Laying down bikes. What's the deal then?

[Garlick]

I've seen a few chaps riding bikes where they are almost laying down while riding, and to be seen in traffic they have a flag on a pole attached to the bike.

Feet first with front mounted pedals, and normally ridden by odd looking chaps.

What are they? Are they any good? Why?

I can't even find a picture of one to help me explain, so I hope you know what I am on about.......

[okgo]

Gay.

[Garlick]

Not like that, th efeet are much further forward....over the front wheel perhaps.

[fadeaway]

Google for "recumbent bikes" - they're supposed to be more efficient iirc, but always seem a bit dangerous to me as drivers can only see that little flag they all have.

[Mr Will]

Recumbent Bicycles. More Aerodynamic, more comfortable, much more gay...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle

[sjg]

Recumbents. Come in a few shapes/layouts, meant to generally be comfy, more aerodynamic and efficient. Pricey though, and I wouldn't want to go anywhere near city traffic on one.

http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/recumbents.s...

[jesta1865]

are you talking about a recumbent bike?

i think the flag is so high big stuff knows they are there.

[okgo]

fadeaway said:

Google for "recumbent bikes" - they're supposed to be more efficient iirc, but always seem a bit dangerous to me as drivers can only see that little flag they all have.

That is what I googled. And I know what garlick means but this was the best pic that fitted his description complete with drag enhancing flag.

[Digga]

Recumbent bicycles.

They are, fking dangerous on UK roads. I know other road users should be on the lokout etc. etc. but it's an accident waiting to happen, especially in the dark.

Mrs Digga works with a guy who rides one and he's been knocked off the fker at least once, by some poor dizzy cow, on a roundabout IIRC.

[sleep envy]

recumbent bikes - supposed to be a very efficient way of getting about by bike

[Garlick]

Recumbents!

Thank you. Not for me it must be said, they look very wobbly and (as some have said) hard to see.

[Garlick]

Anyone had a go on one?

[pdV6]

Not had a go on one, but the physics of them would suggest that they would be less wobbly than a traditional bike as the CoG is lower.

[okgo]

pdV6 said:

Not had a go on one, but the physics of them would suggest that they would be less wobbly than a traditional bike as the CoG is lower.

True, but on a normal bike you have free movement of your whole body, which increases balance, hence trials existing! Like to see Danny McAskill do his stuff on one of these

[ysnnim]

My LBS is a stockist of recumbents, http://www.futurecycles.co.uk/recumbents/optima-re...

Had a few goes over the years on a variety of machines, and they are very efficient and comfortable. However you do feel so very vunerable on them. Mostly ridden by beardy blokes, who consider anything else 'inferior'.

Oh, and as previous posters have said, you do have to be gay.

[Pickled Piper]

Garlick said:

normally ridden by odd looking chaps.

always ridden by chaps will facial hair.

pp

[936ADL]

Aren't they often used by people who suffer with their backs?

A guy at work used to ride(drive?) one who weighed in excess of 25 stone. His beer gut used to arrive a good few minutes before the rest of him......

I'm sure we'll see a fair few on the L2B.

[louiebaby]

I've even seen something that looks like a recumbent, but uses a rowing machine type motion to move forward, (so you travel the way you're looking, unlike a rowing boat.)

I think they would be something that you could learn to use, but there is no way to "stand up on the pedals" for big pushes and hills, and the visibility of you to others and other to you would keep me on a regular bike.

(Also, they do seem to be ridden by weirdy beardy types!)

[AnotherClarkey]

louiebaby said:

I've even seen something that looks like a recumbent, but uses a rowing machine type motion to move forward, (so you travel the way you're looking, unlike a rowing boat.)

I think they would be something that you could learn to use, but there is no way to "stand up on the pedals" for big pushes and hills, and the visibility of you to others and other to you would keep me on a regular bike.

(Also, they do seem to be ridden by weirdy beardy types!)

Apparently you need to develop different muscles to use them effectively. You can't stand on the pedals but you can push against the seat back which probably allows you to put even greater force through the pedals (not limited to solely your bodyweight). Must be tough on the knees though.

I always struggle to understand the reaction against these things, conventional bikes can be so tedious. I got a copy of Cycling Plus recently with a buyers guide at the back. It has hundreds of road bikes in which are basically ALL EXACTLY THE SAME. How different can they actually be?

I suppose it is mainly because the UCI ban anything which resembles progress.

[Garlick]

Word