Top 10 Reasons to Recumbent

1. Recumbents are fun! Zipping around town in a recumbent feels like driving a go-cart. They corner easily and give you great road feel. Want to kick it up a notch? Most recumbents can accommodate an electric-assist motor that can go 20 MPH.

2. Recumbents are comfortable! Sitting in a recumbent feels more like sitting on a chair with your feet up. My customers describe the feeling as “Relaxercising”. Unlike traditional bikes, there are no pressure points on your hands, wrists, shoulders or backside!

3. Recumbents make exercising easier. The fun of riding a recumbent makes you want to ride. You start looking for reasons to do more riding. If you want to take a break. just pull over, put on the brake, and start again when you are ready.

4. Recumbents are stable. You spend no effort balancing, so you can focus on the fun of riding. People with balance issues can get back to an active lifestyle with recumbents.

5. Recumbents eliminate the “hunchback”. Instead of riding in an unnatural position, you ride in a back-friendly way that leaves you feeling relaxed and refreshed. It is easier to enjoy the scenery around you when your head is in a natural position. Want even more comfort? Most recumbents can be fitted with a headrest.

6. Recumbents are safe. The wider footprint of recumbents actually encourages drivers to give you a wider birth as they pass. The lower seating position also means you don’t ever have to worry about falling off your bike.

7. Recumbents are aerodynamic. The lower profile of recumbents means more of your effort goes to moving the bike forward instead of fighting wind resistance allowing you to ride longer and feel better when you finish.

8. Recumbents are fast. The fastest human-powered vehicle is a recumbent that went over 85 MPH (your results may vary). Generally speaking, people find recumbents faster than uprights with the same effort. It takes a little while for your muscles to adapt to a different riding position, but once they do, look out!

9. Recumbents are adaptable. Not only are recumbents easier to comfortably fit a wide range of people, they can be adapted for wounded warriors or people with physical challenges.

10. Recumbents riders are instant celebrities. Don’t believe me? Try riding a recumbent on your local trail and see how many positive comments and questions you get. Once your friends try it, they will want one too!

The Secret to Powerful Pedaling

On of the best ways to improve your recumbent bike experience is to improve the way you pedal. Most people spend their time on the bike and don’t spend much time thinking about how they pedal. It seems simple, pedal harder, go faster. In reality, the best way to go faster is probably to pedal smarter rather than harder. If you are not using the whole pedal stroke to provide power, you are not being as efficient as you could be.

MAKE A CONNECTION

Power is transferred to your bike through the pedals. The better the connection, the more power is transferred. That’s why I recommend using clipped shoes and pedals. Clipping a shoe into your pedals not only gives you a safe secure base for pedaling, it also gives you more power. When I switched to clips, I felt like I had another gear. Most people report having 15 -20% more power when clipped into pedals. That kind of power can be used to go faster or farther with less effort than riding on traditional pedals.

LINE IT UP

Without clips it is easy to have your feet improperly aligned with the pedal. In order to have the right connection, the middle of the pedal needs to be directly under the ball of your foot. Improper alignment is not only inefficient, it can also make your feet and knees sore. Clipping in makes sure that your foot always gets the most out of each stroke while keeping your comfortable.

CIRCLES NOT LINES

Pedaling without being clipped into the pedal forces you to pedal left, right, left, right, pushing each pedal away from you. Clipping in lets you use the whole pedal stroke, not just the half where you are pushing the pedal. Using both the push and pull part of the pedal stroke gives you more power and spreads the work to different leg muscles. The best pedal stroke applies power in a circle rather than in straight lines. In other words, you should be pulling one pedal down and back while pushing the other pedal up and over the top of your stroke. A good way to feel this action is to unclip one foot and rest it on the boom tube while pedaling with one foot. This will help you develop a strong pedal stroke. Practice one leg at a time and then when you put it together you will be surprised at your increase in power.