Lying down, especially in a position of comfort or rest; reclining.-re.cum.bence or re.cum.ben.cy n. -re.cum.bent.ly adv. Combining comfort and speed on a bicycle. Very fast, comfortable, different and cool! The bicycle for the next century! A long and kind of odd sounding term that describes laid back and comfortable arm-chair bicycling. Often referred to as: semi-recumbents, recliners, comfort-bikes, HPV's (Human Powered Vehicles) or "bents" as slang for recumbent.

The first and foremost reason to consider a recumbent bicycle is comfort. When you ride a recumbent bicycle your body feels good - no pain. Your arms and wrists are totally relaxed, as they do not support your weight. Your neck and shoulders are relaxed because you're looking straight ahead. The recumbent seat offers full ergonomic back and base support. While riding a recumbent, you should not experience any pain, chafing, or numbness.

Some smaller recumbents (CLWB and SWB) may fit on normal trunk, bumper, hitch or roof racks. There are custom extended trays to fit most recumbents to roof racks. On a vehicle with a relatively long roofline, you can use roof rack with a fork clamp mount to the front fork and rear wheel tray for the rear wheel or lay a piece of foam in the tray and rest the frame tube (just in front of the rear wheel). There are lightweight trailers that will accept bicycles.

Sit down on the recumbent seat, grab the brake handle so you won't roll backward, place your power-foot in the 1:00 position, give it a goose of power, catch your balance and go. It's best to start out in a quiet, closed parking lot with little car traffic. Have a friend or bike salesman stay with you until you are riding. Be sure you're dealing with the shop's recumbent expert.

Over-seat steering (OSS): This is the more common, normal, user-friendly, and performance-oriented (in most cases) type of steering. These are your basic upright handlebars that connect to a stem or riser into a head tube (or false head tube on some models). Under-seat steering (USS): These are the handlebars that are down at your sides underneath the seat. USS is considered more comfortable by many riders, though it can take more time to become accustomed to.

Recumbent bikes definitely have a bit of "learning curve." Don't worry though, most new riders can safely ride a recumbent bicycle within half an hour, and are completely comfortable on one within a week. The trickiest part is learning to start, learning to stay relaxed, and learning to shift down when coming to a stop. Visit the "New Riders" section for more information.

Yes, they can be very comfortable. Certainly, leaps above a regular bicycle! The large, reclined seat that is typical of a recumbent bike does not put pressure on any parts of your body like a regular bike. The rider's entire weight is spread across their back, instead of concentrated on the hands and tainbone. This means that some people who normally avoid riding a bike due to pain, may be able to ride a recumbent bicycle without any trouble at all.

In general, they usually are. Most recumbent bicycles, like the Ghost and Amigo, put the rider's height at the same level as a car driver's head. This means that you stay visible to drivers on the road. The unique design and shape of a recumbent bike also tends to make drivers more cautious around you, for whatever reason. However, it is important that any recumbent bicycle rider act responsibly on the road.

Not at all! In fact, if you have never ridden a bike in your entire life (perish the thought!), you could probably ride a recumbent trike. Just sit back, and go. With plenty of gears, you are free to go as fast or slow as you like. Steering is easy, and braking is even safer than a regular bike. Plus, since there is little chance of flipping over, you don't have to worry about hitting debris or stalling on a hill. Trikes are great for everyone!

Definitely. As on a recumbent bike, the rider's entire weight is spread across their back, rather than a few pressure points like on a regular bike. A recumbent trike has the added advantage of not needing to balance, so you can relax even more while you're out for a leisurely ride on the community trail.

There's no question, trikes are definitely lower than any other bike on the road. For this reason, you may worry that a trike is unsafe on the road. This is not necessarily true. The most important thing to remember when you're on the road, is to stay visible. Most riders will have a tall safety flag on their trike. Don't hug the curb so that cars can pass you more easily, this is not safe for you.

Because the 'bent pilot's legs are parallel to the bike's roll axis... not perpendicular (as is the case on a typical DF). On a DF, the legs are essentially control linkages, allowing the rider to independently tilt the frame will remaining balanced. Once the frame is tilted in the desired direction, trail responds by turning the wheel assembly in the direction tilted. On a 'bent, the rider's horizontal leg position inhibits (or eliminates) control of frame tilting.

A Yes and No. We do not sell our own recumbent folders, however you can use the Cruzbike conversion to turn almost any Downtube folding bicycle into a folding recumbent. View a customers Downtube Cruzbike conversion.

Recumbent: The Rotor system offers exactly the same advantages for a recumbent bicycle as it does for a normal bicycle, be it road or mountain. The only difference is the installation process.

At first, they can be. Recumbent bicycles utilize a slightly different set of leg muscles, which must develop before you can match the speeds you are used to on a regular bike. This process may take a few weeks, depending on how much you ride. Eventually, you will probably be able to climb any hill just as fast as you were able to on a regular bike.

Usually, you can. However, be aware that recumbent bicycles are often a bit longer than a regular bike, so the rear wheel and crank may stick out the sides a bit further than usual. For extended rides, you may want to slide in the boom and remove the rear wheel to reduce the length of the bike.

There are a few parts on a trike that are unique. Fortunately, these are parts that rarely need to be replaced. All of the drivetrain and brake components are off-the-shelf bike parts, serviceable at any bike shop. The unique parts are the seat, the steering components, and sometimes the front crank.

It will take a few weeks of riding before you are able to climb that monster hill like you used to on your old bike. As your recumbent muscles develop, you will find that climbing hills gets easier. Eventually, you'll be able to climb nearly as fast as you did on a regular bike. Fortunately, there is an added advantage on a trike. Since you can't fall over, you can climb a hill as slowly as you like. Just keep crankin' and you'll make it up. Then, you can enjoy the ride down the other side!

Weak points come from not doing the things you suck at doing. The difference between a successful athlete and a crappy one is they always do the things they have to do, not what they want to do. --Dave Tate