A recumbent bicycle places the rider in a laid-back reclining position.
Recumbents come in many different sizes and configurations usually with either two or threes wheels.
Most recumbents are rear-wheel-drive but there are many FWD models available.
A well designed recumbent is far more comfortable than an upright bike;
the rider’s weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks.
There is minimal weight on the hands so you should not suffer sore wrists or numb hands/fingers after a long ride.
On a traditional upright bicycle, the body weight rests entirely on a small portion of the sitting bones, the feet, and the hands.
Early Recumbents
Recumbent bicycle designs were around from the 1860s of both prone and supine varieties can be traced back to the earliest days of the bicycle.
Before the shape of the bicycle settled down following Starley‘s safety bicycle, there was a good deal of experimentation with various arrangements, and this included designs which might be considered recumbent. Continue reading “Recumbents”
