific skier from Finland who was on my high school ski team (in New Hampshire, USA). We were friends and I remember him fondly. Lastly, my father was Hungarian, and the Finish language, if I'm not mistaken, is the only language in the world that has any similarities to Hungarian. Therefore, I can only say good things about Finland!
The wheelbase of my Azub Max is pretty close to a regular upright bike. I use a roof rack on my car to sometimes transport mine and my wife’s bikes. My wife has regular upright bike. The wheelbase is pretty much identical, so I can transport both bikes in the same rack without adjusting the attatchment points of the wheels. You can try to find a photo of a Azub Max showing the side profile. Then you can try to estimate how much the front boom goes further than the front wheel. For example in my Azub adjusted to my size, the center of the bottom bracket is about on same vertical line than the most front part of the front tyre (I hope you understand what I mean) so only the chainrings are little bit further forward than the tyre. But if you are taller than me, then you must adjust the bottom bracket to be further at the front.
Have to try one. It looks exremely odd to ride. I would not want one on crowded cycling lanes getting to work thats for sure. One last thing is the sheer size. Not really handy.
My lower back is completely finished, with hernias and arthritis. I cannot use an upright bike because my lower back pain will get worse and will cause me to stop after biking a short distance. Can anyone tell me which recumbent bike would be the most comfortable for people like me with serious lower back problems? Thanks for the help !!
I guess the most comfortable type of recumbent would be trike with full suspension. And you should adjust your seating position to low angle (more reclined) so your body weight will distribute on larger area.
Got a Bacchetta Corsa A-70 because of back/neck pain and saddle sores from years on uprights. I ride more high mileage rides now than ever before with little to no pain. It uses 700c wheels so is pretty high and visible. It is also more than capable of speeds equal or exceeding up right road race caliber bikes.
Not all upight bikes are uncomfortable. Touring bikes like the Kona Sutra are super comfortable due to upright riding position, leather saddle etc. Endurance road bikes are also super comfortable , having a more upright riding positon to standard road bike meaning no sore back etc, with a leather saddle, no sore bum either, you don't even need padded shorts. I intend to get a recumbent trike or bicycle but will be pleasantly surprised if a recumbent bicycle or trike is more fun then the endurance bike which is fast, agile and comfortable
I have a cruz bike. They are fast if you have the legs for them. Have you contacted the cruzbike dot com website for a test ride? And they are comfortable. As for speed uphill I timed myself on my commute with both my cross road bike and my cruzbike and the times are very close. I am slightly faster up a hill on the road bike, but not much. And downhill the cruzbike is faster. The overall commute times were nearly the same and within the deviation of things like stop lights and wind and how I felt that day. I picked the cruzbike because the short drive chain, and the same size wheels. Plus I had talked to an owner who really liked his. Then I arranged for a test ride by another owner who volunteered to let me ride his bike around in a giant parking lot. I switched to a recumbent because of shoulder injuries from too much riding on my road bike. Now I can switch back and forth. I prefer the road bike in heavy traffic where I am weaving through cars all stuck in traffic, but I prefer the cruzbike on a longer ride as it is more comfortable. I added a flag to the cruzbike for visiblity, and it has not added any noticeable drag or change in overall commute time.
Velomobiles are LOUD and HEAVY and VERY CUMBERSOME TO MAINTAIN and HARD TO MANEUVRE. Also to LARGE and therefore often hard to find a good place for it. I had a velomobile (actually a Mango and a Quest later) and did not like it for those reasons and I'm glad I could sell it! I would be interested in a high rider recumbent, but they are much more expensive than other bikes. Too much IMO. I would have been interested for example in a Velomo HiFly, but there is no chance to test it, before buying. Also a no-go IMO, when you spent around 3000 Euros. Riding with the velomobiel largely misses the fun of cycling IMO. Too slow to get up to speed also. Speaking of fun. Moutainbiking on cool trails _is_ by far the most fun! In general for city use an upright is typically better choice than recumbent and surely than velomobiles.
There's one nasty thing about 'bents that make them not very good to be around: well they take the 50 tooth crank wheel from the bottom of the middle of the triangle, to the very front, middle of the 'bent!! Talk about a cycling hazard, it's like a nasty whirling chainsaw blade up front there.
Nothing beats an actual upright Dutch bicycle with IGH, and a full chain case. Add a weak-as, compact geared hub front motor and it is good for moderate distances.
I have ridden A Peer Gint, the Speedy, Both lengths of the Vision, the KingCycle and several other designes around 20 years ago (when I was more involved in cycling & HPV). But none of the more recent bikes. Have things improved a lot? Judging by your roads you live around quiet roads. Perhaps in Norway or Sweden. In a more urban, town environment in England I would feel more insecure on a Recumbent, today; than I did when I was in my 30s and 40s here. Also, I am Danish and was used to snow in the winter there - but what tyres do you use in those conditions today?
I live in Finland. I have no experience about old style recumbents, so can’t say much about improvements. But I guess all bike parts in general have improved a lot in 20 years. For winter I use these tyres depending on conditions: th-cam.com/video/Sm-VnRNQAHw/w-d-xo.html
Cool vid dude. Love all kinds of bikes but really want a project recumbent. Possibly a fat recumbent or fat trike. I've done one video using a basic KMX kart, so watch this space!
A more reasonable question is 'why WOULDN'T you Ride a Recumbent"? Upright bikes are only good for numb nuts, sore wrists and sore necks if you're going to ride for more than 25 miles or so.
I want a recumbent trike for comfort, but all the shortcuts around here are terribly overgrown. Not just shortcuts; there are all sorts of interesting but tiny and uneven paths around here. I don't think it would help to have a recumbent bike because on such paths I find balance an exciting enough challenge when I'm upright to start with.
”Banned by UCI” - shirts in my shop! Go check it out: shop.spreadshirt.net/saukki/recumbent+bike+banned+since+1934?q=I142537877
Just bought a frount wheel drive recumbent seems locally made!
Which one is harder to pedal a mountain bike or recumbent?
@@Ed-yu3cw That depends. If you are new to recumbents, then it might feel harder to pedal a recumbent because you need little bit different muscle groups than with upright bike. So it needs some practice to get similar power output. But in general any two wheeled recumbent should be faster on flat road compared to a mountain bike with same amount of power output, because recumbents have better aerodynamics. But then if we are talking about mountain biking stuff (jumps and technical terrain and features and stuff), then I guess a mountain bike is easier in any way.
@@TheVelomobileChannel thanks bro
This is exactly what I tell people when they ask me the same question. I was fed up with a sore neck wrists, shoulders, back, and backside. Recumbents rock 🎸🎸. Safe riding.
Ever since I saw an article in the magazine "Mother Earth News" showing how to build a recumbent trike sometime back in the early 80's I wanted one. As a teen back then I didn't have the skills or tools to make one. Now I have my own BikE that I purchased second hand I am still able to ride even though I have 3 slipped disks in my back that make an upright bike impossible for me to ride.
A Velomobile would be best for me because I wear kilts.
Often concluded all pros and cons of recumbent vs upright I could think of.
Recumbent pros:
More comfortable.(used to have back pains, now they're gone)
Faster.(aerodynamic)
Safer.(Better handling because of weight distribution and much shorter break distance. No falling head first over handlebars at full stop)
Much more fun to ride. :)
Recumbent minor pros:
Car drivers let you cross street 3-4 times as often, since they are curious to "What the hell is that?"
Much easier to carry stuff while riding, holding camera or ice cream in one hand etc.
Recumbent cons:
A bit more expensive.
Scary to ride in winter some times if the roads are slippery. Much harder to get off the bike fast if you slip. However much less painful from the lower height compared to upright if you do fall.
Unwanted attention. Being "abnormal/strange" is terrible to many for some reason.
Recumbent preconceptions:
Recumbents are only good for long distance/touring:
Hell no, they are just as convenient or even more so for every day use going shopping in town or going to work. An AZUB Max has the same wheel distance as any normal bike and hardly takes any more space to get around in towns. I find it way more convenient to go shopping with an AZUB Max compared to my ordinary mountainbike since its just so more comfortable at carrying lots of cargo. Even in my lap if the bags are full, often riding home thinking, no one would ever be able to do this shopping run on an upright bike.
Recumbents can't go uphill since you can't stand...
Standing does'nt really matter when you have many gears and use SPD pedals to both push and pull the pedals.
Service and spare parts are expensive:
No, it uses for at least 95% of the bike exact same components as any other bike. The only difference is the shape of the frame and thus the positions of the components.
Thanks for this! Very good points!
Recumbent con:
They don't fit in the bike rack on the front of the bus. Those racks, at least in Seattle, are designed to hold an upright bike. So a mixed commute (bus and bike) is out.
Recumbents are harder to start going up hill from a complete stop. I have to sort of shove the bike as I'm standing over it and hop on and push a stroke. Usually I can do it but it took some training.
Falling, Your legs hit first. I've fallen twice at speed and both times twisted my ankle. (one time on each side) But had I fallen on my road bike it could have been a head, or serious arm injury.
I also have a much harder time staying upright in slippery conditions on the recumbent. But I've fallen on ice on the road bike, sand on the recumbent. Neither was fun.
@@garyp.7501 Some recumbent do fit on a standard bus rack , mine does not. Depends on what you ride.
Is it hard if you are gorced to make stops at the traffic lights super often?
@@abhabh6896 it's no problem to just unclip one foot and put it on the ground.
However, its more convenient to just hold the traffic light pole with one hand as I do most of the time. :)
Agree with you 100% Saukki! I started riding recumbent bikes in the 1980's. I also had some upright bikes at the time. It didn't take long to realize that my recumbent was much more comfortable than an upright (upwrong) bike. So much better for commuting in winter when you attach a fairing to the front of a recumbent and the best bike for long distances. I eventually sold all of my uprights but I kept my recumbents.
Some years ago I rode a RANS Rocket short wheel base recumbent with dual 20" wheels thousands of miles and enjoyed every one of them! After more than 4 decades of putting up with saddle sores, inflamed prostates , sore wrists, sore neck, etc. it was like a miracle to be able to ride 50 miles and get off the recumbent with no injuries and nothing sore. Recumbents come in all sizes and flavors and there is a style that will meet the meeds of just about every cyclist. Coming from a background of high speed go kart and sports car racing I prefer the short wheel based style as they offer the high performance handling characteristics I favor. They can be a bit tricky to ride at first as they demand full attention from the neophyte. But once you have a few rides under your belt they are a piece of cake. Faster than uprights on the flats and downhills recumbents have a somewhat undeserved reputation for being poor climbers. But this is far less the result of inherent design limitations than it is of people who somehow seems unwilling to match their bikes gearing to the terrain being ridden. I live in a very mountainous region of Maine and if someone told me that the longest section of level road within 50 miles of my house was 200' long I'd probably think they were exaggerating...but only slightly. As equipped from the RANS factory my Rocket was all but unrideable over this hilly terrain. "Dorothy, this is not Kansas!" Apparently because of the small wheel size RANS felt it necessary to equip the bike with a set of rather large chainwheels so as to be able to maintain a respectable cruising speed on the flats. But hills? Forget it! Lance Armstrong would struggle climbing an 8 degree incline with the Rocket's stock gearing! My first attempt at setting the bike up for hilly terrain involved a Shimano 105 triple touring crankset and an 11/32 cassette. Better, but still no banana! Eventually I wound up going with a Shimano Deore mountain bike triple crankset and an 11/34 cassette. I can't recall precisely what this gave me for a low gear but it was somewhere in the very low 20" range. Theoretically this setup would result in a very modest top speed but I was in my mid 60s and thus was a "spinner" not a "grunter." My normal cruising cadence was around 110/120 and for brief periods I could get up into the low 180s. So really the only time I'd be tapped out was on steep downhills and who really needs to go faster than 45 mph on a bicycle?
Thanks for the video, Saukki! Upright bikes were always painful to me: seat, wrists, shoulders, neck, hands... ow! My recumbent trike is super-comfortable, like riding a recliner chair. I was astonished by how much more I enjoy riding because I'm comfortable all the time, and can see so much better. I see more wildlife and it's great for birdwatching because I can see UP so easily, and stop to watch without needing to put a foot down. The natural neck position gives me a HUGE field of view, making it much easier to see traffic and pedestrians. At intersections I can just stop and let autos have the right of way. I ride mostly in a busy city, and drivers notice me FAR more on my trike than on my upright bike. Hey, if drivers can see a cat, beer can, or road stripe, they can see me... if they can't, they shouldn't be driving. But on a recumbent, they NOTICE me far more. There are lots of bicyclists around here but drivers often ignore them. My trike is geared low so I can climb steep hills, go as slow as I want to with no dangerous wobbles, and stop to rest without dismounting. To pedal harder, I push back against the seat. There are a few disadvantages like weight, but the fun factor is SO MUCH more that I can't imagine ever wanting to go back to uprights.
That looks very relaxing. I think id fall asleep? Might be great for using to get to work or long trips.
I had upright bikes as a child and collage. Loved riding anywhere. Later years like in my 40’s to now 60’s, the stress on my neck, back and mostly wrists got to where I was worn out after short rides. That’s where these recumbent bikes are great. Now again I can ride for long time without discomfort. Need a few weeks to really feel comfortable, but it’s worth it. And there really cool.
i will ride my road bike until i feel too old, then probably buy a nice upright e-bike
Wow. I don't think I'd leave upright bikes behind but doing some nice touring trips with a velomobile is now definitely on my bucket list. This is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.
Once again, Saukki comes through with the most useful information ever, pertaining to velomobiles, and recumbents. I mean, he just cuts right through the bullshit, and goes into detail, about the things that mean the most. To a real cyclist, this is a gold mine of useful information. That's why I love this channel. For example, no one has ever had the balls to talk about what it's like to fart in a velomobile. As funny as that may sound, it happens, and it is important. It is things like that is what makes this guy special. He tells you all the details, the little things, & the things that matter the most. Looking forward to the next one. Ride safe, my friend.😎👍💯💯💯💯💯
Some may say that
Cycling everywhere cyclist>odd person
Recombent cyclist>more odd
It takes time that oddnes fades away. 150 years ago running was considered odd.😉🧪🧐🥳
I wish there were traffic free highways ,like the ones in this video, where I live.
There's no traffic because it's the coldest country in the World. A shithole, to be honest.
You got me at "you can actually look around and see more than just your front wheel and the road" - so true of drop bar bikes.
But you can't see that car dogging you unless you have a mirror. He's still gonna dog you.
@@donaldblankenship8057 That's a problem of small slower mono-track vehicle in a space shared with bigger faster duo-track vehicles, rather than a upright compared to recumbent issue.
I still want to try a recumbent, and prefereably one with a mirror.
Surely the question is - why would you want to ride an upright bike...
OK - you got there later in the video ;)
Price difference
I just bought a recumbent trike. It should be in Tuesday. I hope to get in shape and get healthier.
i got a fat tad trike in the summer of 2017 and went from 230 lbs to 160 lbs in 15 months by triking around the 10.3 km Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver 1000 times. Not a dull moment I might add. worth every penny
@@RickAnderson1 That is most encouraging, my friend!
They are great without traffic, without hills and if you have enough money!😉
Without traffic? Why do you think so? Without hills? Why do you think so? I have been in 5350 meters above sea level with one.... Enough money? Well, there are second hand ones or cheap ones. Nowadays, in time of e-bikes, the price is somehow normal for a bike :-)
@@honza-galla Try to commute through a German town wih it, than you will know what I mean - if you survived... We have also 20% hills here! And lastly, I don't have an E-bike!
Alan Campbell Well, nobody was speakibg anout commuting. That is like if you would want to do commuting on a downhill bike. There are bikes for commuting, there are bikes for downhilling and there are great bikes for long distance expeditions, comfortable weekend rides without any pain or just riding for fun in the countryside. And those are recumbents. 20% uphills, do you have problems with it on an upright bike? I guess so. Same with me on a recumbent, but I can do it as well as you. I have been in 5350 meters on a recumbent...
Sorry, my Milan GT Velomobile was designed and originally built in Germany: Räderwerk GmbH, Hainhölzer Straße 13 / Ecke Nordfelder Reihe
30159 Hannover. They sold plugs to a Canadian kayak maker who made mine.
German recumbent dealers: www.bacchettabikes.com/germany/, www.hpvelotechnik.com/index_d.html, hasebikes.com/38-1-Germany.html to name a few. There are a lot of Germans using recumbents in cities and climbing hills. They are scarce but they are out there. Have fun!
@@honza-galla If they are not suitable for commuting, they are not suitable for traffic! That's what I wrote. And no, I do not have issue riding a 20% ramp with any of my bikes.
Hi from Cape Town
I have not peddled anything for at least 35 years. Your video and others like yours convinced me that I could try a recumbent
There are no recumbent sellers in South Africa so I had to build my own .
It took me about 3 days to learn how to ride it once I had finished it and if I had not seen videos like yours I would have given up, but now I am a very happy recumbent rider and even if I could, I would not go back to an upright bike
Also SAFETY!! If one crashes an upright bike you're going down face first. A recumbent crash has one in a much better position to have less injury.
I think you pretty much nailed the plus points of a bent. Price is always going to put people off though. That and the fear of being stared at by normies ;)
AntiProUltra Fear of being stared at. My god, how weak have we become???
I ride both Diamond Frame bikes and recumbents. Each has their advantages and disadvantages. For climbing, Road bikes. For flat riding Recumbent. I enjoined your channel and became a subscriber..thank you..
Saudi, I was watching a video here on TH-cam, and in the background about 15 velomobiles went flying by.
When I was a kid, in the 1950's, my friends and I would ride our standard, old, kids bikes, in the woods around our area. We thought we were WEIRD because...who the HELL rides their bike in woods? (But...it was SO much fun!)
Thanks for the vid. I'll stick with my upright. I like hills and handling.
I love hills on my tadpole. If I get too tired I can just stop. Generally I just drop into my granny and spin my way up :)
And the downside is a blast.
Isnt the harder the better? Why not just have electric assist?
It does take a while to get used to the handling of a recumbent vs the upright bike. However the trade-off of comfort to climbing a hill fast is really not worth it. I get to the top of hills and I am sitting in a comfortable chair all the time I am riding . Riding in the city ? No problem but like any means of transport you need to assume that the driver can not see you even while looking into their beady eyes and they are looking directly at you. Sometimes the neurons just do not connect when one neuron sees the bicycle and runs off to find the other neuron to say there is a bike in front of us . I found that the upright bike has the swoopability function whereas the bent does not , so yes I am a bit limited in dodging cars , but I have grown accustomed to what I ride and swooping is just not required. Hills up I do not walk, hills down , I have disc brakes as it flies downhills and against the wind is so much nicer when you do not have drag on those legs hanging down below you.
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 I've found "other" road users to be more courteous when I'm on the recumbent.
I ride a Bacchetta Giro 26, and NOTHING beats the feeling of a fast decent on a recumbent.
Awesome video. I am just now beginning my “research” on recumbents and was intrigued by your comments about the CruzBike as that was one that I was already focusing in on. I was steering my thoughts toward the S40 for my needs but the pricing was higher than I really wanted to invest. However……………….after hearing your comments I will probably figure out a way to test ride one of those to make a decision. Again, awesome informative video!! Thank you
Recumbent, the best bike ever for a good long ride. But going up hill --- Agggggg. not as much fun. You cannot stand on the pedals, makes a huge difference. Great video. I really liked it. Thanks.
I ride a Baccetta Strada bent now for the last ten years and will NEVER go back to a standard upright for anything but a short ride to Aldis to buy grocerys.
Stradivarius, Stratocaster, Strada. When you absolutely want to rock it.
The thing that always bothers me with my recumbents is that i need to wear my bicycle shoes to hold me feet comfortable on the pedals. That's why for short distance to the shop or a friend I jump on a upright. I enjoy riding upright a specially in high traffic. I am noticing not much speed diffrence on a upright but the comfort is beyond comparison! That's why I pedal like a mad man on a upright, I want it to be quick and over :))
Very good comprehensive overview. I've used various recumbents in the last 30 years (Roulandt, M5, Challenge). Only one thing not mentioned, which is probably not a problem in Finland, is the gritting of the roads in the winter. In the UK this is bad news for your very long chain. I use an old mountain bike for part of the year.
One thing I can add is the acceleration at road junctions is impressive on recumbents (obviously, only as good as your legs are) but compared to my mountain bike, I shoot off.
Hi Saukki, I absolutely agree with you, I have been riding recumbents for 23 years now and I'm still convinced that they are the better bike solution - I started with a Radius Viper that I still payed in DM, and I used this very nice and absolutely practical bicycle for almost 20 years; it has a relatively upright sitting position and it's a "longlayer" as we call ist, i.e. the front wheel is placed in front of the pedals / bottom bracket. This went wonderful until I decided to go down a little closer to the ground and got me a second recumbent: I had always adored the low riders and decided to get a Speed Machine from the producer HP Velotechnik that is situated a few kms from here; and this one really is what it is called, a bicycle to speed up, it runs very much faster than the Viper and it gives you the impression of runnig at high speed even when it's not that fast - but it is not that easy to handle at low speed, I have alredy fallen to the side a few times at low speed, the worst was into a muddy puddle, puh !
And to complete my recumbent mania, I am driving a "recumbent bike car" - this is not a velomobile but it's a little bigger, it's a TWIKE, a very small three wheel electric car, looking a little like the fuselage of a glider; still it has pedals to support th 5 kW electric engine with human power what enables me to combine locomotion and movement in a very pleasant way, it goes up to 85 km/h so I can even use it on the Autobahn and has a range of 120km, so it's perfect for regional mobility, especially if you can't arrive sweated to your appointments but have to be well-dressed.
What I'm still missing is a velomobile, I find these small, extremely efficient vehicles very fascinating, enabling a person to drive at 40 - 60 km/h without any other energy than the force of their legs ; I'm still looking for one that is not so expensive and I might have the chance to get an Orca (Flevobike), so I'll see if I can complete my anti-fossil-driving-circus with it soon !
Bodo
I have had many versions of both. Once I rode a SWB recumbent on a 75-mile tour -- no pain at all! Best for long distance. I ride my upright bike around town -- better for traffic and stop-and-go -- or if I'm going to ride many steep hills.
Hola !! Saludos Saukki ..
Estoy construyendo un velomobil....despues de ver tus videos.
GRACIAS por todo.
The proper question would be "Why ride an upright bike when you have recumbents available to you."
I have been biking to work for 43 years (50 km round trip on average) as well as for pleasure, and the last 32 years have been using a recumbent almost exclusively. I have a Tour Easy by Easy Racer and a Rans V-Rex. With these bikes you get no back pain, no neck pain and none of that pain from riding on those narrow seats for an upright road bike. Also, my bikes are at least 5 to 10 percent faster than upright bike, although now that I am in my mid 60's, that is less evident.
The only down side is being about 10 percent slower going up hills. However, don't forget that you also end of going down hills, and you just blow by upright bikes without even peddling. The mechanical parts of the bike are the same as those used in upright bikes, so they are easily accessible. The bikes are somewhat more expensive, but you can be riding the same bike 20 years later and the bike will essentially pay for itself.
Great Video ! Here is another reason why, "Bike Sebring, recumbent rotating paceline" here on TH-cam, Cruzbikes, going fast ! Jim Parker and his wife, owners of Cruzbike... I tried my first bent about three years ago and now I have 5 ! Someday a Velomobile !
You can see less of the scenery because you're low in the tail pipe of a diesel truck, or car (road dust, rain splash). If you have compressed discs, the muscles around the lower lumbar can cramp, or stiffen when sitting for for a long time. Recumbent bikes are lower, so it requires you to twist your spine when exiting the cockpit. The method to resolve neck pain is to set up a tour bike with more upright riding position. Even with safety flags, sun glare, dense fog, or blended city lights increase crash risks during peak hours more so with lowered bikes.
Nice analysis! (one reason for and against different bikes is style, whether you want to fit in or be different) I like them all.
I LOVE my recumbent. I wish I'd bought one years ago
I was considering one for a UK->Spain bicycle ride. But a recumbent bicycle is 5 times more expensive and that's for a cheap one. As a result I'm going to build one myself :D
recycledrecumbent.com free plans or kits or completer bents.
bentrideronline.com/messageboard/forumdisplay.php?f=1
builders forum
My goodness, this is my comment 4 years later. I bought am optima baron recumbent, then a phantom lightening, then a HP grasshopper :D
i didn't know this existed, but i have ALWAYS wanted one. i HATE regular bikes for their seats. you can't ride for more than 90 minutes at a time
It takes courage to put recumbent over upright bikes. ;-)
Aren't you preaching for own parish? ;-)
As recumbent and velomobilerider I totaly agree of course. But can I think of a reason to buy a uprightbike?
Yes I can. You mentioned a few good reasons. I think of just short rides in a city. Do some shopping. Moving around in heavy bike and car traffic. OK it's possible with a recumbent. But I think a uprightbike is far more practical and faster.
Also parking at a station or elsewhere in a city. I always find somebody 'interested' in my velomobile.
When a (cheap) uprightbike is niked I would be shocked at first, but get just to it. If it's my recumbent or velomobile I would cry my eyes out and never get over it.
But then again....I try not to visit cities. I avoid them as much as possible. So I seldom ride upride bikes....
The only thing I hate is people taking a seat on my recumbent when it's parked. Dude wtf, this is my bike, not public property, go sit on a bench. Since it takes a bit of practice to ride it I'm not afraid of people stealing it, But it probably helps that my city beater is kinda old and rusty, but then again, it was also pretty damn cheap.
I do agree: in city traffic, the diamond-frame bike is better since your eyes are higher and the shorter wheelbase makes for a more agile vehicle. But for longer rides and cyclotouring, a recumbent is much more comfortable.
For most people it takes disease to finally switch
must try flevo bike ! kind regards from berlin 👋
I'd love to have a recumbent bike like Azub Max, especially that I love long bicycle tours, but they're exorbitantly expensive. For one such Max I could buy 3 or 4 good quality upright bikes. That's why I really doubt I will ever be able to afford one.
I agree with you. But I for example use my upright bike for commuting to work. That includes about 160m of elevation per direction but is only about 5.5km long my bike weights arrond 9.5kg and comes in handy for that task. Also beeing verry nimble the possibility to take shortcuts up or down a few stairs taking less space and the ability to brake very quickly comes in as a bonus in a 95% urban environment. Shorter inner city or offroad rides is where they are unbeaten.
Interesting, the only time my back doesn't hurt is when I ride my conventional cyclocross frame. Also can't imagine my neck on a bent because I wear trifocals ( and even bifocal riding glasses). Would like to try one sometime but I live in a rural area and there are not many bicyclists here, much less recumbents. Mostly see tricycle recumbents.
The thing ppl miss is that speed equals range. I did 30 miles on my recumbent the first day I owned it. No muscle soreness at all. Averaged 22 mph without trying. With trying, I got 32 mph. Down hill 39.9 mph which begins feeling a bit dodgy on a 24 lb piece of metal and rubber.
Locking the bike in theft-prone areas. With a diamond-frame bike, a U-lock easily locks the rear wheel and the frame against a bench. Add a short cable so nobody steals your front wheel, and you are good for a few minutes. It takes much longer to similarly secure my recumbent.
I had a recumbent bike from about 2007 to 2014, it was a Rans Enduro. I enjoyed it but finally sold it. To be honest, I haven't missed it. It was heavy (35b's) and pretty slow. I took off the 1.95" tires and put on smooth 1.5", and the wheels were 26". That made a great improvement, but the bike was meant to go on dirt roads, hence the stock tires. It takes a bit to get it going from a stop, you have to use the right technique and have the pedal in the correct position. It was difficult to keep it going in a straight line, and impossible to ride it without holding onto the handlebars; they would want to flop over. It also took some time to dial in the correct position of the handlebars and the tilt of the stem. It was really slow going up hills, but it can do it as you are somewhat in a "leg press" position so you can push hard. At first, the seat slid back when I pushed hard, slipping where it was attached to the frame. I had to place a doughnut of old inner tube inside the bracket to keep it from sliding. It can go fast, but you can't keep it up. Going downhill as fast as I could, it wasn't as fast as my regular bicycle. I was able to do 40mph down a somewhat steep hill. I thought with the aerodynamics it would do more. I can say that the seating position is fantastic, you have an excellent view without having to bend your neck. The seat is more comfortable than anything in your house, and it's just a nice place to view the world going by. I think they are great for people with back or neck issues, and people who just want something different. I felt like when I went through an intersection every eye from every car was looking at me; they do attract attention. One other issue is you can't turn and look behind you, you have to have some kind of mirror, probably best attached to the handlebar. I say buy a used one and try it. If it isn't for you, you won't lose too much money. From what I've seen, the tadpole trikes are the way to go these days. You never have to unclip your shoes unless you're getting off the trike!
I've ridden recumbent bicycles now for twenty years and now use bicycle as the my default form of transportation; recently even with a bit of touring ( last durso.org/trip.php ).
Pros: Recumbents do what bicycles do best - they ride better than wedgies (aka diamond frame bikes) and carry you and your payload in comfort potentially to great distances.
Cons: Walking with a bike or a casual ride about town, curbs, stops, carrying or strapping onto the car or in the train is generally easier with a standard bike.
Saukki your excellent video has got me thinking about going a direction purposely avoided. Those beautiful velomobiles are tempting me to get back inside an enclosed vehicle 😲!
The only thing is biking in the city upright bikes I feel allow you to be more agile to avoid unattentive motorists in the usa here where biking is less popular then scandinavia
Finland is not a part of Scandinavia.
if you're the fastest, no need to worry about the others :)
Well I'm convinced. Gonna pickup my Rebike tomorrow.
One reason, you can easily build your own recumbents - that's fun too ;)
I have an ICE VTX, and it is different than a two-wheeler recumbent experience. It drives like a racing car, and feels like it the more in fast turns,but most of all I can safely go as slow as I like, and enjoy my surroundings with comfortable and safer balance which I have to think about a two wheeler...or I can hit a whopping 55 k.s per our, on a flat surface, or even hit near 100 K per hour on a long winding downhill...it is a little safer or more. And it is comfortable, long range. I also have a Riese Muller, shocks in the front, and under the seat, 2 wheeler, e-bike for shopping etc, it's great, but now I wish I bought the double battery, and back suspension, just for more fun! I may buy a decent 2 wheeler for fun; know any good brands to look at? I am like yourself, when it comes to riding, I like touring long distances, mostly cruising, I do not ride in races, nor dirt bike either.
For sometime I have been thinking about getting a recumbent bike, all my life I have been sitting and cycling, and now with recument could lay down and cycle! Here in Chicago I very seldom see anybody riding one. Also not readily available to buy, today I saw one here in Springfield in a store, I am making up mind to get it, hopefully I can ride it. I ride my harley and Goldwing easy, I guess I could ride recumbent too!
Upright pros (which in my opinion make them the only choice): In UK you have to push bikes on pavements and if commuting (Worcester) there are many many pavement shortcuts you have to take.
If you push a bike then a recumbent would be a massive pain (where do you hold it?) You also have to carry your bike up steps (e.g. by Worcester Cathedral) and my folding bike is easy and small for the winding stone steps.
If you commute you often have tiny spaces to keep your bike and a 'bent just would be too big.
Therefore: Commuting to and from many UK towns? Get a folding bike which you can push, fold, park, carry and cycle. Oh and you can keep it in the house as it's tiny. Not everyone lives in a forest utopia with no traffic and a double-garage...
Bents look great however but I wouldn't like to wait at a dual-carriageway Pelican crossing on one and nip across like I can on my folder.
I still want one though but I know I couldn't use one as a weapon-of-transport like my 20" folder. I see them as like microlight aircraft: lovely things but not really for Britain - well commuting anyway.
Very interesting. I find a few other disadvantages of recumbents...if you have a very low center of gravity bike like my homebuilt fwd lowracer, and even my homebuilt Easy Racer it has a very fast "tip" rate, or pendulum rate. This means they respond fast for turns (a great plus) but slip quickly to the ground on ice. I do not use my 'bents' in the winter. I watched enviously your riding your recumbent on those icy roads!
Also find that there is an ergonomic advantage to power output on an upright.
Lastly because of so many years of refinement, for the price upright are lighter for the price)
Brilliantly I'm formative and fun. Thank uou
I have to admit the Cruzbike v20 Vendetta looks real interesting!!! I want to ride one to! ☝️👍😊
My experience on a crus recumbent follows much of what you say as true, yet they have many drawbacks. 1. More expensive, 2. Difficult to climb steep hills. 3. Not allowed on Japanese trains. 3. To wide-long to get through park / bridge barriers 4. Can’t get off seat to reduce shock going down stairs ex. 5. Limited to two panniers 6. Much more work on stomach muscles . 7 limited viewing over walls. 8. Can’t see what front wheel is hitting. 9. More space needed for U turns. 10. Slower start up speed.
That really depends on what type of bent you’re riding.
1) The “more expensive” is highly debatable. Sure there aren’t many “cheap” bents, but the price you pay is similar to other smaller production run bikes and the components are generally higher quality.
2) Difficult to climb steep hills is always true, bent or upright, but in any case the downhill is usually there to make up for the lost speed from the uphill.
3) the train problem is true in elsewhere than in Japan, but it’s not usually the main factor for deciding on a bike. Also, usually with a bit of extra planning you can probably get around that fairly easily.
4) Short wheelbase bikes are pretty good on manoeuvrability and there’s not many barriers I can’t get my bike through that a normal bike would pass. Besides, there’s all those barriers I just ride under without stopping and maybe just cocking my head to the side to clear.
5) It’s fairly common to have a luggage rack on the back wheel on which you can hand two paneers and you’ve still got space on the side of the seat for another two. I’ve been bike touring with my brother on several occasions with the tent and everything I need for two weeks without space to hang it all really being a problem, certainly no worse than an upright.
6) I don’t know where you get the “more work on stomach muscles”. In my experience that’s simply not true on the other hand there’s almost no work on the arms, shoulders, neck.
7) Limited visibility over walls and hedgerows is true, but on the other hand, the natural heads-up position is much better for looking out for pot holes, traffic, pedestrians instead of looking at the 3 meters in front of your wheel and craning your head up every once in a while.
8) not true. As stated above, you’re constantly looking ahead and very few things indeed hit your wheel by surprise or accident.
9) see point above about short wheelbase recumbent. Besides, I might have to do a u-turn once every 50 miles and I can readily do a u-turn on most roads.
10) Bikes with a smaller 26” rear wheel have plenty of acceleration off the start.
Very good video. One of the best for a while...
Aero advantage only comes in at higher speeds. At lower speeds below 30kph the recumbent has more rolling resistance than road bikes due to the smaller wheels.
I checked the prices of recumbent bikes and found them to be not far off the price of a recumbent trike which I would rather have for stability. Have hip issues from falling off a bike.
Sauki, the oracle of the north! Thanks
When ever I go on a ride I pass up a lot of these guys I have never had one pass me. They seem to be very comfortable especially if you have a huge gut as most of the people I see on these things do.
A fit bent driver will pass all.
They are pretty cool, but i like a upright bike for cycling in city traffic. I wish more people used them however, just a little handful around these parts.
I still thoroughly enjoy riding my Vision solo recumbent and living in the south west of England a day's ride - out can easily involve over a 1000m of accumulated climbing! Not bad at 77. Regards Garth
I've been wondering if the cruzbike is faster than my bacchetta
The rider makes the bike fast, not the bike.
That's not true when it's the same rider going faster. I own a fast road bike, tt bike, and recumbent. The recumbent is the fastest and the road bike is the slowest. Aerodynamics is the biggest factor as speed increases. I was asking if the front chain drive was more efficient basically it went over your head
Lol. I just realized its you Dan . Your plenty good on the bent you have
@@mindciller Bents are faster on the flats and downhills. Aerodynamics. Especially if, on the downhills, you've got big front rings. (And no crosswinds). Faster than uprights. Don't have experience with velos but I'd assume they'd be faster than an unfaired bent. FWD/MBB are twitchy on a very twisty descents.
I'm pretty sure cruzbike vendetta is. You may wish to contact them by just commenting on their youtube channel th-cam.com/users/CruzbikeInc
Why I love my upright road/cyclocrosdbike? Because ist is more active to ride. The feel of the direct connection via the chain to the road. The agile handling, the light weight and the power to accelerate fast are things a bent can notprovide me with. I’ve ridden both.
Well I’m building a KMX trike right now , just did a ride on my upright bike in a fierce headwind I couldn’t help but think I would be a lot more aero and lower to the ground if I had my recumbent built!!😊👍
I agree with you. My trike is really good in both Winter ad Summer.
I own 2 large wheel recumbents , a SWB bent and a LWB bent both with 26” wheels. Built for touring and both have internal geared hubs. They both are very heavy bikes at 20-24 kg each and therefore not very fast bikes. In fact I average 4 km/hr faster speed on any upright I also own. I get tired of hearing this speed reference to recumbents because they are not faster from my experience though they are more comfortable to ride. I do find them harder to navigate in traffic and starting on an incline. There is reduced rear view angle while riding so mirrors are essential both on helmet and on the bike.
Hi Saukki
I have a high racer road recumbent and is great to handle and ride I like to hear again all the benefits of driving an open recumbent and a velomobile! I now those recumbent riders are banned through the organization UCI. The recumbent and velomobile riders really don't need there an organization UCI or their "big" money behind. It's of course, possible to make a world racing HPV organization, but it requires a professional organization with opportunities to have world media and television coverage.
Visiting Spezi Germersheim in April this year again to test ride velomobiles and else. The new Alpha 7 and the Go-one KS is is a interesting.
Another thing! I bought some caps from you last year but some stole one of them, are they so popular:-) I like those caps and will buy another one in spring.
Thank you Martinius/Norway.
I envy you for the car free roads you ride on. I live in Tampa Florida. One of the most dangerous citys in the USA.
You should consider moving
That is one solution. I would have to leave the state of florida to find a bike friendly city to live in. I always rastionalze that all it would take is one car to do you in if bad luck or a poor decision on my part is a factor, no matter where you live
Why wouldn't you ride a recumbent?
Since I got my recumbent, it was love at first sight: the comfort, the fun ride, the view, the range...I've never really cycled outside of the city without it.
That said, they're some of the worst kinds of bikes to ride in an urban environment: can't see over traffic, head back rather than forward so it's harder to see around corners and verify safe passage through intersections, can't really turn around to check traffic coming from the back, can't jump over an occasional obstacle, it's maximum width is very low, so it's harder to weave through traffic (e.g. next to 10 cars in a queue waiting for a light), large turning radius even with short wheelbase ones, can't ride hands-free even for a second, much riskier to leave around town unattended because it's much more expensive than a city bike etc.
Why does a bike travel so well on ice and snow? Seems so much more stable than I expected.
Smooth hard packed snow. No problems 😉
With a upright bike, that doesn't have any suspension. I still can ride on bumpy road quite comfortable. Cobble stones, or washpoarded gravel road. Because my legs, arms and bent forward back work like suspension, so not that much vibration is transferred to head.. Only if I go wrong speed on some real bad waves of washboard gravel. vision gets blurry and some headache, or can hurt neck... But what if I rode a suspension-less recumbent bicycle? I suspect, my kidneys may get hurt. Also, because I live on a high floor of a building and sometime there have been situations when elevator is not working. I have had to carry bike on stairs. Also yes I don't have enough money to buy recumbent, nor I have a place where to keep it. But it's interesting. And if I had money and place to keep it, of course I would want one. :D
it looks like fun, but I'd have a go on a repugnant in the same way i'd have a go in a sinclair C5, around an empty car park and just to say i'd ridden one. where i live it's very hilly so it'd have to be a 3 wheeler lol, but it would still be a worry that it would give motorists even more of a 'didnt see you' excuse for carelessness. GL
downside: if it rains and you have no cover you're gonna have a nice wet back, also going up and down stairs seems like it'd be more difficult
Some recumbent seats are mesh and we use fenders. Saukki's seat is molded carbon fiber. He might get some water on his neck. Fenders, kickstands and helmet mirrors are not embarrassing on recumbents. Nobody bothers you if you have a flag either. It's not as cliquish as road riding. We even mix MTB and road component groups. :-O I haven't ridden wearing padded lycra/spandex shorts in 2 decades.
Some recumbents go down stairs. th-cam.com/users/results?search_query=recumbent+stairs. I don't know many roadies who ride up stairs much unless they do trials. I carry my recumbent up and down stairs like a suitcase. Grab frame at balance point and lift. Have fun!
@@BadBent cool, good info. yeah I ride a mix of urban/road/offroad on a road/MTB hybrid but my use case isn't exactly normal :P.
You enjoy the short wheel base but what about a long wheel base ....what is the best
If I may... The beauty of recumbents. My first 'bent (Vision) was convertible short/long and had steering under the seat. I liked long wheel base (LWB). Wife and I got a tandem. I then got a SWB 'fast' Lightning P-38. Much like a road bike for size, turning, touring. I got 'spanked' by two old retired guys on LWB Gold Rush 'bents with fairings and stockings. I was too slow. Bought the LWB Gold Rush w/fairing/stocking and I "need" my van to transport the 7' bike, although it would fit on a bumper rack. LWB has a natural spring like suspension.
It's a matter of personal choice- try them both and then try them again.
The SWB is great in traffic but so is my LWB if I stay out of trouble and don't split lanes. A LWB with a fairing is 2-3 mph faster BUT a F-40 Lightning is just as fast. Both have upright steering. The other issue would be turning radius but exactly how often do we make a lot of tight turns. Saukki's bike has a high bottom bracket and seat, the Lightning P-38 seat is lower and maybe easier to control at slower speeds(?) and dismount. The P-38 has a 16" front tire. Some like same size tires. My P-38 feels like Darth Vader in the TIE fighter. The Gold Rush is more like a 2019 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. LOL Have fun!
Longer the wheel base ,the better stability at speed , less road shock transmitted through frame , lots of gear to be carried , and recumbent smile lasts a bit longer than the short wheelbase as the swb's will get you moving and the smile is replaced with a gasping apparatus !
Big OK from UK oldie on dutch speed kit
Recumbent-very comfortable, awesome aero, great view...can't ride up a curb, climbs like a crippled pig.
Recumbents are great, but an upright is more versatile.
So which one are you riding here?
This video is the first time I've seen someone riding a two wheeled recumbent in winter, and I was quite pleased to see it, because it showed me that it's possible. Before I purchase a two wheeled recumbent, however, I want to know if anyone is familiar with using studded winter tires (such as Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires) on both the front and rear wheels of a recumbent. If so, what has been your experience with encountering black ice and packed snow while commuting on-road? More specifically, I'm wondering what are the pros and cons of having: A) two 26" wheels, B) a 26" rear wheel and a 20" front wheel, and C) a 700c rear wheel and a 20" front wheel. Also, I need to be mindful of wheel base, as whatever two wheeled recumbent I would eventually purchase would have to properly fit on the bicycle rack on the front of my local bus, which is designed/engineered for the wheelbase of conventional upright bikes, as I want to be "multi-modal", so to speak. Additionally, can any two wheeled recumbent take a fairing (windshield), or only certain types of recumbents? If only certain types, then which types can take fairings? Lastly, what brand of helmet mirror is Saukki using? It looks specific to recumbent riders. I ask all this only because none of my local bike shops sell bents. Thanks for any info or suggestions.
Thanks for your comment! I've been riding in winter for many years, so I guess I know what I'm talking about. You might be interested about my other winter cycling videos. Check this playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLZWUH_85V1ZOBQrS_8v2Yx_gqsyXPUr15.html
In my opinion, larger wheels are better in winter. I've ridden Challenge Hurricane with 20" wheels in winter and in my opinion those small wheels are not very good in snow. Don't get a bike with 20" front wheel. You'll just get in trouble with the snow. Back then I also had Marathon Winter studded tyres on both wheels. Ok tyres, but the studds eat their way through the rubber eventually. So some other studded tyres might have longer service life.
With recumbent you really want to have winter tyre on both wheels. Nowdays I ride Azub Max with 26" wheels. I've been usin Continental studdless winter tyres, which are good on hard packed snow and can handle occasional black ice. I also use Suomi Tyres studded off-road winter tyres, which have superior grip on ice.
Studdless tyres are good on snow and hard packed snow. But on ice studded tyres are of course better. Nevertheles, Continental studdless tyre has suprisingly good traction on ice. But if there's a little bit of loose snow on the ice, then studdless tyres are too slippery and studded tyres are much better. But if there's so much loose snow on the ice that even the studds can't reach to the ice underneath, then it doesn't matter what tyres you have, they all are slippery and you will probably crash.
One thing to consider when buying a recumbent for winter riding is to check that the forks have enough room for wide tyres. You really want to have good winter tyres, like Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro. So check that your forks are wide enough for that tyre. For example My Azub Max has very narrow rear fork, so there's not much room for wide tyres. Suomi Tyres Extreme studded winter tyre just fits. I'm not sure if Ice Spiker Pro will fit.
I use Zefal Z-Eye mirror on my helmet.
@@TheVelomobileChannel Thank you kindly, Saukki. Your reply was helpful and informative. I appreciate your personal experience and expertise on this topic. I now hope to purchase a gently used, winter-capable, two-wheeled recumbent like yours -- with two 26" wheels, and with front and rear forks wide enough for a pair of stuuded tires, such as Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 26"x2.10" tires, and hopefully with enough clearance wrap-around commuter-style fenders, too. By the way, yesterday I noticed on schwalbetires.com that Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro 26"x2.10" is now selling for $80 USD, which is a 50% discount.
Ideally, my future recumbent would also safely fit on the front bike rack of my local bus, given that the racks are designed and engineered to hold traditional, upright bikes. I'll need to carefully check the wheelbase of whatever recumbent I may consider purchasing, so as to make sure that the wheelbase isn't too long for the bike racks on my local busses. However, even if the wheelbase is close enough to be compatible, I can foresee the possibility of a problem with the forward part of the recumbent (the triple crank area) sticking out too far from the bus' bike rack, such as beyond the width of the bus itself (even if only by a few inches), which could potentially result in the bus driver denying access to my recumbent. I don't know this yet for a fact but, rather, I can foresee the possibility of such a problem. Therefore, this is another factor for me to consider when purchasing a two-wheeled recumbent similar to yours (the recumbent you were riding in the winter in your video).
This next question is asking a lot of you, because you don't know me, but if you're willing, and if you have the time, I respectfully ask you the following: 1) what is the wheelbase of the recumbent you ride on icy roads in winter, whether in metric measurement or not, and 2) if you were to imagine a vertical line going through the center of your front hub (of that same recumbent), and also imagine another vertical line touching the forward-most part of the largest chainring of your crankset, what is the distance between those two vertical lines? These two measurements would help me to determine if a two-wheeled recumbent, such as the one you ride on icy roads in winter, would safely and properly fit on the bike racks on the front of my local busses. And this, in turn, could help me determine if a two-wheeled recumbent is a viable option for me, given that I hope to use a recumbent in a so-called "multi-modal" fashion (sometimes traveling round-trip solely by recumbent, and sometimes traveling one-way by recumbent and then returning by bus, by putting my recumbent on bus' bike rack). Please don't feel obligated to measure your winter recumbent for me, as there are other ways I can find these measurements, but if only if you have the spare time and the inclination, I would surely appreciate it. Thank you kindly.
p.s. Back in 1989 I interviewed a Finish artist by the name of Pauli Lukonnen (I hope I spelled his name correctly here) for a newspaper story, taking photos of him and of his beautiful, mystical paintings of woodland spaces, and writing up a news article. His paintings inspire me. Additionally, in 1985-86 there was a terrific skier from Finland who was on my high school ski team (in New Hampshire, USA). We were friends and I remember him fondly. Lastly, my father was Hungarian, and the Finish language, if I'm not mistaken, is the only language in the world that has any similarities to Hungarian. Therefore, I can only say good things about Finland!
The wheelbase of my Azub Max is pretty close to a regular upright bike. I use a roof rack on my car to sometimes transport mine and my wife’s bikes. My wife has regular upright bike. The wheelbase is pretty much identical, so I can transport both bikes in the same rack without adjusting the attatchment points of the wheels.
You can try to find a photo of a Azub Max showing the side profile. Then you can try to estimate how much the front boom goes further than the front wheel. For example in my Azub adjusted to my size, the center of the bottom bracket is about on same vertical line than the most front part of the front tyre (I hope you understand what I mean) so only the chainrings are little bit further forward than the tyre. But if you are taller than me, then you must adjust the bottom bracket to be further at the front.
You are my fav!!! Love your vids!!
Why conventional brands like Specialized or Trek do not sell recumbent bikes?
Have to try one. It looks exremely odd to ride. I would not want one on crowded cycling lanes getting to work thats for sure. One last thing is the sheer size. Not really handy.
Cool vid. Thanks!
On a standard bicycle, your head is the crash bar and your neck is the shock absorber, but the bike will be fine.
My lower back is completely finished, with hernias and arthritis. I cannot use an upright bike because my lower back pain will get worse and will cause me to stop after biking a short distance. Can anyone tell me which recumbent bike would be the most comfortable for people like me with serious lower back problems? Thanks for the help !!
I guess the most comfortable type of recumbent would be trike with full suspension. And you should adjust your seating position to low angle (more reclined) so your body weight will distribute on larger area.
Saukki - The Velomobile Channel thank you
Saukki - The Velomobile Channel thank you. I feel like buying your type of bike
They say, the Cruzbike founder has had the health problems, thus he founded it. Maybe it would not be a bad idea to talk to them.
Got a Bacchetta Corsa A-70 because of back/neck pain and saddle sores from years on uprights. I ride more high mileage rides now than ever before with little to no pain. It uses 700c wheels so is pretty high and visible. It is also more than capable of speeds equal or exceeding up right road race caliber bikes.
Nice! Well at least in the city, when the bike gets stolen, you loose more money.
Ok, with insurance, I have no experience.
Not all upight bikes are uncomfortable. Touring bikes like the Kona Sutra are super comfortable due to upright riding position, leather saddle etc.
Endurance road bikes are also super comfortable , having a more upright riding positon to standard road bike meaning no sore back etc, with a leather saddle, no sore bum either, you don't even need padded shorts.
I intend to get a recumbent trike or bicycle but will be pleasantly surprised if a recumbent bicycle or trike is more fun then the endurance bike which is fast, agile and comfortable
What brand is your orange full suspension recumbent you are riding. Thank you.
It’s Azub Max. www.azub.eu
Thank you very for shareing, I would like buy a same one on 2021.
isn't a classic bike better for city riding?
I have a cruz bike. They are fast if you have the legs for them. Have you contacted the cruzbike dot com website for a test ride? And they are comfortable. As for speed uphill I timed myself on my commute with both my cross road bike and my cruzbike and the times are very close. I am slightly faster up a hill on the road bike, but not much. And downhill the cruzbike is faster. The overall commute times were nearly the same and within the deviation of things like stop lights and wind and how I felt that day.
I picked the cruzbike because the short drive chain, and the same size wheels. Plus I had talked to an owner who really liked his. Then I arranged for a test ride by another owner who volunteered to let me ride his bike around in a giant parking lot.
I switched to a recumbent because of shoulder injuries from too much riding on my road bike. Now I can switch back and forth. I prefer the road bike in heavy traffic where I am weaving through cars all stuck in traffic, but I prefer the cruzbike on a longer ride as it is more comfortable. I added a flag to the cruzbike for visiblity, and it has not added any noticeable drag or change in overall commute time.
Cool but the price difference between a road bike and this is big and crucial too.
Velomobiles are LOUD and HEAVY and VERY CUMBERSOME TO MAINTAIN and HARD TO MANEUVRE. Also to LARGE and therefore often hard to find a good place for it. I had a velomobile (actually a Mango and a Quest later) and did not like it for those reasons and I'm glad I could sell it! I would be interested in a high rider recumbent, but they are much more expensive than other bikes. Too much IMO. I would have been interested for example in a Velomo HiFly, but there is no chance to test it, before buying. Also a no-go IMO, when you spent around 3000 Euros.
Riding with the velomobiel largely misses the fun of cycling IMO. Too slow to get up to speed also. Speaking of fun. Moutainbiking on cool trails _is_ by far the most fun!
In general for city use an upright is typically better choice than recumbent and surely than velomobiles.
There's one nasty thing about 'bents that make them not very good to be around: well they take the 50 tooth crank wheel from the bottom of the middle of the triangle, to the very front, middle of the 'bent!! Talk about a cycling hazard, it's like a nasty whirling chainsaw blade up front there.
Nothing beats an actual upright Dutch bicycle with IGH, and a full chain case. Add a weak-as, compact geared hub front motor and it is good for moderate distances.
@@Grunchy005 Whirling chainsaw? Dramatic much ?
I have ridden A Peer Gint, the Speedy, Both lengths of the Vision, the KingCycle and several other designes around 20 years ago (when I was more involved in cycling & HPV). But none of the more recent bikes.
Have things improved a lot?
Judging by your roads you live around quiet roads. Perhaps in Norway or Sweden. In a more urban, town environment in England I would feel more insecure on a Recumbent, today; than I did when I was in my 30s and 40s here.
Also, I am Danish and was used to snow in the winter there - but what tyres do you use in those conditions today?
I live in Finland.
I have no experience about old style recumbents, so can’t say much about improvements. But I guess all bike parts in general have improved a lot in 20 years.
For winter I use these tyres depending on conditions: th-cam.com/video/Sm-VnRNQAHw/w-d-xo.html
Cool vid dude. Love all kinds of bikes but really want a project recumbent. Possibly a fat recumbent or fat trike. I've done one video using a basic KMX kart, so watch this space!
A more reasonable question is 'why WOULDN'T you Ride a Recumbent"? Upright bikes are only good for numb nuts, sore wrists and sore necks if you're going to ride for more than 25 miles or so.
I want a recumbent trike for comfort, but all the shortcuts around here are terribly overgrown. Not just shortcuts; there are all sorts of interesting but tiny and uneven paths around here. I don't think it would help to have a recumbent bike because on such paths I find balance an exciting enough challenge when I'm upright to start with.