Are recumbent bikes any good for leisure cycling?

Question

Are recumbent bikes any good for leisure cycling?

Answer 1

The recumbent is probably the best bike you can buy for leisure riding and is sure the most comfortable. The recumbent can be ridden greater distances with less effort than a regular upright bike and are also faster than most bicycles depending on the rider of course.

They handle well, in traffic, city, or country roads, and are great for touring at least that's where I ride mine and have never had any problems. Remember most of the c**p you here from people that badmouth recumbents, don't own a recumbent, never have owned a Recumbent, and have never ridden one.

The fact is I find that most DF riders fear what they don't understand and don't know, they just repeat what they here and it's 99% all myth.

I rode Treks for 15 years and my Recumbents for the last 10 and at this time do not own a DF and never will again and if you ever get the chance to ride a Recumbent you probably won't ever want to see another DF

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Be aware that most Recumbents have a learning curve and take some getting use to, most people are generally riding well after a few miles,  you also do use a different set of muscles and they generally take a 100 or so miles to come around, not much different than when you started learning to ride your bicycle.

As for wikipedia and there Disadvantages read them closely because for ever disadvantage listed they also list the remedy and most are know different than the things or upgrades you would do too a bicycle or that would come and be remedied with riding experience.

The Recumbent is a great all around ride.

Answer 2

no, they make you look like a t*t, and your highly likely to get run over by a lorry because they cant see you. : )  

Answer 3

Some are low to the ground and and are hard to see in traffic but I also see people riding them on trails that are higher.  

Answer 4

Also, recumbents need muscles that you don't normally use when using an "upright" so beware, you need to be very fit to ride them.

Answer 5

yes, as long as you live in a relatively traffic-free middle class suburb and dont mind looking like the village idiot

Answer 6

They can be fantastic on a quiet and fairly smooth road, racing, or with the shield of a support vehicle behind you. But I wouldn't trust traffic to see me, and I wouldn't ride them off road, as it would be difficult to shift your weight over bumps. As usual, Wikipedia has a lot to say on the pros and cons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_b...