How to avoid the number one mistake when buying a recumbent

When you are new at something, it's natural to seek advice of those with more experience.

If you're taking up guitar, photography, watercolors, or cycling, your first stop may be people you already know who are somewhat proficient in those areas.

While their advice may be used to give you some fundamental grounding in an unfamiliar field, the problem with consulting more advanced enthusiasts it that they are at a different point on the spectrum of their proficiency and enjoyment of the activity in question, and may be on a completely different trajectory. For example, your photographer cousin who travels to remote locations hoping to have his photos included in Outside magazine will have different needs than you who may be looking for a great point and shoot options to document your weekend outings.

This is even more true with bicycles, since it's not only the projected use that's important, but also the rider’s build, physical needs, comfort and abilities.

As a shop, we take a very different approach to guiding you toward a successful purchase than a friend might. We're less invested in how successful our own experience is with a particular product, and more interested in discovering what will most likely work well for you.

Dispelling typical recumbent “good advice”

Just as with regular bikes, so with recumbents, as long as you’re purchasing a reputable recumbent (more below), the brand is the least important consideration. Because recumbents are much smaller slice of the market than regular bikes, it's true that certain brands specialize in specific types of products, but that doesn't mean you should buy a bike from brand X without considering all other factors.

Here are far more important considerations when choosing your recumbent:

Your lifestyle and goals for getting a recumbent

Recreation, fitness & leisure

Whatever your age or physical ability, a recumbent trike is a great, comfortable vehicle for cruising down recreational trails. Because of its undemanding riding position and stability afforded by the three wheel design, it’s easy to use at almost any fitness level. Therefore, you can enjoy many types of outings while staying active: sightseeing, birdwatching, photography, riding rails-to-trails and more.

Recumbent trikes are also a practical solution for individuals wishing to lose weight. If you have found yourself in a quandary of wanting to shed extra pounds, but finding that you exceed weight recommendations on standard bikes, you are in luck. Many recumbent manufacturers offer models that accommodate larger riders, so you can enjoy a comfortable ride, increased cardiovascular fitness and better health.

For recreation, fitness and leisure, you can use almost any recumbent or trike that suits your taste and budget. For leisure rides, you may prefer a trike with higher, more upright seat position. For more comfort on unpaved trails, look for front and rear suspension. Heavier and larger riders should look for three-wheel models with size and weight rating appropriate to their stature.

Distance & adventure

If you’re heading out on multi-day cycling explorations, a recumbent will let you enjoy luxuriously comfortable days in the saddle. You can really exercise your muscles and log in the miles, without the more punitive aspects usually associated with long distance biking. A recumbent seat will not only keep your butt happy over long stretches of road, it also allows you to easily take in the scenery, because it helps keep your head and neck in the normal upright and forward-facing position. On a trike, you can stop and enjoy the views, take photos or refreshments without dismounting.

Recumbents offer generous space for luggage and touring gear, and because the entire load rides closer to the ground, you can maintain a low center of gravity and good stability.

For distance riders and cycle touring, the features to look for include: longer wheelbase (45” or longer), lower, more streamlined seat, cargo carrying accessories, broader gear range, suspension or larger wheels for unpaved terrain. Electric-assist may not be ideal for traveling to remote areas.

Movement & exercise

A recumbent trike will allow you to move longer and more consistently without pain. The low, reclining and comfortable position is a great alternative for cyclists who are older, those with physical ailments and balance challenges, and riders who want to keep active, but have safety concerns about using a conventional bicycle. Cycling is a terrific low-imact exercise, and recumbent trikes make it possible to enjoy if you no longer want to or even if you’ve never learned to ride a two wheel bike.

A recumbent trike is a fantastic tool for those who wish to add movement and adventure into their lives, and remain active longer.

For older riders seeking comfort and added security, the features to look for are: higher seat position, added handholds to help with getting up and down, lower crank position, suspension for comfort, electric-assist, and folding for easy transport.

Mobility or recovery

A recumbent trike is an ideal vehicle for individuals rehabilitating from injury or illness, or those living with a physical disability. A trike takes away the problem of balancing, which allows you to travel safely at very low speeds as you recover strength, and virtually eliminates the risk of injury from falling. Standard upright trikes are heavy and come with low-end components, so they can be a struggle to ride. In contrast, quality recumbent trikes are nimble and easy to turn. High quality drivetrains offer a range of gears to make starting and rolling easy, and dependable brakes for secure stopping.

Recumbent trikes can be modified with adaptive accessories, including foot and leg support, alternative steering and braking, and some models can be linked together in tandem. Plus, electric assist systems can be added for more support on longer rides.

It should be noted that two-wheel recumbents can be a great option for riders who are not concerned about balancing, but are living with or recovering from back problems or injury, or other issues that prevent them from riding a standard upright bike.

For riders looking for mobility or rehabilitation key features include: a higher seat position (delta trikes are a great option), handholds for ease of getting up and down, electric assist, linking ability, and specific adaptive accessories (foot and/or calf supports, single side braking, handcycle adaptations, etc.)

Commuting

Riding in traffic on any bike has some inherent risks, and you definitely have to use some judgment if you decide to use a recumbent bike for your commute. A recumbent trike may not be an ideal choice, unless you’re lucky enough to commute on the trail. However, two-wheel recumbents are just as agile in traffic as regular bikes, and can just as easily carry your office papers and gear. The rider is at a height comparable to drivers, and with the foot-forward position, there is less risk in getting doored. If you have a long commute, the recumbent position can definitely make the ride more pleasant

For commuting in urban and semi-urban areas, look for a two wheel recumbent, with dual 20” wheels or 26/20 combo and SWB for best maneuverability, the ability to set the seat more upright, and consider adding safety accessories such as lights and a flag.

Where will you ride your recumbent?

The types of roads or trails you’re likely to travel will inform your recumbent buying decision.

For example, if riding on popular local trails or streets where you’re likely to encounter many other users, you’ll probably want something with a higher and more upright position. For long, uninterrupted paved trails or roads, you may prefer a somewhat longer wheelbase, larger back wheel, and a higher crank position. For a mixture of pavement and crushed limestone, or gravel, you’d probably choose larger, wider tires, or some suspension. 

You’ll also want to choose a recumbent with gearing that’s appropriate to the topography of your area. While much of Chicago is quite flat, many local trails feature overpasses that will cause you to go down to the “granny gear”. Trails in surrounding areas, especially near rivers and moraines, definitely have variations that require adequate gearing. And if you intend to go on long-distance tours, you need to have the widest gear range available.

The BEST tool for choosing your recumbent: THE TEST RIDE

Your friend’s testimony, online reviews and videos can only tell you so much. The best way to learn about recumbents is to spend some time test riding various models, including some you may not be considering, just to make sure, and to gain a better understanding of the differences. 

If you’re lucky enough to have a shop that stocks recumbents or demos in your local area, that should be your number one stop. While not every shop will have everything you may want to try, they are likely to have a selection that will help you narrow down choices. 

They will also have experience to show you how various fit and comfort adjustments or add-ons can optimize the feel of the bike to your preferred riding experience.

As you test ride various models, pay attention to the following:

• Can you get on and off without difficulty, or are modifications available to make that easier?

• Does the seat have sufficient adjustability and support for your needs? Seats vary from rigid Euro-style that are great for fast paced riding, to full-mesh, which are light and breathable, to luxuriously padded that offer both cushion and support.

• What’s the feel of the ride? Is it cushy and comfortable, or quick and responsive?

• Does it feel high enough to make you feel secure alongside other trail or road users?

• Does it seem like it’s suited to ride at the speed you’d enjoy?

• Is the steering responsive enough? Would you prefer more relaxed steering?

Test-riding even just two or three bikes will help you clarify some of the answers and help you narrow the choices. At this point, you can work with your local recumbent shop to help dial in the bike and features that will make up your ideal setup.

Buy your recumbent for the long term

All of the recumbents we sell at Cosmic Bikes are high quality, durable vehicles, built with reliable and time-tested components, and they come from very reputable manufacturers. Therefore, like their high quality standard bicycle counterparts, they are fully serviceable and upgradeable over time. So, as you gain experience riding, and want to add features and modifications, it will usually be possible.

However –again, as with standard bikes– you can’t change a recumbent into something it is not. Most obviously, a two-wheeler will never give you the stability of a trike as you get older and may become more concerned about falling. Likewise, a sporty, low-slung trike may feel difficult to get in and out of as years go by.

All of this does not mean that you should not buy a recumbent that serves your needs today; only that you should give some thought to what your needs may be in 5-10 years. For many people, it will be viable to replace their recumbent at that time. If your budget is more restricted, it might actually make more sense to invest in the best you can afford today to increase the likelihood that you will be able to adapt it to your changing needs for years to come with more minor modifications.

Buying a recumbent is a different experience from buying a standard bike. Many first-time recumbent buyers experience sticker shock, as there are virtually no recumbents available for under $1500, and many can run into several thousands of dollars. Because it’s such a heavy investment, you will definitely want the experience of a test ride.

We feel that finding a local dealer, or one that you can reasonably travel to, is the most important step in buying your recumbent, since there’s no substitute for in-person test rides and consultation.

Note: This post was excerpted from our complete Recumbent Buyers’ Guide, which has much more advice on choosing your recumbent.