RECUMBENTS

Posted Apr 26, 2001
1,302

For years, riding a recumbent was like wearing a day-glo T-shirt with GEEK written on it, front and back. But just as Palm Pilots and headset cell phones were total geekware not so long ago, recumbents are now fairly commonplace. One of the fastest-growing segments of the bicycle market, recumbents just get better and better: Once heavy, cumbersome, poorly spec'd and very expensive, they are now sleek, light, have great components and affordable.

Most new buyers go to a recumbent for the comfort. Some go to recumbents for the speed--a model built for speed can be incredibly fast (they've been illegal in most bicycle racing since the 1930s due to their unfair aerodynamic advantage). But touring and distance riding is where recumbents really shine. Load the gear and hit the open road. You can ride these things as long as your legs hold out because the seat's so comfortable you won't want to stop. The long miles of charity rides and centuries just melt away. Mountain biking is new terrain for recumbents, but yes, they do work (we'll just have to see if recumbent mountain biking takes hold).

It would be impossible to round up every possible recumbent configuration for our Buyer's Guide, but we've selected a sampling that should give you an idea of what's available. Most recumbent dealers are very accommodating when it comes to test rides, and with such a variety of bikes to choose from it's important to test ride a few 'bents to find one that suits you.

The actual riding procedure is completely unlike the balance of a conventional bike, yet it's very easy. Sit back, relax, open your mind to a new way of riding, and soon you will be zipping along in comfort never before imagined.

--BJ Strass