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Permalink Reply by Paul Lazzaro on December 21, 2016 at 2:14pm

OK, I also ride only uprights.  But I ride several different ones, each suited to a particular use.  I assume the same rationale would apply to adding a recumbent to my stable.  For city riding, I don't think I'd like the low vantage point, and for the relatively short distances of my transportation riding, I don't really care about the lower wind resistance.  Also, it would be tough to carry most recumbents up to my apartment.  But if I had a suburban garage for storage, and plans to ride across the windy plains states, I'd consider one.

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Permalink Reply by Jerry Lee on December 21, 2016 at 4:20pm

I ride both recumbents and uprights, I am able to switch back and forth. I used to race the recumbents in the HPRA series with the WisIL group around the Midwest. Now days being old and fat I just cruise around the neighborhood. I used to ride my trike regularly on the lake front path and even on busy Clark st. trikes are a blast to ride, I have a tadpole design, 2 wheels in front and one in the rear, very stable and low, just gotta be cautious of your surroundings.

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Permalink Reply by Donald P Kingston on December 24, 2016 at 1:12am

It was not me. I saw a couple of recumbent's this summer in Missoula, Montana

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on December 25, 2016 at 3:51pm

I rode uprights for two decades as an adult, and for the last ten years I rode a recumbent trike. My backup is a recumbent two-wheeler.

I switched, because I have scoliosis which for me is a dramatic forward currve in my mid spine. It came to the point that I could no longer deal with the pain, so I switched to the bent.

I would never go back.

I do not have to dismount to take photos, I am looking up at the passing scenery rather than down at the pavement so that I see so much more, I can go over ice or snow without swerving or falling, my wrists, fingers or bottom do not get sore or numb, I can carry a big load of groceries and it is just a lot of fun.

I wish I had started 30 years ago on a recumbent trike.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on December 27, 2016 at 4:07am

I ride both. My upright bikes are primary.

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Permalink Reply by Mark on December 29, 2016 at 9:26am

I ride upright road bikes and bought a recumbent tandem a couple years ago.  Both have their advantages.  The recumbent is comfortable, especially for my wrists and neck, but I feel like there is less power as the pedaling stoke is out in front rather than down with my weight behind it.

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Permalink Reply by Velo Celt on January 26, 2017 at 6:15pm

I'd always ridden upright, or "diamond frame" bikes until a bunch of problems with saddles, and some beginning arthritis in my left hip made me decide to try a 'bent. I tried some out up at Amlings about three years ago, liked it enough to give it a try. I spent about 7 months in 2014 riding a Bacchetta Giro recumbent as my only bike. I commuted over 100 miles per week on it and did all my grocery runs and one century ride on it. I thought was sold on 'bents but I continued to have issues with my arthritic hip in spite of trying shorter crankarms and a myriad of seat positions. Even tried a different type of seat with the 'bent before finally deciding to try DF bikes again. I went and hooked up with my buddy Damon at Alt Cycle (when they were still around), and test rode a Yuba Mundo to see if I could still tolerate a DF bike. Turns out I could ride a DF bike just fine.

I chose to build an entirely custom Yuba Mundo from the frame up because I needed the cargo capacity of a longtail bike versus just a regular touring bike with racks which it what I'd ridden before. I reasoned that if I continued to have saddle issues or hip issues I could better troubleshoot those by working with professional fitters at any number of bike shops versus trying to troubleshoot fit on a 'bent which usually consists of talking with people on forums because pretty much no one knows how to adjust fit on a 'bent except for specialist 'bent dealers. Amling's was too far away to be much help, and most of the forum advice wasn't helping with the issues I was having riding my 'bent. Additionally, I *NEVER* felt 100% safe riding that bike if I had to take it into the Loop to run errands or avoid the LFT on busy summer days. 

Visibility in traffic, lack of low speed mobility/stability, and limited cargo capacity had me really missing my DF bikes. I rode 9 months in 2015 on the Yuba Mundo (over 100 miles a week, but no centuries alas), and then built a fat bike to ride with 29+ wheels as my primary ride in 2016. I'm still riding the 29+ fatbike and have the Mundo as a back up with the extra capacity and installed an e-assist motor on it for extra help with heavy cargo, and/or use in place of my Kona on the days when the wind really sucks out on the LFT. Now, with my time in on 'bents I'd never give up my DF bikes unless I absolutely, medically could not ride them anymore. For all of the kinds of riding I do, 'bents just aren't versatile enough, and I don't believe they're particularly safe in heavy traffic. If it was the difference between riding or not, I'd figure something out to ride a 'bent safely, but otherwise I'm sticking with my DF bikes and not ever going back. 

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