Selecting Recumbent Trike
When it comes to fitness equipment the recumbent bikes and trikes are creating waves in the fitness world as well as the market these days. But then you should not select any equipment in haste. Do not give yourself a chance to regret your decision of making a flawed choice. Hence gaining an adequate knowledge of the features that you should look for in the cycle that you intend to buy is going to help you a lot in making the right choice. Out here we will discuss about what you should take into account before buying a recumbent trike.
Coming to the speed at which you can drive these trikes, it is generally observed that those with low and narrow seats- the ones on which you can assume a relaxed posture seem to ride really fast. But coming to stability issues such a trike is not a good choice. Besides, it is not as suitable for riding long distances.
With the right equipment and design, recumbent bikes can be used for riding unpaved roads and offroad, just as with conventional mountain bikes. Because of their longer wheelbase and the manner in which the rider is confined to the seat, recumbents are not as easy to use on tight, curving unpaved singletrack. Large-diameter wheels, mountain gearing and off-road specific design have been used since 1999 on the Lightfoot Ranger. Crank-forward designs that facilitate climbing out of the saddle, such as the RANS Dynamik, also can be used off-road.
Highracers are distinguished by using two large wheels (usually two ISO 559 or 26″). This necessitates a higher bottom bracket than on a lowracer so that the rider’s legs are above the front wheel, and this in turn requires a higher seat. The seating position may be otherwise identical to that on a lowracer allowing similar aerodynamics. “Racer” in the name implies that this will often be the case, since these bikes strive for speed.
Starting and stopping. Because of the supine position, most recumbents do not allow the rider to push forward with the feet on the ground. This makes for slow starts and requires excellent balance. However, since starting a bicycle by pushing the feet against the ground is probably a poor way to start, this criticism may invalidate itself. Starting a recumbent does not require great strength; it is a matter of balance and a skill which must be learned. It is best to learn from an experienced rider, who can help with a little push at first. Several rides may suffice to become confident enough of one’s starting and stopping skills before becoming ready to ride in traffic or perform uphill starts. Recumbent tricycles do not require balancing and hence do not require any special skill in this regard. With many recumbent seats quite low it is often easier to get a foot down onto the ground on stopping than is the case from a conventional bike with the saddle set high for optimum pedaling.
Constant position. While the riding position is comfortable and removes stress from the arms, it cannot easily be varied during a ride (as upright riders might stand for a hill), and some find that bottom brackets at or near hip level produces problems with cold or numb feet. Some riders suffer “recumbent butt,” a pain in the gluteal muscles caused by their increased effort while being compressed. This can usually be addressed by adjusting the seat angle and pedal position. In a more reclined position, the weight is spread evenly between the back and buttocks. The rider of a conventional bike can stand up on the pedals to allow his legs to take up the shock of a severe bump in the road. The recumbent rider cannot (although many designs include suspension to alleviate this).
Price. Recumbents are generally 10 – 15% more expensive than upright bikes of equivalent quality. Most are hand-built in comparatively small runs by independent manufacturers, usually with high specification components. At the low end, the vast majority of upright bikes sell for less than the cost of the cheapest new recumbent.
Overlap of heels with the front wheel during tight turns with some short wheelbase (SWB) and some compact long wheelbase (CLWB) design is known as “heel strike.” This is only evident during tight turns and can be avoided by lifting the heel or pausing pedalling. It is similar in many respects to “toe strike” in upright designs, which is similarly dependent upon design, implementation, size of feet and their position on the pedal and the presence or otherwise of fenders or mudguards.
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