What is a recumbent?
A recumbent is a two or three wheeled pedal-powered vehicle, in which the rider sits in a reclined or semi-reclined position, pedaling with their feet in front of them. The rider’s body is supported from the buttocks along the entire spine, and their head and neck are in a natural upright position.
Recumbents offer a cycling position that is superior in terms of comfort and ergonomics to a conventional bike.
Recumbent Seat
The sitting position on a recumbent is similar to sitting in a lounge chair. Unlike on a standard bike, the seat of a recumbent features a full back. The rider's buttocks, lower back and mid-back are fully supported by the seat, and an optional headrest can be used for additional support for the neck and base of head.
The seat a recumbent can be relatively low to the ground. Many leisure and touring trikes have a seat height of 11-17 inches off the ground. Performance trikes and lowrider racers may be quite a bit lower than that. Two wheel recumbents, and tadpole trikes have seat height comparable to a typical chair.
Some performance recumbents are outfitted with rigid and relatively narrow contoured seats padded with a layer of foam. Those are optimized for fast-paced performance riding, and are not used on comfort recumbents.
Recumbent Cranks & Pedals
The cranks and pedals on a recumbent bike extend in front of the rider. This, combined with the comfortable seat, makes for an efficient, non-fatiguing pedaling position. THese two features allow the rider to keep the head and neck in the naturally upright position, and view the surroundings without craning the neck.
The seat height determines largely how easy the bike is to get on and off from. However, once seated, the relationship between the seat and crank position affects how the bike will feel. More casual and recreational recumbents tend to have a lower crank position relative to the seat, and performance-oriented models feature higher cranks.
Recumbent Steering
The steering position on a recumbent eliminates any strain on the wrist and arms.
Most trikes feature steering handles positioned alongside the rider's hips, which allow your hands and arms to rest naturally by your sides. This type of steering is also available on certain two wheel recumbents.
Most two wheelers (and some tadpole trikes) offer upright steering, with the steering column rising up toward the rider's chest. This is also quite comfortable, and does not place any pressure on the wrists and forearms.
Although a little weird looking, recumbent bikes utilize a reclining sitting position, very familiar to us from lounging or driving a car. Until you try one, you will not believe that it is possible to cycle in such a relaxed position, without any unnecessary train on your neck, back, wrists, and --of course-- your behind.
Curious?